Rolling stop

Last week I saw red and blue lights in my rearview mirrors. I pulled over to the curb and waited for the officer to approach me. He asked me if I knew why I had been stopped. I said I did, that I hadn't come to a complete stop. He agreed with me. He took my license and proof of insurance leaving me to wait in the cold and dark. While sitting there I kicked myself, waiting for the financial slap on the wrist.

I saw the officer get out of the squad car and walk up to my window. To my relief he gave me a warning. I was a free man once moe, a repentant man wanting to be a better man.

Since that night I have been attempting to make sure I come to a complete stop, and to my surprise I have been amazed at the incidences of my rolling stop addiction. I realized that I rolled though stops all the time! The warning was a wake up call. I am curbing the urge to roll when I stop now and my passengers actually notice.

Sometimes a warning can be as effective as a punishment.