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Yes, wilt Chamberlain would still be great if he played today. Chamberlain was measured at just over 7′1 in bare feet. He would likely be listed at 7′2″ or 7′3″ if he played today as modern players add a couple inches to sound BIGGER and make more money. For example, Dwight Howard isn’t really a 7 footer. He’s really about 6′10″.Chamberlain had the widest wingspan of any all star level player in history and was the best jumping 7 footer ever. There is video on YouTube of Wilt jumping over a 6′6″ bar feet first while a teenager at Kansas. Six foot six is the same height as Michael Jordon. There is video of Wilt in his final season jumping to block a shot in an all-star game. Wilt is nearly 37 years old and 320lbs. His hand is clearly 3/4 of the way up the backboard as he successfully blocks the shot by jumping without a run, from a standing position. He was incredible strong. Look here…You can see for yourself that even at age 50, Wilt looks like he could take Shaq. Chamberlain is clearly much bigger and more powerful looking than a young Shaquille O'Neal, especially in the shoulders and upper body.Wilt competed in 5 different events in NCAA track while at Kansas, including the shot put and distance running. Wilt Chamberlain also had real basketball talent in addition to his athleticism. He was an incredible all around player who changed his entire style of play two different times in his career to better help his team. Young Wilt played for the Philadelphia/San Francisco Warriors was an offensive machine. He once dropped 100 in a game and averaged 50 points per game for a season while still managing to lead the league in FG% 3 out of his first 5 years.Wilt was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers and was asked to change his style. The 76ers wanted him to be more of an all around player. Score less, pass more. Wilt then led the league in assists in 1968 from the center position - only center to ever do it. He also set many triple-double records that stand to this day including most consecutive triple doubles (9) and the only official DOUBLE-triple-double ever (a 20 points /20 rebounds /20 assists game). Chamberlain ranks in the top 5 all time triple double list despite blocks & steals not counting as official NBA stats until 1974, the year after Wilt retired.When Wilt was traded by the 76ers to the Lakers, he was again asked to change his style of play. This time he was told to concentrate on defense only and let his teammates handle the offense. Wilt had games where he didn’t even attempt a shot, a far cry from his 100 point game where he attempted 63 shots. However, when Wilt did he shoot, he hit at an incredible 73%, a NBA record that still stands today. Wilt led the NBA in rebounding every year and was named All-NBA 1st team defense even in his final season, just short of his 37th birthday. He continued to receive offers to return to the league throughout his 40’s and was even offered a contract at age 50!If Wilt Chamberlain were here today as a 21 year old ready to join the NBA, he would be the unanimous choice as the #1 pick in the draft and would instantly turn any franchise that selected him into a title contender his first year on the team.

Yes.Most have only seen Wilt Chamberlain play in highlight clips near the end of his career when he was in his 30s and over 310 pounds. He doesn't appear to move around much, and doesn't look as quick and fluid as modern players. He also doesn’t dribble anywhere near as well as modern players. He's listed as “only” 7-foot 1. That doesn’t seem very big. So what’s the fuss about?Under appreciating the size and athleticism of Wilt Chamberlain is one of the first big mistakes younger fans make when they evaluate him in comparison to todays’ players. They think that the players of today benefit from better nutrition, training and experience at their craft, therefore are automatically superior.They're wrong.Young Wilt Chamberlain was the most athletic real 7 footer the World has ever seen.Wilt Chamberlain at 17.Many of the Rules of Basketball were different when he played compared to the rules of today.There was no 3 point line, so a dominant big man to act as a rim protector was essential to a winning team. In addition, they were playing by other different rules.The offensive charging rules were much more strict. Wilt himself used to complain all the time about what they let Shaquille O’Neal get away with in the Modern Game. You couldn't lower the shoulder and just bowl people over as Shaq used to do. That was a big No-No in the old days. The Big Aristotle would have fouled out very quickly in the days of Wilt & Russ.