jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

I was driving home from Kingston last night at about midnight, and flashing lights appeared behind me. I go out of my way to make sure I'm not stopped by the police, and I couldn't imagine why I was being stopped. Very simple: I didn't have my headlights turned on!

With daytime running lights, the dashboard is always lit up, so that was no clue. Even though it was midnight, there were lights in the parking lot and lots of streetlights and store lights. Also, my DRLs put out some light, so seeing wasn't a problem. I'll have to use the Auto On feature of the headlights and let them turn on and off when it's appropriate.

As we were waiting for the cop to arrive at my window, I told my son several "funny" things I could say to him. "Sorry, officer, but I had so much to drink that I didn't want to call attention to myself, so I left the lights off." "When I stole the car from the guy's driveway, I didn't want to turn the lights on and alert him." I also thought it might be funny to jabber at him in a made-up language, or to get out of the car screaming and waving my arms. My son thought it would be better not to make jokes.

Earworms Loc: Sacramento, California

You're losing it Jerry.
A few years back, at night time, I turned onto an unlit section (no streetlights) of a heavily used avenue. All of a sudden out of nowhere there is a car blasting its horn at me, but for the life of me I just couldn't see where the sound was coming from. I knew it was a car, but I just couldn't tell if it was beside me or in back of me, so I split the lanes and accelerated as fast as I could. Well I was finally able to select a lane and I slowed down to see what was following me. A black car with no headlights on! Now how was I supposed to see a black car with no headlights at night? I slowed down till I was beside the other car, the driver was a woman. Anyway, I let her have the horn and I yelled at her to turn her headlights on a few other choice words too.

Doddy Loc: Barnard Castle-England

Lol jerry. Your son was absolutely right, as its a well known fact that traffic policemen have no sense of humour!!

Mary Kate Loc: NYC

Yes. Then you think of the variety of people and all their baggage, that they have to deal with on an ongoing basis. Of course, the cop is always wrong. I wonder why they don't know that??

twillsol Loc: St. Louis, MO

The policemen that you say "have no sense of humour" are out there risking their lives for you every day!

soxrul Loc: ct

Well, did you get a ticket?

kodiac1062 Loc: Sarasota, Fl

I am retired Deputy Sheriff. One of the most dangerous things we do is traffic stops. We don't know who we have just pulled over. He may have just killed his family and the officer is next. It's no joke. I hope you thanked the officer for possibly saving your life and others for you not turning your headlights on.

Mary Kate Loc: NYC

Store lights are on in upstate New York after midnight????

Doddy Loc: Barnard Castle-England

I completely agree with you..it was a tongue in cheek comment I made, as I wouldn't expect a traffic cop to exchange pleasantries with a possible offender.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Apparently. Streetlights, too. We now have electricity twenty-four hours a day!

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Yes, I did.

Bloke Loc: Waynesboro, Pennsylvania

Been there, done that! My car (an '09 Nissan Versa) turns the interior lights on with the ignition, not with the light switch. No idea why, since it means they are burning constantly even during daytime driving... The parking lot at work has bright lights, and several times, coming back after a late field trip, I have been out in the road before I realized that I had not turned on the lights.

Talking about the 'auto on' feature... When I first came over to the US in 1990, I bought a 1980 Buick Riviera, and that car had all kinds of gizmos on it that I had never seen before. Driving to work in the early hours - daylight but only just! - I would hear this "click...click" every so often. Turned out that the lights were coming on and then off every time I went under a highway bridge! No idea how many people must have thought I was flashing at them...

FlyingTiger Loc: Tortola, BVI

If you have the auto on feature, why don't you use it? Instead of doing the intelligent thing and using the feature of auto on you had rather blame everything and everyone but who is at fault and that would be you. You then want to whine and crack jokes about a police officer that is risking his or her life to make sure you are safe. I would guess you did not receive a ticket otherwise you would take up at least two pages whining about how unfairly you were treated. Just saying......

ecobin Loc: Paoli, PA

I hope you didn't get a ticket.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

That's one thing I don't like about that feature, and of course, they turn on when I start the car in the garage.