Friday, January 29, 2016

The Incident on I-20

This is a long story, but I have got to tell y'all what happened to me today.

I was driving down I-20, heading for the beach, when I noticed about 6 patrol cars on the side of the road. A couple were highway patrolmen and a couple or more were unmarked cars and a couple of those had their blue lights on.

I wondered what in the world was going on....did they find someone in the ditch? I decided that wasn't it or there would have been an ambulance. Then I wondered if they were after an escaped convict. He may be hiding out and the patrolmen are getting ready to sweep the area. Well of course, I began to help them look. I was making note of any outbuildings nearby that the convict could be hiding in and there were a couple. But I didn't see any signs of a break-in.....so, I left it to the patrolmen.

Two miles down the road I saw my exit coming up. I turned on my blinker and pulled over in what I thought was a turning lane. Turned out it was a wide shoulder area. HaHa! I stayed on the shoulder until I reached the exit, which was only a few more feet away. Just then.....

I saw the PoPo in my rear view mirror.

One of those patrolmen had pulled in behind me. It startled me. I wondered if he had new information from what I perceived to be a posse getting ready to search for an escaped convict.

Apparently not. He didn't seem to be in a hurry.

Strange thing was that he followed close behind me. I took the exit and kept within the 45 mph speed limit, until I saw the 60 mph speed limit sign. With the patrolman still following closely behind, I decided I would wait until I actually passed the sign before speeding up. We had traveled at least a quarter of a mile at this point. I was doing everything right....staying within the speed limit, had on my seat belt, used my blinkers, so I had nothing to worry about.

Well...... just as I began accelerating up to 60 mph, the highway patrolman turned on the blue lights. The C-word came out of my mouth before I knew what happened. What in the world was I doing wrong? The only thing I could think of was that I had pulled onto the shoulder thinking it was part of the exit lane and he probably thought I was drunk or on drugs.

I pulled over and just as I did, I saw my camera tripod lying on the front seat. "OMG, what if he thinks it's a gun? What am I going to do?"  I had no time to do anything....he was at my window before I could hide it. He greeted me with, "Good day, ma'am." Well it may or may not be....depends on what you want... and NO that's not a gun...was going through my head.

He asked to see my driver's license and registration. I was retrieving them and asked, "What did I do wrong, officer?" He said, "Show me your license and registration and I'll tell you." I was fumbling in the glove box to get the registration, which I had so cleverly placed in a Ziploc bag among Insurance cards and the like. I said, "Oh Lord, let me put on my glasses, I can't see a thing and I want to make sure I give you the right card." Just then...I realized what I said and thought, "Oh great! I  just told him I couldn't see a thing and I'm driving without glasses. Aack! I hope that went over his head."  I handed him my license and registration and he quickly pointed to my registration and said, "You see this date?"

I looked and exclaimed, "Oh My Lord!"

My license plate had expired!

All of a sudden I wondered, "Can he take me to jail for this?" And then I wondered what I was going to say to keep from going to jail. I couldn't come up with a thing. I was surely bound for the pokey.

He took my license and headed to his car. About this time I decided I might need to take a picture of this and send to Cliff, just in case he had to come bail me out. The patrolman came back with my license and registration and told me that I needed to get this taken care of. I told him that I would and that Cliff probably had my new one in his Jeep. He said, "No ma'am. The DMV said it has not been renewed. I'm going to just give you a warning, but go take care of this." I assured him I would.


Oh y'all, I had just dodged the long arm of the law. 

If I had my wits about me, I would have asked why all those patrol cars were pulled over on the side of the road. I figured it was best to let it be. 

I still can't figure out how he saw those tiny little numbers on my license plate, as I drove by. 

Before leaving, I took just a minute to send the photo to Cliff. 
He didn't respond. Ha!

What happened next may be TMI, at least for the men who read this. I'm so sorry.

I had to stop for gas and go to the restroom.  While I was pumping gas, I recounted the I-20 incident to my sister, who had already called me three times asking about my camera. Her response, "You only drive 60 on the interstate?"

I hung up the phone and headed to the restroom. And y'all, when I sat down.....the toilet flushed on it's own. I thought, "Gross, I am going to be mad, if I get wet." About that time, the lights turned off in the bathroom, on their own. At that point, I laughed out loud, right there in the public restroom of a convenience store just off I-20. I got funny looks from the clerk and a couple of customers when I left the store. I just assumed they heard me laugh and left it at that.

When I finally got home and told Cliff what happened.....

He said, "I wish you had gotten arrested. I would be taking all kinds of pictures of you."

I hope I don't have a stroke! Especially, before I get to the DMV office on Monday!

