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November 29, 2010
The Dane County Sheriff
At dark thirty I go out into the parking lot and climb onto my motorcycle. It's a cold and rainy November Wisconsin night. I kick the parking lot to test for ice. But there's nothing. Just cold wet asphalt.
I start the bike and drive away slowly in the rain. The clutch only works intermittenly. I replaced the cable last night at the hotel with a wrench I borrowed from the maintenance guy, but it's not adjusted properly. Needs some more attention, of course, like everything I own.
So I start off in the cold dark rain and at the first red light, I sit for some time and finally just decide to run the light and I don't get far before the red and blue lights fill my mirrors. I pull over, kill it, and put my hands on the handlebars. Just sitting there in the cold raining dark. No license plate. Nothing.
Cop pulls up and he has a hard time with this. He's trying not to laugh.
"What the hell? What are you doing? Why did you run the light?" he asks.
"I dunno. I got tired of waiting I guess."
He asks for my license and I pass it to him.
"Where are you going?"
"To my hotel. I work here for this company. I stay at the Residence Inn."
"And you live in Colorado? Seriously?"
"Yeah. That's pretty much it, I guess."
"Don't go anywhere," he laughs.
"I'm not leaving," I reply.
Presently, he returns and hands me my license. He's laughing now. "I'm not going to keep you out here in this mess," he laughs.
"Thanks. Have a good night."
He never asks me for proof of insurance or registration or anything. Doesn't mention that I don't have a license plate. Just he feels sorry for the lunatic on the motorcycle at night in the cold November rain.
And I leave to go meet Lucy for dinner on State Street.
Posted by Rob Kiser on November 29, 2010 at 9:46 PM
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