It's Been 15 Years

I guess I was speeding on the way to Bible study on Thursday morning. I don't know...the police officer said 39 in a 25. I wasn't paying attention to my odometer. My bad. She was sitting in her car at the bottom of the hill across from the football field. I don't always take that road, but I had decided to use the last of my Scooters gift card that morning and the little drive thru in Marion was where I was stopping before tootling on down the road.

I won't lie, it has been a rough week. Cancer treatment aside, I have been too fretful of earthly cares. So, I spent time this morning with my playlist and as I came down the hill I was singing loudly and pretty much crying my eyes out. SHOOT! Was the first thing that I thought...but not because she stopped me. The rest of it went like this in my head..."SHOOT! I am crying, she is going to think that I am crying because she pulled me over! Good grief!"

Not true at all. I am not known for my ability to drive the speed limit. I do what you would call "keep up with the traffic flow" (well, not down the hill past the football field but really, who can drive 25 miles an hour on that stupid road?) That said, my last ticket was in 2001 so I probably was due. I chose the playlist with all of my favorite God songs. I needed to get my mind on Him and off of the stuff that was weighing me down. It worked well until that hill.

I pulled over and was able to clean myself up a bit before she got to the window. You know, they always sit there in the car for a few minutes checking my plates and anything else that would be helpful before walking up to a total stranger in a red van. She wanted my license and registration along with insurance. Well, two out of three ain't bad. I am supposed to have the registration in the glove box too...I seem to remember that from a previous brush with the law. Oops, not there this time, it is a relatively new to us van after all.

It is funny through the whole thing that I didn't feel upset about being pulled over as much as I was upset about my music being interrupted or that I would now officially be late for study. I have heard of people getting warnings when they are speeding and I can't relate to that at all. I have never been offered a warning except for that one time when my registration was expired a few years ago and I had two feverish kids with me on the way to the pediatrician. Speeding tickets, I have always gotten a ticket when I have been pulled over.

I was pretty sure that having on a cap with an obvious cancer treatment loss of hair look would be my very best chance of ever getting a warning. With as many compassionate looks of understanding and sadness when I go out in a scarf or cap, it was my best bet. But, no such luck yesterday. She came back and explained the ticket to me and told me where I could go for my court date. She told me she dropped my reported speed to 35 so I wouldn't have to pay as large a fine.

Great...so my police officer falsified the record of my speeding. Last time I got a ticket it was $62, this time it is $114 and that is only because the officer "lied" on the ticket about my speed. Best chance of getting out of a ticket and I am still paying over a hundred dollars. That is just the way it is I suppose. She got through with the explanation and said "Have an nice day. Slow down and be safe".

I cranked up the music again and continued along my way. It was a beautiful day, the last of the beautiful ones for awhile so after I got my coffee I opened the sunroof on the van and continued on my way. After all, fifteen years without a speeding ticket is a pretty good record!