Leaving LA- Harrassment on the Road? (hotel, home, school)

[nighthouse66]

so i decided to go back home for a few months and see if it is actually "home"- the south. atlanta, specifically.
i have driven cross country a couple other times, but never with california plates. i am extremely anal about staying on top of my paperwork, and my registration is carefully paperclipped to my title and up to date, and within easy reach. i drive a huge van and its filled with all my crap from 6 years of living in los angeles, but its clean, well maintained and actually seems to scream "senior citizen".

but as a southerner who has in the past been harassed just for looking freaky, i am a little nervous since i have been hearing some stories about others with california plates and what they had to endure. i was actually intending on going to austin and new orleans on my way back- but now i am not so sure. hell, at 26 hours, i could just make it with no sleep (i am in sedona AZ right now visiting my cousin).

am i just being paranoid? i have an old weed pipe a friend of mine who is dying gave me- i took it apart and cleaned it with alcohol and it fell apart. i keep that in a baggie, and so its not really usable, but i am wondering is this would be grounds for some redneck outback cop to throw me in the hoosegow.

i think i have just been away from the crap of the south for so long i am freaking myself out. can i hear some stories from you guys? hopefully positive ones?

[1200RT]

Well, for starters, i'd find another way to get the paraphernalia across the country. Also, keep your vehicle's title in a safe place, not paper-clipped to your reg. Your registration is a much more important document while driving.

You sound slight paranoid, but I probably would be too if I was trying to drive across 8 states with a "weed pipe".

I've driven and ridden across the country several times with CA plates without issue.

[DynamoLA]

I went to school in Texas and drove back and forth between SoCal and Texas all the time with California plates. Never had a problem. On the interstates you tend to see license plates from everywhere, so I doubt the police are looking for California residents to specifically harrass.

[Mr. Humble]

I drove across the country with CA plates once, and since it was winter time we took the southern route, the 10. The woman I was traveling with was not white, I'm only borderline white and I did wonder if we'd have any problems. I remember two situations we encountered, one that may have been related to my CA plates, the other without a doubt had to do with the perception that we were a mixed couple.

In Amarillo, TX, we had some car trouble, can't remember exactly what it was right now, but regardless, the guy was trying to rob us. Now that could have been just our out of state plates or our Yankee accents, rather than the CA plates on my car.

In Rolla, MO, we had the guts to go into an "Italian" restaurant; looking back on it that took more than guts; we deserved the Heinz ketchup tomato sauce we got.. What we didn't deserve was this middle aged white woman staring bullets at the two of us, the tsk, tsk look on her face, her husband embarrassed and sweating bullets that I would confront them about it. 'Course all I felt was pity for him to be stuck with a woman like that, and actually pity for her to be so backward and ignorant; this was in the '90's, not the mid '60's for God's sake.

But I would say that all in all, what we experienced was fully positive. As far as the plates go, somewhere else in MO, a truck driver traveling in the middle lane, did me a big favor by cutting me off when I was about to fly past him in the fast lane; a half a mile up the road a state trooper was laying in wait. I tooted and waved at the truck driver who tipped his hat and smiled as we passed him in our sports car with CA plates.

A side note; in Shamrock, TX, my girl left a few pieces of pretty expensive jewelry. When we reached our destination in NYC we had a message from the hotel waiting for us; the good people that owned the hotel found her jewelry and would send them to us at their charge, a random kindness that you don't forget.

[Fontucky]

Stay outta those "Boy, you in a heap a trouble" towns. But you already know that.

[Twinkle Toes]

Originally Posted by Fontucky

Stay outta those "Boy, you in a heap a trouble" towns. But you already know that.

Yep!

[nighthouse66]

Originally Posted by Fontucky

Stay outta those "Boy, you in a heap a trouble" towns. But you already know that.

hey its fontuuuuuuuuucky! and a font of wisdom you are (as usual)



thanks for everyone's two cents. yes i am paranoid. sometimes it takes someone to tell you how paranoid you are before you realize how stupid you are being as well. thanks a bunch. now, i am hitting the road.

[Visit a Library]

Originally Posted by Mr. Humble

In Rolla, MO, we had the guts to go into an "Italian" restaurant; looking back on it that took more than guts; we deserved the Heinz ketchup tomato sauce we got.. What we didn't deserve was this middle aged white woman staring bullets at the two of us, the tsk, tsk look on her face, her husband embarrassed and sweating bullets that I would confront them about it. 'Course all I felt was pity for him to be stuck with a woman like that, and actually pity for her to be so backward and ignorant; this was in the '90's, not the mid '60's for God's sake.

I'm not certain how that relates to your CA plates -- were they visible from within the restaurant?