(Fun Fact! Wilt Chamberlain never fouled out of a game in his life - High School, College or in the NBA).Also in the old days, when you dribbled, you had to strike the ball on top. Striking the ball anywhere else but on the top was a guaranteed traveling call. There was no palming allowed.Every crossover that players do in todays’ game would have been a traveling call in the days when Wilt Chamberlain played. In addition, you could only place each foot down once (2 steps) when jumping for a layup - no hop, skip and a jump like the modern game. There also was no James Harden step back, but you might have seen Elgin Baylor get away with a Eurostep or two.When evaluating Wilt Chamberlain, or other greats from the past, you have to understand the rules of the Old School Game. Then, take a look at everything over the course of their entire careers. If you do that, even the best players of todays’ NBA agree…..“Wilt Chamberlain was a flat out monster and ridiculously freakish athlete!! Would be dominant in any era point blank.” - LeBron JamesWhen asked if Michael Jordan is the GOAT, Philly's current big man said…..“I didn’t get to watch him, but I mean, when I look at his numbers and all that, like Wilt. I don’t know why everybody’s always saying he played against short people, but looking at his videos and stuff, he was so freaking athletic. He would’ve been able to play in any era, like jump over anybody.” - Joel EmbiidWilt was huge. Here he is posing with Muhammad Ali who he was twice scheduled to fight in a boxing match, once in 1967 & again in 1971.Wilt Chamberlains’ 11 & 1/2 inch hand spread is 1 & 1/2 inches more than current NBA star Kawhi “The Claw” Leonard.Legendary Boxing Trainer Cus D’Amato (Mike Tyson) was to train Chamberlain for 6 months, and predicted Wilt would win."Chamberlain is so quick and powerful he could control Ali with his jab, bide his time, and it would be lights out. Wilt would be the new Heavyweight Champion.”“If Ali hadn't reneged on the originally negotiated contract it would have happened. Boxing isn't so much a sport as it is a business. You can't force anyone to fight you." - Cus D'AmatoIn order for the 1971 fight with Wilt to happen, Ali had to beat Joe Frazier first. Cus D’Amato warned Ali that Frazier may very well win, and was filmed explaining to Ali how Frazier was likely to do it.On March 8, 1971, in the “Fight of the Century”, a battle of the of unbeatens, Joe Frazier (26–0) defeated Muhammad Ali (33–0), just as Cus D’Amato predicted, to become undisputed Heavyweight Champion of the World.Wilt Chamberlain immediately lost interest in fighting Muhammad Ali if it wasn’t going to be for the Undisputed World Heavyweight Championship. In addition, there were reports that some in Ali’s camp were worried it might be an upset.Their fight scheduled for October 4th, 1971 at the Houston Astrodome was called off.Here is a teenage Wilt Chamberlain, working as a bellhop at Kutchers Resort, posing with then Heavyweight Boxing Champion Floyd Patterson (also trained by Cus D'Amato).They met again a few years later when Wilt joined the NBA. That was the time Wilt told Floyd that he was much stronger than him. Floyd decided to prove Wilt wrong. As the below news article confirms, Floyd lost.People just don't realize how big and strong Wilt Chamberlain really was. They hear stories that he competed against a bunch of 6 foot 5 white guys who worked side jobs as accountants or plumbers.They see other players like 7 foot Hakeem Olajuwon with amazing footwork, power players like 7 foot 1 Shaquille O'Neal or 7 foot shooters like Keven Durant and think Wilt Chamberlain wouldn't be able to compete. Chamberlain is listed as about the same height as Hakeem & Durant, and looks thin when compared to Shaquille O'Neal.That perception ends the moment you see Wilt Chamberlain actually