Running From the Law

Feeling refreshed after a night of swimming intervals with our best buds at the SUNY Brockport pool, Jan and I climbed into our gas guzzling SUV (known as "The Ex" for Ford Explorer) and headed home. At the intersection of Chappell Street and Adams Street is a three way stop. As a law abiding citizen, who drives without talking on a cell phone, without an animal on my lap, seat belt buckled and not combing my long locks of hair, I made sure to come to a stop.
     At least I thought I stopped. A Brockport police officer, who must have been sitting in a dark car on Chappell St., had other thoughts. Minding my own business I head east on Adams when the cop car comes screaming out of Chappell, lights full on, siren, bright spotlight on the side blinding me. Of course I pull over to let the officer pass on his way to whatever emergency is occurring somewhere in the village.
     Apparently I am the emergency! Jan and I are stunned. I know the routine, have my license ready and Jan gets the insurance card and registration. We can't figure out why he would be stopping us. The officer comes up with his flashlight ready (why a flashlight, that g'dam spotlight could illuminate a football field)!  All I can think of is, "how much will this cost me?", whatever "this" is.
"Where are you coming from tonight"
"The pool, my wife and I just finished swimming".
"Do you still live at Hillcrest Drive?"
"Yes Sir."
"Did you see the stop sign"?
"Yes, sir."
"Do you think you stopped?"
"Yes sir."
"You know there is a three-way stop there, right?"
"Yes sir, I'm sure I stopped."
"Looked like you tapped your brakes when you saw me, but rolled through."
"No, I'm sure I stopped sir, I didn't even know you were there". (this is true)
"Sit here for a minute".
Now all I can imagine is the ticket being written and Elvis singing. Yes, Elvis.

Of course then he checks my record back in his car. Which there isn't one, thankfully, I haven't been pulled over in 25 years, really, and then got a moving violation because my speedometer was verified not to be working correctly, so no speeding ticket.
"Okay, since you say you really stopped I'm going to let you go, but make sure from now on you drive within the speed limit and always come to full stops".
"Yes sir, I will, thank you".

I was still shook up for most of the night with Jan and I wondering if I had really fully stopped or not. On my way to work today, as on most days, I was doing 5-10mph over the expressway speed limit and being tailgated by cars who wanted to go 20+ over the limit, a motorcycle weaving in and out of traffic, cut off repeatedly by people who need to fit into a space not big enough for a car while we are going 65 miles an hour, talking on cell phones, eating breakfast, who then swerve across three lanes of traffic to sit at the exit ramp while I stroll by. But that is all okay.