Simi Valley Saga

Over the wkd we were in Simi Valley visiting friends and it reminded me of the incident that happned about 5 yrs back. Rather last time I visited the same friends..

My son was 4 month old baby & we were in California with my in-laws. Yogi's friend had called us for dinner. After dinner, I saw that he was really tired, so I volunteered to drive. As we started to get out of the apt complex, it was really dark outside with no street light. We were trying to figure out how to catch the freeway. I hit 3 Stop signs and then atlast found a street which looked like the main road. When making left turn onto that road, I realized there was a car following us. Looking closely in the rearview mirror it was a police car. I told Yogi that there is a police car. Yogi asked me to change the lane & see if he was following. I changed & ofcourse police followed.. Now I started thinking where I break the law, coz I am usually very good with following the rules.

In this confusion, I missed out of getting on to freeway.. So I moved to left lane again to take a U-turn to come back. As soon as I took a U-turn there were 4 or 5 police cars sounding sirens; got around me..!!! I panicked, Yogi asked me to pull over to the side. As we sat in the car, we were not sure what was going on... Then they asked me to open the windows & then get down.. I was asked to moved backwards to the police car.!!! Now... I was really scared, coz if it's a traffic violation, all they do is come up to u.. not u going to their car.When I went there, they asked if I had any weapon. ( Lord.!! do I look like one who could carry.!!) Here is the conversation that continued -- "Is this your car mam?", "Yes, umm, my friend's" " Your friend?" "Yes. I am from St. louis & visiting friends here in LA. So my friend let us have her car for the week. " "Umm Ok. Where is your friend?" "She went for vacation to India". "Ok.. Well... " ..

At this point, I was feeling the cold air blow through each inch of my spine & I said, "officer, could you pls ask someone to close my car's window's coz my 4 month old baby is in there. " This was the point when that police looked at me & asked who all r there in the car. I said, my in-laws, hubby & my baby. He said, "Ok, I can do that. You stay here". As I shivered from the Valley's cold, that other officer standing by, asked if I wanted to sit inside the car coz it was heated. I said sure & got inside the police car..

Back in the car, Yogi was not sure what was going on ( as though I knew ).. And he was telling his parents that they r talking to me.. then he saw that they put me INSIDE the police car.!!! Not knowing what's going on, he told his parents, she is inside, you guys stay there coz the police was coming to get him now.. Police asked him the same questions & Yogi told the same answers ( ofcourse, it was my friend's & she had left it with me, coz she was vacationing in India).. LUCKILY for us, her husband was in town.. and Yogi called him up to confirm from him that it was HIS car to police.

Coming back to me sitting in the police car, the officer beside me asked "Do u know what's going on", "No idea" " well, the car you are driving is a stolen car" " WHAT!!!!! No way... It's my friends.. " " well, Maam we have a report of this stolen car"... That's when I remembered something that my friend had told me just when she was giving me keys... that her car was stolen & she got it back after 5 days.. I told the same to the officer & he had a puzzled look.

Meanwhile, the confusion cleared as the officer spoke to my friends husband. Sure enough, their car was stolen & they had got it back with no licence plate. BUt the problem arised when he put the single licence plate back on to the retrieved car, coz only one licence plate was there when the car was stolen and he never told this in the report.. So the licence plate remained in the police records as StOLEN.! Police asked him to go right away & update the police records next day. Then we asked the directions from them and left.BTW police had got suspicious coz I was driving too slow ( Ofcourse I was trying to find our way out of that complex.!!) so he must have checked the number plate.!!

Now when we think about it, we laugh, but it could have been serious if had not got hold of Yogi's friend. You should hear this from Yogi & me,... it's even more entertaining.. Hehehe.. Anyway, all is well that end's well. :o)