When a Traffic Cop Gave Me More Than a Ticket
Finding Grace in Unlikely Places
Why do traffic cops always position themselves where the speed limit changes?
You know the ones? Right where the speed limit drops from 45 to 35 or from 65 to 55, often at the bottom of a hill. You’re cruising along, thinking you’re obeying the rules, and then bam — those flashing lights appear in your rearview mirror.
Of course, they’ll tell you it’s about enforcing the law, maintaining safety, and controlling speed. But sometimes, it feels like it’s less about safety and more about an easy catch. After all, most people aren’t intentionally speeding when the limit suddenly drops. They’re just reacting to the road ahead.
So it was a few days ago when I was pulled over literally a few meters before a speed sign, committing the apparently heinous crime of accelerating too early.
I had just spotted the sign up ahead, announcing the blessed relief of a higher speed limit. You know that feeling — you’ve been crawling along, waiting for the stretch where you can finally let your car breathe a little. Well, I must’ve been a little too eager. I tapped the gas pedal, and the next thing I knew, I was on the side of the road, winding down my window with the traffic cop walking over.