standing next to one of these players. You realize Big Wilt really is BIG. Here is 56 year old Wilt next to a 20 year old Shaq.In basketball sneakers, Shaq appears to be a slightly shorter than Wilt is while wearing dress shoes. Shaquille O’Neal was reported to be measured at 6 feet 11 and 3/4 inches in bare feet when he was a 19 year old college student at Louisiana State University. Wilt Chamberlain was measured 7 feet 1 & 1/8 inches in his bare feet by the NCAA when he was 20 years old college track star at the University of Kansas.Above is Bill Walton, Wilt Chamberlain, Shaquille O’Neal, Bill Russell, Kareem Abdul Jabbar and Coach John Wooden in front center. Shaq is the furthest away, and not quite as short as he looks in the photo. However, it is clear that out of the 5 NBA stars, Wilt has the biggest, most powerful looking body frame.Shaquille O’Neal and Hakeem Olajuwon (above)Hakeem looks to be about 2 inches shorter than Shaq, and not a real 7 footer. He is likely a shade under 6 foot 10. Here is Hakeem standing next to 6 foot 9 and 3/4 inch Dwight Howard. Howard was officially measured in his bare feet after rejoining the Los Angeles Lakers prior to the 2019/20 NBA season.Keven Durant is not a 7 footer either. He was measured in his bare feet at 6 foot 9 and 3/4 inches when he joined the Brooklyn Nets in 2019. Durant is about the same height as NBA legend Bill Russell.Here is Wilt Chamberlain at 56 years old standing next to Shaquille O'Neal. You tell me, who looks bigger and more powerful to you? Old man Wilt or young man Shaq?Modern players exaggerate their heights. They always add a few inches. Chamberlain didn't, except to insist he was actually a bit shorter than what people think. Players from the past often wanted their height listed as lower than it was. They wanted credit for their basketball skills, not just for being tall.Wilt Chamberlain had a short neck a small head & a very short torso. He had really long arms and legs, and his overall body was huge. That's obvious anytime he stands next to other all-time greats such as Shaquille O'Neal or 7 foot 2 inch Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Kareem is slightly taller at the top of the head, but not at the top of the shoulders.Wilt Chamberlain was a BIG and powerful dude.He had a documented 9 foot 6 standing reach as a college student at Kansas. That’s 6 inches higher than Anthony Davis.He had a documented 45 inch vertical leap. That’s 10 inches higher than Anthony Davis.A 13 foot 3 inch vertical reach is 3 inches higher than the top of the backboard.“I defy anyone to say they took change off the top of the backboard. I could. Someone would put a quarter up and I'd snatch it down. I've heard stories about Jackie Jackson doing it, but I've never seen anyone (but himself) come close.” - Wilt ChamberlainChamberlain said his vertical leap was actually over 4 feet. He offered the photo below as proof, as he casually looks down on a high jump bar that is set at nearly 7 foot high.He had a 92 inch wingspan. That’s about 3 inches more than Anthony Davis.He was a 7 foot 1 and 1/8 inch man that was high jumping over 6 foot 7.He could long jump over 22 feet.He was setting Philadelphia City and Pennsylvania State records by throwing the shot put nearly 50 feet in High School, and setting NCAA Conference records with heaves of over 56 feet in college. The photo below is Chamberlain competing in the Penn Relays while a student at Overbrook High School.Wilt Chamberlain had 3 very different phases to his NBA career depending on the team he was on.Phase 1. The Philadelphia / San Francisco Warriors (1959–65)With the Philadelphia / San Francisco Warriors, Chamberlain won the NBA MVP award his rookie season. He was a scoring machine averaging around 40 points per game. When his coach told him that’s not enough, I need 50, Wilt played every minute of every game (48.5 per game average) in the 1961/62 NBA season and averaged 50.4 points in per game. He won 7 consecutive NBA scoring titles while a member of the Warriors.On March 2nd, 1962 he dropped 100 points in a single game.Here is the final minutes of the radio broadcast of Chamberlains 100 point game.Wilt Chamberlain is congratulated for his 100 point game on the Ed Sullivan Show.Phase 2. The