So I got pulled over…

On Saturday I was riding up and down the coast, doing some exploring – riding my DualSport (Yamaha XT225) but not doing anything offroad – altho I did end up in the dirt and doing a water crossing on a  paved road!

So I end up in Zuma Beach, and for some reason there’s dead-stop traffic on this 2 lane road (one lane in each direction with a broken yellow line), which seems is going into a parking lot. I’m not interested to go to the parking lot, so I proceed to pass the traffic on the opposite side (left of the broken yellow line). Near the intersection (can only go straight or left) I move back into the correct side of the street as I get ready to make a left – just then a Sheriff on an ATV motions me to come over to him. Which I do…

He starts asking me about my bike (the Dual Sport), price, how I like it, etc.., so we start talking as I have nowhere to be, I could chat for a minute. He then tells me the reason he “pulled me over” was because I was on the wrong side of the road.

Surprised at that, I tell him that I recall that I was able to do that on a broken yellow line. And that I wasn’t aware of – and that I wasn’t intentionally breaking any laws.

“You can’t do that when traffic is parked”

Wait, what?

I look back and realize that indeed – they are “parked”. They all seem to want to enter the parking lot that is closed off apparently due to an emergency as just then an ambulance pulls out.

He tells me it’s not a big deal – and takes off as someone called for him.

And I’m left with “WTF???”

I *KNOW* I wasn’t breaking any laws! And when he started talking to me about my bike, I figured it was just camaraderie between DualSport motorcycle riders (he was on an ATV but owns a DualSport).

Altho I wonder if he thought I was “cutting in line”, which would then make sense for him to stop me, but he left before I was able to ask him. He did ask me where I was going and realized I didn’t intend to go to the parking lot. But he was cool about it.

Would have liked to talk to him a little more and find out if that was the case.

So much hatred in this world.

I just don’t understand why there’s so much hatred in this world,
it makes me so very sad when I encounter it. Not for myself, but for those that express it.

In this case, racism.

I was slowly passing traffic by lane-splitting on the left lane of the freeway, which was almost a parking lot. I noticed a couple of girls in a car stuck in traffic, I get stuck beside them – I noticed one of them saw me looking and I smiled (no idea if they can see my face/smile under my helmet, but I smiled anyway). They where able to creep up ahead of me a few feet before I could continue, as I passed I heard one of them yell out “WET BACK!”.

WTF?
*sigh*

Here I was wondering if they could even see my smile, while what little of my skin was exposed was able to clue them in as to what race I am to shout such an insult at me? Wow!

Now I’m not offended too much by the actual word, but the hatred in it is what makes me so very sad. Not only is it completely closed-minded (I’m American-born with Aztec Indian/Spanish blood from Mexican-born parents AFAIK) as their parents or ancestors crossed a big body of water, while most of mine – the land was acquired and the natives ran off by invading people.

If anything I would have expected to hear “ass hole” for passing them in traffic or even a comment about my weight… but “Wet Back”? Just…. wow!

Maybe it’s the Buddhist in me (ok, that’s probably exactly what it is), but – I have no reservations against any one kind of people. I love everyone!!! I know not everyone might feel the same about me, but I guess it still shocks me that there is so much hatred and racism in this world. Especially in this country.

Why can’t people just accept everyone else for who they are and respect them – no, love them? We are all equal, we are in this world together! Why not try to make the best of it?