But Officer
After I wrote this for a newsletter I received a phone call and was asked if they could use it for something. I said yes. Later I heard that it was used as a training aid by Snohomish County Emergency Management to help those with hearing loss.
One night not long ago my wife Karen and I were coming home from a dinner out. It was dark and I was driving. When we were a block from our home I noticed a county sheriff car sitting in a church parking lot. No problem; I wasn’t speeding or anything. I turned left on the dead-end street we live on. That is when I noticed the flashing lights behind us. I pulled over.
“I can’t believe we’re being pulled over on our own street!” I said.
The cop came over and asked for license, insurance, and registration. He said my license plate light was out. I got out to see for myself. Yeah, it’s out.
He walked back to his patrol car. I stood by my car leaning against the roof looking around to see if there were any looky-loos looking out their windows to see what was going on. I heard the policeman say something but I don’t know what. I just thought he was talking on the radio. Cops do that sometimes.
As I was standing there wondering if I was going to be teased by my neighbors; I heard the cop yell something like, “If you don’t want any trouble you better do as you’re told and get back in the car!”
Where did that come from? I told him I didn’t hear him. He said something about asking for trouble.
I don’t have an answer for this. I understand for law enforcement, its safety. I also know he didn’t know I was hard hearing. One interesting thing to note is, that he seemed to have had no problem of me getting out, to look at the burnt out license plate light. So why was he yelling later?
He never did write me up.
My Thoughts 