Well, I meant to stop and photograph this amazing milestone. I wanted to get a photo of the odometer reading exactly 300,000 miles, but I was not driving. I had Mrs. Blogger driving while I was sitting in the right seat with the laptop in my lap (of course, where else would it be?). I had another writing assignment that was coming up against deadline so I had to work while she drove us home from visiting her grandchildren.
I knew the odometer was going to click over on the weekend, but I forgot to give her a heads-up we would have to pull over to the side of the road at the appropriate time—so that I could get the photo. I had the camera ready and, well, I really did want to get that photo!
However, it was not to be.
I was really engaged in the writing and not paying attention to what was going on around me. In aviator’s parlance, I was situationally unaware… Usually I am helping with things like the navigating and speed control. Tonight, however, she was on her own as I was busy making a deadline.
That is to say, I was busy until those colorful red and blue lights started flashing in the back window. Then there was a quick conversation between the two of us as to how fast she was going.
Uhmmm… Maybe I should have been backing her up on the speed control. I have no idea of how fast she was going, so this was going to be interesting.
All those thoughts flew through my head—did I put the latest insurance card in with the documents? Is the registration up to date? Why was she speeding? She should not have been speeding because we were on the way home from her grandchildren, not going to see them.
“Ma’am,” said the officer.
Uh-oh, I thought. She hates when a younger man calls her ma’am. This might be interesting.
“Do you know why I stopped you?”
She is quiet for a moment and the officer explains that the tag light is out. She looks at me. With that look. Uhmmm…
I grab the documentation and hand it over to her and she in turns hands it to the officer. He disappears back to his cruiser to make sure everything is OK and that the woman driving the car is not some kind of wanted lunatic.
He comes back and gives us a verbal warning and I assure him I will replace the light tomorrow.
When we get back on the road, I remember I want to photograph the odometer. We had not rolled another 100 feet when I say, “Let me know when it is showing exactly 300,000.”
She looks down and replies, “It’s showing 300,000 right now.”
“Exactly?” I ask.
“Yep.”
Oh, this is not good. If it clicked over just when he stopped us, we have about a mile before it will click over to 300,001. If we pull over now, in front of the county deputy, he will probably stop with us again, which would then require an explanation.
Uhmmm…
“If you see a side road, pull off the highway and we can get the shot,” I tell her. We start looking.
A very short time later, she says, “Oops. Clicked over.”
Arghhh!
“Oh well, let’s just go on home.”
“Well, you can still write about it, you know, the coincidence of being pulled over right when the car hit 300,000.”
“Yeah, but the photo would have really made it.”
Then I start thinking about 400,000 miles.
-30-
© 2011 J. Clark
Too funny Joe. I’m with Ardis you can always write about the coincidence of being pulled over just as the car turned over to 300,000. You are not likely to forget under what circumstances it turned over.