Police!!

So I finally got stopped by the police. I think just about everyone I know here has been stopped at least once. Brant had been the third car in a line - and only the first two got pulled over. I had been in someone else's car when it was pulled over. But it was really just a matter of time before one of us was actually pulled over. Xander and I were headed into town to go to the market and pick up some outfits at one of the tailors.

Now first, let me explain something. When I say pulled over - you probably picture a police car behind me, sirens blaring, lights flashing...which is normally what I would picture too. But no, here they set up roadblocks. Even that is too strong a phrasing. Today, for instance, there were two guys (in uniform) standing on the side of the road. As I was coming along, they sort of stood in the road a bit and signaled me to pull over.

There are always jokes about how you could just speed off. I mean, they're on foot.

But anyway, I pulled over.

I was feeling kind of nervous, because I realized that I forgot my cell phone at home. Brant was in an all day meeting and I wouldn't have been able to get a hold of him, but I had already started thinking of how to get a hold of someone who speaks better French than I do...when I realized I had no way of calling anyway. I also remembered that I had taken money out of our "cop stash" and hadn't yet replaced it.

What's that? You don't keep a stack of money in your glove compartment for the police?

Here you kind of have to. It's not actually for a bribe - it's that they fine you on the spot. Occasionally they are a bit more nasty about things and will confiscate parts of peoples paperwork. Then you have to go into town to the police station to sort things out. But I think that's the only time you don't have to pay on the spot.

Anyway, so I was feeling a bit nervous. I was pretty sure all of our paperwork was in order, but I wasn't actually positive. I also wasn't positive my French skills would get me through the encounter.

I got out and they asked me for my papers. I got out our envelope full of whatever Brant has put in there. The guy asked me if they were complete...I said I thought so, but I didn't know. (Brant later said I should have just said yes - that they were looking for something - like when a cop asks if you know why they pulled you over.) Anyway, he looked through and at the end asked me for my Carte de Sejour.

I told him I didn't have one because I was an American. (This is actually a much stickier issue that we have been dealing with, but for now, it is a true statement. Maybe I'll tell the Carte de Sejour story sometime.) He asked what I did have. The Carte de Sejour is a document saying that you are there living...it's a residency card, and a major form of ID. I told him that I have a passport. So of course, he asked me where it was. I said...in my house. He said a bunch in French, and I caught something about how I needed to have it with me at all times. And then he told me I could go. With no fines!!

So, thankfully, it really wasn't a very bad experience at all.