Monday, May 28, 2012

Dealing with the police

Having Aspergers is tough sometimes, especially when you have a speeding problem like myself.  Over the years I've had my share of citations because I hate to get passed up on the highways because it makes me feel like a bad driver because I am driving too slow, even though I am usually over the limit.  I am not very good at talking my way out of citations when I get stopped like some people are because when the officer stops me and asks if I know why he stopped me I am truthful to them, and a lot of the times they don't like that.  I am always compliant though.  Some things that I have learned not to reply to the "Do you know why I stopped you?" question with include: "Because you're a dick"  that reply got me out of one citation because the officer thought it was funny, but the other two officers didn't. "I thought that sign that said speed limit 55 was a suggestion and I didn't agree with it."  That one didn't work either.  "I'm driving an '04 Rio, I don't really think I was going above 70MPH."  That officer volunteered to show me his RADAR reading so I asked "Are you sure that was me?"  Turns out that question works if there's more than one car on the road at that time.  The other problem that I have when I get stopped is at night and they shine their spotlight on you and the red and blue lights are flashing and that much light overstimulates me so I turn my mirrors down and close my eyes because it really bothers me and for some reason that makes me look suspicious.  When I try to explain to the officers that I have Aspergers and that the lights really bother me they don't understand me.  Apparently when I say "I have Aspergers" they must think it's a street name or something for drugs because all three times when I was stopped at night and explained it they decided to search my vehicle for drugs, no matter how much I told them they wouldn't find anything.  Of course they did not find anything and just wasted a lot of my time.  Each one came back and said "We didn't find anything so I'm just going to let you go with a warning but I have to cite you for speed.  If you're citing me for speed then where does "letting me off with a warning" come into play.  Some people can be really stupid, how can you give me a warning on something that doesn't exist, I believe the warning should be to slow down.  Needless to say a routine stop that should have taken 10 minutes at the most to cite me turned into an hour of time lost because I hate bright lights and didn't handle the situations well which led them to searching my vehicle.  In other words it is hard to explain Aspergers to someone who doesn't care and won't listen or learn what it is.

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