On the way into work today, I got pulled over by a highway patrolman today. As he approached my car, I turned off my iPod and stereo. I took off my sunglasses and put both hands on the steering wheel. I figured he would nail me for not having a front license plate because I certainly wasn’t speeding.
Cop: What’s going on?
Me: Just on my way to work.
Cop: You crossed the white lines back there at the light. That’s one lane back there and you drove over the white line onto the shoulder.
Me: I didn’t realize that. I thought there was enough room for me to pass. I’m sorry.
Cop: Can I see your license and proof of registration?
Me: Sure
He looks at my license,takes out this tiny pad of paper and writes something down.
Cop: Where are you going?
Me: I’m going to work.
Cop: Where do you work?
Me: Near the Microsoft campus in Redmond
I didn’t want him to assume I’m one of those cocky Microsoft millionaires who doesn’t blink at $150 tickets.
Cop: What building?
Me: Building 126 off 151st street.
Why is he asking me this? Is he going to swing by my office for a tour? Then he proceeds to tell me that I shouldn’t be taking the back roads to work. After a brief lecture he hands back my license and insurance card and tells me to be on my way.
I was happy he didn’t give me a ticket. I’ve been pulled over 5 times in my life and never once been given a ticket. This is the first time I had no idea why I was being pulled over.
Nordquist Blog 
So you have that same talent Chad does with not getting tickets? In the past Chad has, but in the last few years he doesn’t get any. The cops let him off everytime. Once he was speeding in a 35 going like 45 and the cop let him off! Why is it that they look at me and give me a ticket right away?!
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Thanks for dropping in at my low-carb blog. I don’t know anyone who has never been pulled over by a cop. And it’s weird that he never really said why he pulled you over, although it does sound like he suspected you of driving under the influence — all that not staying within the lines. Or it could be that he used to teach first grade and had a thing about staying in the lines.
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My one and only time I got pulled over, I ran a red light on my Schwinn, Yep, He gave me a ticket. Thought I was some punk teenager I guess.
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Sounds typical of Redmond cops. Pretty much nothing better to do that give tickets. Sounds like he was really trying to get you on something.
Is there even anything wrong with taking side streets to work? (Especially if they are not marked residential traffic only, or no through traffic). I think he was out of line on that one.
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Okay, that is so unfair! Not to say I’m not glad you didn’t get a ticket. That’s great. However the TWO times I’ve been pulled over I’ve gotten tickets each time. The first time I was 9 months pregnant with a 10-pound baby and I was in the middle of a HUGE contraction and I was on my way to my doctor and I came over a hill a little too fast (remember the contraction that was going on? so I was a little distracted). The South Jordan Utah officer couldn’t have cared less about my condition and gave me a $140 ticket. The last was a month ago and some road-rage crazed guy was two inches from my tail flashing his lights and flipping me off so I sped up so that I could move over and lo-and-behold there was a cop. I got the ticket and the other guy got away. $185
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Eli: I was surprised he’d tell me not to take side streets as well. I do it everyday anyway.
Maryanne: That’s a bummer about your tickets. I wonder if SLC cops are just meaner? How fast were you going for the $185 ticket?
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76 mph in a 55 zone. I was gunning it because of that lunatic on my tail and I had a bunch of cars in the lane next to me that I had to get ahead of in order to move over. It’s a known fact here that you do NOT, under any circumstances, speed in South Jordan because their cops are so mean (my pregnancy/contraction story is the perfect example). Unfortunately that’s where I got both tickets. Bleah.
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You must be a much better driver than I am. I have been pulled over many times and Never without a ticket. I thought only girls got off without tickets. Now I am wondering what I am doing wrong (other than driving too fast).
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