Cops in Crown Vics

Siren blaring...red lights flashing...certainly NOT what you want to hear or see in your rear-view mirror on your way home from work.

I was driving home from the Red Cross office today, minding my own business...lost in thought over everything I had accomplished, everything I had yet to accomplish, and everything that I knew would never be accomplished.

Traffic was heavy...rain was moving into the area, and for some reason, some people in Kansas City lose all mental abilities whenever moisture hits the pavement; their driving reverts to imbecile levels at best. My foot was spending more time on the brake pedal than the gas pedal - but I was calm, cool and collected. I was actually enjoying the peace and quiet of the car after the chaos of the work day...it was my cocoon of serenity before I would have to deal with the chaos of three hungry kids and a hubby at home.

Traffic was so heavy, that I had been sandwiched between two other cars for at least a mile and a half on the highway...a white Ford pick-up in front of me, and a dark Crown Vic behind me. That should have been my first clue. Who else drives a Crown Vic but a cop?!

Sure enough - suddenly, the Crown Vic/SneakyCop turns on his lights (in his dash) and turns on his siren...and my heart sinks.

"Whah??!" I think, in confusion..."What the heck did I do??" I KNOW it can't be for speeding, because a tortoise could have passed me, we were crawling along so slow. It's amazing how your brain can snap into warp speed as it sits there, racing through every and all possibilities of why a cop would be targeting you. And it's amazing how a peaceful and calm cocoon can turn into a heart thumping, adrenaline-racing, apprehensive trap in just a nano-second. All with a siren and a red light.

I am still looking in my rear view mirror, trying to figure out where I can safely pull over, when I see the cop waving at me...but wait....what is this??!! He's not waving me OVER - he's waving me out of the way. Really? Seriously? It's NOT me?

Yes, Mister Cop flies around me and goes speeding off into the distance in front of me, in hot pursuit of who-knows-what-but-thank-God-it's-not-me.

It's such a wonderful feeling knowing you are NOT the perp.

I went back to calm and peaceful again...after I got the adrenaline out of my system, of course. And then it was back to stop. Go. Stop. Go. All the way home.

Peace.