tylercox said:*On that ticket, it says wrong something. What does it say after the
word wrong? *
I should have known that all ya'll would want the back story too.
01 June 2001, Is what it says at the top of the ticket. I'd forgotten
that it was that long ago.
I had been told that there was a local group of bike riders that had a
group ride once a month, they rode at a casual pace that I could
provably keep up with them on my uni, I was still riding a 24in at the
time. I had just recently tested one of those "new" Coker's at
Unicycle.com (it was still in the garage of the Drummond's home back
then.)
It turned the ride was the local version of a "critical mass" ride, they
were a group of cycle anarchists that rode in the middle of rush hour
traffic trying to point out the need to replace all the cars on the road
with bicycles. I was able to complete the 8 mile ride but couldn't keep
up. 20 mins after the last bike finished I joined them at a downtown
watering hole for a frosty beverage. We were talking about our shared
distain for SUV's when someone wearing a top hat and tails walks in and
inquires "Who rides the unicycle?" the group all points to me, Then this
guy asked me if I wanted to perform with his circus that was going to be
at Tasty World across the street later that evening. I gracefully
declined.
After finishing my beverage I decided that neither dinner with the
anarchists, or joining the circus wasn't how I wanted to spend the rest
of the evening. I got on my uni to ride the 3 blocks to where my truck
was parked.
(This is the part where the Cop comes in.)
I ride up the hill to the street where I am parked, the sidewalk has
become the "patio seating" of a tavern so I was riding for that last 1/2
a block on the shoulder of the road. when a bicycle cop blows his
whistle from across the street. Instead of dismounting I point to my
parked car. trying to convey the message this was far as I was going. He
blows the whistle again and calls from across the road "Get off that
Thang, now I's got to rite yew a ticket". I get off and walk across the
street to where the cop is waiting. Still shoting he says "What was yew
thinkin? I blowed mah whistle and yew didn't get down off that thang,
WHAT was YEW thinkin??
I had just moved from Iowa to Georgia and didn't realize that there are
no rhetorical questions in the south and he was expecting an answer, so
now he's shouing even louder. "Ah ask yew a queschin, WHAT was YEW
thinkin?!?!"
"I wasn't thinking sir" was my sheepish reply.
He is now angrily thrashing through his saddle bag for his ticket book,
I ask "What's he problem Is this a one way?" he grumbles unintelligibly
as he writes out the ticket and hands it to me without saying another
word. I stuff it in my pocket, walk across the street to my truck throw
the uni in the back and drive home. I start trembling now.
I later found out it was fortunate that I "confessed" to riding the
wrong way on a one way street, because the "failure to obey" ticket that
he was stoping me for was 2points with a $130 fine and a mandatory court
apperance.
That's my story and I'm stickin to it. I'm not clever enough to make
something like this up.
Ya'll Have fun now. Hear?
Al 🙂
--
al_lieffring - World famous mediocre unicyclist
sola rota Ya'll
Al Lieffring :O)
'Al's Unicycling Club'
(http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/alsunicyclingclub/)
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