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sgtbull
03-18-2006 06:20:58
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I'm just curious how many police officers out there are restoring tractors. I've been an officer for 22 yrs, and have been redoing tractors for 21 of those. I, along w/ some other buddies, (civilians) started a tractor club about 16 yrs ago and it has been a great experience. I find that there are lots of former farm boys like myself who went into law enforcement for a steady check or whatever other reason, but still have ties to the farm.... and have found that messing with this old stuff is theraputic. I have at least 5 other troops in my district alone that mess with them on some level, and know of several local officers. I generally like to leave my job out of my personal life, but sometimes you just can't. As an example, several yrs ago, I was at a swap meet at Waukee, Ia, purchaseing some decals from a well known decal maker. A man standing nearby, said, "are you a police officer?" I was surprised, but figured he had seen my badge when I got cash out to pay, and I replied, somewhat hesitantly, "yes". Then he said, "you're an Illinois trooper, aren't you?". Getting a little more suspicious, I replied, "yes, how'd you know?" (again, suspecting that he recognized the badge)...he didn't answer, and then asked, "do you work on rt 51 near Vandalia, Il.?" Now I was somewhat concerned... I didn't remember this guy at all, and had no idea if this was going to be a positive interaction or not, but I did know he was a LOT bigger than me and I was about 500 miles from home. I was just hoping this wasn't going south in a hurry. Instead of answering him immediately, I found myself adjusting my footing, setting my purchase down, and bringing my hands up to my waist, ready to do battle if needed. Something in the tone of his voice put me on alert. I asked him again, why he was inquiring, and he repied, "you waved me over several yrs ago when I was hauling some tractors on rt 51" I thought to myself, okay, here we go.. and asked him the inevitable question, "well, did I write you a ticket or a warning?" He replied, "Oh, you didn't write me anything, you just wanted to look at my tractors for a minute..We had a real pleasant talk, and I just thought it was you." Whew! Yeah, I remembered him then....and, as I recall, I had stopped him to let him know he was about to lose a chain on one of his tractors, and we ended up talking tractors for nearly 45 min. Small world. Its nice to completely forget about the crud you deal with and pretend you aren't a cop once in a while, but sometimes you can't escape it. Being an officer, when we have meetings, I end up being the sounding board for other members who have had an interaction w/ the police, positive or negative, or the resource for questions of law, such as licensing, towing requirements, lighting, etc, and that's fine. I like to be of help. BUT, it is awkward because once in a great while, I encounter one of our club members, (ususally a newer member) in a less than positive situation. I consider all of the members as friends, especially those who have been in our club for many yrs, but still have to fulfill my responsibilities. This is one of those jobs that you can't leave "at work" sometimes, but I sure like to try. Fortunately, very few people who are into old tractors are of a criminal nature. ANYWAY, are there any other officers out there who mess with this old stuff too? Or do you have any friends/family who are officers who mess with tractors? Just curious. By the way, I'm working on a State Police patch collection for my hq lobby...any patch traders would be welcomed to swap with.
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