Brush With the Law

So for the first time in my life I was pulled over speeding yesterday. I was on the way to Dutch Springs Quarry to teach my last class of the season. It was 6am, the roads were clear and I was listening to Jorge Drexler and trying to translate the lyrics in my head. Flying along on a clear highway. When I saw flashing lights behind me... FUCKERY!!! was my first thought. But what can you do. I pulled over. Luckily my friend Michele, a fellow traffic felon, had been pulled over last year with me in her car, so I knew the drill. I put my interior light on (nothing to hide here) and my hands on the wheel (I didn't want the poor guy to think I might pull a gun on him). He let me sweat for a few minutes and then came up and shone his flash light into the back of my car. He saw my scuba gear and asked if I was going to Dutch Springs. A lucky break... do I detect a fellow diver. Again, following Michele's coaching, I decided to come clean. Apparently I was traveling at 85mph in a 65 zone. I fessed up that I'd been consumed by the music I was listening to and the clear road and had just lost track of my speed. My documents were collected and again I was subjected to a wait while he radioed in my info and checked my record. Time for a quick prayer, both fingers crossed. FINALLY the nice police officer came back and said he was going to 'cut me a big break' instead of giving me four points on my license (which would have meant a huge insurance hike) he would let me off with a written warning. Relief.. A close call though and this meant that I had to drive excruciatingly slowly during the rest of my journey to Dutch Springs. I am now thinking of investing in one of those radar detector things that Jeff has.