My First Traffic Stop

Well, I am 38 years old, and I experienced my first traffic stop last sunday. I am very happy Avery was along with me for this little adventure. He loves the lights, so he wasn't overly scared.

Here's is how it went down, and I will keep my "opinion" out of it as much as possible. Avery and I had made our weekly trip to the grocery store. When we were pulling out, Greggie pulled in so we chatted with him for a minute, then Greg pulled out and I followed.

If you've ever been to the Lowe's Foods/Just Save in Pilot, you know that pulling out can be a bear. You are basically pulling out in front of people coming up a giant hill, hence you can't see what's coming. Anyhow, Greg went and Avery and I waited. We got out a couple of cars later, and as I pulled out, I saw headlights coming. Not just any headlights, but the headlights of a police car. Mind you, I hadn't done anything wrong, but I was aware that five oh was behind me so I was extra careful, especially on my speed. Well, you go through two stoplights to get home. The first is a left with no arrow. I pull in to the intersection, wait, and low and behold, the light is about to turn and I am in the middle. Blerg, this cop is behind me, and I am not sure what the law is here. Generally I would make the right on yellow, or even red, the second the coast is clear, but this cop on my heels made me nervous. Well, I went for it because I was really in the middle of the intersection. I heard a weird nose, and realized he went for it too. At this point, I felt sure I was in trouble. He 100% ran the light, and it wasn't necessary. At this point, he has been behind me for about 1/2 a mile.

Avery can be a handful in the car, and I totally own being turned around backwards, wiping a noise, finding a sippie or passie, or pulling off a pesky stuck sock (Avery loves naked feet), but on this evening he wasn't making a peep. So, back to the cop, he follows me all through town, we are talking a total of no more than 3 miles he was behind me. We take our next right at the light, and just before we leave the town limits, BLUE LIGHTS. Avery immediately starts saying, "lights mommy, lights!" I pull over, tell him everything is fine, and assume I am getting a ticket for a left on red.

Get ready for it, and I will tread very lightly here. I know I have three friends who are married to police men. I know their jobs are hard, and I know they don't get paid what they should. I know they don't all SUCK. Now that the disclaimers are out of the way, let me get on with it. This guy comes up to the window, shines the flashlight in Avery's eyes, at which point Avery acts like a vampire melting at the very sight of light and screams, while covering his eyes like his life depends on it, "Light, eyes, AHHHHHHH!", then he says to me, the cop that is, "Do you know why I stopped you?" I pause for a moment, and think, hmmmm, just in case he isn't sure, I am not giving him a reason. I say, "nope!" This is where it really gets good, he says "you crossed the yellow line 5 or 6 times (at this point I am irate! was it 5 or 6? )." I am certain I rolled my eyes at him. I said nothing. I am telling you, I knew this joker was behind me, and we had been no more than 3 miles. I would think pulling me for a left on red made more sense, and I thought might have a tail light out. Anyhow, at this point he asks me if I have been drinking. Drinking? Are you kidding me? If anyone has been drinking it is you DS! I crossed the yellow line 5 or 6 times, are you kidding me. BS. Is this something they say to potential drunk drivers to get them arguing? And which was it 5 or 6? You were behind me for about 3 whole minutes. Did you lose count or does it get iffy for you after 3? GRRRRRRRR!

Anyhow, even though he suspects me of Drunk Driving, he doesn't give me a sobriety test or a breathalyzer and he lets me go. That made me even more mad. If you think someone hauling a toddler around is drunk, should you do more than ask them. Guess what, if I had been drinking my answer would have still be no!