Average Jane Gets Busted

As I drove through downtown before lunch today, I saw a bearded man walking down the sidewalk holding a long stick over his head with both hands. After I drove past, he began shouting at the driver of the car behind me and shaking the stick at him. Why, I don’t know. To me it was just another reminder that the occasional little electrical misfires in my brain could be much, much worse. With that kind of perspective, I don’t feel quite so bad about having to go back into the house two or three times every day before I finally have everything I need to drive away.

I’ll soon be paying for my inattention in another way, though – I got my first speeding ticket of the season. 48 in a 35 mph zone. My last one was for going 38 in a 25 mph zone, so you can see the pattern here. I blame the fact that my radar detector is out of service until I get better suction cups to hold it to the windshield. Yes, I know I shouldn’t speed, blah, blah, blah, but I just do. My car is turbo-charged, okay? To quote Forrest Gump, “That’s all I have to say about that.” (Wow, two movie quotes in two blog entries. I must be overdue for some cinematic entertainment.)

I remember a time when getting pulled over seemed like the most terrifying thing that could happen. It should still be hideously traumatic, considering that I have no idea where I’m going to come up with the money to pay this fine, whatever amount it ends up being. However, I no longer get that sick rush of adrenalin when I see the flashing lights. It’s more of a, “Well, you got me,” feeling of resignation.

I’d been hoping to take my car out to our local racetrack for a drivers’ education weekend this spring or summer. I think high-speed track performance training would get a lot of the “need for speed” out of my system. Unfortunately, my transmission is in a bad way and I can’t subject the car to any excessive strain. Since it’s very important that my transmission remain functional until I can afford to replace it, tracking and autocrossing are out of the question for now. Sigh.

So that’s my tale of semi-woe for today. I can’t expect any sympathy because it’s completely my fault, but to dredge up another quote, this time from Joe Walsh, “I can’t complain but sometimes I still do.” I’d say that about sums it up!