Zebra stick

I've traveled a little. Policemen everywhere are the same, but different. In India they have a very long night stick. Urban American police have what they call a baton. The ones used by Ukrainian and Russian police are black and white striped.

Generally, I know I'm having too much fun when I am laying it over in the mountain curves and in the euphoria of the moment I find myself trying to shift into 7th. I only have 6 speeds. Looking down at the speedometer, I hear myself thinking: "Oh, that's the problem!"

When the fuzz steps out into the road and crosses your path with that zebra stick, it's like getting the black flag on a race course. You've been bad. You're busted. Pull over. Your ride is over for now. The only question is how much is this going to cost?

Not everyone in what was once the СССР is happy with Перестройка. (Perestroika) In Украина the middle class is virtually invisible. There is wide disparity between rich and poor. Poor folks that drive are mostly in rural areas and own nothing new or fast. The "entitled" are in a new SUV with a radar detector. Thus, the police are a great equalizer. There's no point in busting poor, slow people. They have no money.

The problem is I am not rich, but I am fast. They have no idea who I am nor what I'm riding. Then, I show them my passport. Then, $ pop up on their eyeballs. At least I don't drink and ride. The legal BAC in Ukraine is 0.0%.

There must be batteries in the zebra sticks. The white sections light up at night making them visible at long distances. I don't know where the switch is nor what else those things can do.