Now, Lord knows I would be the first person to agree that we need policeman, cops, officers of the law, whatever name you have for them. If my kid goes missing in Sears, I will be dialing 911 before you can say scat, if I can stay sane enough to remember the number….
What we do need more of is for them to realize we are all human beings, we have feelings, and that our feelings can be hurt. We are not all evil criminals out to do wrong….
I thought long and hard before I put this down to be seen by the public. Now, I can look back and get a kind of a chuckle, or maybe a grimace out of it, but I am going to tell my little story in hopes that it will cause ONE peacekeeper to dig way down in there, find their heart, and put it to use!
I had had a long, hard morning. Things were a bit stressed and I had some of the grandkids with me. I was trucking down Helton Drive to do some errands when a motorcycle cop turned his lights on and got behind me. I pulled over…….
Now, I don’t know about you, but I if I get stopped, I get a ticket. I could get a ticket for having on the wrong lipstick color. I could get a ticket for my car being so dirty it looks like I have been mud riding. I could get a ticket for having my radio on a country music station.
He was young and cocky. He had on the “heap of trouble, boy” sunglasses.
I was in a panic as I dug through my purse and car pocket to get the necessary papers to keep myself out of Julia Tutwiler Prison for Women. (You know, just about everyone starts feeling this way when they get stopped.)
If cops would pass out nerve pills, they would get a lot more cooperation. As a matter of fact, if THEY took nerve pills, the world might be a friendlier place.
He took my papers and told me my insurance was out of date. I kept digging for my current insurance papers, but he stopped me and asked for my liscense. I guess the mug shot on my liscense didn’t make him happy. He said, “This is you?”
“Yes. I have no makeup on today, but I think that’s legal.” I said, knowing for sure I had just put my foot in my smart mouth.
“Where are you going so fast?” He asked, as he pushed his reflective glasses back up on his nose.
“I have to take my father in law to the doctor to have his broken pelvis checked, and I am taking a dog to the vet..it got hit by a car and has a broken leg.”
I guess this was too much for this motorcycle cop to handle. He smiled real big, and it was not a nice smile, either.
“I don’t appreciate you lying to try to get out of a ticket.” He said, as he wrote my ticket.
“Give me your phone.” He said. “I want to see where you got the call.”
“What call?” I stammered, feeling my civil rights were about to be stomped on.
“The call about the dog.”
“Which one? I have about twenty.”
“Don’t get smart with me, show me your phone, now.”
I would not hand my phone to him, but I held it up and let him look at it.
“Which call is about the dog?” He asked, as he handed me two tickets. One for speeding and one for not having a current insurance card with me.
“Just about all of them”
“You got this call an hour ago? What was it about?”
“I don’t remember.” I was in disbelief.
“Who is Cathy? Who’s Shannon? What was this call about?” He pointed to a call from a friend.
I just sat there, silently. I took my ticket and he said, “Don’t be making up any more stories when you get stopped by an officer of the law.”
“I didn’t make it up, I can prove it, and when I see a true officer of the law I will tell them the truth just like I told you the truth.” I stammered,my temper flaring.
“Have a good day, Ma’am.” He pushed up his glasses again, and walked away.
Today, I am headed for court. I am prepared. I am also planning on getting a word in edgewise if I can. I know it probably won’t happen, but I would love to express in public, where lots of folks can hear, my opinion of these kinds of tactics from our police officers.
Oh, and when I get done with that I am going to check on my father in law and his broken pelvis, then come home and give medicine to a sick dog. That’s my story, I am sticking to it, and it’s the truth, so…………
7 comments
I can vouche for you…
thanks……its almost over now…and I was speeding, but I did have insurance and he had no business asking for my phone. two hundred dollars later…………….sigh
lolol only you Sheila
Some of them can be a bit cocky, some are not. The whole thing about the phone call was not his place to check your phone. If I ever need an officer, I call and they come do their job. I have been stopped, I just take my ticket or warning and go on, you cant change anyone except yourself. Great article, I like it when you tell it like it is!!!
My heart goes out to you Sheila. I see from another reply that Ms. Cagle knows you. I feel the same way you do. Most police officers dont understand that we, as women, are wives, mothers, caretakers of children, homes, pets, in-laws, ect. They think we have got to be up to no good if we are in fact speeding. While in fact just as with you we have so much on our plate do to in a days time all we think is go go go. But Shelia when it comes down to it. — we take the ticket and feel blessed we did not go to jail. Because in my experience they will charge you with public intoxication when you haven’t even had a drink. But they know it all. DON’T THEY! Your article is two thumbs up.
Thank you, Nadine! I have done my duty as a common criminal and got all this paid for, but as for the phone thing, the judge said he didnt want to hear my sob story. I guess even in court I cant get my say, so I write it for the whole world to see…lol….thank you so much for reading. I am not afraid to put it out there…but I may be on their radar forever now…..I am guilty of speeding…its true and I admit it, but he could have let me get my insurance paper and he had no business in my personal phone business…thanks again…..Sheila
Plllllleeeeaaaaaasssssseeee! Go after real crooks! Leave us folks alone! We’re the good guys!