Good LE encounter...
Posted: Wed Jun 21, 2023 4:25 pm
So I'm coming home from dance class last nite in the old MBZ, nice easy drive, cruising the coast. I get off at my exit, drive down the boulevard a couple of hundred feet, and turn onto a side street. Noticed a vehicle turning behind me - fairly uncommon...
Suddenly, ITS CHRISTMASTIME! WTF? I wasn't speeding. I stopped when I was supposed to, and I even used my turn signals. A sheriff's deputy comes to the window and tells me that my license plate lites are inop. Well, crap. So while I was handing over my docs, I also told him I had a CCW. He asked where it was, I told him it was in my dance bag on the seat next to me. "If you don't touch yours, I won't touch mine!" comes the reply.
He asked what it was, then I asked what his duty gun was (Ruger LC9s and Walther PPQ respectively). Then we shot the poop about guns for the next 10 minutes while the "other officer" ran my license. Gave me a fixit warning. I immediately recalled an unknown pigtail in the trunk that wasn't plugged into anything after the car had been in the body shop last year - while the deputy suggested burned out lite bulbs. Turns out - we were both right. The pigtail did indeed power the license lites, once I plugged it in, I got exactly nothing because both bulbs were burned out! Crap bulbs, they were only 38 years old, what's up with this early failure?
I actually thought I'd replaced those with LEDs about 12 years ago, but obviously I didn't. I had spare bulbs, put 'em in - but I'm off to superbrightleds.com to order a pair of LEDs for it.
I sincerely thanked the deputy for informing me of this problem - even if he *did* scare the crap out of me. All in all, a pleasant encounter.
Suddenly, ITS CHRISTMASTIME! WTF? I wasn't speeding. I stopped when I was supposed to, and I even used my turn signals. A sheriff's deputy comes to the window and tells me that my license plate lites are inop. Well, crap. So while I was handing over my docs, I also told him I had a CCW. He asked where it was, I told him it was in my dance bag on the seat next to me. "If you don't touch yours, I won't touch mine!" comes the reply.
He asked what it was, then I asked what his duty gun was (Ruger LC9s and Walther PPQ respectively). Then we shot the poop about guns for the next 10 minutes while the "other officer" ran my license. Gave me a fixit warning. I immediately recalled an unknown pigtail in the trunk that wasn't plugged into anything after the car had been in the body shop last year - while the deputy suggested burned out lite bulbs. Turns out - we were both right. The pigtail did indeed power the license lites, once I plugged it in, I got exactly nothing because both bulbs were burned out! Crap bulbs, they were only 38 years old, what's up with this early failure?
I actually thought I'd replaced those with LEDs about 12 years ago, but obviously I didn't. I had spare bulbs, put 'em in - but I'm off to superbrightleds.com to order a pair of LEDs for it.I sincerely thanked the deputy for informing me of this problem - even if he *did* scare the crap out of me. All in all, a pleasant encounter.
