Lady Godiva
06-16-2008, 09:14 AM
The Greeeaaaattt Shtaaate of Texas!
copyright Sandy Long
Right after TX changed their speed limit to 70 in the daytime and 65 after dark, I was going N on Hwy 59 out of Houston. I was solo instead of team, it was after the getting pinned in the sleeper wreck, and my life was in some chaos due to my just finding out that my husband had been doing some bad stuff once again. To say the least, I was a tad bit distracted.
I had left Houston about 5pm and took off up 59. It was daylight and the speed limit was 70 mph, so I had my cruise set and was just hitting the reset switch after going thru a town or having to slow down. I was focused on just driving the truck and not paying attention to the time of day. Night time snuck up on me! It wasn't a whip stitch when I saw the reflection of whirling lights in my mirrors...Oh Dern! A TX state trooper!
Of course I hit the flashers, slowed down and found the widest part of shoulder I could to come to a stop on. I rolled down the window before the trooper could come up to the door and kept my hands in plain view on top of the steering wheel. The trooper instructed me to bring my license, medical card, log book, permit book and bills to the front of the truck, which I did, realizing what had happened, I was thinking that there was going my clean record!
I got to the front of the truck and put the permit book and log book on the fender on the pass side. I told the officer, who surprisingly was not tall, he was my height about 5'8", that I was going to reach in my back pocket for my billfold to get the license and med card out. I waited for his permission before moving towards my pocket...he had his hand on his gun while I did so!! He checked my med card, permits, log book and bills and then asked me how many tickets I had...I told him honestly...none. He said he would be right back and took my license to his car with him.
I was calmly standing there in the dark TX night, with my headlights lighting the rear of the car, and the whirling lights of it making a weird reflection off the trees next to it. My mind was whirling like the lights as I thought of what my boss was going to say about me getting a ticket and how much it was going to cost me.
The little trooper came back with his ticket book and my license set in the groove on it. He laid it down on the back of his car, raised his finger in the air and said in his south TX drawl marked by a slight lisp..."MS Truck Driver, the Grrreeeaaattt Shtate of Texas has given you truck drivers the honor and the privilege of driving 70 mph in the daytime and 65 mph in the nighttime...YOU, however, Ms Truck Driver, have disrespected the Grrreeeaaattt Shtate of Texas by choosing to run 70 mph in the nighttime!"
Finger still in pointing up in the air, he continued, "Now, Ms Truck Driver, on the behalf of the Grrreeeaaattt Shtate of Texas I could give you a very BIG ticket for your disrespect of the Grrreeeaaattt Shtate of Texas's speed limit laws. How would you like that Ms Truck Driver?" I, of course, politely responded with a, "Not at all sir, but if I broke the law, then I deserve it." (I ain't stupid, I know when to beg and plead or when just to take it and go on! I am always polite though...they are just doing their jobs after all!)
The little trooper picked up his ticket book and started writing. I stood there watching him, and seeing the humor in it all, tried very hard not to laugh. When he was through writing, he again raised his finger in the air and said, "Ms Truck Driver, tonight is your lucky day because even though you have disrespected the Grrreeeaaattt Shtate of Texas, I, on behalf of this Grrreeaatt Shtate, have decided to be lenient with you and only give you a warning ticket to remind you to show some respect for the Grrreeeaaattt Shtate of Texas by honoring this Grrreeeaaattt Shtate's speed limit laws!"
He had me sign the ticket, gave me my license back and gave one parting shot before returning to his car. He said, "Ms Truck Driver, now you go on now and remember to honor the speed limit laws of the Grrreeeaaat Shtate of Texas!"
