In 1977 I was on my way to Houston from Austin. I was headed to an important meeting in downtown Houston.

When I got the Brenham, several cars flashed their lights indicating an officer was up ahead. I slowed and maintained the speed limit. My radar detector went off indicating there was a cop up ahead. We met around on the east side of town and he immediately he whipped around and stopped me.

He informed me that he clocked me 15 mph over the limit. I explained to him that he was as full of it as a Christmas Goose. “Why would I have been speeding if, first off several cars had flashed me and secondly my radar detector was screaming like a wild banshee” Then I launched into “Hey, Mister do I look totally stupid to you”? To which he said – I have you on radar.

He was a DPS Officer. I had always been taught in those days to not smart off to a DPS Officer. Save that for local, less prestigious cops.

He wrote me a ticket and said “Mr. Lewis you need to slow it down“.

My response was “you can count on it”. I went on to add Excuse Me Officer, But You Are Wrong.

I started my car up and headed on to Houston. I was already running late, so now that this guy cost me another 10 or 15 minutes, I was going to have to fly low to make my meeting.

Why was this cop right behind me I wondered?

I drove the speed limit, figuring he would pull off soon enough. Chappel Hill, he was still right behind me, then 10 or 12 more miles as we approached Hempstead, he still had me driving 55.

Finally we got to the little town of Waller, It was a sure thing he was going to follow me all the way to downtown Houston.

I rolled my glass down, stuck my arm out and motioned for him to pull over. I walked back to his car and apologized, telling him I knew he was right and there was no reason for me to have been disrespectful to him. He thanked me for saying that. I got back in my car, he turned around headed westbound. I ran 95 Mph all the way to Houston and arrived 5 minutes late. Someone else was later than I was, so the meeting start time was delayed.