A recent  poll in our NBHS website posed the question:  What is your experience with traffic tickets?  Of course, this poll like the others is just for fun, and I'm taking a risk here in sharing a traffic ticket experience that I'll never forget since it was both humbling and a source of pride.

 

 I'm considered a reliable and responsible citizen. I'm a mother and a teacher, law abiding, card- carrying voter, so, needless to say, I consider driving a privilege, not a right.  But, I have to admit to a ticket or two. 

 

I was driving one beautiful, sparkling afternoon in Florida.   Suddenly,  I hear sirens and those blue lights swirling, of course, I pulled over and lowered the window.  The officer walked up and I smiled, "Timmy, how are you? (last name withheld to protect his privacy)    I kept  smiling as I reached over to the glove compartment to get my registration and opened my purse to get my driver's license.  He looked so serious saying, "Mrs. Gulla, you were clocked at..." .  I just said, I'm sorry and certainly wasn't going to offer an argument or excuse.  I suppressed the urge to say that he looked so handsome, so grown up and everything.  Then Tim P. gestured for me to put away my registration and license saying that he couldn't give his first grade teacher a traffic citation.  I taught first grade ten out of the thirty years in Broward County, Florida and from time to time run into former students. 

 

I offered the documents again, saying I knew it was his job, but he shook his head.    I expressed my  thanks and he said. "Good to see you , ma'am, drive carefully." and disappeared.  I felt awful.  I wanted to call out:  Timothy Allan..... didn't I teach you anything about consequences, like if you talked when I was teaching that would mean sitting out five minutes at recess?  But I drove away carefully and watched the speed signs and felt that not getting that ticket made me feel guiltier than the toughest penalty.  However, I can't deny also feeling a source of pride that a former student was doing well in life and remembered me.

 

 Would you have given your first grade teacher a ticket?