Speeding ticket, I know you not!

Date published: March 27, 2006

Today, while driving to work, I was just relaxing, enjoying the great weather, and listening to a Queen CD. Good times. Then I noticed a white car in the parking lot that I was driving by, and realized that it was a cop car. I quickly looked down at the speedometer as I began to brake (regardless of whether people are speeding or not, I think they all have a gut reaction to brake when they see a cop).

Apparently I was speeding. The stretch of road is marked to be 35 miles per hour, and I always go at least 40, just like everyone else. This time though, I was going over 50. The cop clearly noticed too, his lights came on.

I pulled over and my instant reaction was to open up the glove compartment and try to find my insurance and registration. Realizing the many ways that probably wasn't a good idea, I sat back up without even closing the glove compartment and just waited for the cop to come to my window.

"Do you know why I pulled you over?
"Well yeah, I was speeding like a bat out of hell!"
"Yeah, I was speeding," I said.
"Alright, can I have you license, registration, and insurance card?"
"Well here's my license, I have to find the other two."

I leaned back over and began to look through the glove compartment again. Registration, check! Insurance? I pulled out an old insurance card, crumbled it up, kept looking, and eventually found a current one. "I wonder if he'll be lenient if I tell him that I've never been pulled over before?" I thought.

"Here are the other two. Ya know, I've never been pulled over before."
"Ever?"
"Never, this is the first time."
"Wow. Where ya headed?"
"RIT, I work there."
"What do you do there?"
"Computers... web development."
"Alright, well I'm going to let you go with a warning 'cause you've been honest with me."
"Oh man, thanks officer. Thank you."

Who would have thought that my first time being pulled over by a cop would have ended on a positive note.