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Detained by the POLICE for DWR: DRIVING WHILE a REALTOR®

By
Real Estate Agent with Keller Williams Realty Lafayette/West Lafayette, Indiana

Detained by the Police for DWR:  DRIVING WHILE a REALTOR®

 

It was a quiet Sunday afternoon and I was dozing off on the sofa after an eventful drive through an upscale  neighborhood on a private drive in rural Lafayette, Indiana after viewing surrounding homes for a possible upcoming listing. 

 

I was half expecting the firm and purposeful knock on the door-no it wasn't the neighborhood canvas of out-of-town professional fundraisers wanting you to support their cause-as that was yesterday!!!

 

When I opened the door, sure enough there was the police-a deputy sheriff to be exact.!  I knew what his first question would be, as I stood on the front porch being detained from my Sunday afternoon nap:

 

 

 

"Do you own a RED TRUCK?"

 

                                                                                                                                     

Detained by the police for DWR

 

REALTOR® vehicle profiling???

Why was the deputy sheriff asking this question, which put a big smile on my co-Realtor® wife's face? 

 

Earlier that afternoon while looking at the surrounding homes for the possible listing I turned my truck around at the end of a drive way of an expensive home that had a horribly twisted and dented garage door.

 

 

 

Detained by the police for DWR

 

A car flew up behind us and stayed right on our bumper after we crossed the road into another expensive housing subdivision on a private drive. 

 

My wife Sharon had the answer!  It was my "less than professional" 1996 red pickup truck that prompted one of the housing addition neighbors to tailgate me while making calls on his cell phone and gesturing until his hand was about to fall off.  Was I going to get "busted" for DWR because I was driving OLD RED, instead of a more "professional" vehicle?

 

As the car continued to follow us right on our bumper down the long private drive to view neighboring comps  we passed a late model white Escalade that appeared to have pulled off the lane very quickly at an angle and the door was left open as if they exited the vehicle in great haste.

 

I did not think I was being profiled by the neighborhood watch, or now the Deputy Sheriff on my porch because of my less than fancy truck! Something else was going on, but WHAT?

 

The Deputy Sheriff then asked if we owned a white SUV and explained that the person whose drive I had turned around in was the victim of a road rage incident right before we visited the subdivision.   In the haste to escape the pursuing white SUV the homeowner DROVE HER CAR INTO THE GARAGE DOOR BEFORE IT WAS COMPLETELY UP to hide before the white SUV could find her vehicle and home.  

The family member pursing and tailgating me thought I might be part of the white SUV's CLAN coming to settle the score, and thus the reason for briefly being detained from my Sunday afternoon nap by the law!

 

Are real estate agents judged by what they drive?

Would I have been chased by the relative if I were driving a newer and better vehicle?

When we relayed the story to the prospective listing client and being questioned by the police she shared it with the road rage neighbor.   The first thing the neighbor who was the road rage victim said after hearing the story was, "A Realtor® wouldn't drive a vehicle like that!", which made my wife smile proving her point!

 

After this I did begrudgingly agree to let Sharon look for a vehicle for me, even though in our parts it isn't WHAT you are that matters, but WHO you are!  After looking for a month,  my wife Sharon did find the perfect vehicle!

 

                      I just can't win, or can I ????

 

Sharon had found a nice Jeep for me and then she saw this Mercedes on the car lot that she just had to have!

 

So we ended up trading our 2011 Toyota Camry for this 2011 Mercedes and Sharon all of a sudden forgot to keep looking for a vehicle for me, because she had a new vehicle!  Fine by me!!!!

 

It is two years later now and I will hit 200,000 miles on my beloved OLD RED  next month, and with this post and some comments I will surpass 500,000 points on Active Rain before the end of the day.

 

Hmmm, which milestone is more significant????

 

 

Posted by

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Looking for a home in Lafayette, West Lafayette, Tippecanoe County or the surrounding area?

I would love the opportunity to help you realize your dream of home ownership, or finding that investment property that is right for you.  I am committed to quality service and will work hard representing your interests.

 

 

Comments (237)

Bruce Walter
Keller Williams Realty Lafayette/West Lafayette, Indiana - West Lafayette, IN

Michael, it was a good day as I was NOT profiled for DWR through a very nice private subdivision with OLD RED afterall!  I will hit 200,000 miles this week!!!

Aug 09, 2015 02:16 AM
Inna Ivchenko
Barcode Properties - Encino, CA
Realtor® • GRI • HAFA • PSC Calabasas CA

I see:)

You have much more fun in your life.

That fish looks very large. Do you let it back or eat it?

Aug 16, 2015 05:14 PM
Bruce Walter
Keller Williams Realty Lafayette/West Lafayette, Indiana - West Lafayette, IN

Inna, I release the fish back into our pond so I can catch them again!  ^_~

Aug 16, 2015 10:16 PM
Jennifer Fivelsdal
JFIVE Home Realty LLC | 845-758-6842|162 Deer Run Rd Red Hook NY 12571 - Rhinebeck, NY
Mid Hudson Valley real estate connection

Bruce so glad no guns were drawn. 

