Lookit, That’s Karma

This post was published more than a few years ago (on 2004-02-06) and may contain inaccurate technical information, outmoded thoughts, or cringe takes. Proceed at your own risk.

Tonight as I drove home, it was sleeting and freezing rain, so I decided to take the back roads home instead of the Beltway and 270. Good thing I did, or I would have missed out on these experiences. 'Course, then I may have also died a fiery death, but who's to say?

First, a cop pulled me over because he ran my license plates through his computer, and they came up... not belonging to anything. Have I had the plates long? Since the first week of January. Maybe the MVA hasn't put it in the system for some reason? Better check. So, out with the license and registration, wait... wait... waaaaait... Then he comes back and asks if I just switched plates, because it's listed as "LKTN10S," which I tell him is the vanity plates that I ordered when I registered the car, but haven't received yet. So, I should call them and check out why I haven't received them yet, says he.

Pulled over for an MVA error, and because it's a slow night (even for 12:30am). Chalk one up to karmic balance, as my editing friend Xine would say.

Then, just as I'm nearing home, I see a man on the side of the road, waving me down. Should I stop? What if he's in distress? What if he wants to rob me? I stop, in the road, roll the passenger window halfway down and inquire. He's looking to get up near the mall, to his girfriend's house, as her car won't start. He's "not tryin' to rob [me] or nuthin'." I get a good vibe from him, so I clear the seat and tell him to hop in. It's not that far out of the way, so I take him and as we go, he offers his number, in case I ever need a ride or "ten bucks for sump'in." I graciously decline.

I drop him off to his dulcet tones of "She's killin' me!" and his undying gratitude. I hope the karma was worth the brain trauma of rapidly conflicting thoughts of I'd really like to help him out, 'cause I know what it's like not to have a car when you need one, and I hope he's not going to murder me in some gruesome fashion.

::sigh::

All's well that ends well, I suppose.

Now, for to the going of sleep.