Laurie

32 comments:

  1. LOL- Well, you criminal you. Okay- two things- the COLOR of the little tag they give you each year changes so they can spot them automatically...and what most people don't know (I only do because my son is in the industry) there is now a device in most newer police cars that gives them an alert signal if a tag has expired. The little tags have a micro chip in them (unbelievable, huh). The police with that set up can also drive through parking lots at malls,etc, and it "tracks" stolen cars, etc, with that same little code. It's a strange world we are living in. A long way from Mayberry where Barney sat behind a sign and eyeballed speeders going by. lol
    Have a great weekend. Glad I don't have to send you bail money. lol. xo Diana

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    1. Well, no wonder! I didn't know about the micro chip. This information changes everything. HaHa!! Yeah, I'm glad you didn't have to send bail money, too. I'm just chalking this one up to an adventure. Thanks, Diana!

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  2. Every time a police car is on the same street I am on I get warm.I always think..what did I do? And really I was doing notheing..my brother was a sargent in the police force and my son-in-law is..I should aks them why we feel like that..

    Poor you and the expired license..Jacques renews mine LOL..
    but the toilet would have freaked me out.
    I love being home..;0

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    1. The police doesn't normally bother me...other than taking a quick peek at my speed odometer. Lol. But this was unusual. Cliff renews mine, but we moved in October and somehow the renewal card didn't make the move with us. It was a total slip of the memory. The toilet didn't freak me out as much as the lights going out. Lol!

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  3. Ha! You criminal! I had to borrow my MIL's car once, and she hadn't put her new sticker on. I got pulled over leaving work that evening, and got a hell of a ticket. I told him I was borrowing the car from my MIL - that it wasn't even mine. He told me that ignorance of the law was no excuse! Thinking back, his name was probably Cliff! Happy weekend! XOXO

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  4. Well, there is nothing like a little excitement and the thought of being put behind bars, to get the ole heart a ticking on overtime. I'm sure your husband got a big laugh out of hearing about your day, LOL.

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    1. Oh, he sure did Connie! I had to laugh, too. The things I get myself into sometimes.....

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  5. Oh, Laurie!

    We need crazy days like that to keep us laughing and not taking life too seriously.

    Have you fixed the registration yet?

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    1. Especially when it ends well and no jail time. LOL! I'll be at the DMV first thing Monday morning. I'm self-conscious now. I think every car that gets behind me is noticing it. Good thing there's not a hotline to call and report me.

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  6. Laurie! You are so funny -- you should be doing stand-up! Thanks for the laugh.

    Jim Fowler, Greenville, SC
    www.jfowlerphotography.com

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    1. HaHa, Jim! I can't come up with material like this on my own. Good thing I get in these kind of predicaments, I guess! I do find the funny in most things though.

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  7. That is so funny, Laurie, and never mind the restroom. After seeing that posse forming back up the road, I probably would have wet my pants when he pulled me over, right then and there! Yes, it will be a very long weekend for you until you can get to the DMV on Monday.

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    1. I know! I am so parynoid to get on the highway now. Lol!!

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  8. I remember being pulled over because the officer didn't think I stopped long enough at a stop sign. My boys that were with me couldn't wait to tell Jack! No ticket that time and once I actually rear ended a patrol car..no ticket then either! Given a choice to be good or lucky, choose luck every time!

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    1. Well you were lucky..... If I had rear ended a patrol car, I would be in the pokey for sure. LOL!!

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  9. I have been pulled over two or three times for going 2-3 miles over a posted speed limit. Seriously. No tickets but just warnings. Is it any wonder I cringe when I see a patrol car within sight? No one else I ride with has ever been stopped even when regularly driving 5-10 miles over the limit. Just me!!! :o( So I readily feel your apprehension!

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    1. 2-3 miles over? I think they are picking on you!

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  10. Sounds like a crazy day. Sure would like to know what they were doing on the side of the road. With that many of them, something was up. Yet he still had time to tail you. Ha!

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  11. No lights!!! In a public washroom!!! EEEK!
    I hate using those bathrooms...we hit a lot of nasty ones on the way South...I keep my gloves on! hahaha!
    Boyfriend does all that stuff around here too...
    Good thing no ticket...you lucked out!!
    Have a great day!
    Beach or Lake??
    Cheers!
    Linda :o)

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  12. Funny story for my first time visit here! That's happened to me a couple of times! At least the officer was a nice guy....Loved the bit about the glasses :) xx Karen

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    1. Thank you and thanks for dropping by, Karen. Yes, the officer was very nice. I'm sure he could see how nervous I was. I tend to fumble when I'm nervous. If he had mentioned jail, I would have wet my pants right then and there. HaHa!

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  13. I don't sit on public toilets...have to do the squat and hover! haha.

    What a crazy story! Glad you didn't get arrested and have your mug shot splashed all over the internet. haha.

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    1. Oh, glad I didn't either. Having my mug shot splashed all over the internet would have worse than the time the squirrel went berserk in the First Self-Righteous Church. LOL!!

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  14. I had to switch from my phone to the computer to get the rest of the story!

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  15. Being pulled over is so scary. It has happened to me a lot.I think I am the only person alive that talked my way out of a speeding tkt on a military base.

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    1. Well then you need to send me some tips! HaHa!

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  16. Oh boy, what an adventure! I'm glad you managed without a fine or even worse.

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