Taking its Toll

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## Briefing

A string of robberies at a toll booth cause problems for the CHP. Jon decides to write a book.

## Traffic Violations

* Speeding car/Robbery - Escapes.
* Onion Spill - Cal Trans
* Speeding Limo - Arrested
* Driver misusing the diamond lane/robbery - Arrested
* Stolen car/Robbery - Arrested.

## Report

Getraer has given Jon and Ponch a coast beat, Jon is looking forward to it and tells Ponch the best things in life are free. Ponch moans it costs 25¢ to cross the bridge and calls it highway robbery.

A pair of men in an open top Jaguar are waiting for someone. When the car arrives the two men rob the man of his briefcase as well as removing the keys to his car. Inside the case is a lot of jewelry. Jon and Ponch spot the Jaguar pass them and wonder what happened, Jon tells Ponch he'll check out Andretti and turns to follow them.

Ponch is trying to take down what happened but the attendants are speaking at the same time, Ponch decides to speak to the victim instead.

After a long chase, Jon eventually loses them as they're too fast.

The man tells Ponch that they stole over $100,000 precious stones. Ponch asks him if he can identify them if he saw them again and he tells him no. Ponch is distracted be the beeping cars as there's a build up of cars waiting to get through. Ponch tells the attendants to take care of it. Ponch tells the driver to move his car to the side of the road but before he can the attendant asks the driver for 25¢.

Jon returns and tells Ponch that the licence plate on the car is hot. The sheriff's department patrol car arrives to take care of the driver.

Ponch is worried that they're late for the PM briefing, Jon isn't in a hurry and jots things down on his notepad. Ponch tells him he doesn't have to write his report outside.

During the briefing Getraer mentions fire conditions are extremely hazardous and to keep a look out for smouldering brush as well as stopping anyone discarding a lit cigarette. Jon is busy writing in his note pad. Getraer then mentions the robbery that Jon and Ponch dealt with and while he's talking he notices Jon writing furiously. He tells Jon he doesn't have to write it down since he was there. Jon tells him it's so he doesn't forget, when briefing is over Jon is still writing in his pad, Ponch asks what he's going and Jon tells him he's just catching up on his mail. A call goes out regarding a traffic accident and Ponch tells Jon it's theirs. Jon asks Fritz to tell dispatch they're on their way.

Upon arriving they come across spilt bags of onions. Ponch goes to the driver who's crying, he asks if he's okay. The driver tells Ponch he thinks the tire blew and he did a 180. Ponch empathises with him and starts tearing up himself.

Ponch goes over to Jon who's crying, Ponch tells him not to take it so hard. Ponch reminds him there's worse duties than this and reminds him that Getraer could be his partner. Ponch reassures Jon that he's the best partner a buddy could ask for. Getraer arrives to assess the situation. Jon blows his nose and the onions start affecting Geraer, he asks Jon if he's got a spare hankie. Jon passes him the one he just blew in and Getraer declines the offer.

Baricza and Fritz arrive. Ponch tells the driver they need to move his truck. Ponch gets behind the truck and tells the man to reverse but it skids on the onions. Ponch tells him to move forwards slowly but the man puts his foot down and the spinning wheels spray Ponch in onion juice and pieces. Everyone but Getraer is laughing.

Jon tells Ponch to stay downwind.

Upon returning to Central Ponch spots a familiar car parked with one wheel on the pavement. They immediately recognise it as Mrs Downey's car (Baby Food). She's been waiting over an hour for Jon to appear and tells him to fix her ticket she received and believes Ponch is responsible for it. Jon tells her it's just a $2 parking ticket and all she needs to do is pay it. She refuses to since she's a law abiding citizen, Jon tells her the ticket is from the LAPD and they're the Californian Highway Department. Mrs Downey tells him that they're all friends and in cahoots with each other. Jon sarcastically repeats what she says and she responds by telling him she thought so. Jon tells her he'll take care of the ticket for her, she tells him she knew he'd do the right thing and tells him he's a good flatfoot.

Jon helps Mrs Downey back to her lop sided car, he more or less forces her into it. She offers him a cookie. Jon tells her it's his favourite, chocolate CHiP. She tells him he's CHP, and tells him to have a chippie, chippie.

In the locker room Ponch is clean and changed, Jon tells Ponch he's taking care of Mrs Downey's parking ticket since it's easier to pay it off than explain to her why she should, and tells him she makes good cookies. Jon opens his locker and a pile of books fall out. Ponch wrestles them away from Jon and asks why he's reading so many cops and robber books. Ponch asks if he can bring his TV over for him to look at.

Later Jon and Ponch help out a disabled woman on the freeway. Ponch spots a limo weaving in and out of traffic and give pursuit. The speeding limo swerves to move out of the way of a motor cyclist and clips another car causing a crash with another car.

Ponch checks on the people at the front of the accident while Jon controls traffic. The driver who started the accident is stuck in his car and wants to get out. Baricza arrives and takes over from Jon controlling traffic.

