Ron headed home from Costco with his delightful family in tow? We had just trekked down to Homestead Park in search of a new television. The one we thought we wanted was sold out here. We are always ready for a new adventure, particularly when it involves a bigger television on which to view the Penguins. As an aside, it is our third television in 18 years. It is our largest, at 36". We were excited, though admittedly all the "big" screens made our "big" purchase seem small.
Nonetheless, we purchased our new television and headed home. En route Ron was navigating Pittsburgh rather proficiently...a little quickly for my liking, but the car was filled with kids, laughter, and fun...
Until the red lights appeared in the rear view mirror. Instantly, I silently glare my best "I told you so" look, as I scramble to find the registration and insurance. Insurance is always a problem...one...out of date...two...out of date...three...out of date. Desperation seizes me when I finally uncover one that is not expired I shove it at my husband who is now looking at the officer, who begins barking at him, "Do you know how fast you were going sir?"
"No, sir."
"Well, when it was 55 you were at 70 and in the 60 you hit 80."
"I don't recall 80, sir," my husband quietly adds with no effort to defend himself.
The kids are silent as the officer takes the documents and heads back to his car. At this point the car erupts again. Daddy are you going to jail? Are you in trouble? After the initial novelty wears off, the oldest three begin wrestling in the back seat. As the Yukon rocks back and forth, and I gaze ahead in stony silence, I finally break and ask the kids to please stop.
At this point the officer returns. He pokes his head in the window this time and begins a conversation with the kids. I know he is checking what is going on in our vehicle. Chayse smiles and chats with him. Blink. Blink. Then he turns to Ron and hands him the insurance card.
"I am no connoisseur of cars, but I don't believe this is a Harley Davidson."
Wow...I didn't even put the correct cards in the correct vehicles. I cringe awaiting the bark to return. Instead he asks politely if they are the same insurance company. I answer in the affirmative and apologize.
He dismisses me and continues nicely talking with Ron...where did the bark go? Anyway, before I realize it he is telling my husband to keep it within reason and walks away.
NO TICKET?? What?? How did that just happen??
I have a theory. When the officer saw the icy stare of the wife and watched the five children rollicking in the Yukon, I suspect that as a husband and father himself, his empathy got the best of him as he sat in the car and ran Ron's records. Plus I guarantee he had a good laugh over the cranky wife who handed over the Harley Davidson insurance card. At any rate, his humor had returned, and he just didn't have the heart to give the poor guy a ticket...he was being punished adequately by life.
Ron drove the speed limit the rest of the way home. It was a close call...he almost lost that new flat screen. The Penguins won that night too.
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I love it, it takes me back to when we would head off with all 6 of our kids in one van. We always joked that if we were pulled over the officer would tell us to speed all the way home after he heard the cries and fighting!
ReplyDeleteLaurie
Great story!
ReplyDeleteOur kids got us out of a ticket on our way to Durango. Claire kept saying, "Hi! Hiiiiii!" as the officer tried to be serious.
No ticket for us - and it would have been a BIG one had we not had a blue eyed sweetie flirting in the back seat.