CHiPs are great!
The California Highway Patrol that is, not Poncherello and friends (blast from the past for those old enough to remember).

A few years ago my wife and I were driving from San Franpsycho down to Santa Monica. Unfortunately the scenic coast road, Highway 1, was closed due to numerous land slips so we had to take the Interstate instead.

Nearing our destination, I spot the Highway Patrol car in the mirror, lights flashing etc. so I move over to let him past...but he followed me. Pulling over to the side, with an increasingly sick feeling in the stomach, he gets out to tell me he'd clocked me doing 87mph on the other side of town and it'd taken him 'til now to catch up, so he wasn't best pleased.

After running through the possible consequences; night in the cells, $400 on the spot fine etc. and making me sweat a lot (behave!) he let me off - I think the fact we were flying out the next day helped.

He did share his opinions on the driving traits of visiting nationalities though: apparently Brits drive fast, but within their abilities; Germans drive fast, but overrate themselves and the Italians drive fast, but are quite mad.

Length?...about 1700 miles in two weeks
(RTFM May your god go with you, Tue 27 Apr 2010, 10:29, Reply)