“That looks good.”

N.C. Highway Patrol Capt. Larry Whitley leaned over the engine of a Rowan County patrol car and approved.

But he didn’t smile.

He was visiting from Raleigh to inspect our troopers. From their haircuts to their shiny black shoes, to the grease — or lack thereof — on their motors.

The troopers were lined up, backs straight, eyes forward.

First Sgt. V.F. Mellone did a preliminary inspection of the 26 troopers in his district who patrol Rowan and Davie counties.

Other than whispering to a few troopers to remove their pagers, the group was ready.

Then Capt. Whitley, with the assistance of Lt. Eddie White, began his inspection.

They walked in front of the troopers and then behind them, looking up and down.

Whitley approved and told Mellone to instruct his troop to stand beside their patrol cars.

Starting at the beginning of the line, Whitley looked through each patrol car. Sometimes Whitley would point to something in the car, and White, behind him, would also point, and Mellone, behind him, would write down what they pointed at.

The military-like procedure is common for Highway Patrol troopers.

“This is part of trooper school every day,” Trooper T.G. Bullington said.

Bullington just joined the patrol in January, so trooper school is still fresh on his mind.

“It brings back old memories,” he said.

The hoses in Bullington’s engine were as shiny as his black leather shoes.

“He used Armor-All on them,” Trooper D.H. Robinson said.

The patrol tries to do inspections at least once a year. First Sgt. Mellone said troopers from surrounding counties came in to patrol so Mellone’s district could go through the inspection.

“The Highway Patrol has a rich tradition of pride and professionalism, and this just enhances it,”Mellone said.

And the troopers don’t mind the stringent inspection.

“They do it to make sure we’re not doing anything any different and to make sure they have their equipment. It could be missing, and you don’t even know about it,” Trooper T.S. Kennedy said.

“And it helps personnel re-evaluate their overall appearance,” Kennedy said.

So why the strict procedure?

For respect and order. “The Highway Patrol is a semi-military organization, still,” Kennedy said.

And as Robinson added, “I still want to look good.”