I thanked him for his generosity on behalf of the Great State of Texas, got in my truck, eased back out on the road and reset my cruise to 65 mph...The funny thing is that I cannot see a state trooper, especially in Texas, without remembering the little trooper and his upraised finger intoning, "The Grrreeeaaattt Shtate of Texas...", but I have always remembered to watch the time of day and adjust my speed accordingly when driving in the Grrreeeaaattt Shtate of Texas.
copyright Sandy Long
Right after TX changed their speed limit to 70 in the daytime and 65 after dark, I was going N on Hwy 59 out of Houston. I was solo instead of team, it was after the getting pinned in the sleeper wreck, and my life was in some chaos due to my just finding out that my husband had been doing some bad stuff once again. To say the least, I was a tad bit distracted.
I had left Houston about 5pm and took off up 59. It was daylight and the speed limit was 70 mph, so I had my cruise set and was just hitting the reset switch after going thru a town or having to slow down. I was focused on just driving the truck and not paying attention to the time of day. Night time snuck up on me! It wasn't a whip stitch when I saw the reflection of whirling lights in my mirrors...Oh Dern! A TX state trooper!
Of course I hit the flashers, slowed down and found the widest part of shoulder I could to come to a stop on. I rolled down the window before the trooper could come up to the door and kept my hands in plain view on top of the steering wheel. The trooper instructed me to bring my license, medical card, log book, permit book and bills to the front of the truck, which I did, realizing what had happened, I was thinking that there was going my clean record!
I got to the front of the truck and put the permit book and log book on the fender on the pass side. I told the officer, who surprisingly was not tall, he was my height about 5'8", that I was going to reach in my back pocket for my billfold to get the license and med card out. I waited for his permission before moving towards my pocket...he had his hand on his gun while I did so!! He checked my med card, permits, log book and bills and then asked me how many tickets I had...I told him honestly...none. He said he would be right back and took my license to his car with him.
I was calmly standing there in the dark TX night, with my headlights lighting the rear of the car, and the whirling lights of it making a weird reflection off the trees next to it. My mind was whirling like the lights as I thought of what my boss was going to say about me getting a ticket and how much it was going to cost me.
The little trooper came back with his ticket book and my license set in the groove on it. He laid it down on the back of his car, raised his finger in the air and said in his south TX drawl marked by a slight lisp..."MS Truck Driver, the Grrreeeaaattt Shtate of Texas has given you truck drivers the honor and the privilege of driving 70 mph in the daytime and 65 mph in the nighttime...YOU, however, Ms Truck Driver, have disrespected the Grrreeeaaattt Shtate of Texas by choosing to run 70 mph in the nighttime!"
Finger still in pointing up in the air, he continued, "Now, Ms Truck Driver, on the behalf of the Grrreeeaaattt Shtate of Texas I could give you a very BIG ticket for your disrespect of the Grrreeeaaattt Shtate of Texas's speed limit laws. How would you like that Ms Truck Driver?" I, of course, politely responded with a, "Not at all sir, but if I broke the law, then I deserve it." (I ain't stupid, I know when to beg and plead or when just to take it and go on! I am always polite though...they are just doing their jobs after all!)
The little trooper picked up his ticket book and started writing. I stood there watching him, and seeing the humor in it all, tried very hard not to laugh. When he was through writing, he again raised his finger in the air and said, "Ms Truck Driver, tonight is your lucky day because even though you have disrespected the Grrreeeaaattt Shtate of Texas, I, on behalf of this Grrreeaatt Shtate, have decided to be lenient with you and only give you a warning ticket to remind you to show some respect for the Grrreeeaaattt Shtate of Texas by honoring this Grrreeeaaattt Shtate's speed limit laws!"
He had me sign the ticket, gave me my license back and gave one parting shot before returning to his car. He said, "Ms Truck Driver, now you go on now and remember to honor the speed limit laws of the Grrreeeaaat Shtate of Texas!"
I thanked him for his generosity on behalf of the Great State of Texas, got in my truck, eased back out on the road and reset my cruise to 65 mph...The funny thing is that I cannot see a state trooper, especially in Texas, without remembering the little trooper and his upraised finger intoning, "The Grrreeeaaattt Shtate of Texas...", but I have always remembered to watch the time of day and adjust my speed accordingly when driving in the Grrreeeaaattt Shtate of Texas.