So nearly a year-and-a-half ago now, my front license plate was stolen while my car was parked in downtown Gloucester.
At least I think that's what happened. All I know is, I went to Gloucester, the plate was loose in the frame, and when I got home, it was gone.
I reported it stolen to both the Registry of Motor Vehicles and the NPD, got a new plate and duly installed in on my car, only in a more secure manner.
So it came as a total surprise to me tonight, when on my way home from the City Council meeting, I was pulled over by a Newbury policeman who informed me that my license plate had been reported stolen.
ME: "Yes, that was me who reported it stolen."
HIM: "Well, if you reported it stolen, why do you have both plates on your car?"
ME: "Because it was replaced ... ?"
HIM: "Well, you should have reported it to the police and the state."
ME: "I DID report it, to the Newbury ... er, I mean NewburyPORT ... police and the Registry."
HIM: "Let me see your license."
He went away with my license, came back and told me that the NPD still had it listed as stolen and that I should call them immediately and get them to fix that.
No, Mr. Officer, the whole point of reporting it stolen was so that if it were to be used in a crime anytime in the future, I would not be promptly arrested for perpetrating said crime.
I was not speeding (besides, I saw him from way back, lurking at the airport with his headlights blazing), I signalled my left turn onto Old Point Rd. - I observed every little traffic law there is.
Since buying my Jetta two years ago, I have been pulled over more (mostly in Rowley) than I ever had in all the years prior. I don't know if it's the Jetta, or if it's me, but I know I'm getting sick and tired of being pulled over.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
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2 comments:
I have a funnier story (well not for one person). My daughter's car was stolen some years ago when she was living in Lowell. She reported it to the Lowell PD. A day or so later, the Lowell PD called her to say it had been found out of gas at the side of a back road. I called a friend who owned a service station. He picked it up, fixed it, and all was well.
Many moons later, I received a call at home. It was a Nashua (NH) cop. "I have good news," he said. "We have your car." I was, of course, confused. At that time, we had 3 or 4 cars, none of which was at home. I first assumed it was one of them. "The Ford sedan," he said. "We don't own a Ford sedan." He then described it. I realized it was my daughter's car, that we had sold to a neighbor long enough ago that he had sold it to someone else. I told that to the cop.
"That's bad," he said, "because we have the driver in jail!"
The driver had been stopped for an expired sticker. The car had come up on the registration check as stolen.
The Nashua cop proceeded to give me hell for not reporting it. "To whom," I asked. "The Lowell PD." "But, that's who found it and called my daughter to tell her it had been found!" "Oh, yeah," he said, I guess I'd better go straighten this out.
See? That's what I can see happening to me, the minute the Newburyport PD takes my plate off the "stolen" list. Or before then, depending on how diligent the Newbury and/or Rowley police are feeling that day ... it helps that I'm a woman, though - that I can tell.
Thanks for the story; that poor driver (I assume it was a man).
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