Caught In A Trap

Summary

The author recounts three personal experiences of being caught in speed traps and reflects on the lessons learned about driving habits and awareness.

Abstract

The article titled "Caught In A Trap" shares the author's anecdotes about being ensnared by speed traps on different occasions. The first incident occurred moments after leaving home, resulting in a speeding ticket that affected the author's insurance risk. The second trap was sprung due to a sharp decrease in the speed limit over a short distance, leading the author to ponder if their vehicle attracted police attention. The third event involved weaving through traffic without signaling, which earned the author a ticket for speeding and improper lane changes. The narrative concludes with the author acknowledging the importance of driving with restraint and being mindful of potential speed traps, recognizing that heeding police warnings can prevent accidents.

Opinions

The author admits to having a thrill-seeking nature and a tendency to drive faster than the speed limit, suggesting a personal inclination towards risky driving behavior.
There is a sense of frustration and irony expressed about being ticketed so close to home and the impact of such tickets on insurance rates, especially as a young Black driver.
The author humorously suggests that their car might emit a vibe that attracts police, indicating a feeling of being unfairly targeted.
The article conveys a learning curve, with the author moving from being a reckless driver to someone who values safety and adheres to traffic laws.
There is an opinion that police warnings can be more effective than tickets in encouraging drivers to change their behavior.
The author reflects on the importance of defensive driving, implying that adhering to traffic rules can prevent potential accidents.

Tales of speed traps I triggered

I am a thrill-seeker. Thus, I drive a tad bit faster than the posted speed limits. Having people pass me when I’m driving at the speed limit bugs me. However, what stings more is seeing red and blue lights flashing in my rearview mirror. These are three times that I was snared in a speed trap while going about my day.

Trap Numéro Uno — short and sour

I had just left home. As in, I’d turned onto the main street from my apartment complex and hit the first stop sign. I pulled off from the stop sign and cruised the few blocks up to the stoplight. Before I made it to the light, I passed a cop car perched on a side street. I was pissed that I wasn’t even five minutes from home, but gotgot a speeding ticket. I tried to not let this omen cast a dark cloud over the rest of my day, but I couldn’t help but think how this affected my insurance risk, which was already high because of being young, Black, and a primary driver.

Trap Numéro Dos — steep speed drop

Apparently, this lesson failed to sink in to adjust my driving habits. I’m cruising around town… again, about my business, and not really considering if cops were present. I was probably listening to a jam blasting on the radio, which increases gravity on my lead foot. It’s a scientific fact! When I passed the cop car parked in an empty lot, I realized maybe I was caught. On previous trips, I’d failed to realize that the speed limit shifts down on this stretch of this main thoroughfare from 45mph… to 35mph… to 30mph… in a two-block span. The speed limit fell faster than a theme park’s first rollercoaster hill! At this point, I wondered if my vehicle emitted some sort of vibe that attracts cops like UV light from a bug zapper.

Trap Numéro Tres — oh no weaving

It’d been a while since I’d sprung a trap while driving. My speedster senses were dull. I hit traffic (what you in the big cities would call minor congestion) as I passed through downtown. The traffic lights in the downtown area are laid out in one block intervals. The changes are staggered to favor the flow of cars. Often, though, drivers don’t trust the timing of the sequence of changes, so they slow down when as they roll up to the red light right before it flicks green. Frustrated, I weaved through the congestion like an Olympic downhill skier through the gates. Well, what I didn’t catch, but what caught me, was the unmarked police car I’d picked up while slaloming through traffic. He ticketed me for speeding and failing to signal when changing lanes. “The agony of defeat” was felt that time!

Under The Radar

Maturity brings restraint…to a degree. I have strived to rein in my need…my need for speed (had to do it!)…while traveling through town. I’ve also become far more aware of the circumstances that may coalesce to set a speed trap. Ultimately, I suspect that the cops in recent interactions feel that I will take warnings more seriously if they let me off. Proof of that came after I received a warning for begging a stop sign. He urged I do the 2-second count before I proceeded the next time. A couple of days later, out of spite, I executed the 2-second delay at a stop sign when, suddenly, a young lady blew through the stop sign on the cross street! I saw the beams of the car’s headlights flicker “caution” right before I saw the incredulous look on her face as she realized she’d swiped my right-of-way. If I didn’t take that snarky delay, the tank she was driving would’ve put some hurt on me & my vehicle. I was thanking the Lord that I’d not been caught in this “accident trap” that was set but not spring. It was avoided because I had heeded the earlier warning. I could safely watch an alternate version of my younger self speed past.