Well, I had a run in with the sheriff's deputies in Ajo coming down Thursday night (7/23). Came around the bend down by the fire dept. about 8:30 pm....and there were 2 parked yapping together. I ALWAYS follow the speed limit thru town...never speeding up until I pass the speed limit sign. So I'm doing 25....and one of them pulls up behind me....and follows me out of town thru the speed limits signs. He was right on my bumper....and when I say on my bumper, if someone had been in the bed of my truck, they could have reached out and touched his vehicle. It appeared that he was trying to intimidate me and possibly get me to speed up or something else stupid!!!
When I hit the 55 mph sign he hits his lights....so I pull over. He asks for my license...and proceeds to tell me he won't be issuing me a ticket...but that he stopped me because....now get this...my license plate had no reflective coating...and that I was riding the white line on the shoulder. I definitely was not.
He runs my license, didn't find anything...and comes back and asks for my registration and insurance card. (Why the 2 step process???) Again, he goes back...finds nothing...and returns again telling me that my license plate had no reflectivity, and that this is common on stolen vehicles! Now how could he tell....sitting right on my bumper with his headlights hitting the back of my vehicle? He had 2 good opportunities to check out the inside of my truck....but my dog started barking at him, and she's pretty docile and usually a sweetie, so he didn't stick his nose into the vehicle too much. What a waste of 15-20 minutes! This is the second time I've been stopped on a made up excuse to just check out my vehicle in Ajo.
I guess with fewer tourists going down, they haven't been making enough money........:twisted::twisted::twisted:
I have the utmost respect for the police and the job they have to do, but the sheriff's dept. that patrols Ajo is one of the worst that I've run into...and I've "experienced" a couple redneck sheriffs in Texas, and also down in Louisiana!
So....any tourists going down...watch those speed limits going thru Ajo....I've seen as many as 4 sheriff's vehicles in that stretch thru town.....
I got stopped the same way you did LJ, but he pulled in just behind my sister who was following me and was on her ass all the way thru AJO. We have been driving thru for 40 years, know where they ALL are. Anyway, my "crime" was to have a temp tag on my new jeep and he "couldn't tell what state it was from". Got a warning for defective something or other...same line, just "doing his job". Wonder if it was the same guy.
I would take the Mead as long as there were other vehicles as well. Wouldn't want to see what happens alone. He was very surprised when the car he was hiding behind (my sister's) pulled in behind him when he stopped me.
Ahh, Ajo. They really have nothing better to do. I always watch my speed right to the inch per hour. I've had them do the same thing - ride my bumper. Then, they go around and pull over the guy in front of me! Did get stopped one time. Told me my brake light was out. I stood at the back of the truck and had my friend hit the brake pedal. Light worked fine. I looked at the deputy and said - "You were saying?" He gruffed some excuse and went on his way.
About the only worse speed trap is Gila Bend (going through town, not I-8). Again... what else do they have to do?
I was pulled over one night for "speeding". Had my speed st at 25 on cruise control and when I told him that he got upset and asked me if a wanted to argue with him. After he checked me out he came back to the truck and told me that there are a lot of bad things and peolple going thru Ajo at night and just wanted to be sure we were ok. Gave ma a warning and told me to slow down.
I drive up from Lukeville to shop and don't get far enough in to use the by pass. Where does it come out on the Lukeville side of Ajo?
I'll pull over, in front of witnesses if possible, if they tailgate. If the follow me off I tell them I thought he needed to pass me and I don't like tailgaters, it's illegal isn't it?
I did get stopped for speeding, 7 miles over, a couple of months back. I was not watching the speedo and trying to get to the bank before it closed. Had a bunch of cash from the sale of a vehicle there at Cord's place. Told the guy I was in a hurry to get to the bank before it closed and was not watching the speedo and he said Do you admit you were speeding" I said "If you say I was speeding I must have been, you have the equipment". He gave me a warning and complained about getting a speeding ticket in Colorado recently !!
After a couple of recent incidents I am seriously considering buying one of those new compact video recorders. They appear similar to a cell phone and I'll just tape everything.
I'd like to run a tape at the intersection of Sinaloa and Fremont and take a copy to the Mayor and police chief. Everyone seems to blow right through that intersection, even the police of course. I dont appreciate being stopped and told I did not make a 'complete stop', even though I did, after watching that all day.!
Might be the time to go through Ajo in an old truck and when they start to get realy close to you just see a dog crossing the road and slam on the brakes.
