Coffypot left a comment on the blog that
triggered a few memories.
If you travel US 287 from Colorado to
Texas you will drive about 48 miles in Oklahoma. One day I’m heading South and
an Oklahoma trooper passed me Northbound. In my mirror saw him turn around.
Shit! At the next wide spot I pulled over. It was me he wanted to talk to. He
had me walk back to his cruiser and get in the front passenger seat (to insure
the audio/video had the best chance to record everything although the trooper
didn’t mention any of that). When in that situation truth can be your friend.
“How fast were you going?”
“I don’t know, I wasn’t paying attention
to my speedometer”.
After a few more minutes of chit chat, He
said. “Mr. White, it is only eight miles to the Texas line. Do you think you
can stay within the limit for eight miles?”
“Yes Officer, I believe I can”. So, on my
way with no ticket.
At the time I was driving a green Ford
Escort Wagon with numerous dents, bins full of sales material (rear seat
removed) and commercial grade red/silver reflective tape on the rear bumper. Noticeable,
it was.
Two weeks later I was going from Texas to
Colorado on US 287 and stopped in Boise City to use the sanitary facilities and
get some coffee. Upon returning to my car I heard someone call my name.
“Mr. White, I am very pleased to see you
obeying the speed limit in Oklahoma”.
“Officer, I didn’t see you’.
“We’re sneaky that way”.
To this day I’m very careful on US 287 in
Oklahoma.
(That picture of the Escort was taken
where CO, WY, and NE meet at Tri Corners)
14 comments:
You've taken 287 that far?
Amazing.....
At various times and segments, from Choteau, MT to Amarillo, TX. Lubbock if you include I-27.
WoW....I knew it went waaaay into Wyoming, but didn't know it went all the way to Montana.
I was talking to my daughter-in-law about Mulberry St in Fort Collins, and she said that one goes "All the way to Nebraska"!
Considering I grew up on roads like that back in Illinois (some "county" two-lane blacktops ran between states!), I think I'll be able to navigate my way around the area fairly well once we move there.
I've already found ways to bypass most of 287 to LaPorte/Bellvue.
From our hotel on Mason, I took Horsetooth to Taft Road, and headed North.
Saved around 20 minutes even though the speed limit was lower in places.
My strategy for driving in Ft Collins is to avoid it.
My mother was born in what is now covered with water in Horsetooth Reservoir about 4 miles South of Bellevue. According to a cousin a 5th generation, in Colorado, Latham (my mother's family/clan) lives in LaPorte.
Ah, yes....the little town of "Stout".
Yeah, I'd9 prefer not to go through Fort Collins AT ALL, but my wife likes to go through there.
Or at least she id until this last trip!
She was pretty happy that I figured out a way to bypass all the traffic and road construction!
The area has a lot to offer.
My employer at the time wanted to open a used car lot. We operated several and my job was to locate a site, get it up and running, and provide general supervision. One of my failures. The city bureaucracy defeated me. Worse than Boulder. Why yes, I am a sore loser.
Excessive regulations for a used car lot??
Please explain....
In the minds of city drones, a used car lot is a blight.
Conditional use permit, sign permit, landscaping requirements/noise abatement, re-striping the street for a left turn lane, entrance requirements, code compliant restrooms in the office, handicapped parking, and on and on.
We would spend a minimum of $15,000 to open one in a good location.
Our mother was born on the north end of Horsetooth Reservoir at Soldier Canyon. The town of Stout is on the south end of the reservoir. Everything north of Stout was ranches, pastures and meadows.
Sisty
Once again my sister proves she is smarter than me.
And I thought Kommiefornia was bad....
Thank you for the local geography lesson!
Our daughter-in-law grew up in the area and has been teaching us a lot of local history. When WSF mentioned the area was where the reservoir was, I instantly assumed he meant Stout. Seeing as the reservoir is almost 7 miles long, it didn't occur to me that she may have lived *outside* the little town.
You sexy dog, you. What happened that made that cop remember you and your name after all that time?
Ha! I make an indelible impression wherever I go.
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