A Funny Thing Happened On The Way Home From Rehearsal

It really isn't humorous, unless, that is, you happen to have a friend that works in the art department who just went through this. Our State Highway Patrol has a job to do, and laws to enforce. With that said I can share with you that lately they have been "cracking" down rather hard on our I-29 corridor. It will be a week ago tomorrow since this same officer pulled over a friend who just happens to work as a supporting member of the artistic types who live out here on the Great American Desert. The van he was driving reeked of paint thinner and chemicals. I'm sure the officer thought he had pulled over the main connection for a major meth lab when he smelled the man and his van(possible lyrical turn here). The rub for the initial pullover was lack of a seatbelt being worn. The local papers are filled with long lists of offenders, and the unfortunate person I captured on camera at about 8 pm on July 14th is going to be added to the list tomorrow. It really isn't too big a deal, but $85 is the price tag and then there is the loss of time, inconvenience, and having your entire car searched if there is any possible probable (or improbable) cause. I would have liked to do an interview with both of the men on the opposite side of the road just out of curiosity, but thought better of that. I'm certain had I stopped I would have been in serious trouble for something. I guess the reason I'm writing about this is because I know the officer(he lives on Apple Lane, and used to be a neighbor, 5 houses down)and I know one of the people that he has popped recently very well(good hard working likeable guy who wouldn't ever break a law knowingly)and this is not the least bit unusual here in SD. Got an E a short time ago from a friend on the western side of the state telling me that the temp hit 107 degrees there today! With less than 3\4 of a million people in the state we are quite the small town community. I guess where I'm going with this is out on the road where in a span of twenty miles I carefully slowed and proceeded with caution around two tractors, one wagon load of feed pulled by an unlicensed grain hauler, and a fellow who was obviously lost on a huge lawnmower. Because of the neighborhood thing no patrolman in his right mind would ever turn the cherries on one of these folks (incidentally, the road I'm referring to is a major local highway that runs through two counties). So what is it that gets a guy in trouble big time on the feds highway, "failure to obey a law that is now clearly posted on every one of the major thoroughfares(there must be a couple hundred signs out here)in the state." We're in the midst of tourist season, again, on the northern plains. That means that there will be literally more people passing through every week than live here! Maybe you live where the laws are enforced this way, too. The best way to handle oneself is to really put forth an effort to "not" commit one of the state's written sins. Only God provides forgiveness and Grace, for everything else(don't cha know)we have to pay cash! In Christ's Love, Preacher.