(meteorobs) Police and astronomical observations

[George Gliba]

On Tue, Dec 28, 2004 at 09:52:40AM -0500, Wayne T Hally wrote:
> You've got to be careful which scope. Back in the 70's I was observing with 
> my bright red Astroscan, and the officer was convinced it was a device for 
> smoking something :-0
> 
> I did manage to convince him to look at the moon through it (one of the 
> Astroscan's wide field advantages), so all ended well.

  I've had two encounter of this nature. Once in March of 1996, my wife Lynne
and I were looking at comet Hyakutake at Kent Narrows, Maryland, when three
police cars rolled up and several police got out with their guns drawn and
pointed at us, one of them saying, "Lets see your hands". After I showed him
the comet blazing above they left. 

  Another time, when I was in the middle of a softball field in a chase
lounge watching the Perseids, a police car put a spotlight on me, and said
on a loud speaker, "get up and put your hands up". He must have thought I
was a real nut, laying in a chase lounge in the middle of a field looking up
at 4am! Anyway, as Richard Taibi suggested doing, I then played him some 
meteor data on the tape recorder and he soon left.

  Several times on my way to or from observing I had to hide from police
otherwise I would be questioned. I realize they are just doing their jobs
as there are real nuts out there to worry about!

Happy Holidays!
GWG