What happens in DC stays in DC - Part 1

There were three crazy incidents that happened on the trip to Washington DC. And I managed to play a different role in each of the incidents. In one of those incidents I was a victim, in another I was a criminal and in the third one, I was an innocent bystander who narrowly escaped death. And since that famous adage about Las Vegas* does not apply to Washington DC, I decided to pen down my experiences.

We (I and three other friends, let’s call them ‘A’, ‘B’ and ‘C’) went on a road trip to Washington DC during the spring break in mid march. I was highly excited since this was my first ever real road trip. I call it a 'real' road trip because it was a 12 hour drive to DC **. Before embarking on the journey, I thought that 12 hours was a little too much and we would all get bored on the trip. Surprisingly, there was not even a single moment where I felt bored or jaded. I realized that the combination of good friends, a comfortable car, good music, chips and coke, the beautiful, scenic freeways and the ability to rip on them at high speeds (amidst trucks that look like transformers), leads to a very exciting and fun-filled trip. In the process we managed to go through six different states and on the very same country roads that John Denver talked about in his famous song. ***


Incident 1 : The Criminal.

It was around seven in the evening, and the sun had just sunk behind the horizon. It had been about four hours since we left West Lafayette in our sleek black Mazda and were traveling on an interstate in Ohio.

"With arrms wide oppee...Hey, why did you turn down the volume?" I shouted.
"Guys, I think we might have a problem." A replied as he gingerly peeked at the rear view mirror from the driver's seat.
The mirror was completely covered by flashing red and blue lights. I turned around in my seat to glance at a sleek white Dodge Charger tailing us.
"Uh-oh. What now?" I gulped and gritted my teeth.
"Were you speeding?" B asked.
"I don't think so. I don't think I went much over the limit." A sounded nervous.
And as the lights behind us got more intense, we slowly pulled over to the curb and patiently waited for the officer behind us to make his move.
"What do we do? What do we do?" I almost screamed in panic.
"Nothing. We just sit here and wait for the officer." C replied calmly.

Wow! A cop had pulled us over. It was just like how it was in the movies. The cop car trails the criminal, puts on his lights and siren. The criminal pulls over. The cop slowly approaches the car with his gun drawn out. The criminal lowers his window and asks, "Is there a problem, officer?" The officer points the gun at the driver and shouts, "Keep your hands where I can see them!"

"Hey! You have to keep your hands on the steering wheel." I whispered to A.
"Yeah. yeah, I know that."

Everybody knows that. In fact, this question always features in the driving test ****:
What do you do when an officer pulls you over on the road?
Option 1 : Keep your hands on the steering wheel and wait for the officer to talk to you.
Option 2 : Keep one hand on the wheel and one inside the glove compartment.
Option 3 : Do not pull over. Keep moving.
Option 4 : Step out of the car and run.

"What do we tell the officer?" B asked.

Do we slip in a 20 dollar note? I thought, but then dismissed it. Such ideas only work in India.

"We don't admit to anything unless he asks us something specific." A replied.

Our eyes were focused on the driver's seat window as we waited for the officer to arrive.

Tap! tap! There was a loud knock on the passenger side window. We were surprised to see a heavy set man in a county sheriff uniform holding a flash light in his hand. We lowered the windows.


“Where are you heading?” the officer asked.

“Washington DC.” We replied.

"Can I see your license and registration please?"
We gave him the papers.
"Rental car, eh?" he asked.
"Yes" we said.
"I'll be right back." With that he took the papers and went back to his car.

The officer goes back to his car and runs a background check on the vehicle. He is startled. He picks up the radio and calls for backup. Two more cop cars pull in. More officers approach the car, while a few of them stay back with their guns aimed at the criminals in front. "Please step out of the vehicle and open the boot." The driver would get out of the car and open the boot to reveal a bag of drugs, guns and stolen diamonds.

The officer then came back with the papers.
“Sir”, he said sternly, “Do you realize that your high beam is on?”

“Uhh…” A hesitated.

In the US, the road rules are very strict. And breaking even the most minor traffic rule will get you a ticket. You get a couple of those tickets and your driving license will be suspended. And keeping the high beam turned on, on a two way highway is a ‘ticket-able’ offense. We were in a tough position. Admitting that we were aware that the high beam was on would mean that we were blatantly breaking the law. On the other hand, if we claimed ignorance, it would mean that the driver wasn’t skilled enough to tell whether the high beam is on or not, making him un-fit to be a driver. So, thankfully B had the presence of mind to say neither.

“Officer, this is a rental car. We were just trying to figure out how to operate the headlights.” B spoke in his usual confident tone.

“Ok. Make sure you turn the high beam off when you drive.”

“Absolutely, officer!” B replied.

We were happy to get away without a ticket. (Although, we did get a speeding ticket in West Virginia, while on our way back to West Lafayette). And more so I was relieved that my imaginations didn’t come true. But I so desperately wanted to hear a real police officer say – “You have the right to remain silent.”

* "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas."
** Washington DC is about 650 miles from West Lafayette
*** "Country Roads" by John Denver, in which he sings about the Blue Ridge Mountains and country roads of West Virgina.
**** I had this exact same question on my driving test.