Guess I did wrong.

[oldman45]

I spent 9 hours yesterday in cold weather walking the side and grassy median of I-20 for some 4 miles. I knew there was some evidence in that area and I went looking for it.

All the time I was there, I was well away from traffic, never on the shoulder or in the roadway.

A state trooper and a parish sheriff came at different times to question me as to why I was out there, what I was looking for and to tell me they were getting complaints about me being there. The trooper knew me and said I was not breaking any laws but they needed to know what to tell people calling in about my being there. The deputy said by my disturbing motorist that called in, I was actually creating a disturbance.

This was a very rural area. The nearest ramp was three miles away, the nearest small town was 10 miles away and the nearest large city was 40 miles away. So how was I disturbing anyone?

I found a lot of interesting items during the 9 hours of searching through the grass for a 17 month old incident. If there is ever a market for formerly used Bots Dots, I can become wealthy. I also found several formerly used disposable baby diapers and stretchable birth control devices. Then I found a hard shell rifle case (empty), three full cans of beer, a can of vienna sausage and a lot of other things.

Also I located what I was looking for.

Now I am trying to find out why my presence, well off the roadway, would bother so many people that they were calling it in.

 

[mball]

They probably thought you were a runaway alzheimers patient.

 

[ogilvyspecial]

Did you have clothes on?

Seriously, good deal that you found what you were lookin' for, especially since so much time has elapsed.

 

[JcMack]

In the future you must where sandwich boards with "I'm O.K." one side and "Burma Shave" on the other.

 

[oldman45]

Did you have clothes on?

Seriously, good deal that you found what you were lookin' for, especially since so much time has elapsed.

Actually I was looking for an exact location more than anything. I needed physical evidence to confirm a location.

The police report of the incident had GPS cordinates but their numbers was to a location five miles away and in the middle of some woods.

They listed a mile marker nuumber but that was not right either since the background in the photos did not match the mile marker location. I found it three miles down the road and confirmed it by tree depiction in the photos matching site views, by slope of the ground being a match and by a road sign in the far away backgound shown in the photo. I found a bracelet worn by the victim in the grass. What I did not find was a wallet with over $700 in cash. I figure it left the scene the night of the incident.

 

[oldman45]

In the future you must where sandwich boards with "I'm O.K." one side and "Burma Shave" on the other.

Man, I do not even wear t-shirts with any advertising on them. It makes me look like a billboard.

 

[Maximumbob54]

I think you are a victim of cell phones more than anything else. It's too easy these days to call in what you want than ever before.

 

[s&wchad]

I'd call the police too if I saw an old man in the median drinking beer, eatin' sausage and carrying a rifle case... unless it was deer season!

 

[Raider]

DHS tells citizens to report anybody you think might be a terrorist or engaging in suspicious activities. Maybe some busybody decided to call the cops and see if they would check out their report.

Just a guess.

Charlie

 

[oldman45]

I'd call the police too if I saw an old man in the median drinking beer, eatin' sausage and carrying a rifle case... unless it was deer season!

Never liked beer. If I had found an unopened bottle of Corwn Royal I may have kept it as I did the rifle case. It cleaned up nicely.

 

[bitstream]

What were you wearing? If you had just put on an orange reflective vest or something official looking like your police uniform, then I'm not sure why people would feel the need to call. But, honestly, even if wearing a plain T-shirt and Jeans, why would that merit a call? Did you have a weapon in sight?

 

[oldman45]

What were you wearing? If you had just put on an orange reflective vest or something official looking like your police uniform, then I'm not sure why people would feel the need to call. But, honestly, even if wearing a plain T-shirt and Jeans, why would that merit a call? Did you have a weapon in sight?

I do not wear uniforms. I had on western wear. No sidearm was visible to the public. I did have a vest on (the reflective yellow type).

Now I wonder if people call in on those picking up trash for community service. They do not ever wear reflective vests..

 

[walnutred]

Next time just carry a cardboard sign that says "Will Work For Food".

 

[macbullet]

Maybe the one's who called were mad because they thought you WOULD find the evidence that would put them in the slammer.

 

[Lee in Quartzsite]

Next time just carry a cardboard sign that says "Will Work For Food".

...or buy an old hard hat, put on a reflective vest to make yourself look official. I found out a long time ago I could go just about anywhere if I looked like I belong there. Years ago I drove a semi and in the course of making deliveries to hospitals, military bases, power plants and other "secure" locations, I could almost always walk anywhere I pleased if I carried a clipboard and looked like I belonged there.

