They said the DOT officer interrogated them. Then he ordered them to stand in front of their recreational vehicle's headlights while he checked inside, searching for marijuana or wads of cash. The officer never asked for their driver's licenses or proof of registration, they said...But of course--it's the same technique Inspector Clouseau uses when he stumbles over something to divert embarrassment from his ineptitude and incompetence. It's particularly useful after menacing a citizen without cause.
"It was so strange. I literally felt afraid for my life," Jane Schneider, 59, said Monday. "I felt I could have bodily harm. ... He was very menacing and threatening to us."
One of their complaints is that the officer who stopped them repeatedly demonstrated a lack of knowledge about firearms laws, even though they were legally transporting a .40-caliber handgun with a concealed-weapon permit from the Lee County Sheriff's Department.
Carl Schneider said he was particularly upset that the officer implied he could simply call the sheriff and have the permit revoked, "which is absolutely not the case."
...But the officers didn't leave, he added, until the first officer "had made us feel as if he was somehow doing me a favor by letting us go."[More]
He had to let them know that even though he's a thug and a fool, he's an "Only One" and they're not.
And, as typical for our wonderful "Authorized Journalist" watchdog press, we know the names of the citizens, but not of the dangerously incompetent bullying government worker. Why is that? Maybe reporter William Petroski (bpetroski@dmreg.com) can shed some light...
UPDATE: Petroski is standing on "awaiting confirmation from DoT." Meanwhile, his competitors are reporting "Iowa Department of Transportation officer Darrell D. Wiegand."
If I were to give Darrell a call, and I'm not suggesting you do, I might be inclined to begin the conversation with "What's that I smell? What's that I smell?"
[Via Michael G]