speeding | Pinklea

Tag Archives: speeding

Blowing off steam

Posted on November 8, 2011 | 7 comments

Our run-in with that cop last Saturday night reminded me of another time that Porsche Guy was stopped by a police officer several years ago. I wasn’t with him, but the story is definitely worth repeating – and says volumes about this man!

PG was coming home from somewhere late at night (seems he does that a lot, doesn’t it?). He’s always quite careful with his drinking when he knows he will be driving home, and this time was no exception. He’d had just two beers all evening.

As has been previously established, he is also quite the enthusiastic driver. Yes, sometimes overly assertive, even aggressive, but always fully in control and aware of his limitations. Yes, he has been in a few car accidents in his life, but he has also avoided a few due to his skills. He has taken many driving courses on racetracks, and I would say he is a more competent driver than most of the rest of us. He truly loves cars and “going fast around a track”, as he so eloquently phrases it.

So this particular night, PG was cruising along above the posted speed limit, as many of us do, especially when conditions are good and there is little traffic. But he was spotted by a police officer, who pulled him over right smartly.

The officer came up to the window and leaned down to talk to PG. He began by asking PG if he knew how fast he was going. PG did, and told the officer. The cop then inquired as to whether or not PG was aware of the posted speed limit. PG was, and again told the officer what it was. Then the cop asked if he had been drinking. Ever honest, PG replied that yes, he had had a couple of beers throughout the evening. The cop looked at him quizzically and asked, “A couple of beers? How many was that, exactly?”

PG answered, “One or two, I guess.”

“One or two? Which was it, one or two?” the cop questioned further. (Man, these guys are sticklers for details, aren’t they?!)

PG thought a moment, then said, “Two. It was two beers.”

The cop, his hands still on the roof of the car, leaned in a bit further towards PG. “So. What’s gonna happen if you blow?”

PG looked up at the cop and said innocently, “I’m not that kind of guy!”

There was silence. The cop had his head down. PG couldn’t see his face, but he was shaking. PG realized that he was laughing.

Finally, the cop looked at PG again, still laughing. He backed away from the car, shaking his head and waving his hand. “Get outta here!” he said, with a grin on his face.

PG grinned back, thanked the officer, started up the car, and drove off with a wave of his own.

He did not speed …

… until he was at least block away.

7 Comments

Posted in Off the couch, Porsche Guy

Tagged police, speeding

Keep right except to pass

Posted on November 9, 2010 | 11 comments

Picture this: a pickup truck cruising down a country road. It’s a sunny fall afternoon. The roads are bare and dry. There’s a bit of traffic, but not a whole lot, because it’s only about 4 pm and the evening rush hour (such as it is along this country road) has yet to begin.

The pickup truck is moving along at exactly the speed limit, 60 kph. There aren’t many cross streets on this particular stretch of road, so few vehicles actually stay at that speed. Most go much faster, 80 or 90 kph. About the only real hazard is the occasional tractor or farm truck crossing the road (I did mention that this is in the country, right?).

There’s another vehicle following the pickup truck. It keeps a safe distance behind, but it soon becomes obvious that it is getting frustrated following the pickup truck. Apparently it would like to proceed at a faster pace, and it moves out slightly into the oncoming lane to see if there is any approaching traffic.

There is, but it’s quite a long way away, on the other side of a small bridge. Before that bridge, the dotted yellow line down the middle of this country road becomes a solid line, indicating that no passing is permitted there. There are a couple of vehicles parked near the little bridge. There often are, as people seem to like to walk along the meandering creek that the bridge spans, or possibly fish in it.

The vehicle following the pickup truck decides to go for it. It pulls out to pass the pickup truck, probably hoping to snick back in front of it well before the little bridge. It won’t make it before the yellow line becomes solid, but it should be there well before the oncoming traffic.

Except … that one of the vehicles parked at the bridge is a cop car. Complete with a cop. Which the driver of the passing car obviously doesn’t notice until it’s too late.

The cop pulls the passing vehicle over right smartly. The vehicle has to sit there, its driver humiliated, while the pickup truck drives by sedately, its driver probably laughing their ass off at the other stupid driver.

And why am I telling you this story?

Well, guess which driver I was. (Hint: I don’t drive a pickup truck.)

Sigh.

The cop was very nice and of course I had absolutely no defense except stupidity. He ticketed me for the illegal pass only, not for the speeding, thereby saving me 200$ in fines.