Speed

A very bad thing happened to us this week.  Ian got a speeding ticket.  GASP!  I know that it was his fault because yes, he was speeding, but the whole thing was stupid…….

Monday afternoon could NOT have been a worse time.  Ian was running late for work, we had a fight about something meaningless, and we were giving each other the silent treatment on the way down to Kirishima.  We were in the long tunnel that borders the Kumamoto/Miyazaki Prefecture line when Ian suddenly got out of the passing lane and into the slow lane.  I asked him what he was doing, but I immediately saw the flashing lights and knew.  I silently prayed that it was just an ambulance, but I think deep down I knew it wasn’t. 

I’m sure we’ve all had this particular feeling before:  you see the flashing lights, feel your heart slip into your stomach as you instinctively tap the brakes, and pretend like nothing is wrong as you cross your fingers and pray to the good Lord above that Mr. Policeman is after someone else.

Alas, Mr. Policeman did NOT go after someone else.  Instead of pulling behind us with flashing lights like what would happen at home, they pulled in front of us.  Ian and I both looked at each other and said, “Is that for us?”  I asked him how fast he was going, but he said he honestly didn’t know.  Ian tends to have a heavy foot, and it’s extremely easy to speed in a tunnel because they are long, flat, straight, and don’t have any scenery to stare at.  I shuddered as I wondered how fast he was going.  120?  130?  140?  A sign flashed on in the police car’s back window, but the kanji was far too complicated for either of us to read.  Since we were in the tunnel, there was no room to pull over, so we continued to follow the police car.  Other cars were passing by, and if we had any inkling of a doubt that the flashing lights were for us, I think they were crushed by those passing cars.

Once we were out of the tunnel, the police car pulled over.  We tried to play dumb and slide by them, but Policeman #1 rolled down his window and waved for us to pull over behind them.  Policeman #2 jumped out of the car and walked behind our car to place a flashing orange cone to alert other drivers to get into the other lane.  Then he came to my (the passenger’s window).  I think he was taken aback that we were both foreigners.  He started his speech in Japanese but QUICKLY realized that we weren’t comprehending.  We knew that he wanted Ian’s driver’s license, so we handed him that, and he seemed glad that it was a Japanese license (that he could read). 

Next, he instructed both of us to get out of the car.  We had to sit in the back seat of the police car while Policeman #1 and #2 processed the ticket.  I’m not a bad citizen and have no need to fear the law, but as I sat in the back seat of the police car, I started breaking down emotionally.  My hands were shaking, and I could feel the tears coming on.  They asked us simple questions: where we were from, where we lived, ages, jobs, etc.  They then explained to us that the speed limit in Japan is 80 kph, and they clocked Ian going 108.  They even had a little printer connected to their speed-gun-thing which printed out the exact speed that they clocked Ian at.  108. 

Let’s take a time out for just a moment.  The HIGHEST speed limit in Japan is 80 kph on limited access roads, i.e., the expressway.  80 kph is 50 mph.  The fastest, FASTEST we are legally allowed to drive in Japan is 50 mph.  However, EVERYONE breaks the speed limit on the expressway.  Going 20, 30, or even 40 kph faster than the limit is typical.  I’m not a fast driver, (I’ve actually been accused of driving like a grandma) but I routinely go AT LEAST 20 kph over the speed limit on the expressway.  Policeman #1 and #2 clocked Ian going 108 kph……as in 67 mph.  Ian got a “speeding” ticket for going LESS than the average speed limit on American interstates.  Let that soak in for just a second.

Once they finished processing the ticket, we could get back into our car.  Policeman #2 retrieved the orange flashing cone from behind our car and told us to wait until he waved us on before we pulled out into traffic.  So….how much did that set us back?  The ticket was 18,000 yen ($191).  I can think of about 298374267169873243 other things I’d like to spend that much money on instead of a stupid ticket.  BLARG!  What’s more is that since we were already running late, Ian was about five minutes late to his class.  Grrrrrrrr……..   

Yeah…… Monday wasn’t exactly the best day for the Reeds.  However, in my next blog I’ve got a great story to tell about a drinking party that I went to with my co-workers, so that’s a LOT happier!