RevKang.org

Broken Headlights: “Headlights

‘So I was driving Sanghee’s camry down memorial one night when I noticed a police car so close to my car I felt like braking all of a sudden just to see the look of surprise on his face. Of course, I got that sick fear in my stomach just waiting for the lights and sirens to go on. (This stems from my childhood arrest for GTA (i’ll share some other time if you haven’t heard it). and sure enough, to my horror and surprise, the lights DID go on.

I had those irrational thoughts flash through my head as I always do when I am being pulled over.
‘What if I just took off?’
‘was I going too fast?’
‘Was I going too slow?’
‘what if he/she shoots me?’
‘are my registration and insurance up to date?’
  
Now normally, that last question would be the one that would always seem to strike the most fear… probably because THAT fear had an actual basis in reality…and often one of the two would have lapsed.
However, this time I was 75% sure that in fact I did have my registration and insurance up to date.
So then my mind started to drift back towards the other options….
I put on my seatbelt (yes I did say ‘on’) 
and started fumbling through the glove compartment, while simultaneously fumbling for my wallet.
then I thought, ‘what if he thinks I’m reaching for a hidden weapon?’
so I quickly ceased and desisted from my activities
and put my hands on the steering wheel at 10 and 2 positions
  
When he finally came to my window, he stood cautiously behind my line of view by the back driver’s side passenger door, shining the flashlight at my clenched hands. He must have saw me reaching for something in the glove box … he probably has his gun drawn right next to his flashlight.
I rolled down the window and he asks for my license and registration.and tells me my front light was out.
I looked surprised, which was a little deceptive because in fact that was on my list of ‘to dos’ for the past several months now.
but I did confess,
’ oh yeah I had to get that fixed’
I then open then glove compartment…. to my horror there are no signs of insurance papers. (just the day before I had printed a temporary one for Joann to use our other camry..)After what seemed like an hour, the officer, sighs audibly and asks ‘can I just see your license please?’
He then walks back to his car to the sounds of my glove box flapping open and closed and papers being strewn about.
I don’t know what kind of check they do in that police car when they go back there, but i’ve seen the inside of these cars.. they have laptops and wireless… no doubt hooked up to a special patriot-act born database that can tell you every ‘unsatisfactory’ citizenship mark you’ve ever gotten on a report card since public school. so while the officer was checking my dna in his mobile lab, I was scolding myself and resigned to the fact that I would indeed need the legal services of Rosa… perhaps to get a new citizenship in a different country that would give me diplomatic immunity.
By the time the officer came back I was ready for my scolding.
he then asks if I found my insurance and why it is my license still has the address of my old apartment.

My reply.
‘Oh yeah, if you check your computer it will show that I did in fact get a new license with updated information, but I lost my wallet in new york, but I found it again but I took the wrong license…. ‘even as the words are coming out of my mouth I realize I sound weird..
so I let my words just kind of drizzle off.. not even finishing the story.
He then asks again for my insurance.

My reply
‘ I don’t have it with me, but I do have current insurance officer! I can find you a temporary Online through my laptop if you want?!’
Now I was fully ready for my ticket and him simply to say ‘nevermind’
but to my annoyance, he says ‘okay, why don’t you show me?’
what?!??!
so I start reaching back with one hand still stuck on the 10 o’ clock position trying to heft my 50 lb backpack over the front seat.
‘you can go to the back seat to get it out.’
‘no it’s ugh…. ok… ‘
‘i’ll be right back while you get that’
he then returns to his csi lab.  
only then am I comfortable enough to reach back with both hands and bring the bag over.
I take the laptop out.
turn on the phone connection to the internet.
no signal…..[insert diatribe about sprint service]
 I feel defeated…
I fiddle around some more with settings and finally just wait for my punishment.
when he finally gets back to me I inform him
 ‘i’m sorry, my internet doesn’t connect here, but I can show you my email confirmation of my most recent insurance premium payment?!’
again, to my annoyance. he says ‘show me’
so I open my mail program and show him the email from a couple days before..
he fills out a paper and says to me ‘i’m giving you a warning…..’

I don’t know what he said after that because I was so relieved!

EPILOGUE
So I was driving a couple of nights later in my van, because I didn’t want to drive sanghee’s camry and get pulled over again (yes I still hadn’t fixed the bulb),
as I entered memorial, I immediately see … the red white and blue disco lights of yet another police car.
I sigh… (see above for the reasons why I sigh)
then pull over almost to the exact same spot on memorial.
as the police officer comes to the window, I am a bit more relieved that the van has all the necessary paperwork and is up to date on registration and insurance.
as I roll down the window I hear,

‘license and registration please….. your back brakelight is out’
(i look surprised… but this time I truly was)
‘didn’t I pull you over the other night?’
to my chagrin… the same officer!!
‘umm yeah,, I was in my wife’s car’
‘i thought I recognized you!’
‘umm yeah’
He then waves off my offering of the insurance and registration and says,
‘hold on one second i’ll just write you up another warning and i’ll be right back’
after I ask him exactly which brake light was out… I thank him and head home..
go figure
update: sanghee’s light is fixed.. the van still needs fixing.. I’ve had to drive exclusively on i-10 to get home at night when in my van…’”

(Via .)