The Predatory Park Ranger and the Dubious Road Stop (this is an old story from a previous road trip)

When I visited Mount Rushmore in 2018, I parked some distance away and walked the road to the monument entrance. While walking, a park ranger truck drove past several times, each time driving by slowly in a way that made me uncomfortable. This same truck drove by slowly as I was getting into my vehicle.

After I visited the monument, I drove towards the campground and was passed by a ranger truck going in the opposite direction. The truck flipped around and began to follow me slowly. I had the cruise control set at the speed limit, but just before the park boundary the lights went on.

It was almost dark and the road was feeling pretty isolated. This male ranger walks up to the driver’s side with a swagger and giant hat, and puts his hand on his gun. When I rolled down the window, I asked why he pulled me over. He said I was speeding. I told him I most certainly was not and I knew it. Then I asked again why he pulled me over, because it sure wasn’t for speeding.

He got VERY angry and aggressive, stepped back with his hand on the gun, unsnapped the holster and ordered me out of the car.

I tried to say no, that he had no reason to order me from my vehicle…but it got ugly.

Once out of the vehicle, he proceeded to yell and berate me while I insisted that I knew for a fact I wasn’t speeding and asked him for both the posted limit and the speed he was accusing me of going. He REFUSED to give me that information but then INSISTED that I get in his car with him! He said he wanted to “show me the radar reading”. I told him to verbally indicate the limit and my accused speed. He refused and insisted that I get in his car with him.

I demanded that he call other law enforcement officers to the scene as I felt unsafe with him. He became IRATE and gestured aggressively all while refusing to tell me the specifics of the stop and insisting that I get in the car with him.

Yeah – it was so obviously bad. So obviously a bogus stop. So obviously a predatory authority figure trying to abuse his position.

I put on my strongest bitch persona and told him what I thought of him and his bogus stop to harass a lone female on the side of the road at dark and try to force her into his vehicle.

In all, I spent 45 minutes on the side of the road and walked away with a bogus ticket for speeding, having an obscured rear plate…and a few other bullshit items that he made up.

I did file official complaints with the park service and fought the ticket – but they said I would have to appear in court in South Dakota in the middle of the school year and foot the bill for the plane tickets and hotels, which would exceed the cost of the ticket.

I was told he was reprimanded, but that I wasn’t allowed to know the details. I was also told that he had been a state trooper and…something had happened. I also found out that all the local people in the area knew of him and knew he was dangerous.

Grade A Asshole.