Honesty is a good policy... I was stopped a few years back by one of the
local officers in my town(I was a volunteer firefighter at the time) for
avoiding a traffic signal by cutting through a corner parking lot. It was
about midnight, there was no other traffic, and no right on red, so I would
have sat there for three minutes(long light- 5 way intersection) waiting to
make a simple right turn. Well I did this, and saw a car run the red
crossing the street behind me. I though "Get this guy- running the red!"
Well, as I looked at this car, the red lights switched on. I pulled right
over, and the officer, well known in the township for being a bit of a hard
ass(later he made chief) walks up and asks "Just what do you think you're
doing, Mr. Roberts?" I looked up and said "I, uh, just wanted to see what
time the store opened?"(smiling expectantly) He looked back, brandished his
ticket book and pen and stated "I have a lot of ink, tickets and time. Want
to try again?" "I smiled sheepishly, and stated "Just trying to get home a
little quicker. Sorry Officer Addezio." "Don't do it again. Get out of here"
came the reply. "Thanks!" was all I could think of to say. Then the red
lights went out, and he drove off. Dez always was kind of a decent guy to
me- despite what the other guys in the firehouse said.
Now, to keep in tune with the speeding ticket excuses... I was running down
the Atlantic City Expressway(toll road, 3 lanes either direction, limited
access) and glanced at my speedometer. I noticed I was doing 75 in a 55, so
I lifted my foot a little. As my eyes came back up on the road, I noticed
the NJ State Trooper in the median, and then watched him pulling onto the
road behind me. I shifted right, he shifted right. Did it again. Pulled onto
the shoulder as the lights came on. He walks up to the car window, rolled
down already, and asks if I realized I was doing 75 in a 55. I stated I had
just noticed at the same time I saw him, held up a repair order, and told
him I was delivering a radio to the ACE Commission Security Department at
the Pleasantville Tolls. He looks at the R.O., and asks"Do you do the radio
work for the ACE?" "Yes, sir. By the way, What is the car number of your
cruiser?" He told me it was 75, a new one. I smiled-"I just installed the
radios in that one two weeks ago at Hammonton." He looks at me, takes my
license and registration and says "Wait here a minute" About two long
minutes later, I hear his horn honking, and look back to see him waving me
back to the car. He opens the passenger side window, hands me my license,
registration and insurance cards, and a written warning. Said "Slow Down".
Then he drove off. I did 55 on the money all the way down to Pleasantville
and back.
Of course, it was nowhere near that fun with the Virginia Trooper who pulled
me over in Tappahannock, Virginia on Rt 17...Short story, On my way to see
my now long since ex-girlfriend on my birthday. Zipping along behind another
car, went over a hill, and down, and up again. In the middle I passed a
trooper going the other way.(I was driving my 85 Impala police package car
at the time. Unfortunately had an unrepaired large dent in the driver's
quarter panel) Well, the trooper spun around, started to pass me, looked at
the dent, backed off, and pulled me over. I explained I was just going along
with the flow of traffic. Looking at me he asks "Following that blue van?"
"Yessir" "Well, he was doing 75 in a 55. You were doing 78. You Win."
My prize was an $80 cash award paid to the Tappahannock Traffic Court.
Luckily they accepted checks. Happily, the points never were carried to my
NJ driver's license.
Scott
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