 I had just come from a contentious meeting. Outraged. Angry. Driving fast. All I wanted was to go home, get into bed, hide under a blanket, and shut out the world. I heard the siren before I saw the flashing lights. In the rearview mirror I saw a police car behind me. Cursing, I motioned to the cop I would turn right into a side street and stop. He nodded, indicating this was acceptable. When I stopped the car, trembling and feeling cold, I realized these were symptoms of my blood sugar dropping precipitously. I searched the glove compartment for protein bars I usually kept there. Nothing. I couldn’t stop shaking. I was in serious trouble—not because of speeding, although this was a problem—but without food my capacity to think clearly was diminishing. I realized his stopping me had prevented what could have been serious trouble. When the policeman came over to my car, I handed him my license and registration. “Do you know how fast you were going?” he asked. I shook my head. “47mph in a 20mph zone. That’s more than a ticket. You’ll have to appear in court.” “Thank you for stopping me. I had no idea I was going so fast. My blood sugar is falling and I need to eat. I usually have food in the car for when this happens but I forgot to replenish my supply. If you hadn’t stopped me, I hate to think what could have happened.” By now the shaking was visibly worse. “I have a package of Life Savers in my car. Would it help?” he asked, more than a little incredulous. “In more ways than one,” I quipped. He left and returned with an unopened roll of Life Savers. My hands were trembling so badly I couldn’t open the roll. He noticed and opened it for me. I took one and handed the roll back to him. “Keep it,” he said. “What’s gonna make you safe to drive?” “I’ll eat a few more and sit here until my blood sugar stabilizes.” “How will you know?” he asked, sounding like he doubted I was safe to drive. “I’ll stop shaking. I’ll stop feeling rattled. I promise I’ll stay here until I feel okay to drive.” “You’ll get a letter in the mail with a court date. Make sure you keep it.” “I will.” I thanked him again. I had no idea I was so upset. I didn’t realize my blood sugar was plummeting so rapidly. “You might have saved my life,” I told him. “Or someone else’s.” I offered to pay him for the roll. He shook his head. “You don’t need to pay me but you do need to promise me you will never again drive without food in your car.” “I promise.” He drove off. I ate the whole roll of Life Savers. When I felt calm enough to drive, I drove home. When I appeared before the judge, he looked at the report and shook his head. I wondered if he’d do more than fine me. Suspend my license? Revoke my license permanently? I tried to control my anxiety. Finally, he looked up and asked, “Is it true you thanked the officer for stopping you?” “Yes.” I told the judge about my blood sugar dropping and not being aware of how it was affecting me, and how the Life Savers saved me. “I’ve never driven without food in the car since then.” The judge shook his head. “I’ve been sitting on this bench for more than 25 years. In all that time, not a single driver, not one, has ever thanked an officer for stopping them. Astonishing.” I waited for him to tell me I could keep my license and how to pay the fine, which I’d been told would be a hundred dollars. “I notice you have had, until this episode, a clean driving record. Given the evidence, your fine is thirty dollars, payable to the clerk.” Has a bad situation ever turned into a blessing? How?
3 Comments
Marlene Simon
10/6/2024 04:17:09 pm
I love this story and it reminds me of a time when I was pulled over in the 80's. I was speeding to a exercise class in Tiburon, CA. The highway patrol person was a woman. I had never been pulled over by a female officer. She came around to the passenger side and I rolled down my window. She asked for my license and registration. She was very polite and explained why she was pulling me over. She was not condescending or intimidating and was very respectful. I decided to contest the ticket as I always did, because if the officer does not show up the case is dismissed. I had received enough speeding tickets in my life to know this. That court date I showed up and unfortunately the officer was present. I decided to throw myself on the mercy of the court. I explained to the judge that I was indeed speeding as I was late to class, but in all the years that I had been driving I had never been treated with such respect and politeness and that the officer should be commended for her behavior. I finished my plea and the judge then turned to the bailiff. He asked if this was a murder trial. He stated that in all the years he had been sitting on the bench, no one had ever made such a case for a speeding ticket. However, he did not dismiss the case, but charged very little for the bail. I have always tried to humanize these opportunities. Sometimes it worked, sometimes not, but it was always more interesting for me to tell a story rather than just accept my fate without a chance to humanize myself to the judge. 10/7/2024 07:47:09 am
Love this story. I thank the officers also. Often I'm driving too slowly. It's not a ticket. They just want to know if I'm ok. Leave a Reply. |
Monthly StoriesStories inspired by world tales to challenge and comfort. Archives
July 2025
Categories |
RSS Feed
Copyright © Nancy King 2020 | Site Design by Angulo Marketing & Design
|
|
Nancy King is a widely published author and a professor emerita at the University of Delaware, where she has taught theater, drama, playwriting, creative writing, and multidisciplinary studies with an emphasis on world literature. She has published seven previous works of nonfiction and five novels. Her new memoir, Breaking the Silence, explores the power of stories in healing from trauma and abuse. Her career has emphasized the use of her own experience in being silenced to encourage students to find their voices and to express their thoughts, feelings, and experiences with authenticity, as a way to add meaning to their lives.
|