Pull over the car, ma'am

I have tangled with the law.

Just coming back from a highly successful shopping trip with shirts and pants and socks (Tom) and a hugely discounted Calvin Klein cashmere coat (me, yippee!). Driving down Wisconsin Avenue, I decided to catch up with Richard and phoned him from the car. Next thing I know an officer of the law has stepped into the road in front of me and is pulling me over.

Ooh he gave me the third degree. It is 25 dollars for 'phoning while driving. It was 100 dollars for having expired insurance documents in the car. It was 530 dollars for not having registration documents in the car. Plus a court date. The officer spelt all this out very slowly and deliberately, having taking my licence away for a good look for a good few minutes.

Through all of this - and as I start getting decidedly quivery - Tom was buckled up in his car seat, head down, reading his Calvin & Hobbes cartoon book. The officer started getting distracted by the fact that Tom was not impressed by the policeman with his big shiny uniform and his big shiny gun. Tom was in fact not paying him any attention at all.

So the officer started talking to Tom instead of me. Excuse me young man? How old are you? What's your name?

And then said to me, now I don't usually do this ma'am, but seeing as you have such a well behaved young man in the car, I'm going to drop the registration offence. I virtually sobbed and thanked him very very politely. Then he said, actually I'm going to drop the insurance offence. Oh thankyou SO much officer. Shall I pay you the 25 dollars now? No ma'am I'm going to let you off scot free today, being as you have young Mr Lister with you.

Oh my. I drove away at 29 mph, very very carefully.

And I will NOT use my phone in the car again.!!