Traffic School

To be honest, I was not very charitable. "Don't do me no favors", was what I was thinking, but I smiled graciously at the traffic cop as he explained to me that the fine for my traffic violation was $100.00. It was not the traffic cop who had roared into the 25-mph zone at 36 mph, he was just the messenger. And besides, he wasn't whom I was angry with; it was that loose nut behind the wheel that I blamed for this stupid predicament. You know -- the one staring back at me from the rear view mirror.

$100.00 fine - more than what I paid for birthday presents for either of my children last month. Pretty stupid way to burn up a one hundred-dollar bill. Luckily, however, I qualified for a reduction in the fine upon my attendance at traffic school. Notice of the date and time would be mailed upon receipt of my non-refundable fee of $50.00. Failure to attend the class would result in reversion of the fine to $100.00 and forfeiture of the $50.00 class fee. It seemed like a "no-brainer", sacrifice a Saturday to save $50.00. It was a bit unsettling to see the non-refundable, non-reschedulable language, though. I spent most of a month on pins and needles furiously hoping that no cousins were due to be married next month and no one would die, retire, or become engaged or pregnant unexpectedly and expect a gathering on that particular Saturday.

The appointed Saturday arrived without any dire consequences (" see how lucky you are!" said my husband as I beat him soundly about the head and shoulders with my feather pillow). I also grumbled a bit at the early bird wake up call on my only "sleep-in" day. But my husband gave me the appropriate "it was your fault, now you pay the price" pep talk that I've come to expect from him. You see, he speeds, too! Just as often as do I.... but he never gets caught. Never. He says it is because he is "stealth" (not stealthy - but "stealth") And any car he drives regularly becomes "stealth" through some sort of osmosis of this secret "stealth-ability". I would love to say it was all hogwash. But he does not get tickets. Ever. Which gives him the right, I suppose, to chastise me for my indiscretion. Good thing he does it with a smile. While running. Fast.

I arrived at traffic school on the appointed day and time. Note: they lock the doors at 8:30 and late arrivals will be turned away at the door. Not one of the fifty attendees was late. Not even one.

I grabbed a front row seat, and decided since I couldn't avoid it, I would make the best of it. Who knows, maybe I would learn something? And I did.

I learned that our instructor, Patrol Officer Ed Dawson, an eighteen-year veteran of the Olympia Police Department is a humorous, talented presenter and instructor. I learned that he has been teaching traffic classes for more than a decade and continues to teach as part of his dedication to his profession. I gained a greater awareness of the world of the local traffic cop and listened as the initially challenging statements of students became less belligerent and more curious, until they were excitedly waving their hands to get Dawson's attention. I was amazed that the group of 50 students who initially voted to work through lunch in order to earn early dismissal were now keeping the instructor after class for additional questions and queries. I learned a bit about proper child seat installation, how to spot an impaired driver, the most dangerous hours on the road and much more. I learned that maybe I didn't know as much as I thought I did. How about you? Try some of these questions on for size. When you finish, click on any of the links to find the correct answers.

Check your answers by clicking on any of the links above, or click here.

Copyright 1998- 2002 Coffee Break  Reader, all rights reserved.   Although links to this site are encouraged, you may not copy or reprint any   article or image on this site without express written permission from the author.   To obtain permission, please contact:  C. Deane Campbell Coffee Break Reader, Chehalis,  WA   98532  Privacy Policy                                                                        *denotes Deane's personal favorite