Reverse Registration

(I have traveled to visit my parents. My car registration tags are expired. The replacement sticker had just arrived in the mail, but I was in a hurry so I simply dropped it on my passenger seat with the intent of applying it to my car once I got to my parents’ house. Well, I forgot and while I am leaving town, I notice the flashing lights of a city police cruiser in my rear view mirror and immediately realize my mistake. I pull over in a parking lot and the nearest spot happens to have a row of bushes right by driver’s side, leaving the officer no room to come up to my window. While he is still pulling in, I back out a few feet and reposition my car to give enough space for him to approach my window.)

Officer: *walks up to my window as I roll it down*

Me: *holding my registration tag* “I know exactly why you pulled me over. I was in a hurry and was going to put this before I left, but I forgot. I’ll put it on right now.”

Officer: “Ah, I see. That’s fine. And while I appreciate you making space to walk up here, we really do not want to see reverse lights when we have someone stopped. We have no way of knowing whether you might try to ram us or our cars.”

Me: “Oh, sorry. Thanks for not shooting up my car.”

Officer: *chuckling* “That’s your one free pass.”