Grace

I was heading down St. Rd 22 with my mom and Elizabeth a couple of days ago, returning from a trip to Target. Of all the stores rumored to come to town, Target is the one I wish would actually come. Anyway, when I am travelling on a highway or interstate, most often I set the cruise at 5 miles above the speed limit. Sometimes I will get in a little bit more of a hurry and will set it 8 miles above. Today was one of those days. I was cruising down 22 going about 62-63 m.p.h. when I saw it - the police car parked on the opposite burn facing the other way. In that split second I had to decide what to do. Do I keep on going at the current speed as if I don't think I am doing anything wrong, or do I slam on the brakes (which I've always heard you are NOT supposed to do because it makes you look guilty.) My reflexes took over and I hit the brakes, taking my car down to the legal limit 55 m.ph. Maybe he wasn't paying attention to me. Maybe other cars have gone by him going much faster - I know many cars regularly go 10-15 m.p.h. over the speed limit. I get passed a lot when I am driving. My eyes darted to the rearview mirror. No such luck. As soon as I passed him, his lights flashed on and the car started moving.

I had just commented to Mom a few minutes earlier that I was sleepy - I was no longer having trouble keeping my eyes open now. My heart started pounding fast, and I was already calculating how much this ticket was going to cost. I looked back in the mirror. Because a lot of traffic had been coming the opposite way, it had taken him quite a bit of time to turn around, so he was pretty far behind me. Then I realized Elizabeth wasn't in a booster seat. Boy, it sounds like I am not a safe driver or law abiding citizen at this point. We do have a booster for her, but it was in the other car. "Quick, Elizabeth, get in Anna's booster seat." Elizabeth shoots me a confused look. "Hurry, now, get in the seat." Well we are just getting safer by the minute. Elizabeth unbuckled her seat belt, climbed across the back seat, and sat in Anna's booster. "I can't get the seat belt buckled," she told me. Well, the fines are just piling up at this point. Speeding, child without a booster seat, and unbuckled child in the back. The car is creeping closer to me. Snap, I hear the buckle go into place. At least we've got that going for us.

Now the police car is right on my bumper. My cruise is set firmly on 54.5 m.p.h. as it has been for the last few minutes. I'm getting irritated at the officer - just pull me over and get it over with. We were approaching a stop light when I looked back in my mirror and saw the officer back off - he made a U turn in the road and headed the opposite way. "He was just trying to prove a point," Mom told me. We went through the light when Mom said, "I think you wanted to turn there." I was so rattled that I missed my turn on 37. "Whew, that was close," I said. I cut through a gravel parking lot and started down 37, with my cruise control set firmly on 61 m.ph.

To date I have never received a speeding ticket. I have been pulled over twice; both times I was in college. The first time was very late at night coming into Fairmount off of 69. A car was messing around with me and would tail me for awhile, then would back off, then would get really close, then would act like it was going to pass me, then would back off. I sped up to get away from it, but as I did I came over some railroad tracks into town and was going too fast. When the officer pulled me over, he asked for my license. After noticing my last name was Porter, he asked if I was related to (Mom) Porter. I told him that was my mom. He informed me that he had pulled her over just a week or so ago, but he had recognized her from her stint as a teacher in the Madison-Grant school system many years ago. She did not receive a ticket. I explained to him my reason for going too fast, and he let me off, too.

The other time I was pulled over was for speeding, but I was not wearing my seat belt, so instead of giving me a speeding ticket, I got a seatbelt violation instead. I now faithfully wear my seat belt. Maybe if I ever get a speeding ticket, I will faithfully abide by the speed limit???