2003-03-03 - 4:12 p.m.
Topic: so nice to hear your voice again

Okay, well I'm sure some of you heard... so here's the story.

Yesterday (sunday), I did some work on my VW Rabbit. I hadn't run the engine in about a week or driven the car in about 3 weeks, so I started her up, let her warm up for 5 minutes, then left my house and went to the gas station. On the way back I went the long way through Cherokee park, and was... well, "driving with spirit." What that means is that I was doing about 45 instead of the 25 limit, but only when the road was clear, and that I was taking corners faster than normal (which is what all that expensive suspension stuff on my car is for.) I pulled off of the loop and onto Cochran Hill road, heading towards Lexington road, and was accelerating all the way up that first turn (the one that's up a hill, pretty sharp.) Anyway so I see a Crown Vic coming up behind me and think I'm about to get pulled over for a speeding ticket... lo and behold, here are the flashing lights. So, I swear and pull over. About 5 minutes later the officer walks up to my car and says "sir, could you step out of the car?" followed by "place your hands on top of the car... I'm placing you under arrest for reckless driving. Do you understand?" I said yeah, and that's about all he said... I sat in the back of his car for about 20 minutes, then he got me out again to close my (ghetto) windows because of the weather, and then we took a nice trip downtown. Yeah, so long story short, I spent 8 hours of my sunday in jail. I'm going to court on wednesday, I'll plead not guilty and try and get it reduced to speeding.

Now comes my little rant... I got a copy of the citation and the officer said he clocked me doing over 70MPH. Now, if you know Cherokee Park, you know THAT ISN'T POSSIBLE unless you're INSANELY STUPID, and I'm not (although some would argue that I'm close.) I never got above 3000RPM in 3rd gear, which is something about equal to 45MPH (I watch my tachometer, not my speedometer, when I drive.) So I have no idea how he got 70. Maybe he was at a weird angle and his gun hadn't been calibrated in a while? Second, I was speeding, but where's the reckless part? Upon sighting pedestrians I slowed to at or below the speed limit without exception, I never left my lane, I never lost any control of my car, I never had to slam on my brakes.. I was just out for a nice drive. Grrrr. It has to be my exhaust, because at 3000RPM it definitely SOUNDS like I'm doing about 70 and driving like a maniac. Yeah, yeah, don't say anything or I'll punch you, and I don't need any assault charges right now.

So, yeah, that's about it. I'm selling the car as soon as I finish the body work, and maybe I'll get it sprayed as cheaply as possible. I guess I'll be driving the Volvo Wagon for a while, until I find something to buy.

Moral of the story? Don't speed, get a quiet exhaust system, and don't complain about school lunch because at least it isn't jail food.

Talk to you all later, I've got stuff to take care of. Oh, I NEED a job, any ideas?

--Tibbs