So I’m driving home on Saturday night, after the bloggers yearly gathering at the St. Regis Hotel. It’s 10:00 pm and I’m on the freeway with my car filled with carefully selected decorative pumpkins and little tiny orange and black pansies for a party I’m having on Sunday.
We have guests staying at the house so I am in a hurry.
There’s been construction on the freeway for two years building the new Port Mann bridge but I have never noticed that in actual fact the speed limit is 80 km.
I get pulled over for excessive speeding (130 km), which by the way is not hard to do, basically I’m driving the same speed as everyone around me. So there I am, in the middle of the free way, in between both lanes, mounds of gravel all around me.
My car gets impounded for 7 days, so it’s a good thing I’m leaving for Toronto at 6:30 am Monday morning for an entire week to lead one of my workshops. The tow truck comes immediately and takes my car.
I have this fleeting thought that maybe instead of seeming annoyed when the policeman approaches my window, I should be charming and maybe I’ll get out of this $360 ticket. But then I remember I am not 19.
So I end up standing there, waiting for a ride, surrounded by pumpkins and pansies and all the stuff, samples, etc that I might need from my car.
The positive side of this is that if my car is actually going to be taken from me for seven days, at least the timing is convenient.
Today is the full moon and it’s beautiful, but mostly I think when the full moon comes around each month, I should go into silence. And just nod and smile politely, until it’s all over.
Does the full moon ever affect you?
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It just feels insulting to be singled out when you’re driving with traffic like that. As you said, at least the timing worked out for you.
Oh – that is hard – that Port Mann construction gets the better of most. To top it all off they had the whole thing down to one lane this weekend so the fact you could get that speed is exceptional to say the least!! And it should be noted to those reading this and don’t know our famous congested “old Port Mann” that for most of us who drive it regularly we never notice the speed limit anymore because you have to keep your eye on the road not the signs just so you don’t get hit!!
Best part is the timing for you – you are away anyway. Worse part – the price you will pay upon return home! Have a great time in Toronto.
130 had you impounded for 7 days. that’s all I read. Will slow down to 120 now..
Aww Miriam that is SO something that would
Happen to me. So, in canada does your car get
Impounded for a speeding violation?
Wow. The picture of you and your pretty pumpkins
Just standing there made me smile. You are one
Classy lady!
Well Maria I suppose you are now ready to drive in Chicago/Illinois. The old joke, Illinois has two seasons: winter or construction. We also have HUGE fines for speeding in the C zone even if the guys aren’t actually there. Hope the pansies survived the turmoil.
My birthday is smack in the middle of July so belonging to a moon influenced star sign I am soooooooo affected by the moon. Add to that I work for Correctional Services (I give pre-sentence advice to the judiciary). I have been doing my job for so long that I find myself saying “By chance do we have a full moon” depending on the type of offenders I deal with. It happened today – all the ‘wacky’ type of offences come to light on days like today. Had a typical full moon day at work today so looked up the moon on google and had a chuckle after. It’s almost scary the crazy things I experience on these days
Oh, that hurts, Maria, how well I know. Not long ago, I was on my way to see for the first time the home our daughter was buying. It was a school morning, and in my excitement, I forgot I was driving through a school zone and got ticketed for going 15mph over the limit. While our daughter and my husband were waiting for me at the new house, there I sat, for all the world to see, talking to the policeman. But the humiliation didn’t end there–I had to go to court to pay the ticket. Life is hard sometimes. However, I’m sure watching the speed limits more carefully, now. It takes some time to get over the experience. Don’t be too hard on yourself, Maria.
So sorry for your trouble!! I also had an unfortunate but well-timed issue here. My son cut his leg badly and will be out of gymnastics for a week, but I wasn’t going to be here to drive my carpool days anyway because I’ll be in Toronto with you. If he’s going to be out for a week this week is definitely the best.
My goodness… here in the US, cars are not taken away for speeding like that. I’m so sorry for your troubles. I can’t help but wonder if we would all do better here if the consequences were more severe.
