The Bizarre Time Bob Dylan Was Arrested Because Of Bruce Springsteen

On July 23, 2009, residents of Long Branch, New Jersey became concerned about a suspicious-looking man lurking outside one of the neighboring homes. The man was dishevelled, hooded, and standing around in the pouring rain. Soon, he alarmed onlookers further by entering the yard of a property that was up for sale. Assuming that the man was up to no good, one of the residents called the cops. Little did they know that the unassuming figure was the legendary musician Bob Dylan.

Cops arrived soon after and approached the figure, who by then had left the property and was walking down the street. The police officer who stopped Dylan in his tracks was 24-year-old Kristie Buble, who asked the man for his name. He was not carrying any ID, so he simply told her his name was Bob Dylan. Buble recognized the name as that of a famous musician, but she agreed with reports from residents that he was acting suspiciously. But the truth appears to be that Dylan was looking to connect with the past of another music legend, Bruce Springsteen, who was born and raised in the area.

As well as being questioned about his identity, Bob Dylan was quizzed on why exactly he was walking around a quiet residential area of Long Branch in the pouring rain. Officer Kristie Buble says that Dylan told her he was considering buying a house in the area. However, he also said he was in New Jersey because he was on tour. "He said he was touring the country with Willie Nelson and John Mellencamp," Buble said (per ABC News). "So now I'm really a little fishy about his story. I did not know what to believe or where he was coming from, or even who he was. We see a lot of people on our beat, and I wasn't sure if he came from one of our hospitals or something." Dylan was 68 at the time of the encounter, and Buble, who had only seen pictures of the musician as a young man, didn't recognize him.

Dylan is famously mysterious and makes little effort to explain his intentions as a musician and public figure. Indeed, there is no direct statement from the legend as to why he was actually out in Long Branch that day. But Dylan has previously appeared in public unexpectedly, checking out local musical landmarks near to where he tours. Two months before the incident in Long Branch, Dylan took a guided tour of John Lennon's childhood home in Liverpool, England, and the previous year he appeared outside the childhood home of Neil Young in Winnipeg. Fans have speculated that Dylan may have been looking to perform a similar pilgrimage to the former residence of Bruce Springsteen, whose Long Branch abode was the location at which he wrote his signature song, "Born to Run" (which he reportedly hated at first).

With officer Kristie Buble still skeptical that Bob Dylan was who he said he was, she asked where he was staying. The musician replied that he had his tour buses parked outside an oceanfront hotel. Buble then asked Dylan to get into her police cruiser so she could take him there to get some ID and prove his identity.

The two made small talk on the way, with Buble still unconvinced that Dylan was who he said he was. It was only when they pulled into the hotel parking lot and she saw the "enormous tour buses" that it began to dawn on her that he may actually be who he said he was. Following protocol, she waited until Dylan's manager provided her with the musician's passport. As reported by ABC News, she simply replied: "OK. Um, have a nice day."

The incident was largely laughed off in the press. Buble received some lighthearted criticism for not being able to recognize such a major pop icon on sight, though her supporters argued that, given her age, she shouldn't be expected to. However, some commentators pointed out that nothing Dylan did that day the police were called on him was illegal. They called it a sad indictment of personal liberty that an older man couldn't take a walk — whether scruffily dressed in the rain or not — without drawing the attention of New Jersey law enforcement.