[Hal Copple]

Thought i would offer a space for drivers to comment on their most miserable or memorable ticket experience.

Fall of '65, i had just bought a '63 TR-4. Was a college Frosh at Nebraska, drove up north to a tiny town, Bancroft, where my dad grew up. Picked up my two cousins, one a guy, the other his sister. We wedged ourselves into the tiny cockpit, but it being already cold, and with dark approaching, headed over to another small town, Lyons. Had the top up.

I was the Big City Kid, out from Virgina, in my hot English sports car, a handsome White Triumph. The three of us cruised the very short main street, blipping the throttle of that ancient motor, until on one trip down main street, a car pulled out to follow me.

It was dark by then, and all i could tell was that a car with bright lights was right on my tail. Remember, i had the top up. I muttered to my two cousins, "let's show this farm kid what a hot sports car can do."

I raced thru the gears, by the end of the street, right by the town cemetary, i was well into fourth, pulling a bit over 70 mph, this being down a 20 mph street, when all of a sudden the car right behind me turned on its cherry top light.

I had not been able to see the policecar's red light because my cousin Marcia and the low top had kept my vision to the rear obscured. I pulled over by the cemetary, and the young officer told me i was going 50+ mph over the limit, and my fine was $25. I wrote out a check on the hood of his car, and he escorted me to a mailbox in which i dropped the payment envelope.

I sheepishly drove back to cousin's farm, feeling like the Stupid Kid from the Big City. At least, i can recall now that my first ticket was for drag racing an unmarked cop car.

Then there was the time a year later, in a tiny town in Iowa, when the mayor came in his bathrobe, asked how much money i had, so i lied and said $15, and he said "pay the man, and you can go on." I have had one other ticket, again in a speed trap in Iowa, back in '85. None since.