The driver tells the pair he needs to get out of his car because there's a bomb in his car on the back seat. Jon smashes the window and they pull the driver out. The driver refuses to answer any questions. Jon informs Baricza and Shain of the bomb. Jon calls it in.

The motor cyclist that the car swerved earlier is actually under the limo, he's pinned against the motorway barrier post and the wheel of the car, when he regains consciousness he screams for help. They try to move him but they can't get him out. The bomb disposal team comes out to defuse the bomb. The bomb is carried out of the car and onto the bonnet and successfully diffused.

Ponch arrives at Jon's place with his TV set. He rings the doorbell and Jon hesitates before opening the door. Ponch admires one of Jon's neighbours passing by and leans against Jon's door which opens when he does. He spills into Jon's apartment. Jon grabs the TV and tells Ponch it will take time to fix it, but Ponch wants to watch a game so Jon agrees to look at it now. Ponch looks around Jon's a apartment admiring all it's amenities and then spots a bulletin board and quizzes him on it. On the board is everything that's happened to Ponch, Ponch realises he's writing a book on him. Jon tells him not to worry since he's called the character by another name, 'Frank Ponchereblo'. Jon thanks Mrs Downey for the name. Ponch asks if he'll remember the spelling when he puts it on his tombstone. Jon notices Getraer on Ponch's TV set and asks him why he's on there. They turn the volume up and Getraer is being interviewed regarding the toll booth robberies.

Ponch doesn't believe the book he's writing is a good idea. Jon tells Ponch to meet 30 mins earlier and he'll let him read some of the book. The next morning Jon is reciting the book to Ponch. Ponch is getting excited about what he's written about him. however they're interrupted by a passing car. They take a closer look, Ponch tells Jon he can see three people in the car but Jon doesn't think so. They pull over the car.

Ponch tells the driver he can't drive on a diamond lane without there being three or more people in the car. The driver tells him he does have two passengers. An Afghan hound sits on the bucket seat with a straw hat on.

Ponch asks for is licence and registration. The woman passenger reaches to get it and pops the boot door open. Jon tells them he'll close it for them but then sees whats in the boot and gives a knowing look to Ponch and points to the boot. Ponch tells them to step out of their vehicle and head to the rear. The boot is full of toasters and other electrical equipment. A patrol car arrives to take them away.

Ponch is telling Jon how he should write that he saw the dog first for his book, Getraer walks in to get a snack from the vending machine and asks about the book. Ponch tells him about the book he's writing on the both of them. Getraer tells Jon he needs to ask first and reels off a number of people he needs to ask before the book can be published. Ponch eyes Getraer's treat.

A call goes out regarding a Mercedes at the toll booth so Jon and Ponch ride out.

The robbers attack their mark but the suitcase opens and the contents spill across the road, the robber jumps into the waiting Mercedes but it's not moving, the driver flooded the engine. They throw a woman out of her car waiting to pay for toll and drive off. They attempt to escape but Baricza has seen them and blocks their path, the car turns around and crashes through the barrier. Baricza calls it in and Jon and Ponch join him in the chase.

A ship is arriving in port and the alarm sounds for the bridge to be raised to let it through. Fritz arrives to block their escape path but they turn into the docks, the bridge is raising and they ignore the red light, it climbs the ramp but it's too late, the car slams on the brakes but falls off the edge and flips onto the roof. When the bridge comes down they check on the thieves. They're okay, Fritz and Baricza take them in.

Back at Jon's apartment, Ponch is talking about the fame and fortune that will follow the book. While he's talking Jon screws up the story much to Ponch's dismay. jon heads to the bulletin board but Ponch saves it. jon tears up the pages he's already written and throws them to the floor, Ponch scrabbles at the falling pages.

## Notes

* Flatfoot is a slang term used for a policeman that used to walk their beat.
* The car weaving in and out of traffic is a repeated segment a few seconds later.
* What Getraer says about Jon writing a book about the CHP is actually true. The CHP are super protective about the way they are portrayed and you need to get permission before any publication can go through. An example of this is with the movie, CHiPs 2017. The CHP denied them the right to use their insignia's due to the content of the movie. Therefore the classic winged wheels and Eureka CHP patches had to be changed to a fictitious one.

### Quotes

* Getraer: Would you care to have a seat, or you gonna wait for an usher?

### Codes Used

* 2-11 - Armed Robbery
* 10-97 - Arrived at scene.
* 11-82 - Traffic accident; No Injury.
* Code 33 - Frequency restricted to emergency transmissions only.
* 10-20 - Give location.

## Cast

### Main Cast

* Larry Wilcox: Jon Baker
* Erik Estrada: Frank Poncherello
* Robert Pine: Joe Getraer

### Recurring

* Brodie Greer: Baricza
* Lew Saunders: Fritz
* R.B. Sorko-Ram: Shain

### Others

* Jeri Lea Ray: Webb
* Victor Arnold: Zografides
* Marjorie Bennett: Mrs Downey
* Louis Guss: Chauffer
* Lee McLaughlin: Onion Driver
* Joseph Della Sorte: Jewelry Salesman
* Gerald York: Reporter
* Thomas W. Babson: Biker