La Police

You know that moment when even though you are completely sober but you are pulling through a DUI check point your heart drops because you have to speak to a cop. Or when you are driving on a highway and you see a cop with their Radar gun, you may be going the speed limit but you slow down just to avoid being pulled over. There is something about cops and being in a car that make us all extra cautious. It could be that if they do stop you, you are generally stuck with a few hundred dollar bill and that’s never fun.

Well last night I had my first personal encounter with the French Police. Fun times. It is actually the third time I have been stopped by the French cops but this was the first time I was the driver. Whenever you are stopped by the French police it’s never just one man or woman stepping out of their car asking for your license and registration. It is always a swat team of men usually 4 approaching your car to check out the scene and investigate. It’s like every car is an immediate drug bust. You can imagine the intimidation factor of going through this process when you know you won’t even be able to explain yourself cause you don’t speak their language. I pictured myself getting to see what a French prison would be like. I am sure my parents would appreciate that phone call.



Now first let me say I didn’t get pulled over for speeding. No, I stumbled upon a check point. I of course was pulled over. It reminded me of when I was in college I took my roommate down to San Diego and when you drive back up to Los Angeles you must go through a check point. My best friend is a U.S. citizen but she is Mexican who has never been through this check point. As we approached she became very anxious and said, “I know they are going to pull us over, they are going to send me to Mexico.” I laughed and said, “Ashly don’t worry- this is normal, no one ever gets pulled over.” Well thanks to her face written with guilt and anxiety we were pulled over and questioned. We were released and she didn’t get deported to Mexico. Last night as I was being pulled over I smiled and thought of Ashly and this memory.

Last night getting pulled over to the side, I laughed and thought- I may be getting kicked out of France again. As I pulled over the first thing I told the police, “Je Parle Anglais.” I speak English. But as I was being questioned I learned something fantastic. What I learned is that, “I SPEAK FRENCH!” Okay not really but… I was able to go through all the questions and interrogations and not only understand their basic questions but also reply and respond in French! I was so excited. This was the first official all French conversation I have had in France.

In the end I was released. Thankfully, I am not an immediate threat. I have to admit after going all the way to Pennsylvania to get a drivers license. I was quite pleased to pull it out and have it checked. I would have hated to have gone all the way to Pennsylvania to get a license and never have it be recognized.