Saturday, August 11, 2007

My Speeding Non-Ticket

Babs just posted about how she got out of a speeding ticket, and I was inspired to share my story.

The one ticket I ever got out of was just off I-10 in Florida. I was driving back to Tallahassee from visiting my little brother in Gainesville.

Well, at that time I-10 was 60 MPH. I'd just taken the exit and was on US 90.

Which was 50 MPH.

I had no cruise control, and it appeared that gravity was weighing a bit heavily on my gas pedal, so I was still going 60.

The nice FHP guy in the median just stuck his hand out of his patrol car, pointed at me, and waved me to the side of the road, where I very politely and panickedly waited while he put on his lights, did a U-turn, and pulled in behind me.

I was hyperventillating pretty well by the time he got to my window.

"License and registration?"

As I handed them to him, I just burst into speech:

"Officer, I swear I wasn't speeding. My foot was."

He stood there for a moment, stunned. Then he choked and laughed.

"I take it this means you'd prefer a written warning?"

"Sir, I would adore a written warning."

So he went back to his car and ran my information. When he came back to my car he handed me my warning and told me to raise my right hand.

"I want you to repeat after me:

I swear I will never again speed in the State of Florida.

And if I feel the need for speed, I will go up somewhere in Georgia and do it
."

I did what I was told. As he walked back to his car he was still shaking his head bemusedly.

Poor guy. I think that was the first time he'd had someone blame her foot for breaking the law.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Ha! That is awesome! Lucky day you had, there, and being clever paid off, too.

Mauigirl said...

LOL, you got lucky!

Maybe I'll be inspired to tell some of my speeding ticket stories. And I NEVER get off with a warning (last time was when I was about 21; guess when you're 53 you're past the "cute" stage. Although I did get one downgraded to only 9 miles over the limit, which didn't have points).

Amanda said...

Maui, yep, I totally got lucky! Lucky I was young, lucky I had a brain fart, and lucky the police officer hearing it thought it was funnier than hell, LOL.

Bless that man. And although I can't say I've never sped again in Florida, I can say it's never more than 2 MPH over the posted speed, or a titch faster than that in the case of passing in the interstate.

So he did some good :)

Amanda said...

Good grief.. passing ON the interstate, not in.

Sheesh.

Amanda said...

And Maggie, LOL -- it was! And as I said, it wasn't so much clever as a wonderful set of circumstances...

But I'll take what I can get :D