insaneracin2003
10-20-2004, 08:19 AM
73 in a 55 zone - 10/13/04
>
>
>Jack took a long look at his speedometer before slowing down: 73 in a
>55 zone. Fourth time in as many months. How could a guy get caught so
often?
>
>When his car had slowed to 10 miles per hour, Jack pulled over, but
>only partially.
>
>Let the cop worry about the potential traffic hazard.
>
>Maybe some other car will tweak his backside with a mirror.
>
>The cop was stepping out of his car, the big pad in hand. Bob? Bob from
>Church? Jack sunk farther into his trench coat. This was worse than the
>coming ticket. A cop catching a guy from his own church. A guy who
>happened to be a little eager to get home after a long day at the
>office. A guy he was about to play golf with tomorrow. Jumping out of
>the car, he approached a man he saw every Sunday, a man he'd never seen
in uniform.
>
>"Hi, Bob. Fancy meeting you like this."
>
>Hello, Jack." No smile.
>
>"Guess you caught me red-handed in a rush to see my wife and kids."
>
>Yeah, I guess." Bob seemed uncertain. Good.
>
>"I've seen some long days at the office lately. I'm afraid I bent the
>rules a bit, just this once." Jack toed at a pebble on the pavement.
>"Diane said something about roast beef and potatoes tonight. Know what
I mean?"
>
>"I know what you mean. I also know that you have a reputation in our
>precinct."
>
>Ouch. This was not going in the right direction. Time to change
tactics.
>
>"What did you clock me at?"
>
>"Seventy. Would you sit back in your car please?"
>
>"Now wait a minute here, Bob. I checked as soon as I saw you. I was
>barely nudging 65." The lie seemed to come easier with every ticket.
>
>"Please, Jack, in the car."
>
>Flustered, Jack hunched himself through the still-open door. Slamming
>it shut, he stared at the dashboard. He was in no rush to open the
>window. The minutes ticked by. Bob scribbled away on the pad. Why
>hadn't he asked for a driver's license? Whatever the reason, it would
>be a month of Sundays before Jack ever sat near this cop again. A tap
>on the door jerked his head to the left. There was Bob, a folded paper
>in hand Jack rolled down the window a mere two inches, just enough room
for Bob to pass him the slip.
>
>"Thanks." Jack could not quite keep the sneer out of his voice.
>
>Bob returned to his police car without a word. Jack watched his retreat
>in the mirror. Jack unfolded the sheet of paper. How much was this one
>going to cost? Wait a minute. What was this? Some kind of joke?
>Certainly not a ticket. Jack began to read:
>
>-------------------------------------------------
>"Dear Jack,
>
>Once upon a time I had a daughter. She was six when killed by a car.
>You guessed it - a speeding driver. A fine and three months in jail,
>and the man was free. Free to hug his daughters, all three of them. I
>only had one, and I'm going to have to wait until Heaven before I can
ever hug her again.
>A thousand times I've tried to forgive that man. A thousand times I
>thought I had. Maybe I did, but I need to do it again. Even now. pray
>for me. And be careful, Jack, my son is all I have left.
>
>"Bob"
>-------------------------------------------------
>
>Jack turned around in time to see Bob's car pull away and head down the
>road. Jack watched until it disappeared. A full 15 minutes later, he,
>too, pulled away and drove slowly home, praying for forgiveness and
>hugging a surprised wife and kids when he arrived.
>
>Life is precious, so handle it with care!
>
>This is an important message; please pass it along to your friends.
>
>Drive safely & carefully.
>
>Remember, cars are not the only things recalled by their maker.
>
>Funny how you can send a thousand jokes through e-mail & they spread
>like wildfire, but when you start sending messages regarding the
>sanctity of life, people think twice about sharing.
>
>Funny how when you go to forward this message, you may not send it to
>many on your address list because you're not sure what they believe, or
>what they'll think of you for sending it to them. Pass this on, you may
>save a life. Maybe not, but we'll never know if we don't try.
>
>May there be peace within you today. May you trust God that you are
>exactly where you are meant to be.
>
>"I believe friends are quiet angels who lift us to our feet when our
>wings have trouble remembering how to fly."
