A Moral Dilemma

I’m a pretty organized person. I like to look ahead and make contingency plans for things that could possibly happen.

So I’m hoping that you can help me.

Here is the situation:
I drive fast. It’s not because I am running late. I always leave with plenty of time. For example, under normal conditions – like a sane person driving on dry pavement at the prescribed speed - it takes 9 minutes to get to church. It takes me about 7. I leave at 5:25 and seminary starts at 6:00. So who cares if I get there at 5:31 or 5:34?

I guess that's not the point. I just like to drive fast. And it doesn't matter if I am driving an SUV or a sportscar.

I drive like a bat out of hell. It's way more fun!

I guess I just figure that if you know where you are going, why not hurry up and get there? I don’t like to waste time. Plus, I just like to drive fast with blatant disregard for the law....only speed related laws though. I don't weave or make illegal turns and I always stop behind school buses.

My fantasy is that all the streets are closed to normal people and I get to drive as fast as I want.....with a great song like Dusturbia or My Life CRANKED on the radio!

Driving to seminary at 5:25 am is a little bit like this fantasy because no one in their right mind is on the road except for the newspaper delivery man………and he pulls over now to let me go by.

But here’s the thing. I think the police are on to me. Not to be paranoid, but I’ve noticed police sitting in strategic locations on the way to seminary....places they wouldn't normall sit, lying in wait. Who are they trying to catch? Then, yesterday, I was sitting at my desk and saw a policeman going down my street. I have NEVER seen a policeman just cruise down my street. It’s difficult to explain but we live on a quiet circle in the back of a large neighborhood. Our street goes nowhere. You only come down our street to go to a house on our street. So, I see the police drive by. A few minutes later, I leave and I see the policeman sitting down the street…..just sitting. I know he’s not there for me. He’s not close to my house and when I see him, his back (or the back of his car) is to me. But it got me thinking.

One of these days, I AM GOING TO GET PULLED OVER. I’m planning for that eventuality. I’m analyzing my options.
1) I could slow down. Then I wouldn’t get pulled over. But that’s not fun. That’s not living on the edge! Besides, I don’t like driving under 40. And it will take longer to get to seminary.
2) I could pull over politely………but THAT will really waste time.
3) I could speed up and outrun the police. This kind of appeals to me, but if my goal is not to waste time or be late, won’t I be late to seminary if I’m weaving off my normal course, going through neighborhoods and jumping curbs…..even if I’m going 80?

I'm just trying to be practical here and plan for eventualities like illness, death and getting pulled over by the cops.

I do know that if I get pulled over, I should NOT say what my sister-in-law said. She was going 47 in a 40 when she was pulled over. The officer asked her if she knew how fast she was going. She said, “No.” He said, “47.” She said, “What is the speed limit here ANYWAY?” Yeah, that didn’t illicit much sympathy.

I could be like my brother. He was speeding to the airport. He came around a corner and was flying over a hill when he passed a policeman. He knew he was busted. He slammed on the brakes and the car skidded just a tiny bit to prove his guilt. So he didn’t even wait for the policeman to turn on his lights. He just calmly pulled over, rolled his window half way down and placed his hands out the window – like he was ready to be cuffed. The officer was actually laughing when he got to the car. I can’t remember if my brother got a ticket. I’m gonna say yes.

So what do you think? 1) Convert to being a law abiding citizen 2) Take my lumps 3) Pretend I’m in Fast & Furious Part 5. Don't respond: "Well Gina, what would Jesus do?" because Jesus never drove a car.