07-23-2009, 03:22 PM
I'll be driving down to Los Angeles tomorrow and back on Sunday. past the dreaded spot where the timing belt snapped not too long ago ... oh great, as if I need another vivid reminder of that moment and its aftermath [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/dry.gif[/img]
Actually, I already drove by it a few weeks ago but I was in the Mercedes so even though I uttered a few choice words [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tongue.gif[/img] when passing by, driving the 968 trough there will probably feel much more reminiscent of that crappy experience..
Anyway, back to the real reason for this post : so when I had the car towed on the almost four hours haul back home, I spent a lot of time talking to the truck driver - seeing several cars stopped by the CHP within the twenty or so miles of where we started, he mentioned that he knows all of the officers that patrol that section of the highway, they spend time at picnics together and in general socializing quite a bit, in addition to their work connection..
Fast forward to the end of the trip, we drop my car off, and I hand him a $ 50 note with thanks for the long hours he wasted helping me out. The kid ( fairly young guy, maybe in his twenties..) is totally stunned, tells me that he's never received more than $ 10 from anyone he towed, asks me if I'm really sure I want to tip him this much, and furthermore stares at the $ 50 bill almost in puzzlement telling me that he's never even seen anything bigger than a $ 20 note in his life. Just as appreciative as I've seen anyone be, coat hanger in the mouth smioe on his face, so it made me feel pretty good about the whole thing also.. to me it was just $ 50 for heaven's sake, I did not hand him a jackpot lotto ticket.. but now for the KARMA: a week later I got a call from him and he says this : " when your car is fixed, and you come by here again ( I had told him I make the LA trip about three to four times a year ) , call me
a day before and let me know approximately what time you plan to be in the area, and the road will be cleared for you if you decide to do some flat-out running. Guaranteed. Just do it when and where there's very little traffic...that blue 968 will not get stopped and ticketed, no matter how fast you go "
So now I have a dilemma - I've done some max speed runs on this very highway a few times, but always with the fear in the back of my mind that by the time my radar detector beeps its too late, and I'm screwed ! Thus, I only get to the top speed very rarely, and then only sustain it for five or ten seconds. But now, here's an open door to do a few of these runs and also for a minute or two at a time, without the same concern... MAY BE [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/dry.gif[/img]
Hoenstly, I'm not sure I want to take the chance. Even if the CHP guys promise him they'll close their eyes to this, once as a courtesy, you never know if they'll really do that when it comes down to it. With my luck, the officer patroling that particular segment will have had a lousy morning and just chomping at the bit, knowing a 968 will come by and just make his promotion to sargeant [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/rolleyes.gif[/img] ..at my expense. So as tempted as I am to take this offer up, I probably will end up driving in a very civilized manner to and back from L.A this weekend [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif[/img]
Actually, I already drove by it a few weeks ago but I was in the Mercedes so even though I uttered a few choice words [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tongue.gif[/img] when passing by, driving the 968 trough there will probably feel much more reminiscent of that crappy experience..
Anyway, back to the real reason for this post : so when I had the car towed on the almost four hours haul back home, I spent a lot of time talking to the truck driver - seeing several cars stopped by the CHP within the twenty or so miles of where we started, he mentioned that he knows all of the officers that patrol that section of the highway, they spend time at picnics together and in general socializing quite a bit, in addition to their work connection..
Fast forward to the end of the trip, we drop my car off, and I hand him a $ 50 note with thanks for the long hours he wasted helping me out. The kid ( fairly young guy, maybe in his twenties..) is totally stunned, tells me that he's never received more than $ 10 from anyone he towed, asks me if I'm really sure I want to tip him this much, and furthermore stares at the $ 50 bill almost in puzzlement telling me that he's never even seen anything bigger than a $ 20 note in his life. Just as appreciative as I've seen anyone be, coat hanger in the mouth smioe on his face, so it made me feel pretty good about the whole thing also.. to me it was just $ 50 for heaven's sake, I did not hand him a jackpot lotto ticket.. but now for the KARMA: a week later I got a call from him and he says this : " when your car is fixed, and you come by here again ( I had told him I make the LA trip about three to four times a year ) , call me
a day before and let me know approximately what time you plan to be in the area, and the road will be cleared for you if you decide to do some flat-out running. Guaranteed. Just do it when and where there's very little traffic...that blue 968 will not get stopped and ticketed, no matter how fast you go "
So now I have a dilemma - I've done some max speed runs on this very highway a few times, but always with the fear in the back of my mind that by the time my radar detector beeps its too late, and I'm screwed ! Thus, I only get to the top speed very rarely, and then only sustain it for five or ten seconds. But now, here's an open door to do a few of these runs and also for a minute or two at a time, without the same concern... MAY BE [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/dry.gif[/img]
Hoenstly, I'm not sure I want to take the chance. Even if the CHP guys promise him they'll close their eyes to this, once as a courtesy, you never know if they'll really do that when it comes down to it. With my luck, the officer patroling that particular segment will have had a lousy morning and just chomping at the bit, knowing a 968 will come by and just make his promotion to sargeant [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/rolleyes.gif[/img] ..at my expense. So as tempted as I am to take this offer up, I probably will end up driving in a very civilized manner to and back from L.A this weekend [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif[/img]
