muck_a_luck

Living here in the burbs of the Washington, DC, magaopolis, I have had a lot of what I would call "small town" experiences over the years. We are regulars are certain restaurants, where the staff know me and my kids. We see the same fellow shoppesr at the grocery store most weeks. Boss knows quite a lot of the lawyers who practice at the DC and Fairfax courthouses.

Anyway, I had a slightly unsettling one last night.

I was at a light at a largish intersection with a long, moderately active pedestrian crossing across 6 lanes. Three pedestrians were on their way across the when the light turned green. Since they were on the other side, barely to the median, I could have jumped them without slowing them down, but I respect pedestrians and don't like to spook them, plus if I went, no doubt the rest of traffic would have followed right behind me, and they would have been stuck in the median til everybody went. So I decided to wait for them, which is what I believe I'm supposed to do anyway, since cars are supposed to stop for pedestrians in crosswalks.

Anyway, the car behind me lightly tooted her horn. I looked back and a bored, tired looking young woman, slumped far down in her seat, made a courteous "after you" type gesture that I should go. She said "Go ahead," or something like that.

Now, I get very hostile to people honking at me at lights, especially if they are hassling me to go right on red. Of course, in this case the light was actually green, I reminded myself, and so I made eye contact with the woman in my rearview and pointed to the pedestrians and said "Nope. Pedestrians." She nodded, looking slightly annoyed, but mostly bored and resigned. Finally, the people crossed, and I got to go.

And when I next checked my rearview, I saw it was A COP behind me! I hadn't been able to see her car or uniform well before when she was right behind me at the light. This freaked me out just a tad. Because one doesn't usually tell the cop how to obey traffic laws, one usually does what the police say in traffic. I told myself, no, I was doing the right thing. A police officer should respect that. Still, I was mindful not to block any boxes as we waded through the afternoon traffic. (There was no chance of speeding, at least!)

Anyway, she followed me through traffic, but eventually, after several more lights and a turn, I glanced up and she wasn't back there anymore. Whew.

So I arrive at tae kwon do, and who is crossing the parking lot, taking her son to her police car?!?! (I have no idea how she beat me there, but it was definitely her!!!)

The whole thing was a little unnerving.

To make it more odd, when I came out of TKD, she had still not left yet, and had popped the hood of her car and was peering at the engine with irritation. They walked back in as I was helping The Barbarian buckle up.