Car-less in the battle

What were the police (I mean, the POLICE, consisting of the State Police, the Sheriff's office, the Marine Patrol, and the Maine DEA complete with drug dog, whew!) doing in Owls Head Village yesterday morning? A routine safety checkpoint, they said. But at 5:00 a.m.? For almost three hours? I don't know their usual batting average but 90 cars were stopped (license, registration, inspection stickers, please) yielding
- one parole violation (how did they know? someone's bad brother-in-law?)
- one marijuana possession (any spliffs in the glove compartment, sir? Or, that dog must have been really good)
- a couple of traffic summonses (who in the world breaks a traffic law with all those police hanging around? oh right, it was early, probably still dark, and the officers were hiding in the General Store)
- and some safety warnings (you really shouldn't drive with lobster traps in the front seat).

Methinks there was a tip in the battle against drugs: lobster guys doing a little more than fishing.

I'm glad I wasn't out and about yesterday morning (side question: who knew so many people drive through the village at that hour?) I might have been stopped for alien behavior (Mass. plates). But the chances were slim to none. When I'm here wife-less and dog-less, I'm also car-less, that is, it's a badge of honor in the battle to save the earth to see how little I can use it, manfully ignoring the siren calls of the foliage (wait for wife on Sunday), the library (read Tony Hillerman again), and food (shopped on the way up). What else does one need? Besides, it's dangerous out there.