Miata Mailing List: July 1996, Message #51
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   From: "Leigh Dyer" 
Subject: Re[2]: IL Cops on tollways was: construction fines
   Date: Mon, 1 Jul 1996 15:17:12 -0400

>    I was driving the work truck not the miata. parked to the far left was
>    4 troopers parked side by side nice and tight to the side, suddenly
>    everyone jams on the brake, but just ahead you can see two troopers
>    busy writing I look over to the other side there was two returning. up
>    a little more their was 4 more busy, the first 4 were just waiting for
>    the others to finish. All in all there was 12, and that's not the only
>    time I have witnessed this abuse.

     I've seen something similar in the DC area -- Maryland to be specific.
     In the summer, many people spend their weekends on Delaware beaches.
     The typical route starts with 395. Last Friday, at about 7pm, I was on
     395 and saw a sea of breaklights ahead of me. Sure enough, 4 cop cars
     on the right, 2 on the left, just picking us off at their leisure.
     After we drove through it, traffic started picking up speed -- and
     confidence -- again and, darn it, if the same set-up wasn't waiting for
     us. Like catching fish in a beltway. (395 is also know as the beltway.
     "Beltway" is a play on "barrel," like fish in a -- oh, never mind.)

     Now with that perfect lead-in, I will tell a beach story, no miata
     content.  Beach houses will often have 5-10 cars in their driveways,
     and this leads to many long and exciting games of musical cars. I made
     a little joke that these people rule the world during the week (we're
     talking DC lawyers, political types, financial types, etc., who
     actually have "rule the world" on their resumes.), but can't figure out
     how to get their cars out of the driveway on weekends.  Two of the guys
     started cracking up. It seemed one had tried to get the other's car out
     of the driveway the previous weekend with no luck. He got the owner off
     the beach, who also couldn't budge it. They called the tow truck. The
     driver came over, took a look, and said, "Well, first you have to
     release the emergency break."

     Beach story, miata content: As I was leaving Sunday morning, a bunch of
     us were standing on the balcony, watching a tow truck get a miata out
     of a sandy parking spot. It seems she had gotten stuck, and rather than
     get help, had kept attempting to muscle her way out until the wheels
     were buried up to the axles. Of course we were making fun of this --
     if the owner is on the net, I'm sorry -- I cracked under peer-pressure.
     Then it was time for me to go home.  I was parked right out front of
     the house, but my housemates hadn't realized it was my car. Let's just
     say they were hanging over the edge of the balcony hoping for a repeat
     performance. And let's just say that miatas were vindicated. I'd love
     to say it was my incredible driving ability, but I think it had more to
     do with luck and fear of public humiliation. When is that driving
     school again?

     Leigh You-pick-the-topic-I'll-work-it-into-a-Miata-story Dyer