Philadelphia 76ers (1965–1968)With the Sixers, Chamberlain was asked to score less, and pass more.For the good of the team, Wilt dropped his scoring down to about 25 points per game and became a Triple-Double machine. He led the entire NBA in Total Assists (only Center ever to do it) and set numerous Triple-Double records that stood for 50 years until Russell Westbrook came along.Chamberlain had the NBA’s first ever (points, rebounds, assists) Double-Triple Double, 9 Triple Doubles in a row, averaged a Triple-Double for the 2nd half of the 1966/67 season, had 31 for the entire season, and nearly averaged a Quadruple Triple Double for the entire 1967 NBA Playoffs.Here is a great video highlighting Wilt Chamberlains’ Triple Double abilities.Wilt won 3 MVP’s in a row while playing for the 76ers and his team set the All-Time NBA win record at 68–13 on their way to the title. The Sixers were an NBA record 37–4 at the halfway point of the season. That record was tied 50 years later by the Golden State Warriors during their 73 win season.On March 18th, 1968, Wilt recorded an unofficial Quintuple Double with what has to be the greatest individual stat line in NBA history.53 points 32 rebounds 16 assists 24 blocks* and 11 steals*!*Blocks and Steals did not become official NBA stats until 1974, the year after Wilt retired.You don’t think Wilt could block 24 shots in a game? His high game was 26!!! Well you’ll have to believe he could block 23 in a game because he was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers later that year, and swatted away 23 Phoenix Suns shots in a nationally televised Christmas Day game. Everyone saw him do it and it was reported in the papers.Phase 3. The Los Angeles Lakers (1968–1973)The Lakers were the 3rd, and final team Wilt Chamberlain played for. This was a time in Chamberlain's career where he was intentionally not trying not to score as much, only when his team needed him to.Wilt was the last option on offense for the Lakers. He only took high percentage shots and put backs. As a result, he set the all time NBA Field Goal Percentage mark at 73%, a record that still stands 50 years later.He was specifically asked by his Coach, Bill Sharman - a former player on the Boston Celtics - to be a defensive specialist, blocking shots, grabbing rebounds and quickly out letting the ball to the guards to start the fast break the way Bill Russell used to do.Wilt Chamberlain, the man who once scored 100 points in a single game and averaged 50 points per game for a season, had some games with the Los Angeles Lakers where he didn't even attempt a shot. His scoring average took a big hit. Many younger fans who read his stats assume that his scoring fell off because he just got old and couldn't score anymore.Not true.When Kobe Bryant scored 60 points in his final game to become the oldest player in NBA history to do so, it was Wilt Chamberlain's 62 points as a 32 year old Los Angeles Laker whose record he broke. Even in his 30s, Wilt could still drop 60 whenever he wanted to.Chamberlains’ Los Angeles Lakers team already had scorers. They needed his defense.As a defensive specialist for the Lakers, he was still top 5 in the NBA MVP voting most years. He was 1st team All NBA Defense over younger players like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and led the NBA in rebounding every year until he retired in 1973, just a few months short of his 37th birthday.7 foot 2 inch tall Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is the all-time NBA Career Scoring Leader. Here is Wilt Chamberlain blocking 2 of Kareem’s “unblockable” sky hooks on back-to-back attempts.The 1972 Los Angeles Lakers set the all time NBA win streak record at 33 (still stands) and set a new all time regular season win record at 69–13 (since broken by the Chicago Bulls & Golden State Warriors).Wilt outplayed the 11 years younger Abdul-Jabbar when it mattered in the 1972 NBA Playoffs and received a standing ovation from the opposing Milwaukee Bucks fans, and national recognition in Life Magazine, for the job he did on Kareem in helping the Lakers win.Below is a great video Highlighting some of the best of Wilt vs Kareem, the NBAs two greatest real 7 footers in action.Wilt Chamberlain and the Los Angeles Lakers