So I was coming home after an uneventful trip to the mall... and I was entered the freeway to go two exits down to my house. One exit into the freeway, another car was merging onto the freeway on the right. In an effort to make room for the car on the right, I signal to the left lane, check my blind spotand merge into the lane on the left, in front of a black Monte Carlo. I immediately realize that the distance between me and the Monte Carlo is about one car length when I merged. Too close. Not really accident potential, because I merged at speed, but I know that if a fine LEO is watching, he won't like it.
Just my luck. A fine LEO *is* watching, and lights me up. I pull off the freeway and onto a side street, and he approaches my car. He politely tells me why he pulled me over, and listens to my explanation about why I moved to the left lane. I explain to him that I realized that it was too close to the MonteCarlo, but it wasn't because I was trying to be racer-X, but instead was trying to be a defensive driver and give space to the driver on the right. I ask him to give me a warning, and he says he can't, because what I did was very dangerous.
At this point, I'm already thinking about the points on my record, the option of traffic school, and all the other things associated with a ticket. He takes my information, and goes back to his car. Up to this point, I don't really contest the ticket (in my mind) because I knew the minute that I pulled in front of the Monte Carlo, that it *was* a ticketable offense. However, I thought that if the officer realized that I did it knowing where the car was, and in an effort to give way to the other driver on the right, and not just to speed, he might show me mercy.
The officer returns to my car, and returns my paperwork. He pulls out his citation book and flips it open.
"Do you know what this is?" he asks me.
"Yes sir, it's a citation book." I reply.
"Do you see your name on this ticket?" he asks again.
"No sir, I do not." I reply again.
He ends with, "Don't let me catch you doing that again."
A really cool cop, who cut me a break. I know he didn't have to, and unlike other tickets I've gotten where I just don't agree with the "danger" factor (60 mph in a 55 zone with no cars around) this one I would have been content to get. The effect that he was going for was achieved (i.e. -- I had all the fear of the ticket up to the point of actually instantiating a real copy of the ticket in my mind) and I got an undeserved break.
p.s. -- on second thought, this probably belongs in road-side pub. I don't actually have a question about a ticket because I didn't get one.
Just my luck. A fine LEO *is* watching, and lights me up. I pull off the freeway and onto a side street, and he approaches my car. He politely tells me why he pulled me over, and listens to my explanation about why I moved to the left lane. I explain to him that I realized that it was too close to the MonteCarlo, but it wasn't because I was trying to be racer-X, but instead was trying to be a defensive driver and give space to the driver on the right. I ask him to give me a warning, and he says he can't, because what I did was very dangerous.
At this point, I'm already thinking about the points on my record, the option of traffic school, and all the other things associated with a ticket. He takes my information, and goes back to his car. Up to this point, I don't really contest the ticket (in my mind) because I knew the minute that I pulled in front of the Monte Carlo, that it *was* a ticketable offense. However, I thought that if the officer realized that I did it knowing where the car was, and in an effort to give way to the other driver on the right, and not just to speed, he might show me mercy.
The officer returns to my car, and returns my paperwork. He pulls out his citation book and flips it open.
"Do you know what this is?" he asks me.
"Yes sir, it's a citation book." I reply.
"Do you see your name on this ticket?" he asks again.
"No sir, I do not." I reply again.
He ends with, "Don't let me catch you doing that again."
A really cool cop, who cut me a break. I know he didn't have to, and unlike other tickets I've gotten where I just don't agree with the "danger" factor (60 mph in a 55 zone with no cars around) this one I would have been content to get. The effect that he was going for was achieved (i.e. -- I had all the fear of the ticket up to the point of actually instantiating a real copy of the ticket in my mind) and I got an undeserved break.
p.s. -- on second thought, this probably belongs in road-side pub. I don't actually have a question about a ticket because I didn't get one.
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