Good Morning Officer

Monek Marie

It was a beautiful sunny morning, 10 a.m., and it was already scorching hot. It would be a day to pace your work outdoors and enjoy tea whenever possible. I was looking forward to a relaxing day working outdoors.

The phone rings and its my neighbor. "They have 80% off plants at the greenhouse up the road and last years seeds are free!"

FREE SEEDS! Cheap Plants? I drop what I am doing and grab the keys. Being bare foot, I grab a pair of flip flops, throw them on the car floor and I am off. The windows were up so the steering wheel is so hot you could barely hold on to it.

I'm driving along, dreams of seeds and plants dancing in my head trying to hold on to a hot steering wheel. The car that was way ahead of me is much closer than I remember. I look down and I am speeding - really speeding. I take my foot off the gas and think about braking when I see a police car in the other lane. Oh please, hopefully he did not notice.

The brakes come on the police car and he pulls over. I am doomed! He turns around and heads towards me. By this time my speed is where it should be but my bail money is about to take a real hit. The lights come on and I pull over after having that momentary thought, "Can I outrun him?" No, be an adult and pay the consequences.

I scramble to get my flip flops on before the police man gets to the car. At this time I realize my brother took my car to be inspected the night before and insurance, registration and license are not in the car! And I just passed into another state.

I hope they are serving a nice lunch in lock up.

"Good Morning. Do you have any idea how fast you were going?"

"Unfortunately Officer I do. I just got in the car and the steering wheel is hot. I was distracted by that. I just noticed my speed about the time you passed by me. I am sorry I was driving irresponsibly and I realize that's unsafe driving. I also realized my paperwork is sitting on the kitchen table. If you want you can follow me 2 miles back the road and I will get it for you." I am sorry.

The officer says, "Just give me your name, address and any of your license number you know."

I did as requested and he goes to his vehicle. After what seems like hours her returns and says. "Today you get a warning. Go home and get your paperwork and watch your speed from now on."

Thank you Officer." He watched me as I turned around and headed back, making sure I was heading back home.

So I returned home. I can only find my registration and insurance papers. I really want to go to the greenhouse. What's my chance of getting stopped if I take the back roads? Out the door I head, watching my speed and taking the long way to the greenhouse. Eight miles longer - I feel the anticipation of free seeds and cheap plants.

One quarter of a mile way from the greenhouse - almost there. I round the last corner sharp corner and find a road block. The police are stopping all vehicles on both sides. Doomed! And on the other side is the same police man that stopped me 20 minutes ago.

The police are just looking in the car and either telling people to pull to the side or letting them go. I think they might have been checking seat belts. Any car pulled over the people did not have seat belts on, but whatever the reason, they let me through. As I drove by the twenty or more people waiting alongside the road I know they had the same look I had twenty minutes ago.

One the way home I took a different route of back roads to avoid the roadblock and hopefully any more adventure.

I may have aged a few years that morning but I came home with discount plants, free plants (they know me there) and a ton of seeds. My next hour was spent watering the new plants and looking at all the seeds! And yes, I had a big glass of ice tea!

dipat2005

@Denise Grant that is a wonderful story. Thank you for sharing it with us. It gave me a chuckle today.

RustBeltCowgirl

@Denise Grant So, when are you going to write that book? You'd be a hit!

marjstratton

Great story. Not so great to have had to go through it though. But at least you scored your free seeds and plants.

COWLOVINGIRL

@Denise Grant I love it!

Monek Marie

@marjstratton @COWLOVINGIRL Considering I walked away with no fine and still picked up seeds and plants it was an ok day and a story to share years later.

Any time I get stopped by the police, thankfully that is very rare, I always hope they never look in the trunk. There is always a hoe, hooker, pail and soil tucked back there. Its kindof reminiscent of what someone would carry if they disposed of something they should not have.

I did get a very strange look from a police officer in a car one day when her realized I had 4 goats in the back seat. The lady at the drive through also had a look when I ordered those goats a salad and hold the meat.

RustBeltCowgirl

Would they rather have seen a mini horse? My horse's previous owner hauled her mini in an Escort station wagon. The lightweight sulky cart was strapped to the roof rack.

Monek Marie

@RustBeltCowgirl We do what we have to do. I would have given her two thumbs up if I had seen her.

Megan Venturella

A friend is going through some really tough times right now because she got a speeding ticket... ON HER WAY TO CHURCH! I guess she was running late. But free seeds are also worth speeding for!

Monek Marie

@Megan Venturella I got a speeding ticket once when I was in college and it was a huge one. It was a well know peed trap going in to a small town that locals knew about. It was ramen noodles for me for 6 weeks. That kind of curbed my speeding. Its accidental now.

I still cannot look at a ramen noodle package.

water2world

@Denise Grant As usual, you gave me a smile!

(Waiting patiently) for your book!

Your "momentary thought, "Can I outrun him?" reminded me of my Great Aunt, 89 years old. SHE did try to outrun the policeman, stopped at the gas station and hid in the bathroom. She waited in there until she thought he had left, but of course he was waiting for her when she came out. Without missing a beat, she wiped sweat from her brow and said, " whew, barely made it", got in her car and drove off. he didn't follow! LOL

Monek Marie

Ha ha. Good one @water2world . If you have a good line or are really polite they usually let you go. Your Great Aunt was a gem!~

water2world

We need more like her!! LOL @Denise Grant She was always up to something! Never a dull moment!