Expensive lesson, cheaply learned

I learned a new traffic rule and it nearly cost me $230.

While driving to a birthday party, my standard 10 minutes late, in Saskatoon last week, I made a U-turn.

There was no traffic for miles because the light after the one I was turning at was red. Instead of making a left out of the advanced left lane, I made a U-turn, after checking for a no U-turn sign.

I pulled in the parking lot about half a block down, snagged a parking spot, and stepped out of my car to be greeted by red and blue flashing lights.

An officer stepped out and told me to get back into my car.

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I did, confused.

He walked over and asked if I knew why he had pulled me over. Until that moment, I didn’t realize that

it was me that he had pulled me over.

“I’m guessing there was a ‘no U-turn’ sign, but I did look,” I said.

“No,” he said.

He stared at me, I looked back at him with the growing embarrassment that I had unknowingly broken a crazy traffic law.

“You can’t make a U-turn at a light controlled intersection,” he said.

I had definitely just done that.

I handed over my licence and registration, while babbling about how I had just renewed my insurance and hadn’t stuck the sticker on the plate yet, because it was dirty.

He continued to look at me like I was a little crazy as he retreated back to the safety of his vehicle.
I texted my friends, who were waiting inside the restaurant.

“I’m here … kind of.”

The response was quick. “We know.”

I looked in my rear-view mirror to see several staff members and patrons lined up in the window of the restaurant, staring at the flashing lights.

I spent the time waiting for the officer trying to remember if I had ever heard that rule while going through drivers training in British Columbia. I don’t think I ever did.

It seems strange to me that there are sketchy U-turn lanes that don’t line up with roads or parking lots all across Saskatoon, but a U-turn at an advanced green light when there is no traffic, is illegal.

The officer knocked on my window. I opened the door and took back my licence and registration and braced myself for what was coming next.

“It’s a $230 ticket and three points on the licence,” he said.

But then he decided to give me a reprieve. I also managed to avoid the $90 bylaw fine because my driving record is clean.

I’m not sure if I should be thankful that I learned something and it didn’t cost a fortune or be worried that he probably didn’t want to see me again, in case I decided to challenge the ticket.

With that the officer was on his way and I was left to face my friends as I walked into the restaurant for dinner.

I was met with a round of applause, from everyone in the alarming tiny establishment, but it could have been worse, I could have spent $230 on my lesson.

Besides, no one else brought the birthday girl blue and red lights for her birthday.

ahill@panow.com