Distracted.
Yup, that is the word for the day... or for the next several months that you get no sleep with your little newborn, and often feel like you have had too many turns on the Teacup ride at Disneyland.
Driving when "distracted" is not ideal, obviously. When you have no choice, defensive driving is the key. (I mean there are soooo many a$$hat people out there that are ridiculous in their attempts to drive either a) the speed limit, be it too fast or too slow or b) in the correct lane as they have their cell phones glued to their ears (also illegal in this state)). However, this incident was neither one of those lame situations. I know I have difficulties concentrating with just the person next to me talking, especially when said person is my husband and he wants to have a serious conversation. Yeah, right. How likely will I really hear what he has to say if I am trying to maneuver around a$$hats? So, I really have to focus and know my limits now. Being a new mother, with a screaming, really upset newborn in the back seat, makes it nearly impossible for me to focus.
As I was driving to a doctors appointment, with said Sunshine in the backseat, I was passing along a road that I am quite familiar with. The posted speed has been 35mph in the past, and I had been coasting about 38mph at the time. About the point we started going downhill, is when Sunshine got a) a dirty diaper and b) pacifier fell out. She was whimpering/crying for about 3 miles before, but now she went into full gear (as she perceives I did not get her 0.02 second snippet of her discontent). Wow! She was so upset. From my lack of sleep, postpartum hormones and the like, I also had tears in my eyes. I just kept thinking, 'We are almost to the doctor's office at the bottom of the hill.'
This is when I saw the motorcycle cop, sitting on the road to my right. He was putting away his "speed gun" and starting up his ride. Yup, I knew it. I had been going a bit too fast. I sighed and pulled into the right lane and as his little lights started up behind me, I pulled off onto a side street.
Now, I thought Sunshine's cries couldn't get any worse. I was sooo wrong! She was majorly ticked that we had stopped the car moving, that her diapers were still wet, and that she still didn't have that damn pacifier in her mouth. I swear, her head was going to start turning around and that some demon had possessed her. I had tears rolling down my face at this point. The cop came over and asked to see my license and registration. I had to ask him to speak up, as I could not hear him over Sunshine. Funny, he had to ask me to repeat what I said as well, as he couldn't hear me either. He asked if I knew what the posted speed was, and I said "It's 35mph." He then asked me if I knew how fast I was going? I then shrugged, looked back in the rear view mirror at supersonic Sunshine and then said, "Ummm. 40mph?" He then smiled at me and had to speak even louder and stated, "The speed limit has been changed recently to 30 mph, and you were going 44mph".
The next thought in my head, ("Oh S#!*"). He went back and checked my info on his bike, which I have never gotten a ticket before (knock on wood), then came back and shouted "I am going to let you go this time, but you need to keep an eye out for any changed speeds and pull over sooner if you are distracted."
Uh, yeah. No kidding!!! So for all of those new parents out there.... if you have to drive by yourself, and your kid goes into supersonic mode.... do yourself a favor. Pull over, attend said mutant baby, and avoid any repercussions with the law or, heaven forbid, avoid any accidents. Now if only we could get those a$$hat cell phone drivers to do the same!
Yup, that is the word for the day... or for the next several months that you get no sleep with your little newborn, and often feel like you have had too many turns on the Teacup ride at Disneyland.
Driving when "distracted" is not ideal, obviously. When you have no choice, defensive driving is the key. (I mean there are soooo many a$$hat people out there that are ridiculous in their attempts to drive either a) the speed limit, be it too fast or too slow or b) in the correct lane as they have their cell phones glued to their ears (also illegal in this state)). However, this incident was neither one of those lame situations. I know I have difficulties concentrating with just the person next to me talking, especially when said person is my husband and he wants to have a serious conversation. Yeah, right. How likely will I really hear what he has to say if I am trying to maneuver around a$$hats? So, I really have to focus and know my limits now. Being a new mother, with a screaming, really upset newborn in the back seat, makes it nearly impossible for me to focus.
As I was driving to a doctors appointment, with said Sunshine in the backseat, I was passing along a road that I am quite familiar with. The posted speed has been 35mph in the past, and I had been coasting about 38mph at the time. About the point we started going downhill, is when Sunshine got a) a dirty diaper and b) pacifier fell out. She was whimpering/crying for about 3 miles before, but now she went into full gear (as she perceives I did not get her 0.02 second snippet of her discontent). Wow! She was so upset. From my lack of sleep, postpartum hormones and the like, I also had tears in my eyes. I just kept thinking, 'We are almost to the doctor's office at the bottom of the hill.'
This is when I saw the motorcycle cop, sitting on the road to my right. He was putting away his "speed gun" and starting up his ride. Yup, I knew it. I had been going a bit too fast. I sighed and pulled into the right lane and as his little lights started up behind me, I pulled off onto a side street.
Now, I thought Sunshine's cries couldn't get any worse. I was sooo wrong! She was majorly ticked that we had stopped the car moving, that her diapers were still wet, and that she still didn't have that damn pacifier in her mouth. I swear, her head was going to start turning around and that some demon had possessed her. I had tears rolling down my face at this point. The cop came over and asked to see my license and registration. I had to ask him to speak up, as I could not hear him over Sunshine. Funny, he had to ask me to repeat what I said as well, as he couldn't hear me either. He asked if I knew what the posted speed was, and I said "It's 35mph." He then asked me if I knew how fast I was going? I then shrugged, looked back in the rear view mirror at supersonic Sunshine and then said, "Ummm. 40mph?" He then smiled at me and had to speak even louder and stated, "The speed limit has been changed recently to 30 mph, and you were going 44mph".
The next thought in my head, ("Oh S#!*"). He went back and checked my info on his bike, which I have never gotten a ticket before (knock on wood), then came back and shouted "I am going to let you go this time, but you need to keep an eye out for any changed speeds and pull over sooner if you are distracted."
Uh, yeah. No kidding!!! So for all of those new parents out there.... if you have to drive by yourself, and your kid goes into supersonic mode.... do yourself a favor. Pull over, attend said mutant baby, and avoid any repercussions with the law or, heaven forbid, avoid any accidents. Now if only we could get those a$$hat cell phone drivers to do the same!
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