defeated reigning MVP Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and the defending 1971 NBA Champion Milwaukee Bucks. They went on to win the 1972 NBA Championship.Wilt Chamberlain was 1972 NBA Finals MVP.Wilt Chamberlain always stayed in great shape and continued to get legitimate offers from NBA teams to come out of retirement. This happened throughout his 40’s, and even as he approached 50 years old!Wilt Chamberlain was running marathons in his 50’s.He was super athletic, the strongest, and by far the greatest leaping, real 7 footer in NBA history. As LeBron James said, those talents alone would make him a star in any era.Modern fans don’t appreciate the size, power and athleticism of Wilt Chamberlain. They think he is only the product of a weak era, and frequently underrate him as a result.

Something like this happened to me and it was one of my most memorable times being pulled over, and to this day, I think to myself, “What ELSE could I have done?” and wondered why the guy was so mad. (He actually called in backup , to show off to his friend, how much he was yelling at me. For *NOTHING*.)Very long story, so don’t keep reading if you don’t really care for a story.I went to college about 4 hours away from home. 4 hours drive in a car ( pretty much, 30 minutes to get to The Turnpike, and then 3 hours straight on that one road, and then 30 minutes more on a smaller highway and in town etc.) - It took about 5 hours on a train, which I often took back and forth (the Train Station was only a few blocks from my house in college and easier for my family to drive 30 mins to the other station than back-and-forth trips to pick me up.I didn’t have a car in college, in retrospect I should have worked and saved and bought one but I didn’t…. and even though my Dad had 2 cars minimum PLUS a company car, he just didn’t think it would be smart -or safe- for me to have a car in college (probably not a bad point…) but in March of my Junior Year, I was allowed to take one up for about a week… Spring Break was the first full week of March, and after that week, when I returned to school on Sunday, I was allowed to take my Dad’s Dodge Durango (amazing vehicle… SLT+, every option available, 5.9L Magnum V8 360 … leather, Infinity stereo system, etc.) to school for the following week…(not my truck, but in general what it looked like…. but my bumper and running boards were white also, not grey like this…)because I had to come back the next weekend in order to get my license renewed. It would be expiring and I needed to go in-person, get the photo taken, etc. (This was particularly important to me because I had just turned 21-years-old a few weeks before, and many Penn State bars would simply not accept a New Jersey drivers license - NJ was one of the last State’s to go to a “credit-card” style license… previously, it was printed and laminated paper, and many bars felt like it was just too easy to fake, so too bad, soo sad, you can’t come in. But NJ had finally changed, so I would be getting a modern-style license and get into the bars etc. Woohoo!)I was due to return on a Friday afternoon, having left my school house/town early Friday morning and driving the 4 hours home. I would then get my License renewed, spend the weekend at home and take the train back Sunday afternoon etc.My fraternity had a huge party that Thursday night, I stayed up very late, drinking and doing all sorts of stuff, spent the night with a woman in my bed, had to take her home in the morning, get showered and get my stuff together, and get on the road. I had a pounding hangover and threw on a NJ Nets Kenyon Martin jersey (I am actually a 76ers fan, but I was a fan of Kenyon Martin and a friend got me his jersey for my Birthday…)so obviously it’s sleeveless, so my arms (and tattoos) are visible … plus baggy jeans, Timberland boots, sunglasses, etc. This will come up during the stop.I finally get my hung-over ass on the road and make it to the Pennsylvania Turnpike and start “The Drive Home”… about 20 or so minutes of driving (probably as fast as I could, let’s say somewhere around 75mph), I come around a bend in the mountains and there, all I can see is cars in the right lane, (and I was in the right lane, myself, as I was taught that the Left Lane IS THE PASSING Lane and you don’t just hang out in the left lane unless it’s absolutely necessary…) - there is a line of cars in the right lane, as far as I can see (probably 30+ vehicles, or more, and due to the bend in the highway because it was in the PA Mountains, you couldn’t see farther ahead…)So UNLIKE this picture:where cars are all over the place on the road and it’s heavily trafficked in all visible areas, in MY case, the left lane was totally open but the right was totally stacked up - and the traffic suddenly sloooooowed down… from 75 I have to slam on the brakes… down to 65…. 