Yesterday morning, I was running around doing a bazillion errands; I'm speaking at Blogalicious today, and had to fly to Miami. (And, yes, this after the tsunami of guilt I experienced at the last blog conference). I left the car parked illegally with the blinkers on to run into the shoe-repair store. When I came out five minutes later, a traffic officer was standing in front of my car, arms folded across his chest.
"I'm sorry," I blurted.
"Don't be sorry!" he said. Pause. "I waited for you. I knew you were a mom. And you are!"
Er, wha?! I mean, I was driving a minivan, I was wearing sweats and I did have my hair in a ponytail, but, whoa. I would have rather gotten the ticket and be told I looked like Eva Mendes.
It's official: I'm mommified.
The officer was being kind and all, so I couldn't really complain or try to sue him for defamation.
But he wouldn't stop talking.
"I wouldn't be caught dead in that car," he informed me.
"Oh, my husband loves it!" I said.
"What kind of guy are you married to?!" he asked.
I feared he might start insulting the kids next, so I politely excused myself and drove home. Then I took a flight to Miami, met a lovely woman, Toni, on the shuttle bus to the hotel, and went out for 11:00 p.m. wine and sushi with her and her pal Deidre tonight. Wild and crazy, eh?
If only that officer could have seen me.
I think a photo of the car is in order. ;-D
ReplyDeleteHave fun today!
Hahahaha oh man ... at least your day ended with wine and sushi! :)
ReplyDeleteIt's a Toyota Sienna. Evidently, I'm too sexy for my minivan...NOT.
ReplyDeleteClearly you weren't in New York
ReplyDeleteMichelle
At least he didn't say that THEN ticket you. Oy. Men.
ReplyDeleteMichelle, definitely NOT New York. :)
ReplyDeleteHello, I LOVE my Sienna. I love changing the seats around as needed, I love that I can get the whole family in one car (my family size increases by two on weekends) and a child or TWO can bring a friend and my power door can open as I approach with the push of a button. I am not ashamed, not one bit.
ReplyDelete:-) ... I wish he could see you too!
ReplyDeleteI once got out of a ticket by saying, "I was just trying to hurry and get home 'cause these kids are getting on my nerves." He laughed and gave me a warning 'cause I was friendly.
BTW: Came by because I saw your piece in Redbook magazine. Fab!
Any chance there was a car seat in the car? Because that with the minivan is all you really need for him to know you're a mom.
ReplyDeleteBTW, the day we got our first minivan I actually I cried. I was so excited, but I also couldn't believe this was happening to me.