Slower Traffic Keep Right

Ok....lemme tell ya....I am not the biggest fan of Utah drivers! They are always speeding and driving crazy and seriously I miss the speed cameras in AZ. When I was there in AZ I hated them but now they seem like a really good idea. Well I guess there is a law here in UT that does not allow for such cameras and it really ticks me off! Do you know how many red light runners I see on a daily basis?? At least 2! How about speeding?? Too many to count! This really scares me because what is going to happen when snow and ice come? The same thing!!! And of course there is never a cop around when you need one. So...here comes by story...

Nik and I live in Provo and on this one Saturday I was heading about 20 minutes south to Payson to help my Aunt paint her house that she is trying to sell. I am heading down the freeway and there is tons of construction. I watch for the speed signs because the last thing I need is for a ticket and especially a ticket in construction where the fines double for speeding. I finally find the speed limit sign and follow it going just a little over 5 mph over...I was trying to keep up with traffic.

Well the speed limit kept changing as I went in and out of construction. It goes from 55 to 65 to 75 to 55 and so on and so forth. I kept a pretty good eye out and always went 5 over what it said.

Sidenote: I got a ticket about 1.5 years ago for going 15 over...all because I wasn't paying attention and never saw the new speed sign. So a cop on a motorcycle on the other side of the road WAVED ME DOWN! He didn't even come after me with lights and all...he WAVED! Ugh! So I turned around to go get my flippin' ticket! I was afraid that if I didn't turn around he would come after me and I would get in even more trouble. DUMB! So yes, I got a speeding ticket and it was a nice $172.75 fine. Let me tell ya...I am very cautious now when it comes to speeding because I know what it does to your insurance, as that is my line of work. It scares me to death!

So...back to the story...I am driving along with traffic and as I turn a corner I freak out because I see a cop standing next to his murdercycle with a speed gun aimed at traffic. I was in the middle lane and hoped he wouldn't have caught me because I forgot how fast I was suppose to be going and what my actual speed was. I flipped out, let go of the gas pedal real fast, and couldnt keep my eyes off the rear view mirror to see if he was coming after me.

After staring for like 30 seconds behind me....HE WAS AFTER ME...LIGHTS AND ALL! I was shaking and tears started filling my eyes. I was trying to come up with some horrible excuse about some friend of mine in the hospital and I was her only friend so I had to RUSH there...but nothing was coming to mind. ugh! He is after me at full speed. Comes right up behind me for what felt like an ETERNITY!!! My heart was racing, my hands were shaking, and I was sweating.

After probably 15 seconds, he turned his blinker on and moved in the lane to the right of me and sped off. WHEW!!! He was after someone else. Now...I was freaking out but this time I was not going to "give in" and get a ticket like I did last time from a simple wave of the cops' hands. I was thinking that if he really wanted to pull me over he would put on his sirens and I would make him work for it! hahaha. Thank goodness it wasn't for me. whew! The whole rest of the drive I was shaking and so scared. Even when I got to my Aunt's house I was shaking and still short on breath. And let me tell ya....the whole 20 minute drive back home guess which lane I occupied. THE RIGHT! Yep. Let all them UT drivers pass me and get them some tickets!

But wait...the story doesn't end there! That night Nik and I went to West Jordan to visit one of his comps who is half Japanese and his mom would make us a traditional Japanese dinner. (Nik went to Japan for his mission so that is why this is cool to us). So...on the 40 minute drive there I was so worried about speed. We finally got our selves in the HOV lane and figured we would be safe. Only 15 minutes into the drive we saw a cop car coming full speed behind us with lights on and everything. GAH! My heart dropped - AGAIN! Luckily the cop was just trying to get in front of some other vehicles to be able to move across the lanes all the way to the right and off he went after some other dude. The thing was....the car he pulled over looked to be going the same speed as everyone else, so I don't know why he got pulled over and I never will...but if that cop just felt like picking him out of the crowd that was all going about 12 MPH over the speed limit...then the cop could have pulled ANY of us over...Nik and I INCLUDED!

GAH! Speeding scares me and the tickets that follow. Not a fan! Twice in one day....scary!!! So the right lane is my new favorite place to drive. I don't care...I will not speed....I will go a couple over the speed limit but I will not get myself another speeding ticket. They cost so much money and stay on your insurance for 3 years!!!