He Can't Drive 55
The closest town from the Park I lived at was a little more then just a mile away. In order to get there you would leave my park, drive a quarter mile down to the railroad tracks, turn left and go about a mile or so. Right before you got there you would drive over a little bridge .
The local town cop was a whale of a man named Leonard. Nice guy overall I guess, but pretty useless as a police officer. Leonard would rarely do anything other than just sit there and ignore speeders
One early evening in the summer of 1984 while it was still a little light out, Mark and went into Annawan to get some pop or something. Before Mark had left the small town to go back to the park he was already doing more then 60 miles an hour. As we got to the small bridge he was pushing 70. As we went over the small hump of the bridge I saw the Annawan police car sitting on the other side.
Mark apparently did not see it.
As we passed him I saw to my shock the red lights on top come on and he began to chase us. Mark still drove unaware of the cop chasing us.
"Hey, I said calmly, "Let's see how fast you go can go in this thing.'
"Ok", Mark replied and pressed his foot down on the gas peddle. The truck sped up. I look behind and saw the cop car closing in on us.
As we neared the railroad tracks I told Mark, "Hey don't slow down. Show me how fast you can go make this turn, and go over the railroad tracks!"
Mark didn't say a word. He smiled as he made a sharp turn and flew over the railroad tracks. For a brief moment the truck was airborne. Still doing somewhere around 70 we sped up the quarter mile road towards my park. Just as Mark was turning towards the entrance I saw the cop car come over the tracks.
As we drove (More slowly now) past the gate I told Mark, "Don't stop, drive into the back of the Park."
Mark was now looking at me a little funny, but did as I asked. I had him pull over in a little spot off the main road.
"What was all that about?", Mark asked.
I got out and walked towards the main road. "There was a cop chasing you since we left town."
Mark seemed very ungrateful that I had just gotten him out of his very first speeding ticket. He was still kinda mad as we saw Leonard slowly driving though the park. Leonard asked me if I had seen a brown truck drive by. I told him he just missed it. It looked like it was heading out of the Park.
"Screw it", the fat cop said and slowly drove away.
Mark never did say thank you.