The Glade 4.0

Woman pulled over after Ohio St. sticker confused for drug symbol
Paul Myerberg, USA TODAY Sports7p.m. EST February 15, 2013

A 65-year-old woman was pulled over by police officers while driving through Tennessee after the officers mistook her car's Buckeye stickers — those commonly seen on the helmets of Ohio State football players — for a marijuana symbol.

"It's just amazing they would be that dumb," said Bonnie Jonas-Boggioni, which pretty much sums up this entire story.

Jonas-Boggioni and her husband, Giorgio Boggioni, 66, of Plano, Texas, were driving home through Tennessee from Columbus, Ohio, where they had attended a funeral for Jonas-Boggioni's mother.

The two were pulled over a few miles east of Memphis, along I-40, and were greeted by a pair of black SUVs containing officers wearing "body armor and guns," Jonas-Boggioni told Joe Blundo of The Columbus Dispatch.

"What are you doing with a marijuana sticker on your bumper?" one of the officers asked.

That led Jonas-Boggioni and her husband to explain the meaning of the Ohio State sticker, which is given as a reward to OSU players. To help the puzzled officers connect the dots, Boggioni stepped out of the car to show his 2002 national-championship sweatshirt, one "complete with a Buckeye leaf," Blundo wrote.

Chagrined, the officers excused the unwarranted stop by explaining that an officer in another jurisdiction had called in a report of the Boggionis' sticker — believing the older couple to be at the forefront of some sort of massive marijuana ring, it seems.

"Police hunting drugs should know that a Buckeye leaf — which has five leaflets — doesn't look much like a marijuana leaf, which typically has seven leaflets and a narrower shape," Jones-Boggioni told Blundo. Well, duh.

Before letting the pair off, officers told the couple that they should remove the Ohio State sticker from their car. "I said, 'You mean in Tennessee?" Jones-Boggioni said. "No, permanently," the officers replied.

No chance. Have you ever met an Ohio State fan? "I didn't take it off," Jones-Boggioni told Blundo. "This little old lady is no drug dealer."

In comic strips the person on the left always speaks first. - George Carlin

That said.. body armor and guns? duh. Police always have body armor and guns.

That story doesn't quite ring true with me for some reason.

Yeah this smells extremely suspect to me. Like someone making up news on a slow day, or someone lying to gain some fame, etc.

I've seen far worse bumper stickers in this extremely conservative state, and the police don't bat an eye. Freedom of speech and all that. I suppose.

Plus I have a hard time believing the police don't know the symbol for their own state's college team (on top of which even I know that doesn't look much like a cannabis leaf).

I smell a lie.

It is an honest mistake, but having a marijuana leaf bumper sticker isn't evidence of illegal activity. I notice they didn't mention what agency they were from; whatever agency it is needs to sit down and have some refresher on probable cause.

That said.. body armor and guns? duh. Police always have body armor and guns.

Yeah, now that you mention it there's something dubious about a person who claims to be shocked that the police have body armor and guns.