Well from time to time I get to converse with the gaurdians of the hi-ways, commonly known as smokey bear. I had an occasion last tue. nite on hi-way 23, in southern mi. around milan. Another 22 miles and I'd of made it out of the state. Last year, one of the owner operaters offered to paint the rgn I'm pulling, and in his haste, forgot to take the license plate off before he painted the trailer black. He did try and wipe some of the paint off, unfortunately, the center was all he got clear.
Now I have a problem at times when some one is sarcastic, especially when I don't believe I deserve it. This was one of those times. Although no one has ever been able to accuse me of doing everything right, I do try, but as hard as I try, I can't follow my own advice when it comes to smokey bear.
He walked up and opened the passenger side door, (which irritated me a great deal as I had not invited him to do that.) A nice hello would have worked nicely, but instead, he started with, "typically when someone paints a trailer, they don't paint the #&$#(* license plate." Well, that hit me a little hard considering I was minding my own buiseness, listening to a soft jazz station, and driving well below the speed limit. I have always told people to be polite when stopped because there is going to be only one winner in any confrontation with a cop. Well, I was right. and it wasn't me.
I couldn't help myself, I told him,"If you like, I can go back and read it off for you, I can read it fine." It was all pretty much down hill from there. He took all my papers, gave me a level III inspection, and after handing all my papers back, says "did you have trouble in crystal falls?, (mi)) I said I'd had a ticket there back in 01. He said you should have paid it, your driving on a suspended license. I had no idea what he was talking about, I always pay my tickets, and I'd never been told my license was suspended. He informed me that they don't have to tell you they are suspended, you just have to fix it. He shut me down, escorted me to the near'st truck stop, and after handing me the ticket, away he went to enlighten someone else.
This isn't the end to my story, it has alot more to it, but my point is, THERE IS GOING TO BE BUT ONE WINNER in any confrontation with a cop, and it isn't going to be you. 