60….55….50…. now we’re coming on 45 miles per hour and I have places to go and people to see, so I say, “Fuck this!”, move into the left lane, and start passing everyone.Riiiiiiiight when I’m about to go over 65mph , probably hit about 70, I around the next bend and the road opens up before me and I’m about to pass the last vehicle in the row (which was a big truck), so I turn on my right blinker, proceed to initiate a lane-change back into the right lane, and suddenly what do I see but a Pennsylvania State Trooper car , leading the pack , plodding along at 45 mph - seemingly on purpose…Now what the fuck can i do? I’ve already started a lane-change, having come charging up the left lane. In RETROSPECT, maybe I should have just slammed on the brakes, let the entire line of cars go past me, and get back in the end of the line. At the time, I thought that if I did that, I’d definitely get stopped - for either unsafe driving, improper lane changes, unsafe lane changes, slamming on the brakes, etc. OR simply just LOOKING SUSPICIOUS. So I did the only thing I thought I COULD do in that situation, I completed my lane change — safely, efficiently, and with the proper amount of distance and timing — and got in front of the Troop Car. Apparently, this fucking guy hit the fucking roof.I had Cruise Control and the controls were on the Steering Wheel. I immediately set my cruise control speed to *exactly* the speed limit- I believe 65mph, but it could have been 60 or even 55mph back then , in certain spots (it was 20 years ago, after all.) - But I am quite certain that I put the *exact* speed and drove as cautiously as I could, knowing that there was now a State Trooper behind me. Mind you, I am hungover as hell and not feeling great, but was in a totally legal vehicle - with a specific Law Enforcement association type of License Plates (that my father, who was a well-known, hi-ranking police commander for a prominent agency at the time, and was eligible to join a specific ‘fraternal organization’ due to the fact that he had the Police equivalent of the Medal of Honor (twice, actually) and the organization had vanity License Plates available to their members… sort of like how Masons have plates or Vietnam War veterans etc:*immediately* upon my finishing passing the Trooper, he *flies up on my bumper*. I figured, Oh well, I guess he’s going to pull me over now … I mean, what did I really do? I am not really sure but I don’t think it’s actually against the law just to PASS a cop… especially safely and professionally done…but .. this guy is PISSED. He’s ON MY BUMPER NOW. If I sneezed, he would have been in the back seat.He stays on my bumper for what was like 10+ minutes. I’ve got the Cruise Control on, and he’s literally ON MY ASS, without room to spray some WD-40 between our cars. He’s FOLLOWING ME , and I’m thinking, as more time passes, “What is this guy doing?”This goes on for 10+ minutes, maybe even 15. I am literally now starting to think, “I guess I should move BACK OVER, into the left lane? “ and I am JUST ABOUT TO DO THAT, when we again round a corner, and there is a little rest area on the side of the road- with another State Trooper parked with his vehicle running and nose pointed to the highway… and that was that……as SOON as “we” passed him, he pulls out behind us, then gets into the left lane - like he’s about to block me off the road- and the guy who’s been following me fires up the lights and siren. Immediately I pull over and the guy comes screaming up to me, while I’m reaching to the glove-box for the registration & insurance (with my license- which is going to expire the next day, mind you…) and he starts screaming, “WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU’RE DOING?!?!”