Close encounters with the Fish & Game Police

The situation was this: I'm on a 75 mile bike ride with Monta Vista Velo (MVV) which is the cycling club I belong to. We are in the middle of nowhere and I'm sprinting up a hill and pass a bunch of MVV riders. At the top of the hill was stop sign with a fish and game truck parked on the other side of the intersection. Since I just beat everyone in the club up the hill I figured a victory dance was in order. Too bad I couldn't get my hands back on the handlebars in time to stop at the sign. No biggie, I'm not going very fast and it's just a fish and game guy - what's he gonna do to me? So I rolled the stop sign and kept on pedaling. The F&G truck pulls out behind me and pops his siren. Oh shit!... Can these guys give tickets?

F&GG: Do you know why I pulled you over?
Jon: I think so.... I ran a stop sign...
F&GG: Why would you run a stop sign in front of a police car?
Jon: That's not a police car, you're a Fish and Game Guy. I thought you only gave people tickets for poaching fish...
F&GG: Do you have your license on you?
Jon: No, but I do have a laminated emergency contact card. I thought it was much more likely I'd get hit by a car than get issued a ticket for running a stop sign. Should I be carrying a license with me next time?
F&GG: "It is not necessary" he says as he inspects my laminated emergency contact card that is about 10 years old (absolutely nothing on it is valid any more except my name....) Then he hands the card back to me.
F&GG: He pulls a ticket book out of his jacket... "What's your name?" he asks, and begins the task of filling out the multi-part sheet of paper in front of him.

I stood there for 20 minutes while this guy ask me questions and meticulously filled out all of the blanks on the form with my responses. At one point Steve Pratt, one of the MVV riders, comes up next to me to find out what is happening. The Fish & Game Guy sends him back with the rest of the other 12 MVV riders who were watching behind the F&G truck while all of this is going on. At this point, he gets back into his car and starts punching stuff into his on-board computer. Is a background check really necessary - it's a stupid bicycle infraction in the middle of nowhere... I'm starting to get a little impatient and, besides, I gotta pee! I spit and fidget and pace in front of his truck. Eventually he comes back out and tells me that he is NOT going to give me the $125 ticket that I would normally get for running a stop sign but if I'm caught doing that again, I will get a ticket the next time. I thank him profusely and tell him what a merciful person he is and that I hope Santa brings him something really nice this year :-)

"Whew!" I thought "that was close!" Now I have have to listen to all the MVV riders giving me a bunch of shit for the rest of the ride. That is a worse punishment than the $125 ticket, believe me! These guys are experienced at handing out shit....