Shouldn't…but Do

I got a ticket this morning.  It has been over 20 years since I was last pulled over.  Today was the day, disregarding a stop sign to the tune of $120.

Some things have changed since a traffic stop in the 80’s –  large white SUV’s decked out like Christmas trees, instead of those shifty little black and white units.   Changed too is the fact I said nothing but I am sorry, when the officer inquired, quite animated,  as to whether I understood that I blew through the stop sign.

Truth is, while I remember insuring the intersection was clear and empty, I did not even register the stop sign.  I felt this best kept to myself.

Back in the day, I would have made a game effort to talk my way out of a ticket, I was more successful than not.

But these days, all things legal seem dead to me.  Don’t waste your breath, as they say.

Failure to stop.  Not speeding, but disregarding a sign to stop.  I am not going too fast, I just did not see that I should stop.  Trust me, I would like to stop.  I would like it all to stop.  No matter how much I pay in legal fees, I cannot get it to stop.

Funny,  I am a driver  happy to be passed,  who goes the speed limit and  comes to a complete stop at signals on deserted country roads.  I figure someone made the effort to make things a bit safer, and I am good with that.  Path of least resistance sort of thing.

But not today apparently.

The police officer seemed  genuinely taken aback when he came back to give me the ticket and I was attending to my youngest child who was again throwing up in the back seat.   He had not realized my son was sick, that I had been passing him a bucket, watching the intersection and looking for a place to pull over when I rolled past the now infamous stop sign.

I took the ticket out of his hand as he stood there.  He said he was sorry.  I said I was too.