kourtney kardashian, stealing some of the light from her sister.
it was midnight, the day before yesterday when i was pulled over by the police. an illegal turn, after leaving a jazz club, where i had drank two beers over a few hours, bright lights appeared and i pulled the car to the curb and wondered what would come next.
upon giving my drivers license and insurance, i was told that i was being pulled over for breaking a traffic law, then asked if i had drank anything. in a split second i decided it was best to go with a bit of the truth and mentioned i had one beer. he said he had smelled alcohol on me and asked if i would step out of my cardand perform a field sobriety test. he added one caveat while i pondered, if i passed he would not ticket me for the illegal turn.
most advice at this point points to not taking this test, here is a DWI lawyers advice on the matter:
You do have to get out of a vehicle if an officer directs you to. What you do not have to do is answer his questions or perform his field sobriety test. We recommend you don’t do those. The tests are designed for failure. You’re not given the opportunity to practice. You’re not given information what the officer is looking for until you do it. Then, as few as two clues out of eight or four clues is going to get you arrested.
although if you refuse, there is high chance you are going to go to jail for the evening, and i also did not want a ticket for illegal turns, so i said yes. i imagined walking a straight line or counting backwards or something. i was a bit tired but thought for sure i would pass. ignorance is bliss.
the test was much harder then i had imagined, the officer shined a light in my eyes while instructing me to follow the tip of his pen with only my eyes without moving my head. traffic noise in the background and the blue lights still spinning around, i did my best to do what is not a normal action, to follow something with your eyes while holding your head still. at one point i told him the light in my eyes made it quite difficult, but he told me to simply follow his instructions. knowing i was in his realm now, i did as i was told.
the best way to avoid capture, is too stay out of the light. my theory with teachers, immigration officers, police and any other authority figures is to not draw attention. if i fail on that front, i give them as much respect as possible and follow what rules they might set forth. the choice is up to them, their word is all that matters and they can make your life as difficult as they want too and your choices are very limited. your word against theirs, and the judges have much more interaction with them then you. i have had a few bad experiences with teachers and police, who had decided i was going to be the victim and no matter what i did the story was going to end that way. early on i learned to avoid these type of actors.
sir do not move your head. i felt a bit of sweat beading up on my forehead and my heart rate was definitely elevated. i thought of the next few months, the courts, the insurance hikes, the disappointment in myself and then the family to consider. i continued to be blinded and follow the mans pen as he moved it sharply left and then right outside of what could possibly be my field of vision. after what seemed like eternity, he put the flash light down and told me i had passed. he handed my license back to me and told me to be safe. i thanked him and made my way back to my car. another lucky moment in an unlucky circumstance.
if faced again with that scenario i am not sure i will say yes again, having to perform something in such a situation is a bit of a trap. passing and failing is not really up to you but to the examiner. the alternative is also not a good choice. the only real good choice is back to rule one, avoid at all chances.
