Tuesday, February 13, 2007

Where Is A Cop When You Need One?

When I was 20 and newly married, I lived in Huntsville. I drove a '66 Ford Mustang that I bought for $600 when I was 16. I loved that car! It was a faded pale yellow with a black vinyl top. It had an AM/FM radio with a cassette player and Jenson 6x9 speakers! Behind the driver's seat, the floorboard had rusted through. If you were riding in the back, you could watch the street fly by. The doors wouldn't lock and the horn would fall off the steering wheel if you tried to blow it. It was rare that you could push it just right and make it actually blow.

One night, my best friend from high school called to say that she and her husband were coming to town to visit some of his friends the next day. She wanted to get up with me so that we could visit. We made plans for me to meet for lunch.

I met MM and her husband at a restraunt. She married an Ir*ni*n and he had friends that lived in town so he took off and she stayed with me. We had a great time catching up and it was late before we realized it. She called her husband and he asked if I could bring her over to his friend's house. I said sure and got directions.

The friend's house was not in the best part of town but I had a tendency to not be easily intimidated. I dropped her off and started back home. It was about 10:30 PM when I left. I came out of the neighborhood and turned south on the Parkway.

The Parkway is a limited access road that runs north and south. I-565 did not exist at the time and there were only a couple of overpasses over side streets. Most intersections including the one at University were controlled by traffic lights. Both of those streets are major roadways and are usually busy.

As I approached the first traffic light, I noticed 4 black males in a blue Ford sedan in the lane beside me. We stopped for the light. They started yelling at me which I ignore until the guy in the front passenger seat got out of the car. He came toward my door just as the light turned green. I floored it and shot through the light continuing south.

The guy jumped back into the car and they sped after me. I realized that I could not outrun them so I decided to pull into K-M*rt's parking lot where there would be people. I exited off the Parkway at about 50 mph. I sped into the parking lot and realized that it was completely empty. They too had exited behind me. I just made a huge loop and screamed back southbound. I was getting pretty scared by now and realized that the light at University and the Parkway was red for southbound traffic. This was the largest intersection in Huntsville at the time. The Ford was right on my bumper.

I hesitated for a split second and then decided not to stop. I floored it through the intersection and they came through it with me. I was really scared now. I loved driving fast but not with someone chasing me! I hit the first overpass and when I crested it, I saw a police car southbound on the next overpass. I started flashing my lights trying to get his attention to no avail.

He never noticed me and turned off somewhere. I kept going south. The car was still with me. I was so scared that my leg was jumping. I had to use one hand on my thigh to push the gas. I knew I had to come up with a plan. The only populated place I could think of was the Police Academy. It was time for shift change so I knew that it should be full of police officers.

At the last second, at about 60 mph, I hung a sharp right. I almost lost traction on the rear end. The car followed. I saw the academy ahead and the lot was full of police officers. The police cars are in the middle of a circle with entrances on the sides. Only authorized vehicles were suppose to enter.

I just drove right over the curb, sparks flying, right in the middle of all those officers. I could not get stopped and out fast enough! By the time they realized that I was not drunk or crazy, the car was gone. I sat there for awhile, until I got myself back together, and then drove home. My apartment was about a mile away.

When I got home and told the husband, his only comment was to ask if I didn't know better than to go in that neighborhood, alone, at night? Asswipe.

4 comments:

SassyFemme said...

I can remember being followed once when I was in iether high school or college. I was with friends, and also flew into a KMart parking log, only luckily for us it was open! Another time some asswipe tried to open my car door when I was stopped at a red light near a busy main street. Thank God the door was locked. I floored it and went through the light, knowing that getting hit or getting pulled over would be preferable to someone getting in the car. Both times no cop around!

Ms. A said...

I was seriously wanting to be pulled over! I would have gladly signed on the dotted line or beter yet, be taken into custody. I'm glad that your experiences turned out ok.

SassyFemme said...

good lord when I see the typos i make it's humiliating!

Ms. A said...

(giggling)That's why I get Sharon to read everything before I post, spell check doesn't catch everything. I do appreciate your comments! I like the feedback.