Just Stray Thoughts
”We live among stray thoughts” according to Naomi Shihab Nye. As I was being pulled over by a Kentucky Highway Patrolman on Sunday on my way to dinner from church, the stray thought that went through my mind was, “My car is a ‘cop magnet’.” I believe I have evidence for this.
In January of this year, I was cruising extremely slowly through Keystone, WV, a world-renowned speed trap. I was probably going all of 15 mph when the smiling policeman pulled up beside me all blue lights twinkling. I looked back at him in disbelief as he strode resolutely up to my car with a friendly smile still on his face. My mind was racing. Was it a taillight? Did he need directions? He started our conversation with “Ma’am, did you know your inspection sticker is out of date?” OK, we settled that….no fine…just inspection within the week.
On Easter weekend I was driving through Delbarton when I met a city cop. He immediately started twinkling, turned on a dime and pulled me over. I knew I was not speeding. He did not get out of the car; he just leaned across his front seat and held his index finger and thumb a fraction of an inch apart and said. “Slow down just a little, ok?”
Sunday, I was going very slowly through a green light when I saw the Highway Patrolman in the turn lane. I quickly ran through the applicable traffic laws in my head, and discovered that unlike my usual habit, I had not clicked my seatbelt. I quickly remedied that but not in time. Eagle Eye had seen me and chased me all lit up into the Food City parking lot. He approached my car and mentioned that I had not had my seat belt on. I replied, “I do now.”
He asked, “When?”
I answered, “When I saw you.” He congratulated me on my honesty and as a reward, according to him, let me be the only person he had let go all week.
Yes, my car is a cop magnet. But when they get to know me, the cops do seem to like me.
