“What Are You Doing???!!!”
- Fancy car…check.
- Latest and greatest mobile communication device…check.
- Power tie…check.
- The slightest hint of a “clue”…uhhh…ummm…well, not so much.
My last entry briefly discussed that sickening feeling we all get when a police car pulls in behind you - worse yet, how you feel when the lights actually come on. This installment, I believe, is even worse…
Irvine, CA really has a problem with traffic congestion during the 5:00 PM rush-hour. A combination of far too many cars and many close traffic lights can really snarl things up. Not sure if it is by design, but you can imagine the revenue generating opportunities for local law enforcement, as motorists constantly look for ways to shave seconds off their commutes.
The intersection of Michelson Drive and Jamboree Road is full of these opportunities. The straight lanes on Michelson for through traffic crossing Jamboree seem long enough, right? Not even close! Everyday from about 4:45 to 5:00 PM, these two lanes back-up all the way to Teller - making it nearly impossible to get into the turn lanes to go left on Jamboree. Further, most cars turning left on Jamboree at this time are looking to get on the 405 Fwy - requiring them to merge to the right shortly after turning on to Jamboree. This results in the outside turn lane filling up - blocking easy access to the inside turn lane. So, in order to save those precious seconds we discussed earlier, some clever drivers have started crossing the double yellow (and driving on the wrong side of the road) to enter the inside left turn-lanes.
While making a right turn onto Michelson from Teller (toward Jamboree), I witnessed a BMW cross the intersection into an on-coming lane to get to the inside turn lane. Before he came to a stop, a motorcycle cop, who was parked in a driveway to the right, shot across the road and pulled up along the driver’s side of the BMW. The fun had begun!
The driver who was yapping away on the phone did not immediately notice the officer - This incited a short blast of the motorcycle’s siren. Clearly startled, the driver lowered his window and acknowledged the officer. In a clear and direct voice (and loud enough for me to hear), the officer explained, “When the light turns green, I need you to make the left on Jamboree and pull over to the right side of the road - do you understand?”
The driver nodded and began to wait for what surely seemed like an eternity for the green light to come. When the light changed and the cars in front began to move toward the intersection, the busted Beamer sprung into action…. With a tight left turn this guy maneuvers his vehicle across three on-coming lanes!!! Using his bull-horn, the officer yells, “WHAT ARE YOU DOING???!!!”
The driver’s response? He pulls over in the far lane facing the wrong way!!!! To make matters worse, he was sitting so close to the corner that cars turning right onto Michelson from Jamboree were narrowly missing him as they made their turns….
The light turned green and I drove through the intersection as the officer drove his motorcycle up onto the sidewalk near the BMW. I think it would be safe to assume the list of citations was quite long and the officer likely had to muster every ounce of constraint to keep from unloading on the guy. So far, this guy takes the top prize!!! The ultimate dumb-ass! In ALL sense of the concept…definitely NOT A MODEL CITIZEN!!!
