Stop Sign

Because it is winter and due to time change to Pacific Standard Time, it becomes very dark in the evenings in California.  In the streets, 7 PM looks and feels like midnight.

 

Yesterday evening, my wife gave a list of groceries to buy and asked me to go to Safeway (a grocery store chain).  So, at about 8:20 pm, I leave my house in my SUV.  After 5 minutes of driving, I stop at the STOP sign.  It was pitch dark.  No one was in the street.  No pedestrian.  No other car.  Still, I came to a full stop. Then proceeded to drive.

 

I could immediately see in my rear view mirror a police car.  But he did not flash his headlights which is an order for me to stop my car.  Therefore, I kept driving.  I knew he was after me because he did not try to overtake me.  He followed me for a full 2 minutes.  Then, flashed his car’s headlights.

 

I then pulled my car to the right and stopped my car.  My hands on the steering wheel all the time.  That is what required when the police stops you.  In USA, police officer will take about 5 minutes to get out of his car and approach you.  He will not get out of his car immediately.  In those 5 minutes, he will get all the details about the car and its owner from his computer through your car license plate number.

 

He got out of the car.  The police officer is more afraid of you than you afraid of him.  He walked slowly and stopped at the back seat of the opposite side (right side). He had a flash light and asked me to roll down the back right side window.  I roll down the window.  Now he sees me and confident I am not a criminal with a gun and therefore comes to the front seat at the passenger side.  Asked me to roll down the window.  I did.  Here is the conversation:

 

                                                                     (Google Image)

 

Officer:  Sir, do you know why I stopped you?

 

Me:  I don’t know.

 

Officer:  Sir, at the stop sign, you did not stop your car behind the line.  Your car stopped after crossing the line.

 

(My mind was thinking – What the F? Is this a big crime? Have you been waiting in the cold dark night just to catch me crossing the line and stopping my car at the stop sign? Hey, you should be happy that I did stop my car at the stop sign.) (But my brain is saying – Don’t show your smartness to the police officer.  If he wants to, he can give you all sorts of trouble.)

 

Me:  Is that so officer?  I am sorry I did not notice that.  I will be careful in the future.

 

Then he gave a 3 minute lecture about how these laws are for my own safety.

 

Officer:  Sir, can I see your Driver’s License.

 

I gave him my Driver’s License.  He said please wait and I will be back.  He goes to his car to check if I have any arrest warrant against me.  He comes back after 3 minutes and gives my driver’s license back.

 

Officer: Please drive safely and that too in this weather.  Where are you going? Any drinking plans today?

 

Me:  I am going to Safeway.  I don’t know if I have a drinking plan or not.

 

Officer:  You can go now. Please be careful.

 

I start my car and go to Safeway – cursing him all the way.  At the same time happy that he did not give me a ticket.  Just a warning and lecture only.  If he had given a ticket, that would be considered a “moving violation” and raise my car insurance fees.