View Full Version : It's true: cops love mandolins
Neil Gladd
Apr-12-2007, 8:00am
From today's Washington Post Express (page E20):
It's True: Cops Love Mandolins
A musician was running late, speeding into town, drawing the attention of the local constabulary. "Where you goin', son?" "I have to make a gig." "What do you play?" "Um, mandolin?" "Do you play like Sam Bush?" A trick question? Did the cop like Sam Bush? Was it arrogant to say that anyone other than Sam Bush can tear up the eight-string like Sam bush? "Yeah, kinda like Sam Bush." "Well, all right then." Who knows whether claiming instrumental kinship with one of today's premier mando masters will help you dodge your next ticket? But catching him live coulcn't be a bad start. State Theatre, 220 N. Washington, Falls Church, VA; Sun., 6 p.m. (doors), 8 p.m. (show), $20; 703-237-0300 (East Falls Church)
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Incidentally, I once had a policeman in Washington call out to me to stop, just to ask if that was a mandolin in my case and how long I had been playing.
Reminds me of the old John Duffey quip:
"The only award I've ever gotten was from a State Trooper"
Jefa432
Apr-12-2007, 11:12am
I'm a policeman in Louisville Ky and I have on occassion let someone out of a ticket because they had a mando or guitar case in the back and we started talking about music. #I have also met and gave warnings to professionals passing thru town. #I-65 thru Louisville is a hot bed for bands touring across the country. And no I didn't target any of them because I knew who they were before I pulled them over. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/laugh.gif
jmcgann
Apr-12-2007, 12:39pm
I went to Czechoslovakia before the Berlin wall came down in '89. A military guard replete with machine gun stopped me, pulled me aside, and pointed to my case. I opened it, and he pointed to himself. "Would you like to play it?" He shook his head and gestured for me to play. He instantly broke into a smile that would melt butter at 50 yards, and then pantomimed that he also played (though he wouldn't touch my instrument when I offered it to him).
A memorable and soulful moment!!!
John Rosett
Apr-12-2007, 1:15pm
In 1981, some friends and I produced a Hot Rize concert in Olympia, WA. I was riding home with a friend at about two in the morning, when we were pulled over by the police. They told us we had run a red light, and my friend responded that it was a flashing yellow. The officer told us to wait and called for backup. We got our mandolins out of the trunk, and started playing while we were waiting. After a few minutes, a second patrol car pulled up. The officer got out of his car, walked up to us and said "Boys, you better put those mandolins away before somebody gets hurt."
I've always wondered what his qualifications were to be a music critic.
Jim Broyles
Apr-12-2007, 1:23pm
I can't believe he let you open the cases. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif
I've had police hold up their hands when they see me with the case. Barry Mitterhoff would give a student lessons in his office at the U.N. After years of going in with no problem, after 9/11, they stopped him and asked to open the case. They said they always wondered what was in the case.
Brady Smith
Apr-12-2007, 1:57pm
Thirteen years law enforcement here and I must say I have observed quite a musical trend. I can't remember an incident were there has been a guitar in a vehicle without drugs also present.
Mandolins? Have never seen someone with one outside a large bluegrass show.
2 years ago over thanksgiving I got stopped at DWI check point at 2am. I was the only one on the road at a check point with 6 police cars. I had just couple of beers over a few hours. I sat in playing mando with a friends band. Police ask, where are you coming from? Did you have anything to drink ....etc. I said I was playing mandolin at one of the restaurants in town(lifted mando case and sadd "I bet you do not hear that one often"), I had a couple of beers over many hours but not drinking as I was getting paid to perform. He had me say alphabet starting from a the "E". (which was cool. almost like 1234 sing). And I had a good night sleep at home. Without mando or maybe it was a guitar, he could have made me get out of car, walk the line. But I really believe having the mando helped. Nobody has my fingerprints and I'm proud of it.
Wesley
Apr-12-2007, 2:27pm
Brady - I've got to admit that lately I've been dropping a lot of antacids......
JEStanek
Apr-12-2007, 4:09pm
Wesley, don't take the brown ones, man!
fredfrank
Apr-12-2007, 4:40pm
A friend and I got pulled over for speeding one time. When the officer got to my window, he caught wind of a tune Ricky Skaggs was tearing up on the CD player.
He said: "No wonder you guys were going so fast! Try to hold it down a little, please."
And with that, he returned to his car and drove away.
Neil Gladd
Apr-12-2007, 5:12pm
Barry Mitterhoff would give a student lessons in his office at the U.N. After years of going in with no problem, after 9/11, they stopped him and asked to open the case. They said they always wondered what was in the case.
I work in a government building and have no trouble bringing the mandolin in, but I have trouble getting it OUT. I need to have a pass signed by my division head EVERY single time, as proof that it is my instrument, and not a government mandolin that I am trying to steal.
P.S. - Our agency does not own any mandolins.
firstchair
Apr-12-2007, 5:44pm
Is this Washington State of Washington DC?
Brady Smith
Apr-12-2007, 6:00pm
Brady - I've got to admit that lately I've been dropping a lot of antacids......
Ohhhh...Wesley...your ate up.. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif
Thirteen years law enforcement here and I must say I have observed quite a musical trend. #I can't remember an incident were there has been a guitar in a vehicle without drugs also present.
So now everyone with a guitar in the back seat is carrying drugs? Uh, I've driven around plenty of times with my guitar, sans any sort of illicit substances, I can assure you.
Neil Gladd
Apr-12-2007, 6:28pm
Is this Washington State or Washington DC?
DC.
No mandolin in site, but this guy clearly has had too much.
Ouch (http://youtube.com/watch?v=QBJB-nunxgE)
Neil Gladd
Apr-12-2007, 6:55pm
No mandolin in site, but this guy clearly has had too much.
Ouch (http://youtube.com/watch?v=QBJB-nunxgE)
Its a good thing he WASN'T holding a mandolin!
allenhopkins
Apr-12-2007, 8:44pm
Got pulled over for speeding in a little college town south of Rochester; pleaded guilty, sent in the ticket, enclosed a letter to the town justice citing my many years of near-perfect driving record. Received a reduced fine from the judge, with a note saying the reduction wasn't due to my driving record, but because I'd "labored for years in the folk music mines of Western New York." Turns out the judge is a string band player himself, and had run across me somewhere on the music circuit. Ya never know...