Bob Dylan Questioned by N.J. Police: 'They'll Stone You When You're Walking on the Street'

After a resident called about an "eccentric-looking old man" all alone by the side of the road one rainy afternoon last month, 24-year-old New Jersey police officer Kristie Buble found singer Bob Dylan wearing a hooded raincoat and sweat pants tucked into his shoes, walking by himself in a residential area.

Dylan, evidently aware that a hard rain was gonna fall and feeling like a stranger nobody sees, was reportedly killing time between performances in the state. The freewheeling singer carried no identification and the policewoman did not recognize him. Seriously doubting he was a rock star, however, she put the stranger in the back of her cruiser, radioed for back-up and drove him to the nearby Ocean Place Resort. Since he was not selling any alibis, handcuffs were not necessary. Her sergeant met her at the hotel parking lot and after peeking at the suspect told her, "That's not Bob Dylan." Luckily for the 68-year-old Dylan, someone on his tour bus parked nearby supplied his passport and he was released. Long Branch, where he was stopped, is a friendly shore community. Elsewhere in Jersey, he could have had a harsher reception. In Paterson, it's been said, "You might as well not show up on the street unless you want to draw the heat . . ."

Meantime, at President Obama's next press conference, I hope one of my colleagues asks if he thinks the police demonstrated age discrimination. I'd love to see a White House summit come out of that misunderstanding.