What? You Can't do that!

Or why Fife, WA police have a bad rap.

Instruction to rookie know it all cops: 

You can't give someone a moving violation if they are allready pulled over & didn't do anything wrong!

One day, I was driving home from work close to dusk, and as I went over some railroad tracks, my headlight went out.  Me being a responsible young man, pulled off on a little side street to inspect my car for any potential wiring problems.  I had the hood up and was jiggling wires to try and get my light to come back on.  I had been there about 5 minutes when a young police man pulled up behind my car, and turned on his lights.

I was curious what the hell he was doing.  I was just sitting here trying to fix my car.  The police officer came out of his car, and proceeded to interogate me.  He asked for my license, registration and insurance then asked what I was doing.  I was a little upset, because I thought it was obvious.  He didn't ask if I needed help, and this may have contributed to my not so freindly attitude.  I explained that I was trying to see if a loose wire caused the failure of my drivers side headlight.  He took my paperwork, went back to the car, and proceeded to re-interogate me while waiting for the word I was clear.  Still working on my car, I determined that the light just blew out when jostled on the railroad tracks.  He asked me if I owned the car, I told him that he was holding the proof in his hands.  PAID FOR BABY.  He then tried to make small talk, and asked me if it had "The V-8."  I said "Yep, it's THE V-8" but not until after I counted the cylinders one by one outloud.  I was starting to get impatient, and this guy irritated me.  When he got the message that I was all clear, he said "Well, what I can do here is just write you a fix it ticket for the headlight and let you go." 

Now I was FURIOUS.  Not only was he wasting my time, but he wanted to write me a bogus ticket to come back and prove that I fixed a headlight when I wasn't driving with a broken one?  I simply called "shenannigans"  I adamantly said "You can't do that, I wasn't driving when you pulled me over."  Did I have balls of steel or was I stupid....  Taken back, the police officer actually stepped backwards and after a great pause said "You're right.  Have a good day"  I was then taken back my self, but still was a bit upset that he wasted my time.

The true irony is that after continuing on my way home I was almost upheld again.  I watched a police officer turn around behind me on River Road, not a mile from where I just was.  This time, I was driving with a headlight out.  I chose to run.  I wasn't going to be bothered anymore that day for a burnt out headlight.  Besides, I was just around the corner from the heart of a maze where I knew every intricate turn.  A little bit of throttle, and a whole lot of love was poured into the cars inputs.  With a little luck, the car and I navigated through the residential neighborhood and quickly lost the officer who, in my rearview, was seen taking the first two turns, but I lost him after that.  Finally, I made it home safe and sound and without a ticket that day.  The headlight was quickly replaced!

Copyright © 2008 Paul Carhuff  Click here to go HOME