DAY 34 - I FEEL THE NEED ... THE NEED FOR SPEED

Whoops! I did it again – got pulled over again today. That would be the 3rd time in the past 3 months.  Now I’m not particularly reckless, nor really all that much of a speed demon (ok, well maybe a little). And it’s not like this happens all the time – I haven’t been pulled over for at least 7-8 years, until this summer.

   So I got pulled over in a Mustang Convertible (rental) doing 20+ over the speed limit in Arizona in July, and I got pulled over in a Dodge Challenger (another rental) doing 20+ over the speed limit in Illinois in August, and today I got pulled over for doing 77mph in a 60-zone in Wellsville, Utah, in my own truck. And all three times, I managed to “girl” my way out of it.

   My friend Karen Grant says it must be the boobs that gets me out of the tickets – and I’m not saying she’s wrong, because I am definitely stacked. And all three times it was male Highway Patrol Troopers. And all three times I did play dumb – although, quite honestly I really wasn’t speeding intentionally – but rather just not paying attention.

   Today when the Trooper came to the passenger-side window, I immediately stuck out my hand to introduce myself, shook his hand, and apologized for not paying attention. (I was speeding heading down the hill just outside of Sardine Canyon, which apparently catches a lot of people off guard.) And I was still dressed up from having just left General Conference, which I don’t think hurt my cause (not sure I would have “walked” had I been in sweats & t-shirt).

   I talked to a friend after getting pulled over (and not getting a ticket), and he said that he has a niece about age 20 who also never gets tickets – largely because she is a beautiful girl and just talks her way out of it. So I do think that girls have a better shot of getting out of a ticket than guys do.

   But I also think that beyond the “Girl Factor” – the fact that I was polite, friendly, and apologetic definitely helped. And that I don’t have any previous tickets, and do have current registration and insurance, certainly contributes too.

   So to today’s Utah Highway Patrol Trooper, thank you. Thank you for being a nice and friendly officer. Thank you for being cool and letting me off with just a “warning”. And thank you for putting your life on the line every day to keep all of us safe.

   And, yes, I think it’s about time I slow down a bit. Not only because I think that 3 times is probably about my limit, and not just because speed limits are in place for public safety, but with the weather changing it’s just safer to drive at the posted limits.