Like I've said before Joe.. :roll: I don't want to be any where near you when you are driving down to, crossing the border, or in or around PP. You still have the same truck right? :razz:
I got towed from Why to Ajo once and the Nappa shop tried to charge me $100.00 for the tow even though I had AAA. Long story short they returned $60.00 of it. Then I needed to rent a car carrier, the only way they would rent to me was if I returned it to Ajo the next day.
Have you guys seen this truck? More people see it coming and move than want to get behind me! I've been stopped, too. Headlights too high (trailer weight), no mud flaps...both warnings. Squeeked thru the border with a minute to spare! All the guy said was he was bored and wanted to talk! I even mentioned the border clocing at 12:00! Anyway, maybe mine would be a good tester of the tailgate thing?
Pic taken last year at La Pinta beach...had to run it hard, only had 2 wheel drive at the time!
Joe has a nice rig, it's just that it attracts cops and fussy border border agent's like a beached whale attracts flies.
Now come on Kenny....get the story straight....it was ADOT....not the border agents.....but that was another story....and another "WHINE"!!!:-P:-P:-P
I just needed to vent and do a little whining.....I know about the cops at Ajo....and I follow the speed limits there religiously....probably pissing off anyone driving behind me.....but it just pisses me off when I'm making excellent time driving down that I get stopped for 15 minutes on some whim of the cop.....I could have been a wise ass with the cop...but with no other witness except my dog, it would have been a waste of time.....my time!
Thanks for the info, I had no idea about a shortcut. The only time I had any issues in Ajo was heading north, and a DPS officer gave me the hand down sign to slow it down. Geez, I feel lucky now! I'll be on the shortcut, thanks for the tip! And the warnings!!!
Boy it's a sad day for Rocky Point when there's more talk about the police in Ajo than there are things going on in Rocky Point.
(by the way I have been tailgated by the Ajo cops too and I was thinking of using my camera the next time it happens,,, and maybe have my cellphone dialed to 911 and on speakerphone when he stops me...)
Last Nov. I went to RP with my wife (Sunshine) and granddaughters. I approached the gas station in Why doing 35-40. A truck with a trailer cut me off, coming out of the gas station. I moved to the right to pass as he was not even moving. Well, a deputy was coming from the other direction, spun around behind me and pulled me over. I had crossed the double line. This occured past the station, so no problem interfering with other cars. I gave him all the paper work right away and explained the other guy cut me off. Took him a while to return and he gave me a ticket. My granddaughters were scared that I would be hauled off to jail. My record was clear, I was polite and thought a warning would suffice. The other guy should have received the ticket.
I was so angry, I emailed the local sheriff's office and explained my concern about this old deputy and his demeanor. They actually called me to see about the problem. Nothing could be done about the ticket, but they would investigate.
If you run into the same problem with them, get their badge number and email the office with your complaint. Maybe there is power in numbers
It's me again, Sunshine's husband. Returning to Phoenix, driving through Ajo in our MH we were passed by a car. A sheriff's car was up the road from this car who passed me. The car followed the sheriff's car for a mile and the sheriff's car pulled over on the dirt. I was coming along right behind and all of a sudden the sheriff's car peels out and cuts me off. I had to hit the brakes to avoid hitting him. I leaned on the horn (didn't care). He took off after the car that passed me. Very dangerous maneuver. I didn't get his plate number so I could not report the incident.
I swear that the Ajo sheriff's department (is it Pinal County??) must get their personnel from Sheriff Joe's rejects!!
A couple of years ago I was drving back from RP late in the evening (dark) and it was drizzling. Several miles south of Ajo I saw several flashing lights on the left side shoulder. As I approached, I slowed down to about 30-35mph since the vehicles (police car & tow truck) were on the opposite shoulder and there didn't appear to be any obstruction on my side of the road. All of a sudden a deputy stepped out from the dark shoulder on my side of the road waving a flashlight at me, right out onto the roadway. With the bright lights from the other side of the road and glare from the rain, I didn't see him until almost too late. I did avoid hitting him. About a mile later, there is a police car bearing down on me and he pulled me over. The deputy proceeded to read me the riot act, threatening to impound my vehicle, and arrest me....all for his stupidity of stepping out onto the roadway! After running my license and plates, he let me go after a few minutes because he claimed that he had a call to cover!
Yeah it is sad that all we have to post is about the Ajo cops....but it's been DEAD in RP the last 2 trips down this month!
My partners neighbor quit his job with the ajo police dept. last year after finding out the local narcos had his picture and a map to his house at their RP headquarters. I guess the speed traps kill time in a manner that doesn't endanger them or their families.
They even once had the old man on the 3 wheeler bike with the flags and stuff pulled over for riding on the wrong side of the street. LMAO.............
