I left my home in Twisp, WA this past Saturday morning at 0645 hrs en route to the ShoWare Center in Kent to attend my ex-wife's graduation from the Univ. of Phoenix with her MBA. Got to Wenatchee, WA with no issues and picked up some cabin air filters I ordered earlier last week from O'Rilley's Auto Parts. I left Wenatchee and headed west on Hwy 2 and I forget where it was but I was following a line of cars when a road killed coyote appeared from under the car ahead of me and all I could do was aim for the best angle to run over it. Put the head under the left tires and over we went. No damage, just a speed bump.

Wasn't long before I was on I-90 headed west and up over Snoqualmie Pass. Cleared the crest of the Cascades and down the west slopes I went. Once down off the foothills I was tooling along a little faster then traffic when I noted a MC coming onto the highway from an on ramp a 1/4 mile or so behind me in my rear view mirror. One had also exited at the off ramp just prior to this on ramp but this bike was bigger and had a fairing. A few miles later the bike is slowly working his way up through light traffic and as I pass another vehicle it pulls in behind me and I give it a little more gas to get around the vehicle I'm passing so I can move right and let the MC be on his way. Problem is the MC begins flashing red and blue lights in his fairing. WSP! I work my way over to the right hand break down lane and rolled down my window and shut the car off. Lic. Reg. and proof of insurance please after he informed me he had clocked me at 80 in a 70 mph zone. I quickly dug out my papers and handed him the 3 things he requested. He then informed me or asked me if he needed to return to his bike to fill out the citation or could he forgo said ticket and get back out on the road and to work. I said go work and he handed me my paper and zipped off down the break down lane to get up to freeway speed so he could merge in. As did I. I was stopped for less then 2 minutes.

I arrived in Kent and attended the graduation ceremony and high tailed it out of there as there were a lot of folks in attendance and only limited exits once everyone was ready to depart. Looked like a traffic jam waiting to happen to me. A few blocks from the Showare Ctr. I came across a chunk of plywood and some other lumber in the road which I successfully avoided leaving it for a MC that was following me. He also dodged the debris.

Once I finished visiting with my ex and her family in Issaquah I departed back to eastern WA via I-90 at 1845 hrs. I was approaching Cashmere along the 4 lane section of Hwy 2 that is divided by a concrete barrier in places doing 65 mph w/the cruise control set in the left lane when out of the blue leaps a large spike point Buck from over the cement lane barrier, landing right in the middle of my lane about 100 feet in front of me. I slammed on the brakes and the Michelin PS2's started to let me know they were in full stop mode when the buck lands he looks right at me and then bounds off over the right lane and beyond. Missed him by around 15 feet. Reminded me of a Road Runner cartoon where they freeze the bird and he glances at the camera and then returns to his full speed ahead stance. ZOOOM off he goes.

As dusk approached and darkness fell I turned off of Hwy 97 onto Hwy 153 up the Methow Valley. DEER CENTRAL, hate driving in the valley early morning and at night due to all the critters darting into traffic along this 39 mile section to Twisp where I live. Kept it around 50 mph and arrived home at 2200 hrs and was tired due to a long day and all the concentration it took to watch for the darn deer during this last segment of my days trip.

Car was plastered with bugs but this afternoon she got a bath and detail so she's ready to go to the 1/8th mile drag races up in Osoyoos BC this coming Sunday. Going with a local friend who has a 2004 C5 and a guy with a 1936 hotrod that he races there. Supposed to be a pretty fast coupe.

Anyone got an idea what 10 over in WA runs? Up in AK where I've spent the last 25 years it was $4.00 per mph up to 19 mph over plus a $10.00 sur-charge that funded LEO training. 20 mph and up it was mandatory court.

To be honest I was truly shocked that he let me go and basically wasn't what I expected. He was back on his bike and gone before I could even say thanks for the break. He didn't even run my lic or warrant status. Not how we did business where I worked in AK. The last 5 or so years before I retired our Chief of Police put out an order to all officers that citations "would" be issued on all traffic stops and at all accident investigations. PERIOD. If they weren't you'd be in his office explaining what circumstances overrode his order to issue a citation. If it warranted a stop, it warranted a ticket. As for accidents someone caused it and they should be cited accordingly. No more verbal warnings as that was not proving to be effective in reducing the traffic violations.

George

 

I got a 10 over last summer in my Jeep driving from Everett to Bremerton (about an hr and half drive) cost $133.00. On the way back to everett (first time making that drive) I blew past the toll road. Ticket in the mail.... $77.00. Expensive weekend, $200.00 in tickets.



Mike

 

You are lucky. MC cops ALWAYS write...that's what they are supposed to do. TRAFFIC cops always write...that's what they are supposed do. Regular Patrol officers may give you a break. I'm really surprised you got a pass, but I'm betting he heard something else on the radio that piqued his interest more than a ten over ticket.

 

Maybe he was a Corvette owner?

 

I once had a WSP stop me and tells me he isn't going to give me a ticket, he just wants to make an example of me for the other drivers blowing by on the freeway.

Ran my license, everything checked out and he let me go after about 5 minutes.

In your case he could have recognized the fact that you just sped up to get around another vehicle and out of his way. The fact that you were civil didn't hurt either.

When you buy a Vette in Central/Eastern Washington doesn't it come with the optional Deer Whistles?

 

Yeah Right! I like the way you think **** Jockey. I too thought in that line of "I was just getting around the vehicle I was passing and was getting out of his way" but he had paced me for a ways and I was SPEEDING. I always do. I hate driving at the drudgery pace that general traffic mucks along at and have several personal rules that I don't follow semis, don't follow other vehicles that I can't see around, don't sit behind vehicles I catch up to which generally are those who can't maintain the posted speed limit. Lastly I generally run 5-10 mph over the posted speed limit so I run faster then most traffic runs. I do not do this in lowered speed limit zones like towns and construction zones. BUT, damn does it irritate me when they have all the signs, cones and barrels out and they are not doing squat. There should be a fine for construction companies who fail to remove their warning devices when they are not working.

George

 

I'm with ya on that. Running 70 on I5 never seems to draw any WSP attention. Maybe the guy was on his way home and just couldn't ignore your 80 mph. transgression.

What's that old joke?

There's 2 seasons in Washington. Rain and Road Construction.

 

[QUOTE=

What's that old joke?

There's 2 seasons in Washington. Rain and Road Construction.[/QUOTE]

Sadly true!