>
>
>Jack took a long look at his speedometer before slowing down: 73 in a
>55 zone. Fourth time in as many months. How could a guy get caught so
often?
>
>When his car had slowed to 10 miles per hour, Jack pulled over, but
>only partially.
>
>Let the cop worry about the potential traffic hazard.
>
>Maybe some other car will tweak his backside with a mirror.
>
>The cop was stepping out of his car, the big pad in hand. Bob? Bob from
>Church? Jack sunk farther into his trench coat. This was worse than the
>coming ticket. A cop catching a guy from his own church. A guy who
>happened to be a little eager to get home after a long day at the
>office. A guy he was about to play golf with tomorrow. Jumping out of
>the car, he approached a man he saw every Sunday, a man he'd never seen
in uniform.
>
>"Hi, Bob. Fancy meeting you like this."
>
>Hello, Jack." No smile.
>
>"Guess you caught me red-handed in a rush to see my wife and kids."
>
>Yeah, I guess." Bob seemed uncertain. Good.
>
>"I've seen some long days at the office lately. I'm afraid I bent the
>rules a bit, just this once." Jack toed at a pebble on the pavement.
>"Diane said something about roast beef and potatoes tonight. Know what
I mean?"
>
>"I know what you mean. I also know that you have a reputation in our
>precinct."
>
>Ouch. This was not going in the right direction. Time to change
tactics.
>
>"What did you clock me at?"
>
>"Seventy. Would you sit back in your car please?"
>
>"Now wait a minute here, Bob. I checked as soon as I saw you. I was
>barely nudging 65." The lie seemed to come easier with every ticket.
>
>"Please, Jack, in the car."
>
>Flustered, Jack hunched himself through the still-open door. Slamming
>it shut, he stared at the dashboard. He was in no rush to open the
>window. The minutes ticked by. Bob scribbled away on the pad. Why
>hadn't he asked for a driver's license? Whatever the reason, it would
>be a month of Sundays before Jack ever sat near this cop again. A tap
>on the door jerked his head to the left. There was Bob, a folded paper
>in hand Jack rolled down the window a mere two inches, just enough room
for Bob to pass him the slip.
>
>"Thanks." Jack could not quite keep the sneer out of his voice.
>
>Bob returned to his police car without a word. Jack watched his retreat
>in the mirror. Jack unfolded the sheet of paper. How much was this one
>going to cost? Wait a minute. What was this? Some kind of joke?
>Certainly not a ticket. Jack began to read:
>
>-------------------------------------------------
>"Dear Jack,
>
>Once upon a time I had a daughter. She was six when killed by a car.
>You guessed it - a speeding driver. A fine and three months in jail,
>and the man was free. Free to hug his daughters, all three of them. I
>only had one, and I'm going to have to wait until Heaven before I can
ever hug her again.
>A thousand times I've tried to forgive that man. A thousand times I
>thought I had. Maybe I did, but I need to do it again. Even now. pray
>for me. And be careful, Jack, my son is all I have left.
>
>"Bob"
>-------------------------------------------------
>
>Jack turned around in time to see Bob's car pull away and head down the
>road. Jack watched until it disappeared. A full 15 minutes later, he,
>too, pulled away and drove slowly home, praying for forgiveness and
>hugging a surprised wife and kids when he arrived.
>
>Life is precious, so handle it with care!
>
>This is an important message; please pass it along to your friends.
>
>Drive safely & carefully.
>
>Remember, cars are not the only things recalled by their maker.
>
>Funny how you can send a thousand jokes through e-mail & they spread
>like wildfire, but when you start sending messages regarding the
>sanctity of life, people think twice about sharing.
>
>Funny how when you go to forward this message, you may not send it to
>many on your address list because you're not sure what they believe, or
>what they'll think of you for sending it to them. Pass this on, you may
>save a life. Maybe not, but we'll never know if we don't try.
>
>May there be peace within you today. May you trust God that you are
>exactly where you are meant to be.
>
>"I believe friends are quiet angels who lift us to our feet when our
>wings have trouble remembering how to fly."