100 Days of Wisdom…Day 49

In the U.K. it’s illegal to talk on a mobile phone, without a hands-free kit, while driving. Today was one of the few days that I forgot to take my hands-free kit with me to work. As I was driving home, I got a call from my best friend, we began talking and a police patrol saw me. So they did a “U” turn and pulled me over.

I was totally aware of what was about to befall me so I decided to pull over even before the police got near me. They pulled over just in front me and approached the car. In those few seconds, I had made my choice about what I wanted this encounter to be. I knew I couldn’t change the fact that I was about to fined and given 3 penalty points. What I decided was that I would just be polite and friendly and just allow the officers to do their job.

They beckoned me to step out of the car and go over to them. They went through the motions writing out the ticket and doing what they needed to do. While they were doing so, I just decided to strike up a conversation and by the end of it, I had them laughing and smiling. In fact, I even began telling them about the power of choice and how I was a firm believer that it was through my choosing that the situation arose. One of them commented that they wanted to give me an award for being the friendliest person they’ve ever had to deal with.

I wasn’t frustrated that I was given a £60 fine, I wasn’t upset that I just got 3 points on my licence even though 3 points had just come off. Nope, I actually went away and I had a smile on my face too. I actually went away because in some small measure, I restored their faith in people. I did get the impression that what happened today, i.e., because I treated them like human beings and not people who were out to get me or there to harass innocent drivers, will have a lasting impact on both the officers.