AUTOMOBILE STORY--SAVED BY CF -feel free to delete

[Guest guest]

A few days ago, I was driving down a main street in Berkeley when a

woman pulled directly out in front of me (with small child in car seat in

the back of the car) and four cars behind me (with small child in car

seat in the back of the car). Wishing to avoid a six-car collision and

trauma and/or injury to all involved I put on my brakes, gave a hand

signal and turned on my flashing lights as required by California Law

IN ORDER TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT.

I did notice, as I meandered across town to the north to El Cerrito to the

smallest DMV office around, that the car ahead sure was sticking with

me. We reached the point where I would have made my last right turn

to the DMV, when she drove nonchalantly into the town of Albany Police

Station, at which point it occurred to me (fortunately) that the woman

was not only of such poor judgement as to have nearly caused a six-car

collision, but dumb enough to think that I was STALKING her. Turns out

I was right; good thing I followed her on in to the Police Station where

as it happens I knew the Chief, used to live in that town--they all blend

together here, Albany being on one end of Berkeley, Oakland on the

other side and so on. We Both stopped. I was wearing one pocketless

polo shirt, Bermuda Shorts and sandals. I approached her car, hands

in air, pockets dangling, and said " Talk to me! " She was on the cell

phone telling the police inside that I was about to attack her!

I got back in my car, turned on some soft music, opened the windows,

and sat there peacefully. Eventually six officers (!!!!!) surrounded my

car and one approached hers. She opened her window a crack on this

very warm, sunny day in a police department parking lot.

The police asked me whether I had been " wielding a gun! " I said that I

had not, had never owned one, used one, nor had one registered in my

name, grabbed my back-pack and got out and stood, hands up. They

scrutinized my driver's license, ran my record by computer (spotless!!!)

and almost reluctantly returned the license to me suggesting that it might be

my MOTHER " S LICENSE , not mine. I said that had it been

so, the license would not be current, as my mother was deceased and

had died about 3.5 years ago at the age of 102.5. They gathered. I

suggested that they search my car and handed them the appropriate

keys (only). They searched, and when they got to the trunk, they found

a wheelchair, having found a handicapped person's placard and all

insurance, etc. in the glove compartment, and of course, a wheelchair

in the trunk. By now, I was seated on a retaining wall, hands still in the

air. They commented on how neat and clean my car was. They also

commented on how black my hair was. I informed them that when I got

my last photographed driver's license I had filled out a description: hair,

black, eyes brown. DMV had spotted a few grey hairs and designated

me as having " grey " hair, brown eyes.

Finally, the cop asks for the account. I told him. He asked me what I

thought the driver ahead of me had done wrong. I said " possibly fleeing

the scene of an accident as she had no way of knowing whether her

actions had injured anyone, especially me. " They pondered this for a

long time. They asked was I stalking her, and I denied it, as was the

case. They asked where I was headed and I told them " up the street to DMV to

renew my placard. " They said " Oh, so you were not stalking

her? " I denied it, trying to remember my lawyer's phone number!

Finally they went and talked to the woman ahead of me, then back to

me. They said that I had done nothing wrong and was free to leave,

but that I should not have turned on my flashing lights, in order to prevent

the accident. I left, went to DMV, renewed my placard and got several

copies of the DMV manual and read that it said that in order to prevent

an ACCIDENT one is required to use both one's brake lights and one's

flashing lights.

DMV, upon hearing this mad account, said, " Perhaps you would like to

enlighten the Albany Police, " and the manager circled the paragraph and

signed his name and wrote in his telephone numberr. I thereupon

delivered said manual to the Albany police through their slot at the re

ceptionists desk in their lobby.

This is the most bored police department in the world; they literally have

nothing to do and must make up things to do to justify their independent

existence. They had nearly died when I had a wild coughing fit just be

fore I had departed--- and used up about a dozen tissues. I think they were

convinced that I had SARS--I surely hope they were so convinced!

That is the cf-related part! They were very eager to get rid of me by

the time I had coughed myself blude--they all blanched.

In a few words: SAVED BY CYSTIC FIBROSIS!

n Rojas