It was the summer of 2000, I had just turned 19 and at this time, my parents were going through a divorce. I had just moved with my father in Greenfield after one of my best friends, Lee, and I had lost our apartment.
Lee's father was subletting his trailer to us. It was a cool little place. We used to setup soda cans, tin cans and other stuff to shoot with our BB guns. I had a black QuickSilver gun, not that powerful but fun. Lee had a powerful multi pump gun that would rip through cans and deep into the drywall behind it. That wall was really shot up when we moved out. One time a BB ricocheted off a tin can and hit a body mirror that belonged to his father.. oops.
The trailer was also a creepy place. Sometimes we'd wake up and it felt like some was watching us! Lee was convinced the place was haunted - I don't know anything about ghosts or hauntings but someone or something was in there with us... CREEPY!
So anyway, after renting the place for a few months Lee's father needed the place back. We had some money saved up but didn't have any leads on apartments. We went our separate ways, I moved back in with my father - I'm not sure where he went.
I stayed in Greenfield for a few weeks then my father and I moved to Brattleboro, Vermont.
I got a job up there servicing printers for a small shop. Pay wasn't great but I liked the work and it was enough to cover my minor bills - except for my car insurance!
Over the course of the moves I did not have my mail forwarded or held at the post office. So the monthly bills - my credit card and my car insurance weren't getting to me. Who knows where the hell those were getting mail! Did you know that those vultures will cancel your policy and registration if you don't pay?! Yeah, so did I.
One night I was heading home, I had just got out of work and picked up some dinner at KFC. I jumped on the highway and went down to exit 2. After I got off the exit and a little before the covered bridge I noticed a car starting to tailgate me. I could tell by the style of the headlights it was a crown victoria - crap, a cop! Crap my car insurance! Crap, I dropped a wing on my pants!
Up the street on the left was the covered bridge and it was coming up quick. I flipped the blinker - no way in hell am I having failure to signal tacked on - and took the corner hard. I really opened it up through the bridge. I cranked the wheel right and pulled the e-brake, taking a hard fast turn into a parking lot next to a baseball field. I pulled into a space and shut off my lights. I also put my seat belt on - again, I'm not getting that fine tacked on!
Not 5 seconds later, here comes the heat - full sirens and lights!
Crap, crap, crappity, crap! I now know I didn't wait long enough but as soon as the cruiser passed the parking lot I flipped on my lights and drove back out over the bridge. The officer must have seen my lights or just had a sixth sense - in the rear view I saw that cruiser pull a donut and head in my direction.
I had just made it over the bridge and a couple of minutes down the road when he caught up with me. I was stuck behind a truck who was going the speed limit - the nerve of some people! I put the blinker on and pulled over. I rolled down the window and waited.
The officer hopped out of the car. "Nice try," he said with a smile.
"I'm not sure what you mean, sir." My heart was thumping, trying to escape from my chest.
"License and registration."
I picked them up off the passenger seat and with shaky hands handed them to him. He went back to his cruiser.
This is it, I thought. I'm going to be arrested. I don't know the number to our new place. Who the hell am I going to call?!
After what seemed like an eternity the office came back to my window.
"Step out of the vehicle, please." He said, no longer smiling. This was it. "Mr. Henry" - no, not the Mr. Henry... "this is an unregistered vehicle."
"Uh, well.." I stammered.
"This is also an uninsured vehicle."
"Well sir, I had just moved up here from Massachusetts and my mail must not..." actually who knows what I rambled on about.
"In Massachusetts, I would have to arrest" ... arrest, arrest, arrest... "you and impound the vehicle." Arrest was ringing and echoing through my brain. "Mr Henry, this is a ticket for driving an unregistered vehicle with expired tags - $217.50. Sign here." He handed me the ticket pad, I jotted my herbie hancock and handed it back. "Mr. Henry, this is a ticket for driving an uninsured vehicle - $217.50. Sign here." Again, he handed me the pad and I signed - I hope the signatures didn't need to match!
His lapel transceiver erupted and called for his attention. He hit his talk button and muttered something into it.
"Mr Henry, in Massachusetts, I would have to arrest you but" He said why, something about the classification of the offense in that state but I can't remember for sure, all I cared about was that I wasn't going to be arrested! "I have a call I must get to. I'm not going to call a tow truck, I will leave you on your honor to do the right thing."
"Thank you, Officer." Yes, thank you very much!
My honor lasted the whole of two minutes - the amount of time it took for him to walk away, get into his cruiser then drive off - in the opposite direction of where I was headed! When the red tail lights could no longer be seen I ran back to the car, hopped in and took off. With a leadfoot I raced back home.
I didn't have the means to correct the situation and I didn't have $435.00 for the fines. I resolved to be more careful. Only go to work and to home, no extra stops until I could rectify the situation. How long did this plan work? Well, see.
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