Wow, it's been an adventure filled night. Old blue has been parked at the casa for a whiled now. I hadn't started it since that night ride in the North Boulder snow a few weeks ago. I must've left the dash light on because it wouldn't start. No problem, I figured I'd just put the Jeep in front of it and jump it. Nope. The battery was so dead that, even hooked up to the Jeep, it wouldn't wing over. Finally, after letting the truck sit charging with the Jeep running for a bit, I got Blue to start.
I had loded Blue up to take a bunch of household recycling down to town. Recycling is conveniantly located next to the Police Station in Lyons. When I got to recycling, I left the truck running because I wanted the battery to keep charging. I had already dumped the can's bottles, etc, and I was putting the cardboard in the container. The cardboard container has a slot that is only 6" or so tall so you have to flatten the cardboard to get it in. I had a handfull of boxes so I stomped them down to flat (I know, lazy, but I didn't have a knife) to get them in. As I'm walking out from behind the container to get to the truck, I hear, "Hey There! What are you doing? Stop!" I look up and a Boulder County Sheriff is hurrying over to me with his flashlight beam square in my eyes. I was so befuddled I didn't know what to say, so I spat out an "Excuuuuse me?!" He repeated himself, asking what I was doing there at night. I replied, "Recycling cardboard, sir. Is that permissible at the recyling station here?" "Uh, mmmm, you weren't dumpster diving?" "No sir, these are recyling containers," thinking that they were painted green with big white letters saying ECOCYCLE on the side for a reason. The cop then had to walk up to the side of the container to verify that, yes, there was crushed boxes of cardboard in there.
He, of course, did not apologize but said, "Well, they just transferred me here." I tried to make conversation to make him feel like not so much a complete tool so I asked where he was from. "A different district." Oh. Well, sorry to bug you officer dickhead. I'll just be on my done with recycling way.
What a tool. Anyway, got down to the bikeshop to do a little work and things were good. I decided against my better judgement to turn off the truck. After I was ready to go home, I hopped in the truck and it wouldn't even click over. At least I had a few bikes to choose from for the short ride home :)
Guess I'll be buying a battery soon for Blue. Can't wait to take it on another recycling adventure.
6 comments:
Surprised he didn't have his gun pulled too. Lyons pays for these rent-a-cops from Boulder County to harass the town citizens...it's great isn't it?
Dave,
you can put a on/off switch at the battery terminal (quick disconnect basically) to save that from ahppening if you let her sit for a while--I used to do that on my old volvo and 72 land cruiser. Saves a good bit of battery cost down the road. Note to self--wear flak jacket to eco cycling centers. ;)
Annoying stuff like this happens all the time. It is not public safety it's harassment and wasted tax dollars that could be used for true public safety.
I thought the cop thing was weird. Usually the police around here are pretty friendly and only get involved if they're called in on something. This guy was a little overzealous.
I agree it's a waste of resources. He could have been doing something productive like busting night riders on Picture Rock.
So I'm curious, if you were in fact dumpster diving would he have hauled you off to the pound?
I think it was vehicle discrimination...
And your friendly nieghborhood pig pulled over a fellow redstoner last night on his bike, riding to Oskars, looking for a DUI! This could make for som fun LGS (lyons ghetto single track) riding this spring. escape from the man!
-rog
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