 

[redlevel]

I knew there was some evidence in that area and I went looking for it.



Also I located what I was looking for.

I found a bracelet worn by the victim in the grass. What I did not find was a wallet with over $700 in cash. I figure it left the scene the night of the incident.

Wow! What are the odds after 17 months? Sounds like you found the proverbial needle in the haystack. Congratulations on having your diligence rewarded by finding what you were after. That doesn't always happen, does it?

 

[woodsltc]

Maybe the one's who called were mad because they thought you WOULD find the evidence that would put them in the slammer.

^^^^ That's exactly what ran through my mind.

I wonder if the Hwy Patrol and/or the Sheriff's department has a record of who complained about you being on the stretch of road?? Could be a way to connect the dots!!

Don

 

[CAJUNLAWYER]

Man, I do not even wear t-shirts with any advertising on them. It makes me look like a billboard.

I think there's your problem, next time wear a t shirt All that white was blinding the motorists when the sun hit it just right

 

[CAJUNLAWYER]

Wow! What are the odds after 17 months? Sounds like you found the proverbial needle in the haystack. Congratulations on having your diligence rewarded by finding what you were after. That doesn't always happen, does it?

You'd be amazed-we had a murder case in St. Martin Parish involving a severed head. Two years after the fact, we were told where the head was and lo and behold...they FOUND IT

 

[wheelgun28]

Seems more like no good deed goes unpunished...

Next time you will need several marked cars a few trucks from the highway dept. Close one lane in the road, make a big back up of traffic, cause some fender benders and people to be delayed. It will cost the taxpayers thousands of dollars, but hey...

Sure folks will complain but not at you!!

As for reflective vests as far as I know the laws changed not to long ago. You need some many inches of reflective material, I think a day glow color. It also has to be rip away construction. I am not sure if this just applies to federal highways. They sell some that are marked approved and some are not marked approved?

 

[ladder13]

Did anyone offer a bowl of soup?

 

[wbraswell]

Tell them you're looking for a hubcap.

 

[jdh]

OR call the LE agencies ahead of time and tell them who you are and what you are doing so they don't have to send the deputy out and can reassure the incoming callers everything is under control.

 

[keith44spl]

Glad ya found sumthing...Oh, I'd requested the trooper & deputy to get out that warm cruiser and assist me.


Su Amigo,
Dave

 

[oldman45]

...or buy an old hard hat, put on a reflective vest to make yourself look official. I found out a long time ago I could go just about anywhere if I looked like I belong there. Years ago I drove a semi and in the course of making deliveries to hospitals, military bases, power plants and other "secure" locations, I could almost always walk anywhere I pleased if I carried a clipboard and looked like I belonged there.

In order to get by with that, there would have to be four of us and all would be just standing there. Then there would not be anyone to do the searching.

 

[oldman45]

Wow! What are the odds after 17 months? Sounds like you found the proverbial needle in the haystack. Congratulations on having your diligence rewarded by finding what you were after. That doesn't always happen, does it?

What does not happen often is searching for such and getting me to walk more than 50 feet in the same day.

 

[oldman45]

OR call the LE agencies ahead of time and tell them who you are and what you are doing so they don't have to send the deputy out and can reassure the incoming callers everything is under control.

Usually if a marked unit rolls up, the officer will volunteer to assist. Since it was cold out there, I suppose none of them wanted to be walking around. They were very nice and polite though.

 

[oldman45]

Today I am trying to get a Federal subpoena duces tecom for the 911 tapes of the original call. The caller said he witnessesed the incident but left without giving a name. If I can get an approval on the tapes, I may can get a cell number than I can trace back to the original caller.

 

[A10]

As for reflective vests as far as I know the laws changed not to long ago. You need some many inches of reflective material, I think a day glow color. It also has to be rip away construction. I am not sure if this just applies to federal highways. They sell some that are marked approved and some are not marked approved?

State, not federal laws. American National Standards Institute came out with some best practices on reflective clothing for working around moving vehicles a few years back, and many states adopted them. Washington requires certain clothing depending on how fast the traffic is moving. The hope is to prevent traffic fatalities. I know, too much information....

 

[feralmerril]

What amaze`s me the most is that in all those hours of walking alongside the road no citizen pulled over to offer you a ride or to see if you needed help. Whats this country comeing to? That never would have went that long years ago.