South CarolinaPing
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Posted on 12/25/2009 6:50:15 PM PST by Kaslin
JENNINGS, La. — A South Carolina family passing through Jennings on their way to Texas was pulled over, hauled off to a church, "tried" for not stopping to enjoy local hospitality and "sentenced" to gumbo, presents and a tour.
"We do this every year at Christmastime to some unsuspecting out-of-town person," said Gayle Jones, a member of the Jennings Optimist Club, which has made it part of a more than 30-year holiday tradition.
Neither Leonard nor Lori Pavia of Greer, S.C., could figure out why the deputy had pulled them over as they headed to see friends in McAllen, Texas.
"I couldn't think of anything that I did wrong. I knew I wasn't speeding," Leonard Pavia said. Lori Pavia said her first reaction was to make sure that Sienna, 10, and Dakota, 12, had their seat belts on. They did.
Deputy Terry Guillory, who pulled the family over, said he spent several hours Monday morning on Interstate 10, waiting to find the perfect family to stop.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Nice—but I don’t know what I would be thinking if I were late for something at my destination.
And perhaps an on-the-spot gift if they couldn't. Might be fair.
Well-intentioned, at least.
I hope they were given a choice instead of drug off in the cruiser like some sick joke.
Yeah, there has to be more to the story. Otherwise it could turn real nasty real quick. Maybe to be “eligible” the family has to put a special sticker in the car window.
My wife grew up in Ball, LA which is just outside of Alexandria. While in high school she was pulled over by a sheriff’s deputy and given a ham at Christmas because she was driving safely. I think that the deputy just wanted her phone number!
I’m sure that the people received more of an invitation than a sentence.
LOL! That’s exactly what I was thinking, too. I hope they make it an “optional arrest.”
Fortuna Calif does this every year during their Rodeo Days and they have a makeshift jail on Main street for picture taking during and after a trial. It’s not mandatory to comply if they have to be somewhere but they get written up in a couple of papers and on the local evening TV news and get copies sent to them...
Bunch of grinches on this thread. Personally, I’ve printed the article out and I’m planning to go to Jennings, LA. What a great outpouring of love from a town. For the rest of you, you should go get cozy with Ebenezer Scrooge, he’d like you.
It’s a funny tradition but one of these years they are going to pull over a family of atheist and they will sue!
What a great story! Me likey things like this.......:)
Is it Scroogey to want to get through Louisiana to waiting loved ones in, say, Texas?
“Is it Scroogey to want to get through Louisiana to waiting loved ones in, say, Texas?”
‘”I asked them if they’d like to be the guests of our town,”
Guillory said.’
—
All they had to do was beg off, Tex. Wagons ho!
Not funny... denial of the freedom of movement, regardless of intentions, is not a good thing.
It would be fun to be a Sheriff of a small town, just so that you could do this sort of thing. Mirrored sunglasses, big revolver, chewing tobacco, smokey-bear hat, and all.
I’d take a HUGE pay-cut just to have that sort of job.
You are under arrest. Report to Anchorage, Alaska ASAP.
Failure to comply will result in additional charges.
(After arrival)
Hey! We just wanted to treat you to a good meal! Here, have a present!
...
Gee, you must find this *PERFECTLY* acceptable and would love to have it happen to you!
Nobody was denied their freedom of movement.
Please disregard the last post. I saw, after I hit the post button, that the police asked if the family would like to stay.
Asked, which is much, MUCH different than an arrest - as portrayed by the title.
They’re lucky they weren’t sentenced to 2 day old Crawfish pies from Birdies Food and Fuel.
I’d pay them to arrest Senator Mary Landrieu passing through town and keeping her!
As for me, I’d love for this to happen to me in Wasilla, Alaska.
I’d be thinking Deliverance myself :)
“My wife grew up in Ball, LA which is just outside of Alexandria”
Back in the 60’s my family used to travel between New Orleans and Shreveport and always stopped at a roadside diner just north of Alexandria. Loved the place as a kid. I guess I recall it because it was towards the end of a mile or two of Pecan trees growing in the median, lots of people pulled over collecting nuts during the season.
ping
This sounds like something out of “The Great Race”.
I’d rather be a Duke of Hazzard
I wouldn’t call them scrooges. There’s a few police officers in our locale that have been proven to be as crooked as a dog’s hind leg. We’ve also had some thugs pose as police officers to facilitate their criminal activities. Consider yourself fortunate that you live in an area where you don’t have to worry about such things. As for me, if it’s not pretty clear up front what’s going on, I’d rather be left alone.
Here’s a little background information to prepare you for your visit.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jennings,_Louisiana
Actually, after they were arrested they were tortured, made to confess to crimes they didn't commit, executed, their kidneys were removed and then their bodies were dumped in a gator infested bayou.
More like Two Thousand Maniacs!!
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