Driving in Thailand, cont'd
I got stopped by the Thai police. I came zipping around a corner in the gurgly, green mountains to see five of them standing across the road. It was a blockade.
Were they motioning me over? Ohhh, why-ohh-why did I put my license under my dress? Around my waist no less. And now they're were going to go and give me a ticket and want information on the car and then they're are going to call the rental agency and I'm going to get in trouble for taking the car into Thailand and and and. And.
I pulled over.
Now the central locking system decided to work. Fresh batteries and the policeman couldn't open the door.
And she resisted arrest!
He had so many stripes on his arm. Very scary. He definitely had more than the other three guys. Definitely.
I turned the car off. And turn down the Thai music. And took off my shades. Shades are shady. Not that I'm in the habit of getting pulled over but usually in such situations, I'd flick on a little classical music. It just seems less guilty to me. So far, no tickets. Rules of the road to live by.
"I'm police."
"Yes, I can see that, " I replied. Smiling, brow furrowed. (Earnest?)
"Where are you going?"
"T-r-r-r-ang!" I replied just the tiniest bit nasally.
"Huh?"
This went on for a while.
"Ohhhhh! T-rung."
"Yes, that's it." I rolled my eyes and held my hands up to my face in shame. We were on the outskirts of the town. It was embarrassing he couldn't recognize what I was attempting to say.
"I'm police!"
"Yes, yes, I see," my eyes wide open. Please, please don't give me a ticket.
"Where you come from?"
Shit. Today? Urghhh. There was no way I could pronounce that town. I spent the last two days simply avoiding having to say it. San Francisco? Well, I'd yet to meet anyone in Thailand who had heard of San Francisco.
"America."
"Ohhh! I'm police!"
Exhausting. Simply exhausting.
"Was I speeding?" I asked. I point to the speeding thing on the dashboard.
Big confused look from policeman. So I give him the thumbs-up. As in, can I go?
He gives me a thumbs-up and then said, " We friends?"
Wow. That was unexpected. "Sure," I laughed. Sure, dude, as long as you don't give me a ticket, I'll call you my friend.
"Here!"
The policeman handed me his phone number. I pulled the door closed on his hand and drove off.
No ticket.
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