diarynewest
older
plus 1
minus 1
contactnotes
linksprofile
friends
rings
creditshost
design
January 14, 2004 - 2:33 PM
In The Headphones: Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
On The Nightstand: Zoetrope Magazine
So I'm driving home from work the other night. It's a little later than usual, about 6:30 or 7:00, because I had stopped at PW's for some foodstuffs, but that's irrelevant. I'm driving in the left lane in an effort to avoid cars coming onto the highway into the right lane. I swear, California has the most fucked up entrance ramps. Anyway, the highway starts up an incline about a mile or so before my exit which is at the crest of the hill. Traffic tends to slow here because drivers fail to increase the pressure on the gas pedal to compensate for losing speed driving up the hill. So like I said, I'm driving in the left lane, there is a car right in front of me and a steady line of cars in the right line. I'm somewhat boxed in where I'm at because of this unless I were to slow down quite a bit which I'm not ready to do. My exit is still about a mile away. I notice a motorcycle behind me that hadn't been there when I looked before. He's got his 1 headlight on high-beam shining right into my rear-view mirror. It's annoying and I lower my head a little bit to get the brightness out of my eyes. I also notice that the motorcycle is right on my ass, closer than I'd like him to be. More annoyance on my part. Unfortunately, I am unable to move to the right because of the car that is occupying that lane already, I am unable to speed up to pass it because of the car in front of me, and everyone is slowing down because of the incline. Motorcycle Man moves to the right lane. I assume hoping to go faster but he can't because of the car in that lane. I admit that I may have maneuvered my car to the far right of my lane so as not to allow him to drive between our two cars. I'm sorry but I hate that California allows motorcycles to do that, drive between the lanes of traffic. I don't mind so much when traffic is at a stand still and no cars are moving. But when traffic is moving normally motorcycles need to stay out from between moving vehicles. I think at this point I began talking out loud and waving my hands as I speak indicating my displeasure of the impatience of the two-wheeled driver behind me. Motorcycle Man, realizing he had nowhere to go in the right lane, moves back behind me. Great! High-beams in my rear-view mirror again. I'm getting closer to my exit but, still unable to move to the right lane, decide to take the next exit instead. Once we all clear the crest of the hill and the roadway levels out a bit, I'm finally able to move over to the right lane. I'm really annoyed by impatient Motorcycle Man so as he drives past me on the left I blatantly offer him the one finger salute. I usually try to be discreet when flipping off other drivers, scratching my check with the middle finger or placing it lower in the window. But this guy had annoyed me so much that I put my finger right up to the glass square in the middle of the window. He slows as he pulls next to me and I turn my head to look at him. And I notice that he is, in fact, A COP! California Highway Patrol, to be exact. CHiPs. OH SHIT!!! When he spies my raised finger, he flips on the flashing blue and reds and angrily points to the side of the highway. I pull over and in seconds Officer Poncherello is at my passenger side window asking for my license and registration. I'm apologizing profusely at the same time knowing there's no way out of it. This guy is pissed! He lays into me for a good five minutes about the dangers of road rage and I don't know what else. I try to explain that his high-beams were shining in my eyes and he tells me that they are his normal driving lights and if I have a problem with them I should write a letter to Mercedes Benz. Unfortunately, my registration and proof of insurance are in my trunk which gives him yet another thing to get on my ass about. He takes my license up to his bike to write me up, shaking his head and giving me the worst dirty looks the whole time. He returns to my car and tells me "I'm not letting you go. I just got another call. But if I EVER see that finger again..." as he hands my license back to me. Then he shoots me another chilling glare, gets on his motorcycle and speeds off. Shaking a little, I drive up the shoulder to the exit ramp and make my way home feeling completely horrible. I can't believe I flipped off a cop. Then it hits me. I flipped off a cop! I flipped off a cop AND I got away with it!
*
1 comments so far
astrocat - 2004-01-16 23:50:06
I don't mean to be disrespecting any po-lice either, but they need to be humbled sometimes. Just because they are cops doesn't mean they drive well.
-------------------------------
Woot Woot! - February 04, 2005
I've Got Tom-Toms In My Tum-Tum - January 31, 2005
The Seven Deadly Sins of December - January 04, 2005
Yummy and Gross - December 07, 2004
Big Changes On The Horizon - December 01, 2004