Northern State University South Dakota, and Getting Pulled Over

We performed a great show at Northern State South Dakota University on September 9th.

After the show we had to make an overnight drive so that we could make it to our next next show 8 hours away in Wisconsin (ugh). Since Northern State is in a town that's hours away from the nearest interstate, we had to drive down two lane highways through small towns and corn fields for hours and hours. On our way out of one of these towns I picked up my speed a little too fast. Now, in South Dakota the interstate speed limit is 75mph, and 70mph on the back highways. So on our back highways I set the cruise control to 77mph, and got up to speed a little too quick coming out of one of the towns. It really was an honest mistake that I was doing 77 in a 60. A long story short, I was nice to the officer and he let me off with a warning. While I was sitting in his squad jeep, I noticed an awesome assault rifle locked into a rack in the vehicle along with the standard shot gun. I asked if he was a member of the local SWAT team, and he said no, it's just standard issue in South Dakota.... Amazing.

So I'll take a moment to talk about how to deal with getting pulled over by the police. First thing you need to do is slow down, put on your blinker on, and look for a good place to pull over. Try to find a spot where you can get off the road far enough so the officer is safe. Next, roll your window down, put your keys on the dashboard, and put your hands on the steering wheel as he walks up to the car. Police officers have dangerous jobs, and they have to protect themselves because they never know who they are really talking too, so be polite and make sure they don't think you're about to grab a gun out of your pocket. Be fairly honest, but don't admit you knew you were speeding. When they tell you how fast you were going, just say something like, "huh". Other than that, just try to be respectful and cooperative. These tips won't always keep you from getting tickets, and some cops are just jerks, but I do believe it is important to respect their position. Above all else, just drive safely!