Down That Road.
Hey Tommy. I have to find that picture, the one of you and me. I was thinkin' 'bout maybe scanning it in here, puttin' those black lines 'cross our faces. I know we're covered with cammo paint but still.
Hey, you remember my '81 Softail Shovel? I want to find the only picture I have of that bike. That was my favorite bike. Sometimes I miss that old Shovel. I don't regret sellin' it bro. You know why. I don't think you were there the day Ivan took that picture. Yeah, you were already gone at that point. That was a good day.
So this guy I would go to when I needed work done on my bike, stuff I couldn't do myself, he was a good guy. Probably still is, I just ain't seen him in more than fifteen years. He's a Nam vet, rode with a certain well known motorcycle club and ran a custom chopper shop. It was a nice old grungy hole in the wall. He had a Rottweiler, big as a truck. That dog wouldn't let you behind the counter if C was out back in the shop. Good dog. I think C liked me. I accidently bounced a check with him once and he called down to Pete's bar lookin' for me. I went right over there and payed him cash to cover the bill. I offered him extra in case my bounced check had cost him any bank fees or anything like that. He said it hadn't. I always payed him cash after that. He liked the fact that I had been in the service. He liked the fact that I didn't "act like a cop" when I was off duty. He liked that I rode year round, rain, snow, whatever.
I know he did some federal time because he told me. It was years before I ever knew him. I know he rode with that well known, somewhat notorious motorcycle club because he told me. I never judged him on any of it. We didn't hang out, except maybe a little at his shop when I needed parts, or like I was sayin', some work done. I know he fired a guy who was dealin' a little weed at the shop. I don't think C cared so much about the guy smokin' a little gish, or sellin' some to his friends, but C ran a business. He didn't want that goin' on at his place of business. He told me about that too. I agreed with him. First you get your work done, then you pay your bills, then maybe you party on the weekend. You don't jeopardize another man's livelihood, dealin' grass at their shop.
One day, out of the blue, he asked me if I could get him a cold piece. He figured maybe somethin' I took out of a car on a motor vehicle stop, somethin' like that. That time I did ask him some questions. He said some guys from his past were maybe goin' to give him a hard time. He said all I had to do was leave the pistol in his truck, so there wouldn't be any direct contact between us involving the gun. I told him I'd think about it. I never went back there.
Not long ago I was over in Jersey visiting. I took a ride in my old Jeep and drove past his place. It's got a second story built onto it now. It's all fancy and high end lookin'. I guess he's doin' okay, probably sellin' over priced chrome ponies to yuppies who ride on Labor Day weekend and shit like that. I guess whatever problems he was expecting from those guys in his past didn't come to fruition. The other thing I'm thinkin' is maybe someone was trying to set me up. I know that there were some other cops who didn't like me. I didn't "act like a cop". I didn't walk around all puffed out lookin' to write a million tickets. I didn't get all involved with the PBA. I still hung around with some of my old friends. I liked to ride my Harley and I didn't really care for the police motorcycle club.
I sure hope that wasn't the case. I'd hate to think that C would be involved in trying to set me up. I never did nothin' to him. I never betrayed a confidence. If he got into a legal jam however, well who knows what people will do to save their own asses.
I was surprised when he asked me about a gun that day. Maybe I should have reported it. Like I said, I never went back there. I never did go down that road. I'm glad I didn't.
Catch you later Tommy.
Hey, you remember my '81 Softail Shovel? I want to find the only picture I have of that bike. That was my favorite bike. Sometimes I miss that old Shovel. I don't regret sellin' it bro. You know why. I don't think you were there the day Ivan took that picture. Yeah, you were already gone at that point. That was a good day.
So this guy I would go to when I needed work done on my bike, stuff I couldn't do myself, he was a good guy. Probably still is, I just ain't seen him in more than fifteen years. He's a Nam vet, rode with a certain well known motorcycle club and ran a custom chopper shop. It was a nice old grungy hole in the wall. He had a Rottweiler, big as a truck. That dog wouldn't let you behind the counter if C was out back in the shop. Good dog. I think C liked me. I accidently bounced a check with him once and he called down to Pete's bar lookin' for me. I went right over there and payed him cash to cover the bill. I offered him extra in case my bounced check had cost him any bank fees or anything like that. He said it hadn't. I always payed him cash after that. He liked the fact that I had been in the service. He liked the fact that I didn't "act like a cop" when I was off duty. He liked that I rode year round, rain, snow, whatever.
I know he did some federal time because he told me. It was years before I ever knew him. I know he rode with that well known, somewhat notorious motorcycle club because he told me. I never judged him on any of it. We didn't hang out, except maybe a little at his shop when I needed parts, or like I was sayin', some work done. I know he fired a guy who was dealin' a little weed at the shop. I don't think C cared so much about the guy smokin' a little gish, or sellin' some to his friends, but C ran a business. He didn't want that goin' on at his place of business. He told me about that too. I agreed with him. First you get your work done, then you pay your bills, then maybe you party on the weekend. You don't jeopardize another man's livelihood, dealin' grass at their shop.
One day, out of the blue, he asked me if I could get him a cold piece. He figured maybe somethin' I took out of a car on a motor vehicle stop, somethin' like that. That time I did ask him some questions. He said some guys from his past were maybe goin' to give him a hard time. He said all I had to do was leave the pistol in his truck, so there wouldn't be any direct contact between us involving the gun. I told him I'd think about it. I never went back there.
Not long ago I was over in Jersey visiting. I took a ride in my old Jeep and drove past his place. It's got a second story built onto it now. It's all fancy and high end lookin'. I guess he's doin' okay, probably sellin' over priced chrome ponies to yuppies who ride on Labor Day weekend and shit like that. I guess whatever problems he was expecting from those guys in his past didn't come to fruition. The other thing I'm thinkin' is maybe someone was trying to set me up. I know that there were some other cops who didn't like me. I didn't "act like a cop". I didn't walk around all puffed out lookin' to write a million tickets. I didn't get all involved with the PBA. I still hung around with some of my old friends. I liked to ride my Harley and I didn't really care for the police motorcycle club.
I sure hope that wasn't the case. I'd hate to think that C would be involved in trying to set me up. I never did nothin' to him. I never betrayed a confidence. If he got into a legal jam however, well who knows what people will do to save their own asses.
I was surprised when he asked me about a gun that day. Maybe I should have reported it. Like I said, I never went back there. I never did go down that road. I'm glad I didn't.
Catch you later Tommy.
posted by Squarehead at 9:54 AM
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