Just a few days ago, I was the passenger in my friend’s car. She’s in the left turn lane. A police car is stopped at the line, directly across from the intersection. Friend intends to turn left, police car is in the lane to go straight through the intersection.
Our left turn lane gets the green “left-turn” arrow. My friend is about six cars back though. Cars one through three turn left on the green arrow. Car four has a yellow arrow but is already in the intersection, so goes. Car five maybe caught a bit of the yellow arrow (dubious) but goes anyways. My friend clearly missed the left turn arrow, and now the lights are green for oncoming traffic, but she guns it anyways and zips through.
I actually said, immediately, “That was pretty bold, running that arrow in front of a cop.”
Her: “Nah, I was fine.”
…30 seconds later…
Her: “I wonder why that cop behind me has their lights on? Probably a funeral procession?”
Me: “I doubt that very much.”
…30 seconds later…
Her: “It’s still following me? Huh. I guess I’ll pull into this parking lot.”
Me: “…”
…30 seconds later…
Her: “What?! It pulled in behind me? Why is it stopping me?”
Me: “You ran that intersection.”
Her: “Nah, maybe I have a tail-light out?”
…5 minutes later…
A very friendly, polite and correct officer explains to my friend exactly what she did, and gives her a ticket for “failure to yield to oncoming traffic”. $120.
…30 seconds later…
Her: “Do you think I should appeal it?”
Me: :rolleyes: “When you were clearly in the wrong, right in front of a police officer, and I called it myself even before said officer turned her lights on? …ugh, just don’t expect me to testify in your defense. ;)”