I am getting older, so **firsts **don’t come around as often as they once did. Anyway, I have another first this evening… I took my first field sobriety test. Yes, I did pass the test. I figured that I had better point out that I was ruled sober now so that people don’t get the wrong idea when they nod off part-way through reading my entire dissertation.
I was profiled this evening as I pulled my vehicle onto McDowell Road. I was pulled over for turning right and entering the roadway without properly staying in the curb lane long enough before entering the #2 lane. My question here is, who really does that? Unless you need to stay in the curb lane or there is someone barreling towards you instinct dictates an innate move to that second lane if the coast is [](http://terminator.wikia.com/wiki/T-1000_(chara cter))clear.
There was no oncoming traffic since I had waited for the oncoming car to complete its illegal U-Turn before making my move. I couldn’t argue the legality of the motorcycle officer’s assertion, but I could only appeal to his humanity. A couple of things are working against me at this point:
- I happened to be leaving a shopping area where a new extension of the very popular Majerle’s Sports Grill franchise opened up. It is owned by Dan Majerle of the Phoenix Suns fame. This instance is a very active bar in the southwest valley.
- When asked by officer Snider if knew why I was being pulled over I responded with, “I don’t know, but I was waiting for that car to complete its illegal U-Turn.”
I guess since I was leaving an area with a well-known bar, officer Snider must have believed that I was the bigger mark and a larger source of revenue for the Buckeye city coffers. ( I could go into a deeper analysis here about the psyche of the patrolman and how alcohol may have influenced his life, I choose to believe the monetary motivation).
Things progressed, he made me follow a small blue light back and forth with my eyes to the extent of my peripheral vision. I must admit, I was very nervous at this point. Things are beginning to take a turn for the worse the more time I am in officer Snider’s presence. After taking the test, I was assured by the officer that all is well and that I was no longer at risk for going to jail. I stepped back into the vehicle and was asked to sign a citation for the violation of the civil code associated with an “improper right turn”.
Before leaving I asked the “kind” (please imagine those to be air-quotes) officer for the necessary informational pamphlets so that I may complete the payment of my debt to society. I guess that the police do not voluntarily provide these items. Maybe this is a cost savings measure to demonstrate cause and hardship on the department in order to obtain the stimulus monies that I believe they are seeking.
At the end of it all, I have my health and I am not in jail. I do, however, now get the expense and opportunity to spend a weekend afternoon attending an educational seminar on the pleasures of operating a motor vehicle.
** This posting is my opinion and is not reflective of the views of any organizations to which I may belong or participate.