Officer Morgan - "The Right Stuff"

Thursday, Oct. 14

Wending my way through Fort Madison, Iowa, heading for the Mississippi I stopped to get a few last things from a store. When I returned to my cart a policeman was waiting. He said that someone had "called" reporting a man pushing a cart down the roadway. He asked me to please stay on the sidewalk but I pointed out that there usually weren't any and those that did exist were terrible.

"Hmmm... Well, if possible, would you stay on them where they do exist if you can?" He was such a nice guy that I tried to comply but found it impossible.

During our conversation it became known to me that pedestrians are not permitted to cross the bridge spanning the river and that the nearest pedestrian bridge was at Burlington, to the north - now what was I to do? I pointed out that I was no ordinary pedestrian to which he agreed, and after a phone call to the bridge authorities, Officer Morgan told me that he would provide a special police escort to accompany me across. I was most grateful for his assistance and I soon found myself happily walking past the toll booth operator who waved and waived my fee wishing me well as I led a parade across the Mississippi River - me in the lead, followed by a police car, followed by a line of cars. It was a great feeling to cross the American river separating east from west in the United States.