Moving violation

A good friend of mine is moving her family to Stuttgart, Germany on short notice. So the other night I traveled to her home in a nearby city to help her pack. On top of the house full of stuff, she has a new baby. As we worked, we chatted about having been roommates, the relationship between husband and wife, and raising kids. It was a bittersweet night full of endings that went late into the evening.

I finally drove away around 12:30 a.m. I was tired, it was raining, and the roads were rather empty. I had a lot on my mind. Partway home, I saw police lights flashing. Two cruisers were parked on the median ahead of me. I also suddenly noticed another cruiser parked closer to me and pointed at me, on the median, lights completely out.

Like any driver would, I glanced down at the speedometer. What a Citizen! I was going three miles under the speed limit. I proudly passed the cruisers with their flashing lights and continued home, SO ready to hit the sack.

A minute later red-and-blue flashers lit up my rear-view mirror. Me? I thought. What the heck did I do wrong? I pulled over and waited for the officer. He came up to the window and informed me that I had passed too closely to the cruisers. I should have been in the far right lane. Oh, man. I had nothing to say but to apologize, lamely. He took my license and registration back to his car. I waited the Wait of Shame as cars whizzed past.

When he returned, he handed me a clipboard with the form all filled out.

"This information that I wrote here is what I got from your license and registration. Signing is not an admission of guilt. Please sign here."

"You wrote this information?" I asked. He nodded. "So I should double-check that it's all correct?"

"Uh, well, if you want to. It's all correct."

Now, before you gasp, I did briefly think that he was telling me to double-check to make sure that my address, etc. was correct. But then I realized that it would be an interesting moment of levity. I was tired, mad at myself for my mistake, and ready to lighten the conversation.

"I'm... teasing you."

"Yes, ma'am." Strike one for the humor.

He then proceeded to explain the rule about yielding to emergency vehicles, blah blah. I just nodded at appropriate times. Then I asked:

"So, all these cars that are whizzing past us right now-- they are breaking the rule as well?"

"Well, ma'am, I can't get everyone. Besides, if I tried, it would put me in danger."

"And we definitely want to keep you safe."

"Well, yes, ma'am." He looked surprised.

"I'm teasing you again."

"Yes, ma'am." Strike two. I wasn't going to try for strike three. That might be classified as a felony.

::Sigh:: We'll see what happens on my court date next month.