Al wrote:
[snip]
After landing I was followed by the equipment, and when I
stopped, the crash rescue guys wanted to know the "nature of my emergency".
I told them I had no emergency, and they left. It took two months of talking
to FAA folks to convince them there was no emergency in the first place.

That sheds light on something I experienced while I was training for my
PPL. I was landing anfter my 4th solo and (in retrospect) got the
infamous C-172 nose wheel shimmy. I didn't what was happening, but I
thought the plane might shake itself to peices. I called the tower and
told them that I was now making a full stop landing rather than touch
and go and I had a severe vibration. After I got the plane slowed down
to a walk, it stopped shaking. I called the tower and told them I was
taxiing in. They asked if I needed any assistance and I said no. I then
heard them call the trucks and send them back to the fire house. I
never declared (nor really thought I had) an emergency, but they rolled
the trucks anyway. I wondered about that at the time, but I didn't call
the tower to ask...

John Stevens
PP-ASEL