“Uhh…I’m getting the car’s Registration and Insurance from the envelope in the Glove Box, Sir..”“NOT THAT, ASSHOLE, I MEAN WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU’RE DOING WITH YOUR TRUCK!?!?!?”again.. not sure what I’m supposed to say here..“Uhh… I’m driving home from College, Sir… it’s my Dad’s truck and I borrowed it for the week and I..”“I DON’T GIVE A FUCK WHOSE TRUCK IT IS, WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU’RE TRYING TO PULL??”!again… what is even going on here?“Uhh… Sir, I don’t know what you mean?”Now he beckons to the other Officer, who is standing offset-to-the-rear, with his hand on his weapon, having been radioed by this guy that he needed backup and would wait till we passed him to pull me over, and has no real idea what’s going on…“YOU HEAR THIS , [Joe?] HE DOESN’T KNOW WHAT WE MEAN!”“I really don’t , Sir, I don’t think I was speeding… I had the Cruise Control on the entire time..”“YOU PASSED ME! WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU’RE TRYING TO PULL!! YOU *PASSED* ME GIVE ME YOUR LICENSE, REGISTRATION, INSURANCE!”He starts telling the buddy his version of events and how he’s absolutely sure that I’m going to be some sort of major bust, obviously a criminal of the worst kind, I am driving a nice truck with Jersey plates and I PASSED A COP!!!He then starts giving me the 3rd Degree… Who am I? Where am I coming from?! Where am I going?? What am I doing on the road? Whose truck is it?? WHOSE PLATES ARE ON IT? He gets all hot and bothered that my Dad is “supposedly” a police commander… “Yeah, right, and of course he taught you to go around passing the State Police!!!”I tried to mildly explain - “Sir … I wasn’t even trying to pass you… I was in a long line of cars that slowed down to 45mph and the entire left lane was free… when I started passing the cars, I had no idea that a police officer was at the front of the line… by the time I got up there, I had started to pass when I saw you, and I felt like I had no choice then…I didn’t just decide, “I’m gonna go pass this Troop Car..”He tells me “Bullshit. You just wanted to fuck with me. Well guess what , buddy, we’re fucking with you!”Ok then. He starts shining the flashlight all around the truck (all the windows were opened, truck was almost entirely empty except for a bag or two of clothes…nothing to see here…)He takes all my documents, and runs the plates. He comes back and demands to know why I have the specific type of LE Association plates that I have, and I explain that they belong to my Dad, it’s his truck, as I tried to explain earlier, I borrowed it for the week and am bringing it back home. He doesn’t believe me.“So you’re telling me that your Dad is a such-and-such for -so-and-so- department, and if I call them right now, they’re going to confirm that for me…”Uhh, yes sir… [I mean he thinks I’m lying about THAT TOO?]“We’ll just see about that!”He goes back to his car and calls my Dad’s department like I was just in the White Bronco OJ Chase. Starts berating someone who answered the phone that TROOPER Jones of the PA STATE POLICE is on the side of the road and he DEMANDS to know if someone named “Woodbridge” is an Officer there etc. The person says, “Yes, commander Woodbridge is the [whatever he was back then], and is currently running the weekly CompStat meeting for the Director…”“WELL GO GET HIM, I’VE GOT SOME PUNK CLAIMING TO BE HIS KID THAT I’M ABOUT TO ARREST!!!” <again what is he trying to arrest me for?! never says.>Apparently someone runs upstairs to get my Dad, but as he’s briefing a large group of the Command Staff, the guy whispers to someone in the room, who whispers to someone else, who whispers to The Police Director, who then excuses himself briefly from the meeting, goes to take the call, and is introduced to “TROOPER JONES”“THIS IS TROOPER JONES AND I DEMAND TO KNOW WHO I’m SPEAKING TO!!!”“This is the Police Director for the City, may I ask to what we owe the pleasure of your call?”“I DEMAND TO KNOW IF SOMEBODY NAMED “WOODBRIDGE” IS ONE OF YOUR OFFICERS!!!”“Actually he’s one of my commanders and is running the CompStat briefing that you have pulled me out of, what is this all about??”“Oh… so he really DOES work for you…?