I cannot afford to pay for a traffic violation. And, although a whole day alone, with a scheduled lunch break, sounds tempting, I cannot afford to attend traffic school. Therefore I do my best, without always succeeding, to follow most of the traffic laws in the city where I reside.
Typically I make a full stop at a stop sign, run yellow lights before they turn red, use my turn signal when changing lanes, and make sure that all my passengers are safely seat belted. I have been known to text message and drive at the same time, but please don't tell the cops. I usually wait for a red light before I finish whatever message I am trying to send.
Today I was pulled over by an officer. After passing one cop, another appeared in front of my car while I was driving on some winding roads near our house. I had all of the windows down in my car as a special request from my backseat passengers, both preschool age, who were securely buckled into their booster seats.
As I turned a corner, running through the previous three minutes of my driving in my head, I assured myself that I had broken no traffic laws. Just as I was about to reach over and pat myself on the back, some red lights appeared in my back window. The only possible violation occurring in and around my car was the fact that my youngest, sitting in his booster seat, was possible two or three pounds away from completely adhering to the "4 and 40 law." I think that he weighs 37 pounds, but I was banking on the fact that the officer didn't have a scale in the trunk of his car.
After I had reached curbside, the cop pulled up next to me and peered through my open window. "Sorry Miss" he yelled through his open window, "I thought that you were someone else, you look just like her."
What criminal were they looking for who drives an 11 year old Suburban carrying two small children as passengers. Was it the grey shirt that I was wearing that resembled an OC Jail outfit? Maybe it was my Christian music playing on the radio that was a sure clue. Now that I think about it, my fresh haircut and summer highlights must have resembled that of a true delinquent.
I'll never know what was so familiar about the way I looked, but I do know this, I escaped a ticket because I did nothing wrong, other than replicate the face and figure of a wanted criminal.
Typically I make a full stop at a stop sign, run yellow lights before they turn red, use my turn signal when changing lanes, and make sure that all my passengers are safely seat belted. I have been known to text message and drive at the same time, but please don't tell the cops. I usually wait for a red light before I finish whatever message I am trying to send.
Today I was pulled over by an officer. After passing one cop, another appeared in front of my car while I was driving on some winding roads near our house. I had all of the windows down in my car as a special request from my backseat passengers, both preschool age, who were securely buckled into their booster seats.
As I turned a corner, running through the previous three minutes of my driving in my head, I assured myself that I had broken no traffic laws. Just as I was about to reach over and pat myself on the back, some red lights appeared in my back window. The only possible violation occurring in and around my car was the fact that my youngest, sitting in his booster seat, was possible two or three pounds away from completely adhering to the "4 and 40 law." I think that he weighs 37 pounds, but I was banking on the fact that the officer didn't have a scale in the trunk of his car.
After I had reached curbside, the cop pulled up next to me and peered through my open window. "Sorry Miss" he yelled through his open window, "I thought that you were someone else, you look just like her."
What criminal were they looking for who drives an 11 year old Suburban carrying two small children as passengers. Was it the grey shirt that I was wearing that resembled an OC Jail outfit? Maybe it was my Christian music playing on the radio that was a sure clue. Now that I think about it, my fresh haircut and summer highlights must have resembled that of a true delinquent.
I'll never know what was so familiar about the way I looked, but I do know this, I escaped a ticket because I did nothing wrong, other than replicate the face and figure of a wanted criminal.
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