Wyoming highway patrolman Trooper Gray allowed me to ride along with him recently. He told me that many don’t understand what a normal day for a highway patrolman is like.

I asked Trooper Gray what people misunderstand most when they think of the Wyoming Highway Patrol.

Trooper Gray - “I think the biggest misconception is that people think we’re out to get them when that’s not the case...one of our functions is to go out and enforce the law...we’re not out there to collect money.”

Trooper Gray confirmed that there is no quota on speeding tickets they have to write.

I asked him about how hard it is for him as a person to deal with some of the horrific crashes he sees on Wyoming roadways.

Trooper Gray - “Especially when you have smaller kids...I have kids ranging from 5 to 16...you see people lose love ones in a crash that could have been avoided. You always think about your own family...it’s not until afterwards when you’re driving home where it hits...it sinks in...there’s no easy way to tell someone that they lost someone in a crash.”

Trooper Gray explained that he does not pull over vehicles just because they have Colorado or California plates. He’s a better man than me as I would be yelling “Citizen’s arrest!”.

He also said that the urban legend about red sports cars being pulled over more frequently isn’t true.

Trooper Gray also shared how his job can sometimes be exhausting due to the low manpower of the Wyoming Highway Patrol at times.

It was an interesting glimpse into the life of our Wyoming troopers that patrol our roads every day. I really got the vibe that they seek to help and not just write tickets. Thanks to them for allowing me to ride shotgun for a couple hours.

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