I've been getting up at 4:00 am for the last month or so to be at work by 5:00. Some of us have been working 10-hour days to get caught up.

I broke the cardinal sin of driving. Speeding in the early morning, on a dark and desolate road, with nothing but me, road kill, and the Oakland County Sheriff laying wait in the weeds.

The main stretch of road I travel is 45 MPH and the traffic lights are WAY out of sync that early. The green arrow for a left at this one intersection is about 4 seconds, no exaggeration.
As I approach the corner, I'm able to make the green arrow by goosing the throttle. About 20 yards beyond the left turn, V1 starts screaming. Full on, I'm screwed. I wake up, and start to scan the horizon, squinting to make out anything in the dark. Just ahead on the left, the absolute black of night is shattered by a set of headlights, and then the full works. Blue, red, white, orange, strobes... "SHIT!"

Shortly thereafter, the 2 phrases we all love so much.
"License and registration!"
"Do you know how fast you were going?"

I am informed that I was doing 62 in a 45. He asks if I have a "fuzz buster". I say yes. He suspected as much, because as soon as he hit me, the radar registered 62 then rapidly decreased 57, 53, 49... That would be me testing the brakes.

"How's your driving record?" Great, I say. As a younger man I was an asshole, but since I grew up, no issues.

"What's that?" he says. It's a Navigation system.
"Wow, nice car!" Now I'm really worried. He's probably thinking I can afford the ticket, the new insurance rate, AND the cost of a new sidearm for him. He tells me to sit tight.

As I sit in the dark, with my window down letting in the cool morning air, the crickets signing in the distance. I am startled by the sound of his car door closing about a minute and a half after he left me.

NO ONE writes that fast!

He returns to my window, hands me my license and registration and says "slow down!"

Yes sir... Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, or Happy Hanukah officer.

 

It's nice to be nice. When someone else is in control, just be nice. Glad you did not get a ticket.

 

Sometimes it pays off to not be an asshole. Not that I am acussing you of ever doing that.

Every now and then you run in to a nice one.

You should have skipped work and went straight to the Casino.

Good Luck on the way home.

 

The Casino is probably a good idea. But I won't push my luck.

I learned a long time ago that being an asshole to the cop gets you nothing. If he is going to be a prick he is going to be a prick.

When I was 22 or so, I got my 3rd speeding ticket in 9 months. I was so pissed at the guy doing his job, and enforcing the law, that I demanded his badge number, and told him I was going to call his superior as well as file a harassment complaint. He was just picking on me. (Sound familiar to some of you?)

I told him I would see him in court when I fight the ticket. I swear this guy spent the night in the parking lot just to be there for me. There we're about 8 people called in front of the judge before me. The cop let them all off. Then "mouth" came up to the stand. He must have spent 15 minutes after he pulled me over, writing in his squad car, because in front of the judge, he repeated our entire conversation. VERBATIM.

 

FAWK!

Happy to hear you dodged the bullet, your right about being nice to cops. He probably figured you were on your way to work and WTF it's 4AM! Good Job

 

Good story, I got my license at 16 and lost it for 90 days by my 17th. Now when I get pulled over I don't say anything, just sit and take what ever they give. no other choice V1 is the best way to go.

 

Sounds like my story except the happy ending. And to top it off I got nail on Sept. 11. No mercy. Satan is out to get me.

 

Ever heard of "KISSING A PIGS ASS" ?

 

Great story, I enjoyed reading it. Because it sounds so familiar after years and years and years of this cat and mouse game.

Traffic radar is rare in Kansas and instant on is even rarer. But last week, I happen not to be speeding but got hit with a full blast of instant on (probably because he saw the blue headlights).

Can you say "heart attack"? No matter how often you hear this and get hit with instant on, you never get use to the involuntary response (your heart starts to race and your vision changes).

 

So true Ken. I go through all of the above as well as let loose with a string of rapid fire obsenities. Nothing to complex or long. Mostly a short burst of staccato vulgarity. Like.

SH!T, FVCK, DAMN, DAMN, SH!T

 

rocky, when are you gonna learn, just be like me, and don't speed

 

Yo Fo! Puh-lease. You know what your sig says to me when I read it?

Built for Slow!

 

well, i opted for that, instead of the ever-intimidated signature such as yours.

 

I'm amazed you got off considering he knew you had a detector. You are definitely livin right !