Please and Thank You

On a recent family vaca to the Florida gulf, I was pulled over for speeding. And, saying "speeding" is putting it lightly. The officer clocked me at 68 in a 45 and then at 68 in a 35. (Hee, hee, hee...insert nervous laughter here.)

The officer asked if I knew why he pulled me over. "No..." I responded hoping it was the tail light on our 2007 rental car. I then received the unfortunate news of how fast I was going. (Would you believe the accelerator was stuck?)

Public Service Announcement: Maybe it's because my grandfather was a police officer but I have little tolerance for people who are rude to cops. I was definitely irritated that I was pulled over but mad at myself -- not at the officer who was simply doing his job.

I responded to the rest of his questions with the manners my mama taught me and then waited...some country song played on the radio while he ran my plates, checked my record and I hoped, hoped, hoped I'd remember to pay that parking ticket from last year.

When the officer returned to my car, he gave me the good news. Since I was so nice and polite he was only ticketing me for going 45 in a 35. Sweet. That saved me $300 and a second trip to the gulf for a court appearance. All for saying please and thank you.

I received even better news today. Upon calling to pay my ticket via credit card (the other option was certified check. Really? Certified checks are a whole other bothersome blog), I learned the ticket was never turned in. And, if after 15 days the county hasn't received it, the ticket is removed.

Hold on, I need to go buy a lottery ticket.

Here's my take: First, I'm appreciative of the officer for slowing me down. Even by my NASCAR standards, 68 in a 35 is too dang fast. Second, I don't know if it's a stretch but I like to think my manners and kindness made it a little easier for this police officer to "forget" to submit my ticket.

Moral of the story? Let's be nice to each other.

Class dismissed.