Friday five...

[mandolin]

1. How old were you when you got your drivers license?
17. Was going to get it at the age of 16, but I got a BIT sidetracked by the Blizzard of '96.

2. Did you get your own car right away, use the family car, or bum rides from friends?
Borrowed Mom's car from time to time. Didn't get my own car until 2001; didn't need one before then.

3. What was your first car and what was it like?
2001 Honda Civic. Still got it, still love it.

4. How old were you when you got your first traffic ticket and what happened?
21, and dear GOD, was it stupid. The stop sign on my way home from my summer job had been changed to a stoplight that summer, and I was going home after a tiring day and not at my best. Now, with a cop tailgating me and making me nervous, I pulled up to the red light, looked both ways, and proceeded through the intersection, thinking "stop sign." I didn't know why I was being pulled over, and when the cop patiently explained, I was horrified and wanted to beat myself with the steering wheel. The cop did not show up for traffic court, fortunately.

(And now, whenever I'm approaching that light with a passenger who knows this story, the following exchange always ensues in some form or another: "Stop LIGHT!" "Oh, shut up.")

5. What is your favorite car story, be it an accident, road trip, etc?
Ah, a beautiful little moment that I posted in bad_driving:

Ocean City, Maryland, March 2002. I was spending Spring Break in OC with three friends since one of these friends is a native and got us a sweet deal (even for off-season) on a suite at the Clarion with free passes to the spa. We were all piled into my car, and I was driving, heading north from the inlet, going the speed limit on a one-lane 30 mph road. The native had advised me that since St. Patty's Day was coming up, there were speed traps everywhere, and I took her advice to heart.

Cue a moron in a big red pickup with out-of-state tags, who pulled into the road behind me and was on my rear bumper in seconds. Now he wasn't just following close - he was riding my ass, flashing his lights, and leaning on his horn when I put my flashers on. In the interest of minimizing the damage when he inevitably hit me and my friends would get out of the car and kill him, I slowed down a bit. Asshat was not happy, but I didn't care since I value the health and safety of the people in my car and was not getting a ticket because he was in a hurry.

Finally, the road became two-lane, and the asshat flew around me, nearly clipping my rear bumper as he sped around me. I kept cruising at the speed limit, waiting for the inevitable payoff.

He made it about a hundred feet before the cop stepped out into the road and flagged him down.

As we cruised past, we all waved and smiled. The guy looked pissed off, and the cop looked like he was trying not to laugh.

We saw that pickup truck one more time that week, and it was worth noting that he was doing the speed limit.

Moral of the story - don't tailgate the natives. We know where all the speed traps are. :)

Comments

[neonhummingbird.livejournal.com]

< laughing > Reminds me of coming back from Toronto towards Detroit a few years ago, roadtripping with several friends. The entire freeway was backed up, this long line of cars all cruising the exact speed limit. We couldn't figure out why until there was a bend, and we dimly made out the shape of a car with lights on the top way out in front. Everyone assumed it was a cop car, hence the adherence to the legal limit.

Until a Ferarri says "Screw this!" and zooms up the passing lane at 15 over. We all waited breathlessly for him to get busted; when nothing happened, we followed his lead (at a slightly safer speed).

When we reached the front of the column, we found a fire department official vehicle (hence the lights) leading the way, populated by 2 firemen who didn't give a damn about speeders, but were doubled over laughing at the line of terrified and law-abiding cars behind them.

[violetbloom.livejournal.com]

"Red light, Miller. Miller, red light."
*CRASH*
"What the hell?"
"Miller, you ran a red light."

[weirdweb.livejournal.com]

Well, that wasn't MY story to tell, anyway. :)

He is never going to live that down. If I ever go to a reunion and Chris Miller is there, I know the first words out of my mouth will be "Red light, Miller. Miller, red light."

[jennies.livejournal.com]

I somehow feel I'm missing something...

[violetbloom.livejournal.com]

There was this stupid boy in our high school... Well, there were a lot of them, but one in particular. His last name was Miller, which is how people addressed him. As of our senior year of high school he had received 10 or more red light tickets (and that was before they put the cameras in). He just didn't pay attention to them. The conversation posted above occured between Miller and his best friend right before he ran a red light and was creamed by an SUV.

[kevenn.livejournal.com]

I love waving to the asshat pulled over in the red pickup!! LOL.