Bob Dylan Was Detained by a Police Officer for Scaring Homeowners

In many ways, Bob Dylan’s identity outside of his music is a mystery. He doesn’t talk much during his concerts, and his interests outside of music are surprising, ranging from boxing to slapstick comedy. For some, though, Dylan isn’t just mysterious; he’s entirely unrecognizable off the stage. A New Jersey police officer learned this when she picked up Dylan, and he didn’t have any identification on him. 

People called the police on Bob Dylan 

In 2009, Dylan was on tour in New Jersey. In between performances, he went on a rainy walk by himself. He stopped on the front lawn of a home with a “For Sale” sign, frightening the homeowners. Per ABC News, they called the police, reporting that an “eccentric-looking old man” was in their yard.

“We got a call for a suspicious person,” responding officer Kristie Buble said. “It was pouring rain outside, and I was right around the corner so I responded. By that time he was walking down the street. I asked him what he was doing in the neighborhood and he said he was looking at a house for sale.”

A police officer stopped Bob Dylan and he couldn’t confirm his identity

Buble explained that Dylan gave his name, but he had no form of identification to prove he was the legendary musician.

“I asked him what his name was and he said, ‘Bob Dylan,'” she said. “Now, I’ve seen pictures of Bob Dylan from a long time ago and he didn’t look like Bob Dylan to me at all. He was wearing black sweatpants tucked into black rain boots, and two raincoats with the hood pulled down over his head.”

Dylan explained that he was on tour with Willie Nelson and John Mellencamp, which made Buble even more suspicious.

“He was acting very suspicious,” she said. “Not delusional, just suspicious. You know, it was pouring rain and everything.”

She agreed to take him to his hotel to see if he could prove his identity, but at no point did she believe he would be able to. 

“He was really nice, though, and he said he understood why I had to verify his identity and why I couldn’t let him go,” Buble said. “He asked me if I could drive him back to the neighborhood when I verified who he was, which made me even more suspicious.”

When they arrived at the hotel, though, she saw tour buses. There, Dylan was able to confirm his identity. 

“OK,” Buble remembered saying to him. “Um, have a nice day.”

The musician was once stopped by security at his own concert 

Dylan dealt with a similar situation in 2001. He requested heightened security at his concerts, but when he couldn’t provide guards with a pass, they wouldn’t allow him to go backstage. His head of security said not to let anyone through without credentials. Apparently, this included Dylan himself.

“He said no exceptions,” venue manager Chris Borovansky said, per The Guardian. “Absolutely none.”

Ultimately, Dylan was able to get on stage and perform, but he wasn’t happy with the guards who stopped him.