Picture this: It's a long holiday weekend, and so you're anxious to get some quality seat time on your bike. You know you're going to be out for a while, so you decide to take your dog with you.
He's a tiny little chihuahua, so you tuck him in your jacket to keep him safe and cozy.
And then, if you're the rider that Michigan State Police reported pulling over last weekend, you also have a loaded gun neatly tucked away in "a backpack strapped to the gas tank of [your] motorcycle." I'm guessing whoever wrote this tweet hasn't heard of tank bags, maybe?
But I digress.
On Saturday, August 31st at approximately 2:35 pm a trooper from the MSP Alpena Post stopped a motorcycle for speeding on M 32 near Gamage Rd in Alpena County. The rider, a 56-year-old man from Tennessee, said he and his chihuahua tucked inside his jacket were riding to visit… pic.twitter.com/FPxbnIEXDq
— MSP Seventh District (@mspnorthernmi) September 3, 2024
The incident occurred in Alpena County, and if you're visualizing the state of Michigan's left-hand mitten-like shape, it's up north, about where the bottom knuckle on your pointer finger would be if you were wearing the MI mitten.
Police arrested the rider after he informed them about his concealed handgun because he didn't have a concealed permit license (CPL), which is required in Michigan. The man was traveling from his home state of Tennessee and said he was going to visit his girlfriend, who lives in Michigan.
It's not clear whether this was intended to be a friendly visit, or if he's a guy who carries a gun just in case.
In any case, in the MSP's release about the incident, whoever wrote the post also noted that "the chihuahua was not taken into custody." Which means I have questions.
Did they just release the dog on the street, which would admittedly be pretty irresponsible? Did they take him to the county animal shelter? Did they bring him to the girlfriend's place? Did they deputize him and give him a little hat?
Not every rider is an animal person, but an awful lot of us are. Here's hoping the little guy is safe and warm somewhere, and that he's able to make it back to the family he knows and loves.
Do you like riding with your dog? If you do, have you ever tucked them inside your jacket, or what's your riding setup like with your very good boy and/or girl? Let us know in the comments!
