I don't imagine this will make you feel any better, Mike. But at least it will reinforce that you're not the only fellow around! /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif
Back in 1969, I was going to Austin, Texas (only time I've ever been in Texas) to be the best man at my brother's wedding. I had paid for some repairs to his car as his wedding present, and I was driving it down for him. A good friend of mine was going along for the ride.
As we're entering the Dallas area, I got so screwed up with all of the construction that was going on, that I was totally lost. I finally spot a police officer pulled over to the side of the road. I pulled up behind him, got out and walked up to his squad. I explained my problem, and he said he understood because even he got messed up with all of the detours. he was nice enough to lead me out of town and point me towards Austin.
Fast forward to the next Friday. One of my jobs as best man was to pick people up at the airport and deliver them to wherever they were supposed to be delivered. I always thought this was really smart....having a 19 year old University of Wisconsin student driving around in a town where he has no idea of where any thing is! /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif Anyway, after one particular delivery, one of my brother's fiancee's older brothers takes the car I was using on a little errand to get the beer for the bachelor party later that night.
The party goes off beautifully. In fact, TOO beautifully, if you know what I mean. I don't believe I've EVER been so hng over in my life as I was on the day of the wedding. It was a L O N G day! /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif After the wedding, I'm supposed to take my brother and his new bride to pick up his car. He had stashed away some place so that all of us guys couldn't "sabotage" it! /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif So I'm driving along, in my tux, with my brother and his new wife in the back seat. I'm being really careful at all of the intersections that have traffic signals, because Texas has these goofy signals that hang in the middle of the intersection by the wires. I'd never seen those kind before, and it had taken me all week to get used to the silly things. So I had stopped at a red light, and when it was clear to go, I proceeded through the intersection very carefully. Just after getting through the intersection, I see a squad car right behind me with his lights on. So, I dutifully pull over. The officer gets out, and so do I (you could do that back then). We meet at the rear of the car and I'm already talking, explaining on how I knew that the light was green, and how it had taken me all week to get used to the lights, but that I just KNEW that the light was green, and....
He cuts me off. He says that he isn't stopping me for the traffic light, because yes, it was green. He was stopping me for rolling the stop sign 4 blocks back! /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif
Huh?? Heck, I don't even remember 4 blocks back. /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif
O.K. I'm not going to argue with the man. I mean, my brother and his new bride are sitting there waiting for me. So I pull out my wallet and give him my license. he looks at, and says with a straight dead-pan face, "This is expired." /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif
It had expired 3 days earlier. I had sent my renewal in before I'd left for Texas, but it had not arrived. My mother was supposed to bring it down with her when she flew in, but she forgot it. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif
So, Mr. Policeman gives me 2 tickets, one for running a stop sign and one for operating with an expired license. Plus, I can't drive. So my brother now has to get in and drive, and because of a bunch of stuff on the front seat, I have to go back and sit next to my new sister-in-law! /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif
We get to where his car was parked, and they get out to go and get in his car and drivwe back to the reception. Hey, wait a minute! I'm not supposed to drive with this expired license!
My brother just chuckles as he and his wife get in and drive off. /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif
I was driving so carefully on my way back that I figured I'd probably get a ticket for impeding traffic. I'm about 3 or 4 blocks from the house when I come around the corner and there is the same police officer sitting along side of the road. I figured I was sunk. But apparently he never noticed that it was me driving, because I didn't get stopped.
The next day, Sunday, I had to go down to the courthouse to take care of the tickets. Yes, they actually had a little office open on Sundays there. I paid, are you ready for this? The $2.00 fine for running the stop sign. The guy behind the counter was real nice about my license. He said that as soon as I got back to Wisconsin, to send them a copy of the license and the ticket would be voided. Whew! /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif
I didn't waste any time on getting out of town. My brother had driven my car down, so I was driving it back. When I got to Dallas, I got totally lost AGAIN! /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif So as I'm driving around trying to figure out how to get out of town, I spot another Police officer parked along side of the road. I stopped and went up to the side of his car, and.......yup - the same officer that had helped me the week before! /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif
He recognized me and asked if I had enjoyed my stay in Texas. I replied that it had been one of THE most memorable stays that I would ever have. He seemed pleased to hear that, and then he proceeded to lead me out of town - AGAIN.
Haven't been back since. /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif
