He blew his horn at me, and I brushed it off thinking "you'll be right".
But as I pulled into a parking lot to get lunch, little did I know it was you, an undercover cop, that I made a bad call with.
At first, I was angry thinking "oh great, another ticket". But as you approached me you looked extremely concerned.
You asked me, "what was the rush?", and said "No rush, it was a mistake. I'm sorry."
You stared at me with disbelief and said something that left chills down my spine and has impacted my driving from that day forward.
"You're lucky you did that with an experienced driver. You would probably be in hospital."
As a reporter, that hit me hard — as I closed my eyes and processed what you were saying, flashes of fatal previous car crashes and horrific photos came to my mind.
I awaited my well-deserved ticket, but instead, I was given another piece of advice before he left.
"You always need to triple check, every time you pull out," you said.
This stern conversation has impacted me more than any fine I have received (which is not many.)
Since then, every time I drive I always triple check for other drivers before pulling out or changing lanes. Your words embedded in my brain, so I don't make another bad call ever again.
And that is why I thank you for pulling me over and giving me advice on safe driving — instead of giving me a fine.
