You Be The Jury

I was just driving back from the University of Utah and a police officer pulled me over. The police officer was in an unmarked black SUV and he was not wearing a police uniform rather a red dress shirt embroidered with the the words, "Cottonwood Heights Police".


Here is what happened. I was at an intersection turning right onto a road that had all but one of the westbound lanes closed for construction. This single lane was backed all the way to the intersection so cars were having a hard time getting into the lane. When my light turned green there was no room in the lane for me and there were cars in the opposite direction from me blocking the intersection because they were trying to turn left into the single lane.

I knew if I didn't pull into the intersection when my light was green to take my place in line, I would never get to go. When the single lane began to move the left turning cars turned west into the single westbound lane, my light turned red, and then I turned right into the single lane. Yes, I turned RIGHT on a RED light into the lane.

The black SUV was first in line at the intersection going straight west, so I went in front of him.

So he pulls me over, and he is mad. He shakes his head like I'm an idiot and asks me for my license and registration. I hand him my license and while I'm getting my registration he can see by the look on my face I really have no idea what he thinks I did wrong.

Nothing he said seems clear to me other than, "Your light was red when you entered the intersection" and "That's how accidents happen". My light was not red when I entered the intersection.

When I arrived at the intersection, my light was red. I stopped and waited at the stop line while it was red. My light turned green and I entered the intersection. I sat there waiting in the intersection while it remained green. It turned red, and then I turned into the westbound lane.

I'm wondering what I was supposed to do differently? So I'm really questioning myself thinking maybe he is right, maybe I did something wrong. I tell him, "I don't know what I did wrong" and he says "We can argue it in front of the judge". I say, "Okay", not to be smart, I just really didn't think I did anything wrong.

He seems upset at this point that I'm not crying or pleading at his mercy. He asks when was the last time I had a ticket. I tell him years ago. He then starts to tell me his intention was to just give me a warning, but since I insist that I didn't do anything wrong, he is going to write me a ticket.

So here it comes, here is what he wanted. "Oh please, please, please please please, I was wrong," as my stomach churns because it makes me sick that he just wants me to worship him. He says, "So now you say you were wrong?" "Yes, I was wrong." I have no idea what I did wrong, but this is what he wants to hear. He says, "okay" and hands me my license back.

I would never have been able to turn right if I waited for an opportunity when my light was green and the west bound lane had space open. The intersection was backed up in all directions.

I'm trying to learn from the experience, but really, I would do the same thing, if I was in the same situation again.

What should I have done differently?