Jim and I were so tired Monday night, 7/22, that we fell asleep in our motel in Perry at 7:00 p.m. At 9:00 p.m. the son of the motel's proprietor pounded on our door. Jim and I were too tired from the hot sun and a lot of fresh air to get up. I'm not sure I even heard him. Then he called us on the phone and asked, "Are you in your room? Open the door!"
When he pounded on the door, Jim was in his boxer shorts and talked to him through the chain on the door.
"Are you smoking weed in your room?" the son asked him.
"No, we're not," Jim answered, and closed the door.
Next, two big burly Perry police officers in vests were pounding on our door. They said they could smell marijuana smoke in the hallway and asked if they could check our room.
Jim agreed to let them search our room. Fortunately, he didn't turn on the light. I sleepily asked what was going on.
I heard one police officer say, "Nope. Not this room. Sorry for the inconvenience, folks. I hope the rest of your trip goes well."
He sounded very nice.
The weed smokers were in the room next door to ours, but the real culprits wouldn't let the police in the door without a search warrant. For some reason, the police couldn't get a search warrant. Maybe with RAGBRAI in Perry, the judge was too busy to give them one.
I ran into a casual bicycling acquaintance the next morning and asked him if he knew anything about it. The proprietor was bearing down on him, so he said quickly that he'd tell me about it later and let himself out a side door. I'd mention the name of the team, but if it wasn't that team, they might sue me, so never mind.
It's interesting what motel policies are on smoking in nonsmoking rooms. I talked to various motels about their policies. The Super 8 charges $100 per occurrence and the guest who smokes must leave immediately. The Days Inn in Des Moines charges $200 and the guest must leave immediately. America's Best Value Inn wouldn't tolerate somebody not opening the door. The door would come off and go on the guest's bill.
I'm sure it's all downhill from there. I don't think I'll ask anybody else.
I assured our kids and friends that I'm fine, not arrested, not in jail, and all is well.
Jim pulled a good one this morning, though. I took an emergency RAGBRAI potty break not too far from a trooper who was kind of a jerk. He wouldn't let us park within a country mile of where Jim planned to drop me off to join RAGBRAI. Maybe it's just as well.
In desperation, I did the trick where you squat between two open car doors and quickly relieve yourself.
Jim closed one of the doors that was protecting me and my nether parts from the trooper as I was finishing up. I'd told him what I was going to do, too. Sometimes that man just won't give me an honest break.
I think he just wants to see how I'd look in an orange jumpsuit and handcuffs.