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Friday
May 6, 2005

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computer simulation of I-5 police
                        intervention friday may 6 2005 approx. 1800
                        hours
[ computer simulation ]

A funny thing happened on the way back to Seattle from Adria and Craig's wedding in Ferndale. I was driving Chrystya's rattly Safari van down I-5. Sarah was next to me up front, Chrystya sat in back amid bags of clothes and piles of DJ equipment. Two sheriff's cars weaved recklessly through traffic, driving like they wanted to be on TV. As soon as they got past us, they flashed yellow lights backwards and slowed the two right lanes of traffic to a halt. We were behind an old black van in the second-from-right lane. On the shoulder of the highway just ahead of the two stopped cop cars was a third cop car which had just pulled over a chopped-top pickup truck with four people inside. They all had their hands up and looked scared and uncomprehending at the three police officers who were now out of their cars (doors flung dramatically open) and aiming two pistols and an M16 rifle at them. What had these people done to deserve such attention? It didn't seem likely by the looks of them, but if they started shooting back, we'd be directly in their line of fire, so instead of reaching for my camera (which was full, anyway), I hastened to join the flow of traffic in the left two lanes which was, surreally enough, proceeding serenely past the tense situation involving uniformed men and women with guns. Have you heard anything about this? My first thought was perhaps it had to do with drugs, but on later reflection I started thinking maybe these were activists of some sort. Or maybe they just weren't wearing their seatbelts. In any case, I'd like to know more. Anyone?