The other day I stopped a guy for driving 15 miles per hour over the limit in a school zone. This is an elementary school on a 2-lane road with buses and parents dropping kids off, and kids crossing the street, so I take speed enforcement there pretty seriously. When I politely presented the citation to the driver, we had the following exchange:
Driver: "I haven't had a ticket since I was a teenager. I was on my way to the VA, you know".
Me: (silent)
Driver: "You must not have much to do if you're out picking on guys like me".
Me: (silent)
Driver: "I bet you feel pretty good about yourself, picking on military men".
Me: "Sir, I'm a Marine Corps veteran myself. I served six years in combat infantry. And I'm not picking on anybody. I'm trying to keep these kids from getting run over by people driving carelessly. I feel pretty good about all of that".
Driver: "Well, why don't you go out and pick on some of your buddies?" (throws citation onto floor and drives off)
Had I been thinking more quickly, I'd've asked him if he was pissed off because I was trying to make sure he didn't run down a first-grader, or because he thought he was above the law because he was a military veteran. Please - if you get stopped by a cop, DON'T play the veteran card to get out of a ticket. Veterans like me don't like it.
2 comments:
Oh well, if he's on his way to the VA then he has served his country and has every right to speed in school zones and endanger the lives of children. He was a moron.
I love self righteous people. /sarcasm
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