[DeTomaso] Panteras & Police, and Washington State plates...

Tue Apr 21 12:38:22 EDT 2009

I must admit that when I was in high school I had a white, 1970 AMC Ambassador, similar to what some police forces were using at the time.

A couple of friends and I thought it would be funny to use some home-made "police lights" to pull over some of our friends, which we did (most weren't amused).  Unfortunately, we then decided to start pulling over random cars, one of which was full of a bunch of rather burly, rough-looking characters (who probably had been drinking).  As we passed them and they figured out we weren't really police, a high-speed chase ensued.

These guys were absolutely nuts, and at 110 mph were only inches from our back bumper.  I'm sure they were intent on running us off the road.

Fortunately, after a few minutes of terror, a real police car appeared coming toward us in the other lane of the two lane road on which we were traveling.  We passed him (with the hoodlums right on our tail) going at least 90.

Of course, the policeman immediately did a u-turn and was in hot pursuit, whereupon the "car of doom" that was following us quickly turned down a backstreet and out of sight.  We tossed all the fake police lights out the window, and a few blocks later pulled over.

When we got out of the car and met the policeman, we told him about the maniacs in the other car who were trying to kill us.  We conveniently left out the part about us antagonizing them, of course.

The sight of three, white-faced, terrified high schoolers, coupled with the other car the policeman had seen, which now had disappeared, must have convinced him we were telling the truth (well, most of the truth, anyway), and he let us go.

That was a lesson I'll never forget, and one of those times I felt there was certainly some divine intervention.  If there hadn't been, I'd probably be dead!  Needless to say, that was the last time I ever impersonated an officer...

Sincerely,

Chris

> Date: Mon, 20 Apr 2009 17:08:19 -0700
> From: asajay at asajay.com
> To: detomaso at realbig.com
> Subject: Re: [DeTomaso] Panteras & Police, and Washington State plates...
> 
> Yup.....
> 
> ... over the years, the Red Pontiac Firebird on the I-5 North/South 
> corridor...
> The white Volvo station Wagon
> The Ford Explorer
> The Chevy Suburban
> Multiple (various colors) Monte Carlos
> A Taurus or two
> I think I remember a Subaru once
> 
> Unfortunately it's also what made it very easy for non-officer 
> civilians to pop some red and blue lights on their sun visors and 
> start pulling people over too. Whose to know whose real and who 
> isn't, unless you pay strict attention to the plates, which not 
> everyone has actually figured out. :) This was a very real problem 
> for about two months in Spokane until the perps got nervous and 
> stopped doing it, or they finally got caught, I'm not sure which.
> 
> Kind of makes you miss the days of cat and mouse with a regular old 
> fashioned black and white.
> 
> Asa Jay
> 
> Quoting "www.DeTomasoRegistry.org" <Pantera007 at provamo.com>:
> 
> > I've added a new entry to the infamous section. Panteras & Police Thanks
> > Ron Hyde!
> >
> >
> >
> > He has an interesting story, and I hope he will share the photos his friend
> > took - Ron?
> >
> >
> >
> > Anyway, this brings up a trivia tidbit.
> >
> >
> >
> > While traversing Washington state on several occasions I noticed that
> > pseudo-under cover
> >
> > patrol cars (many having a "regular citizen-style" license plate) all
> > contained the letters WSP.
> >
> >
> >
> > For example. 232 WSP.
> >
> >
> >
> > It only took me the second speed trap to link the plates of these first two
> > cars.
> >
> >
> >
> > (I even started taking photos, when possible)
> >
> >
> >
> > Soon every pseudo-under cover car was checked, and all had the WSP.
> >
> > (Washing State Police - I presume).
> >
> >
> >
> > When I mean pseudo-under cover, I'm talking about cars with no markings, and
> > no external lights,
> >
> > and in a variety of colors. Only the uniformed driver, or the tell-tale
> > light box near the visor to indicate.
> >
> >
> >
> > I had a chance to closely inspect one car in a lot, after dinner, and there
> > was nothing obvious. until
> >
> > the uniformed officer arrived and drove away.
> >
> >
> >
> > Ron sent a photo of his high speed pursuit and stop cop, and even the
> > clearly marked patrol car ends with WSP.
> >
> >
> >
> > So for you Washington state'rs. Do you all know about the WSP plates?
> >
> >
> >
> > Chuck
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
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