Always time for a last hurrah...

I have a friend who always says that if he ever gets sent to prison to do any serious time - which he defines as anything in excess of six months - he will go on the run before he lets them lock him up.  Apparently, 53-year-old Kenneth Stine of Florida had a similar idea, although in a more temporary way.  When officers tried to pull him over for a burnt-out headlight, he floored it, giving rise to a short police chase that ended when Stine ran out of gas.

Why did he run, you might ask?  When he was finally stopped, Stine informed officers that he had just bought some crack and wanted to be sure he had time to smoke it before he was hauled off to jail.  Ironically, had he just stuffed it under his seat and accepted the consequences for his broken headlight, he probably would have been able to enjoy his newly-purchased goods in the peace and quiet of his own home.

It always amazes me when I hear stories like this one.  I do not condone smoking crack or using any other illegal substances, especially while driving, but I just cannot understand why people make the mistakes that they do when they have contraband in the car.  I once met a kid fresh out of juvie who had been sent away for possession of marijuana with intent to sell.  Apparently, when stopped by police, he had so much weed in his trunk that they could smell it before they even got next to the car.  The reason the police stopped him?  He rolled a stop sign.

Besides the obvious lesson of why you should obey all road and traffic laws when transporting illegal substances - or, even better, refrain from transporting illegal substances altogether - there is another lesson  here.  If you get pulled over, make it a point not to speak to them beyond pleasantries until you have a lawyer present.  This doesn't mean that every time you are stopped you should clam up completely.  It's okay to say hello and be polite to the officer.  But just try to avoid initiating a high-speed chase, and if you can't avoid that, then at least don't try to smooth things over with your pursuers by telling them you just wanted to hit that crack pipe one more time.

To get all the latest info on funny legal news, dumb criminals, crime humor, and more, subscribe to this blog by entering your email in the box on the right side of the blog or follow me on Twitter.

See also:

This song was made for you and me...

Lawsuit against New York photographer continues

When good claymation goes bad

"911 - What's your delusion?"

Arizona man seeks to enforce adultery laws

Finding the Right Location for Your Business 101