"Who Won?" Getting a Speeding Ticket Kilted

**Riverkilt** · 16th July 06, 04:31 PM

So, after the Flagstaff Highland Games Saturday I headed across the Navajo Reservation to Hopi to visit my lady. The speed limit on the Rez Road I usually drive (Hwy 89) is 65 mph. But coming out of Flagstaff and hitting the rez I must have missed a speed limit sign.

West of Leupp I'm cruising along at about 75, top a hill into the forward looking radar of a Navajo Nation officer. He lit up his squad car lights and I pulled over while he turned around.

Now, Navajo Nation police officers work alone in a very remote area. They're all business because they can't afford to make a mistake. When he came up to the car he asked if I knew what the speed limit was. Told him 65 mph...he tells me, no, its 55mph. Guess I missed that sign somehow. This is big sky country...would be like Montana or Nevada having a 55 mph speed limit in the boonies...who knew?

So we're doing the drill. We're standing by his squad car with the passenger door open between us for his safety. I'm wearing my hand sewn Cameron Black and Red kilt, a black Jacobite shirt, belt, sporran, black kilt hose and shoes with a mini USMC K-Bar replica for a Skain Dubh. He didn't ask about it so I stood so the knife (actually a letter opener that couldn't cut string) is facing away from him...no need to complicate things.

Its pretty unusual for a non-Navajo to be on this rez road so he's asking me a lot of questions. "Do you have any drugs or alcohol in your car?" No sir, I'm a sober member of Alcoholics Anonymous and a drug and alcohol counselor. "Do you have any weapons in your car?" No. "Do you have anything illegal in your car?" No sir. All the time he's writing the ticket. He looks at the USMC bumper sticker on my car, "Were you in the service?" Yes sir, 1965 &66. He does the math checking the birthdate on my license against my age then.

I explain that I've been in Flagstaff for the Highland Games and am now on my way to the Hopi Rez to visit my lady.

Then, he offers the first social interaction of the encounter, "Who won?"
I wanted to crack up, but knew it wouldn't be wise. So I politely explained what went on at Highland games, and that there was competition, but it was mostly individual and that I didn't stay for the results. He got a puzzled look on his face so I tried again, "Its sort of like a Scottish Pow-Wow." That he understood.

Then he looks at me in full regalia and asks sincerely, "Are you Scottish?"
Again, I kept my composure and said yes.

I signed off on the ticket. Felt lucky it was only $50. The way I've driven on the Navajo Rez over the past five years I certainly owe them a lot more than that. I set my speed control at 55 mph and headed for my lady's house. Of course I got passed a LOT.

But hey, there are still cultural gaps out there. This officer had no clue. He's sure got a story to tell his buddies though.

Ironic, that back in Flagstaff there were two City of Flagstaff police officers working the Highland Games and they wore their uniform shirts, duty belts, and kilts. Got a couple pics. I'll post them on the pics forum soon for all you other kilted law enforcement folks out there.

"Who won?"

Cracked me up...

Ron

**Tattoo Bradley** · 16th July 06, 04:53 PM

"Who Won?"

It actually is a pretty legitimate question when surely all he heard was "games."

I saw the kilted cops, I got a kick out of that. Looked rather sharp I thought.

**MacWage** · 16th July 06, 04:57 PM

From your other posts, based on your finds . . .

Now, with the (relatively) small ticket . . .

I'd say it was YOU!!!

:mrgreen:

**mudd** · 16th July 06, 07:14 PM

I also got a $50 speeding ticket in the Navajo Reservation a few years ago. I still swear that he had his radar gun pointed at the truck full of young Navajo guys that was coming up behind me fast. I told the officer that, and he said nothing. The only thing he said after that was “sign here”. Oh well.

Hey Ron, any chance of you making it to the Highland Ranch Games on Aug. 6?

**Riverkilt** · 16th July 06, 07:24 PM

Originally Posted by mudd

Hey Ron, any chance of you making it to the Highland Ranch Games on Aug. 6?

Sorry, won't be there. My lady has a conference in Las Vegas that weekend and she's offered to take me along...can't pass a deal like that up!

Ron

**Caradoc** · 16th July 06, 07:39 PM

Originally Posted by Riverkilt

So we're doing the drill. We're standing by his squad car with the passenger door open between us for his safety. I'm wearing my hand sewn Cameron Black and Red kilt, a black Jacobite shirt, belt, sporran, black kilt hose and shoes with a mini USMC K-Bar replica for a Skain Dubh. He didn't ask about it so I stood so the knife (actually a letter opener that couldn't cut string) is facing away from him...no need to complicate things.

Better not to worry them anyway - I wish I'd been able to simply turn away a bit to conceal the Lochaber axe belted into the passenger seat when I last got pulled over in the kilt.

I was on my way home from an event, in 1590s gear.

It was a nervous five or ten minutes for the both of us, I think.

I didn't get a ticket, though.

**mbhandy** · 17th July 06, 07:34 AM

Ron Good one, Who won.
If I ever get pulled over in my truck I have all sorts of knives, box cutters, breaker bars and other tools of distruction, of course I allso have Bill Edwards -Handyman written all over my truck. Hope most Police get the message. I do have one county cop who is a customer.

MrBill

**Graham** · 17th July 06, 07:48 AM

Nice story Ron, I enjoyed reading it, esp. since it's so different to what we have here.
No "big sky"
No navajo's
No traffic police (we have speed cameras hidden in parked vehicles)

very interesting.