SC State Trooper

[Danno]

I was riding with my Father-In-Law (F-I-L), both a Mason and a CWP holder, and my son in the back seat (buckled into a booster seat). My F-I-L was going about 12 over the limit, when a Sate Trooper pulled us over. We pulled to the side of the road - actually completely off the road and then some - to give the officer plenty of room to come to the driver's side window without any danger from the road.

My F-I-L handed his DL and CWP, and the officer explained that, of course we were speeding, and that he would be right back. The officer asked if he was carrying today, "Yes," to which he replied "Good!" :)

I was thinking - oh crap, my M-I-L is going to give him crap for a speeding ticket. My son - he's 6 - had never been pulled over before, and was asking, "Is Papa going to jail?" We laughed and told him no, just a ticket, and pay some money to the court.

Well, a few minutes later, the officer came back, handed him his DL and CWP back, Shook his hand and said to "watch your speed in the future" - handed him a warning, and a State Trooper Badge Sticker for "the little guy in the back." :)

I was dumbstruck. We pulled off, and my F-I-L started chucking... I asked him what the heck just happened there?

Well... being a mason, he had a mason window decal on the back glass. The handshake was the Troopers way of telling my F-I-L that he was a mason as well - you know - the secret handshake and all...

I must say, this was my best encounter with any LEO of any kind. Since then, I've considered becoming a mason!

[Ford Truck]

Americans shouldn't have to be Masons to be treated like that.

[ecocks]

The only reason you should get a warning ticket is if the officer's judgment says the situation calls for a warning rather than a full ticket. Maybe it gets abused sometimes, maybe you don't agree with your understanding of the officer's judgment, maybe you don't know everything the officer saw, just have to trust the system as best you can.

Even from this story we cannot really tell all the factors involved in the officer's decision to issue a warning rather than a regular ticket. Maybe it was the demeanor of the driver, the presence of a properly seated child, the car they drove, the controlled response of the vehicle exhibited during the pullover, the masonic sticker, the CWP, the driver's record when checked or whatever. It could have been all these things or none of them, maybe it can be attributed to the roast beef sandwich the officer had earlier. Maybe I am Pollyanna, the eternal optimist, but you just have to trust them with the judgment for the call. Consider the alternative - are you going to be happy with a rigid system allowing you only 1 warning every 3 to 5 years? How about no warnings but an automatic radar/camera ticket generated when you are 1 MPH over the limit? No allowance for conditions?

There are a lot of things that ought not happen, we just have to deal with it and accept the consequences when they do.

[DrDavidM]

Good to hear. I am glad you all had a good encounter.

[toreskha]

Since then, I've considered becoming a mason!

Me too, just because it would be interesting - but some people I do business with are convinced that its a satanic cult, so I've refrained.

I'll join the Bilderburg Group instead. :D

[ecocks]

What, didn't you watch National Treasure?!?!? Da Vinci Code? Think brotherhood and altruism, not black magic!

Come on Benjamin Franklin, George Washington and quite a few others who you probably think pretty well of were members, not too bad company.

Course there was the bad press from the movie, "In Hell" which we are still trying to live down. Thank goodness not too many people saw it. Though I have to say they were supposedly protecting a brother.

[toreskha]

What, didn't you watch National Treasure?!?!? Da Vinci Code?

Nope. :)

Come on Benjamin Franklin, George Washington and quite a few others who you probably think pretty well of were members, not too bad company.

I know myself that it's not satanic, of course. It's more that it has an image problem...and other than just thinking to myself that it would be interesting, I've never had any other motivation to join. No one tried to talk me into it, etc.

[ecocks]

Ah, we are not allowed to "invite" someone to join. It is called non-solicitation and is one of our precepts. If you ask for information we will wholeheartedly answer your questions but we are specifically forbidden from asking you or persuading you to join. Click on the Michigan Grand Lodge's website link below and read from the bottom of page 15 until you see what I mean...

http://www.gl-mi.org/Interesting-Fac...reemasonry.pdf

Hope that helps your background knowledge of masonry.

[Brainchild]

Ah, we are not allowed to "invite" someone to join. It is called non-solicitation and is one of our precepts. http://www.gl-mi.org/Interesting-Fac...reemasonry.pdf

Hope that helps your background knowledge of masonry.

I know this is something for another thread,but I would forget,so I'll ask here.
What exactly do the Masons do,and what are they?

[Ektarr]

What exactly do the Masons do,and what are they?

Read...then write me if you still have questions.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freemasonry