Re: OT: Did Steve Ritchie finally pull over?

On Jul 5, 1:47 pm, Steve <king...@xxxxxxx> wrote:
On Jul 4, 7:37 am, EwJ <teethandcl...@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

This is from the IPDB page on Williams "High Speed" game designed bySteveRitchie.

SteveRitchiehas said: "It was based on a true story. I was actually
chased by the cops at 146 mph in my 1979 Porsche 928."

Does any one know if he "got away" on that day?

Maybe I could've gotten away, but it wasn't likely.  I was driving on
I-5, making the Porsche go as fast as it could go on a clear, warm,
very light-trafficked early morning through the incredibly flat
Central Valley of CA.  My Pirelli P-1 tires were nearly new, and
everything was right after waiting for months to "try out" the car as
safely as possible.

After about 15 minutes of running right around 146 mph interspersed
with a few slow-downs, we (my partner was in the car) spotted a CHP
coming at us, without lights or sirens.  Did I slow down enough before
he saw us with radar??

I couldn't be sure so I slowed down to 70 mph as he was going up a
slight hill we just came down on the other side of the median/
divider.  As he crested the hill and disappeared from my mirror, I
began pushing the pedal to the metal again.

About 10 miles later, a sheriff's patrol car came screaming up the
freeway with blinking lights and siren from the opposite side of the
freeway ahead of us.  I slowed down hoping that he would just keep
going on another mission, but in my heart, I knew the ruckus was for
us.

Sure enough, as I watched in my rear view mirror he crossed the median
about 3/4 mile behind us, and came screaming up behind me.  Then 2
other police cars from town of Lodi came screaming up the road toward
us.

The trouble was, if I ran in any direction, I could be seen for
miles.  This wasn't in the big city like in the movies where you make
a series of twists and turns down alleys and drive the wrong way on 1-
way streets.  I wouldn't have ever done that anyway, I don't want to
kill people or be a criminal, or even irresponsible.  My partner and I
just liked to go fast, and we knew what we were getting into when we
got in the car at dawn.  Short of renting a race track, the dangers
were as minimized as I could afford them to be.

Then there is the criminal act of running from the police, which is a
felony.  At that moment, I was up for a High Speed ticket, but that's
a misdemeanor, not a felony.  All this went through my head in a
heartbeat, and I pulled over because there was no way out, really.
Nine cop cars showed up eventually.  The CHP that was eyeing us 15
minutes before, came screaming onto the dusty pull-out we were parked
in (he was the last one there and obviously humiliated in his 110 mph
Dodge POS and tried to pull me out the window of the Porsche, but I
said, "why don't I just open the door?".  I think it was mostly an act
on his part, performed for all the other cops on the scene.

He searched me and my partner, put handcuffs on me and threw me in his
patrol car, while the other 8 cops and my partner were laughing and
searching the car.  The cops thought we were running from a crime
scene or were running dope.  When it was discovered that we just
wanted to try out the car, their attitudes changed.

The CHP came to the car and said "Why'd you do this?"  I said I wanted
to make the car go as fast as it could for a bit.  He said, "You
didn't know I was behind you, did you?"  I said, "No."  He took the
cuffs off me and offered me a cigarette.  We both smoked, and he said
"I'll see if I can help you out in the court room, and by the way,
that's where we are going, straight to the court room.  If court
wasn't in session right now, I would have to put you behind bars.  You
are lucky"

Then he said, "How is that car to drive?  It sure is pretty."  I told
him that it was totally stable at any speed and made the driver look
good in any situation because it was easy to drive well.

We got to the court room, and the CHP testified that I was co-
operative and didn't try to run from him on the road.  This turned out
to be the only reason I could leave the court instead of going to
jail.  The judge fined me $250 ...I had the money on me.   He charged
me with Reckless Driving, which stays on your CA driving record for 7
years.  He also gave me restricted driving for 90 days, for business-
only.  I drove home with my partner at normal speeds.

I didn't get away.  But, there are so many times I have gone fast and
gotten away with it, that I don't care.  Once I got caught.  The other
thousand times I didn't.  WooooooooooooooooooHooooooooooooooooo!!

Best Wishes, and Keep The Rubber Side Down,

Steve

Ya done good Steve, years ago I had just bought a V65 Magna in Santa
Barbara for a 6 pack of beer the guy was from England and was going
back. He gave me a warning about the bike "It really motors". I put
new tires on it and decided to see what it would do. My buddy who was
in his truck would fly past me, I would let him get way ahead then
blast by him. This went on for about 20 miles. Each time I went by him
a little faster then finally I went by him flat out laying down on the
tank. Sure enough the CHP was there and I pulled over. He asked me if
I knew how fast I was going and I told him I didn't know because the
speedo only went to 80 and I had buried it right after going into
second gear. I showed him the paperwork for the bike and told him I
just bought it and wanted to see what it would do and now I know what
it will do, get me a ticket it was a stupid thing to do so write me up
(he had clocked me at 131 mph).
He laughed and said since I was honest and didn't try to B.S. him he
wrote me for 79 mph and told me to slow down.
He then went up to my buddy who had also pulled over and I could see
him trying to B.S. the guy which wasn't going to fly, he had followed
us for awhile and had watched our antics, the more he talked the more
the cop wrote, bad tires, no brake light etc. he wrote him for 94 mph
and almost impounded his truck.
We went a few miles and exited the freeway and Dale was ranting about
what a prick the cop was "Look at this F'n ticket" then he laughed and
said "at least it isn't gonna cost as much as yours".
I showed him my ticket written for 79 mph and he went into his Jesus
dance, I thought he was going to have a stroke.
Honesty is always the best policy. :)

Eric

.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: OT: Did Steve Ritchie finally pull over?
    ... After about 15 minutes of running right around 146 mph interspersed ... we (my partner was in the car) spotted a CHP ... performed for all the other cops on the scene. ... "I'll see if I can help you out in the court room, and by the way, ...
    (rec.games.pinball)
  • Re: OT: Did Steve Ritchie finally pull over?
    ... After about 15 minutes of running right around 146 mph interspersed ... we (my partner was in the car) spotted a CHP ... performed for all the other cops on the scene. ... "I'll see if I can help you out in the court room, and by the way, ...
    (rec.games.pinball)
  • Re: OT: Did Steve Ritchie finally pull over?
    ... After about 15 minutes of running right around 146 mph interspersed ... we (my partner was in the car) spotted a CHP ... performed for all the other cops on the scene. ... "I'll see if I can help you out in the court room, and by the way, ...
    (rec.games.pinball)
  • Re: OT: Did Steve Ritchie finally pull over?
    ... After about 15 minutes of running right around 146 mph interspersed ... we (my partner was in the car) spotted a CHP ... performed for all the other cops on the scene. ... "I'll see if I can help you out in the court room, and by the way, ...
    (rec.games.pinball)
  • Re: OT: Did Steve Ritchie finally pull over?
    ... we (my partner was in the car) spotted a CHP ... in (he was the last one there and obviously humiliated in his 110 mph ... performed for all the other cops on the scene. ... I drove home with my partner at normal speeds. ...
    (rec.games.pinball)
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