Monday, April 23, 2007

I'll Plead the Fifth!

I recently shared this story on another blog and thought, hey, I'll post it here, too! However, if confronted with it, I'll plead the Fifth and say it's totally fictional. LOL! Here it is.....


It was 5:45 a.m. Monday morning and my fiance was heading out the door to drive the two hours home for work. I was living with my parents and he had come up for the weekend to see me. He lived 2 hours away and had to leave at 6:00 to get to work for 8:30.

I got up to hug and kiss him goodbye (I'm not a morning person...at all!) and as I was heading back to bed, I realized that he had forgotten all of his toiletry items on the counter. Thinking I could catch him, I ran out of the house in my pajamas, bare feet in runners with laces untied, hair sticking out all over my head and coat carelessly thrown on. I jumped in the car mindless of the early morning drizzle and went squealing out of the driveway. (I just want to insert here that my parents were fast asleep.)

I raced through town, madly trying to discern which route he would have taken. I knew he needed to fill up before leaving, so I took the most traveled route hoping for the best.

I was on the main highway through town headed west. I spotted his car a few lengths in front of me at the same time I noticed the flashing lights in the rear view mirror. I glanced down and saw I was going 80 km/h in a 50 zone. But, He was so close and I didn't want my effort to mean nothing, so I continued driving, hoping that by waving my hands wildly he would look over. Of course, I wanted to let the officer behind me know that my intentions were good, so I flicked on my signal light and began moving to the right lane. Unfortunately, I was so busy watching my fiance's car and not paying attention to what I was doing that I bounced my car off the curb.

Feeling somewhat shaken, but also noticing that my fiance had glanced back and noticed me, I pulled into the strip mall and put the car in park. I rolled down my window to talk with the officer approaching. My fiance pulled in near me but was ordered to stand back.

"That's my fiance in there. I know her," he said

"Sir, stop right there. Stay back from the car," ordered the police officer. "Miss, can I see your license and registration please."

"Um, I don't have my purse." I had, of course, left it at the house. "And, uh, what's a registration look like?" In my defense I want to say that I was only 19, had always lived with my parents and had never owned my own car. "Is this it?" I asked as I handed over a piece of paper, which later turned out to be a receipt for recent work on the car.

The officer took the paper and went back to his cruiser to run the plates for information. By this time he had determined that the bedraggled person in her pajamas was, more than likely, not dangerous and he talked to my fiance and allowed him to approach the car.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"I think so. Here, you forgot this," I said as I passed him his bag.

"What were you doing?"

I thought it was rather obvious. "I was trying to catch you to give you the bag. I didn't want you to go all week without your shaving stuff and toothbrush."

"I could have bought more and I'm coming up next weekend."

Okay, that made sense if you're a morning person and are able to produce logical thought at...I glanced at the clock on the car dash...6:10 a.m. "Oh. Well, at least I caught you. I'm glad you saw me."

"Actually," he said, "I saw the police lights going and I was wondering why the person wasn't pulling over. I was surprised to look over and see it was you."

He was in a rush to get back and to work, so we said our goodbyes again and I assured him I would be fine.

I was watching him drive away when the officer again approached the car and knocked on the window. "Miss, can you tell me who's car this is?"

Uh-oh. "It's my dad's."

"His name?"

I gave the officer his name. "I can phone him to bring me my license. Just hang on a sec." I silently thanked God for car phones. It was 6:15 a.m. and I woke him from a sound sleep. However, after explaining that, no, I wasn't in bed sleeping and yes, I was pulled over by the cops and could he please bring me my license, I was confident that help was on the way.

A few minutes later he pulled up and spoke with the officer assuring him that I was his daughter and the car was not stolen. My license was shown to validate my right to operate this motor vehicle...and confirm that I was who I said I was.

After a few more minutes of waiting the officer handed me back the paper that I finally recognized as a receipt...and on the back was printed "May God bless you in all your future endeavors." (We realized later that my mom had used it as a "trial" before writing in a graduation card. So, I like to think that officer went away blessed by his encounter with me. LOL!)

After the officer lectured me on driving safe and I promised him that in the future I would be more careful, he handed me my ticket. $170.00.

I paid it gladly. After all, I was just thankful he didn't see me run the stop sign and two red lights!


P.S. I want to add a quick shout out. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MOM!! (Fifth time's a charm.)

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

It could only happen to you, Shauna dear. Thank you so much for sharing that hilarious story - I'm still chuckling. It has made my day!! I feel so dull by comparison.
DM

Shauna said...

dm, dull?? I have some vivid memories of a hairbrush, loud singing and crazy dancing! And the part of that story that I didn't put in was my dad, who didn't find the story funny at the time, had seen the "light of day" by the time he went to work. So, when I walked in (I was working for him at the time) it was to find him and ALL the staff in stitches. It didn't take long for me to figure out what, or rather WHO, was the joke! LOL!

The Mailman's Wife said...

ROFLOL!!! Yah I seem to remember this story, It STILL cracks me up! He's a blessed man! I mean it MUST be love to see you err I mean her out the door THAT early!

Shauna said...

Miss, LOL! Yup, I had to marry him to keep him quiet! Me that early in the morning is, trust me, not a pretty sight! And you can see that not all my brain signals were firing yet!

Toiletry bag & items: $45.00

Speeding Ticket: $170.00

Embarrassing Story: $ Priceless!