“As I said… now as I ASKED, what is this all about…??”“I have his son on the side of the road of the Pennsylvania Turnpike…”“Has he been arrested? ““Not YET…”“What crime has he committed?”“He PASSED ME!!!”“He *passed* you? You mean, you’ve got him for speeding?”“No, not Speeding. He PASSED me. He GOT IN FRONT OF ME ON THE ROAD.”<laughing>“Listen Trooper, I have to get back to running my Department. If you have any further inquiries, have your Colonel call me. I’ll let him know that I spoke to , who was it again, Trooper Jones of the ABC123 Detachment, I’ll let him know that you called me the next time I speak with him. “<crickets><more crickets>“What should I do with the fucking kid?”“I suggest you do what you feel is appropriate… If he’s under arrest, I’ll make sure to let his Father know. If he’s committed some crime or broken some law and is being cited or summoned, I suggest you inform him accordingly… Otherwise, from what you’ve described to me… you’re detaining him on the side of the road because… he made you angry by passing you? I would tell my Officers, do as you feel is both legally justified and appropriate…again, I’ll let the Commissioner, your Colonel, know that we spoke…”“Thank you for your time, Mr. Director” <click>meanwhile back in the Durango, all this has been going on in the Troop Car behind me, unbeknownst to me… the guy’s backup was watching me intently the whole time, but not menacingly or anything… He even mentioned with a smile, “Man, he was pissed when he came on the radio, I thought we were gonna be chasing OJ!” (I always thought, he kind of looked and acted like, “What the fuck is this shit? You radio me for backup saying we’re gonna bust someone, and it’s a college kid in his Dad’s car, on his way home for the weekend, that passed you at on a Friday morning? Come on…)Sergeant Slaughter gets out of his car and comes up, “Listen, I just spoke with the Police Director, who confirms your father is an Officer there…” … i’m thinking to myself, “He spoke to the DIRECTOR? Oh shit… that can’t be good..” not knowing that he absolutely DIDN’T JUST DEMAND IT, it just sort of HAPPENED, and I actually am thinking about saying it when he says out loud, “Yep… You didn’t think I’d do that, did you? I called up and demanded to speak to him and tell him I needed him on the phone IMMEDIATELY!” again, I’m thinking, Oh shit.. but again, what have I done for all this to happen?Then he booms out, “We’ve decided that I’m going to let you off with a WARNING… I’m not going to give you a ticket, seize the vehicle, or proceed any further…”<What the fuck is this guy on about?! Now he’s talking about seizing the vehicle?! I mean is he fucking nuts?? He’s acting like he’s doing me a favor and I didn’t really even DO ANYTHING! If he wants to give me the damn traffic ticket for “Illegally Passing A Cop”, fine, we’ll just deal with it later and I can get out of here and get moving away from this… but I just say, “Thank you, Sir.”Then he drops it-“You’re not even going to apology??”“I’m pretty sure I apologized as soon as you pulled me over, Sir, but if I didn’t , I am absolutely sorry, I was never trying to cause all of this, I was just trying to pass what I thought were slow drivers, I didn’t know there was a police car in front of them…”“You know, you look like a fucking punk… you act like a punk, you talk like a punk… you’re dressed like a scumbag, your eyes are all red , you’ve got a goatee and haven’t shaved in a few days… you really need to clean yourself up and stop looking and acting like a fucking scumbag…”At that point, I just bit my lip. I felt like, he’s looking for a reason to get me in trouble. Whatever it was he was after, he didn’t get nor find with me, and he probably feels a little embarrassed about it, and now is trying to give me one more chance to screw myself.“Thank you for your concern, Sir, I’ll make sure I work on it.”<not happy face>“Here’s your paperwork back. Don’t let me catch you passing people again or let me see you speeding ever again!”<I wasn’t even speeding in the first place.>“Thank you, Officer…”“IT’S TROOPER”“Thank you, Trooper”and of course, when I get home, I’m promptly informed that that’s why I’m not allowed to have a car at College. I DIDN’T EVEN DO ANYTHING lol.