Yikes!! That hurts. They take your car for 7 days just for speeding? Forget the moon, THAT’S HARSH. But you’re right, it couldn’t have been at a better time since you are away anyways.
Have a great week in the Big Smoke.
Harsh is putting it mildly!…maybe you could have offered to go to the ball with him!
Have a great week in Toronto.
Drat. Well at least you decorated the freeway with your pumpkins and pansies so it looked better while you were waiting for a ride.
That is really scary. Do they do that for a first offense? And just leave you standing by the side of the road??? If there was an accident -or worse- are they held liable? The moon was beautiful by the way. And it made me laugh to picture you smiling politely.
Maria– Ouch. Standing with the pumpkins in the freeway. Double ouch!
Have a great time at your sold-out workshop!
Loretta
Whoa that is HARSH! I understand the fine, but to impound your car – eeeeks
ROFL!!!!!! Sorry for what happened 🙁 , but you are so funny! 😀
did they give you a reason for taking your car? I have never heard of that for speeding…
Did they stay with you until someone came to get you?
seems weird they took the car, I will have to remember not to speed in BC…
hope your party went well, good party story to tell, hope your pumpkins and pansies are ok too… x
such a rude awakening to have your life, which is going along just fine, stopped. you are thrown into such a different realty that all you can really do is go along peacefully, and soon it will be over.
the full moon -ah yes!
Maria – I am sorry for your experience, but I have to tell you that you are such an entertaining story teller! It really made me laugh 🙂 Best of luck at the workshops.
Oh Maria, what an experience. I do hope that your housewarming went well. Wish I could have been there!
Love, Lea
Oh no! I was whipping along there that night as well. Is there anyway they can release your car to elsewhere? The impound fees are outrageous – found that out from a friend.
Anything 20+ klm over speedlimit is considered dangerous driving and that’s why they impound the cars now.
I was driving that road just before you – going almost as fast – so I could have been in your shoes – but instead of pumpkins I had boxes of pillows! lol.
Glad at least it was good timing for you!
“Just nod and smile politely”?!?! I know I couldn’t, but know I should. Darn near got arrested at the CDG Airport in Paris last week because I, ahem, apparently was far too assertive.
They only impound one’s car here in California for driving drunk or w/suspended license, warrants, etc. So sorry you had that happen to you (((Maria))).
xoxo
OK so that is the most positive spin on a story like that I have ever heard. I am so sorry this happened to you, but I love that you know how to speed. I mean you did it WELL.
Full moon stories cannot be told here….not enough room 🙂
D
ouch! hope you were able to take the pansies home with you. I’m sure the housewarming was a huge success, after your experience you were probably even more thankful to be there! Something always seems to go sideways with the full moon, sometimes obvious, sometimes not so much.
The police in BC are very harsh. My sister was rear-ended and her car totaled on the Pat Bay Highway on Vancouver Island in 2010. When she told the police there was nobody she could call to come and pick her up after the accident, they told her she’d have to walk home! She had to insist that one of them drive her home.
I live in an area of the mountains where it is 2 lane roads with huge drop offs and, sometimes, no guard rails. One day I looked down and was going 60mph. It can happen so fast and we don’t even realize it! So glad you’re OK, Maria! Would have loved to have seen you standing there, so vulnerable, with pumpkins & pansies….
I thank God for protecting you!
So sorry to hear about your car troubles! But the not being 19 remark reminded me of a story I read. An aging yet attractive woman was always able to flirt her way out of traffic tickets. But then she was stopped by a very young policeman. She was doing her usual thing, and he yawned! She was devastated to realize how much things had changed. Sad but true.
The police left you on the side of the road late at night in the dark????
No they waited in their car until my ride came, they are not allowed to leave that would be bad! Maria
Wow, I am hoping now that it is already Wednesday that you are settling into a fantastic week in Toronto and that last weekend’s events are a distant memory!
Have a GREAT day!! 🙂