I pulled out of the parking lot like I do every. single. day.
Followed the route to the freeway like I do every. single. day.
Noticed the new road construction and merged.
Approached a green light.
Turned on my right turn signal.
Turned right.
And saw four police officers directing people to pull over to the side of the road.
One approached my car and asked if I had my license. I passed it on to him truly having no idea why I was pulled over.
Officer: Did you even see that sign back there?
Me: Hmmmm, which sign would that be?
Officer: The one that said "No right turns?"
Me: Really, no right turns, I turn there every day? No I truly didn't see any sign.
Officer: Yeah, that's why we had to come down here, because so many people are taking a right and we have a temporary no turns sign out with the construction.
Me: Oh, wow. Really. Gee, I am so sorry. I just turn here every day. And it's a turn on to a one-way street and I had the green so I hadn't slowed down much. I was just following my normal routine.
He took my license, walked away and issued me a ticket.
He came back and explained how I could call and get more information or contest it if I wanted to try.
And then he pointed to the ticket and said,
So given all that, I just cited you for failing to follow a traffic light or sign.How nice of him, I thought. He must have recognized I haven't had any kind of a moving violation in nearly ten years. He must have understood that the sign is hard to see until you are upon it. Maybe he knew that I was driving a minivan with no air conditioning and that I was going to come home that night to find out that both my kids brought home lice. Again. He must have felt badly. And so I said,
Oh, okay. Thanks a lot! Thank you! Have a great day!
And then I got to Target. And I read the ticket. And it was for $131. On the high end of fines.
And I had just said, "Thank you." With a smile no less.
I thanked him for giving me a ticket.
I am an idiot.
