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From the column:

Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Column 348
The First Annual White Sands Missile Launch Darts Tournament

To some, the eighty-four mile, hour or so long stretch along old US Highway 54 from El Paso, Texas to Alamogordo, New Mexico might seem desolate, but it’s not. At least it wasn’t for me. Travelers will typically encounter military personnel along this lonely connector strip between Fort Bliss and Holloman Air Force Base, but not me. I managed instead to meet four Border Patrol officers and several dozen RABBITS!

It was just after crossing the New Mexico border that I saw the weigh station sign and shortly after that that I came upon the orange highway cones configured to funnel right lane traffic into the weigh station. But the left lane was open. I hesitated a moment, uncertain, decided to slow down, and began to edge my rental car along the right side of the cones and towards the weigh station. But then I reconsidered…

I don’t know why exactly, except it seemed to make sense. In my neck of the woods – hell, in every neck of the woods I’ve ever been – weigh stations are for TRUCKS. This one couldn’t possibly be different.

So cautiously I slid my car between a couple of the cones and back into the left lane and moseyed back on down the road to Alamogordo. The sameness of the brown terrain and twang of country music on the radio lulled me along. The flashing lights came as a surprise.

I was forced onto the shoulder by two cruisers. I swerved to a quick stop, nudged down my window and reached to grab my license from my dart case. Immediately four officers exited their vehicles, hands on their weapons, and surrounded my car. One of them shouted at me to drop what I was holding and put my hands on the steering wheel.

Will Dartoid escape from the long arm of the law? Will he once again face the perils of being a jail house girl friend? Tune to Dartoid’s World and FIND OUT!