Congrats on the milestone.

Aug 18, 2015 02:12 PM
Bruce Walter
Keller Williams Realty Lafayette/West Lafayette, Indiana - West Lafayette, IN

Jennifer, we were minding our own business and I am very grateful how professional and understanding the Deputy Sheriff was in listening to what happened.  Thanks for your visit and comment, Jennifer.

Aug 20, 2015 09:44 PM
Jill Winchel
Royal Shell Real Estate - The Koffman Group - Cape Coral, FL
We make it easy. You make it home.

Interesting story. I really thought you were going to be given a slap on the hand for driving down a private road. Hate to hear about road rage though and glad it turned out ok and that you weren't involved.

As far as what kind of car a Realtor should drive...I think it should just be easy to get in and out of and be clean.

Sep 08, 2015 12:18 AM
Bruce Walter
Keller Williams Realty Lafayette/West Lafayette, Indiana - West Lafayette, IN

Jill, things would out fine and our vehicles should be an easy blend of the uses we demand of them, and that meet the expectations and standards of the clientele we are trying to work with. 

Sep 13, 2015 04:42 AM
Renée Donohue~Home Photography
Savvy Home Pix - Allegan, MI
Western Michigan Real Estate Photographer

I think both milestones are equally significant and congrats on both!

Sep 17, 2015 07:25 AM
Bruce Walter
Keller Williams Realty Lafayette/West Lafayette, Indiana - West Lafayette, IN

Renee, thanks so much and good to see you back on Active Rain!

Sep 19, 2015 01:26 AM
Kelly Hagglund
The Kelly Group Real Estate - Newberg, OR
SW Portland Real Estate Expert

Oh my, I think this is one of my favorite blogs by you yet! But, I knew as soon as I read the remark about car shopping that your wife would end up with a new vehicle!!

Dec 02, 2015 04:10 AM
Bruce Walter
Keller Williams Realty Lafayette/West Lafayette, Indiana - West Lafayette, IN

Kelly, I am so glad you had a good read with this one.  It certainly was very interesting how this whole episode played out.

Dec 02, 2015 10:17 PM
Kelley Ward
Chinowth and Cohen REALTORS - Owasso, OK
Real Estate Professional serving Owasso and More!

Great story. The title caught my eye and I had to read your post!

Jan 05, 2016 07:32 AM
Bruce Walter
Keller Williams Realty Lafayette/West Lafayette, Indiana - West Lafayette, IN

 Kelley Ward 

Do any real estate agents drive older pickups around the red clay of Tulsa Town???   Thanks for your visit and comment, Kelley!  If you like unique titles how about this post I wrote in the link below:

There May  Be No Law Against Eating a Banana while driving in California, But Is There a Law Against  Having a Banana On the Side of a Rental House in West Lafayette, Indiana?

Jan 06, 2016 10:25 AM
Ryan Huggins - Thousand Oaks, CA
https://HugginsHomes.com - Thousand Oaks, CA
Residential Real Estate and Investment Properties

Missed this one when it first came out.  That's crazy what happened there and glad the friend didn't take matters into their own hands (more than they did).

Apr 19, 2016 04:36 AM
Olga Simoncelli
Veritas Prime, LLC dba Veritas Prime Real Estate - New Fairfield, CT
CONSULTANT, Real Estate Services & Risk Management

So true - in my Mercedes or BMW, I just get "waved on" into all the gated communities without any inquisitions.

Apr 19, 2016 06:01 AM
Bruce Walter
Keller Williams Realty Lafayette/West Lafayette, Indiana - West Lafayette, IN

Ryan, we had an airtight alibi looking at other homes miles away from where the road rage incident that triggered this whole episode!  ^_~  

I just wish I had thought to give out our business card to the deputy sheriff as someone before you had suggested!

Apr 19, 2016 06:27 AM
Bruce Walter
Keller Williams Realty Lafayette/West Lafayette, Indiana - West Lafayette, IN

Olga, I would not know about that as I try to drive my wife's car as little as I can!

Apr 19, 2016 06:28 AM
Jeff Dowler, CRS
eXp Realty of California, Inc. - Carlsbad, CA
The Southern California Relocation Dude

Bruce

That is quite a story, and pretty funny (at leat the part about the community). I suspect things might have been different if you had been driving a fancier car.  Guess some private neighborhoods have some interesting activities at times.

Bet you're glad your wife found that Mercedes she just had to have

Jeff

Apr 19, 2016 09:25 AM
Bruce Walter
Keller Williams Realty Lafayette/West Lafayette, Indiana - West Lafayette, IN

Jeff, yes it would have been interesting to see if there would have been a different reaction by the relative of the road rage victim.  I still have my truck so things worked out just right!

Apr 23, 2016 12:40 AM
Kathleen Daniels, Probate & Trust Specialist
KD Realty - 408.972.1822 - San Jose, CA
Probate Real Estate Services

Revisiting this post - is so funny too.  

You were profiled for driving a "truck like that" ... ha! 

 

Jan 27, 2022 01:53 PM