I was driving home last night a couple hours after midnight down the all familiar two lane road that has become my main travel vein over the past few years. There was nobody out, and I was taking it a bit slower than the posted pace, due to the rain that had fallen and the deer that I had previousy seen. I came over a small hill and saw a car approaching in the oncoming lane. Respectfully, I switched off my hi-beams at almost the same time as the other vehicle did the same. This makes me happy when people choose to not blind me while driving towards me. The car passed and out of the corner of my eye I noticed the lights mounted on its roof.
Well, I knew it was a county policeman instantly but I also knew I wasn't speeding or swerving or doing anything to attract attention. However, as soon as that thought crossed my mind I thought of another more likely scenario. I came to the conclusion that this officer would most likely turn around and follow me for a bit. You know how it goes. They come up on you a bit faster than you are going and try to goad you into going a bit too fast and then, *flash*, they pull you over for speeding. While it has never happened to me (I don't tend to speed), I have seen it happen numerous times to unsuspecting drivers. Although I hate it and I think it is wrong, I know to expect it.
So I continue my drive towards my bed at my reasonable speed when about a minute later I notice headlights creeping up on me from behind. Here comes the officer out to write a ticket. I remain within my lane at my safe pace with this car all up on me for about 2 minutes. At this point I am thinking he will either choose to pass me by or turn around at the next possible opportunity since I am not doing anything illegal.
*Flash*
As I pull of to the side of the road, I am trying to figure out why this policeman has pulled me over. I wasn't speeding or driving recklessly. I don't have any warrants out for my arrest. The car is registered in my name. Could it be my plates/stickers? Nope - they are good till September. So I sit in my driver's seat waiting to hear why I have just been pulled over.
The officer walks up and asks for my license and registration, which I promptly provide him. And this conversation follows:
Him: You out here camping tonight?
Me: No sir. I was just on my way home from my girlfriend's house. (Thinking - if I were camping I wouldn't be driving right now I would be sleeping.)
Him: I see. Well, I pulled you over to warn you that I've seen about 50 deer on this road tonight, and I noticed that you brake light was out.
Me: It is? Which one? (I have had trouble with one light in particular, I think it is a short. I've replaced it multiple times.)
Blah. Blah. Blah...
So he goes back to his car and runs my info through his little computer-checker machine. All the time I am waiting thinking "You didn't turn around to pull me over to tell me about deer. you wanted to ticket me and had to wait for me to tap my brakes in order to give you a reason to turn on your increbily bright lights at this hour..."
He comes back to the door and gives me back my license. He notices that I have a bottle of Heet on the floor in the back of my car and asks me about it. He then asks me to step out of the car so he can check the remainder of the vehicle. He then pats me down to make sure I don't have any weapons, and proceeds to have me sit in the backseat of the patrol car. He proceeds to lock me in and pick through my car. When he gets done with the interior, he goes to the trunk and searches through it as well.
He comes back and lets me out of his car and tells me that due to the abundance of meth labs in the area the police are trying to be more proactive in their efforts to stop the criminals. He informs me that Heet and Ice Melt are two of the ingredients used to make meth. He also informs me that since I didn't have any sudoephedrine (one of the main ingredients) in the vehicle it was not a problem. He wishes me a good night and I am back on my way.
All of this took 25 minutes. I lost 25 minutes of sleep last night because a policeman was eager to write a late-night ticket. I got patted down, put in a patrol car and had my vehicle searched because I had some very common items in my car. I'm not the happiest citizen in the world right now. I had done nothing wrong. I had not broken any laws on the roadway, yet I was singled out and followed. I had purchased some items for the winter that I have not removed yet from my car, and I was treated as a possible criminal for it.
Let's be clear. I'm all for being proactive, but this was ridiculous. It isn't like I had 10 bottles of Heet with me or 20lbs of Ice Melt in my trunk. How much meht could I possibly make from one bottle of Heet and a half a bag of salt? I can only imagine what would have happened if he had pulled me over last week when I had a Walmart bag filled with Sinus/Allergy pills and other OTC medications. I think I would have been arrested for being a suspected methamphetamine maker and dealer.
So be careful if you ever buy any seasonal products for your car or home. You might get to spend 25 minutes with a policeman ont he side of the road late at night or possibly go to jail as a suspected felon.
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