I was driving home from the grocery store one early evening with my young 2-year-old son strapped into his car seat in the back seat of the car. He had asked for an apple or something that we had purchased at the store, and I was reaching behind me to try to fish the object out of a bag I could not see as twilight darkened the sky and interior of my car.

A few moments later I looked into my rearview mirror to see flashing red and blue lights of a police car indicating that I should pull over. I was mystified because I was not aware that I had done anything wrong; because I was LITERALLY around the corner from my house, I made the left turn onto the street leading into my neighborhood, and immediately pulled over to the right side of the road.

I turned off the car and placed my hands on the steering wheel. First, one policeman walked up the passenger's side of the car, and another policeman walked up the driver's side, both of them shining their flashlights into my sideview mirrors, effectively blinding me in the dark. I didn't know where to look, and was frightened by the fact that there were two of them flanking me.

I asked why there were two of them, and the policeman outside my window asked me why i didn't pull to the RIGHT side of the road when he signaled me. I tried to explain that my house was RIGHT THERE (pointing across the street), and that it was my instinct to pull over closer to home, rather than turn right and be away from home. I was flustered because I still had no idea what I had done wrong.

While they shone their flashlights into the car and my face, I dug out my registration and driver's license, as the policeman continued to interrogate me about where I had been and where I was going. I explained that I had been at the grocery store, and that I was on my way home. It all seemed innocent enough to me, just a  mom in the car with her child... I had no idea why these guys were terrorizing me for no apparently reason. He lectured me on the safety of pulling over to the right, and again I pointed to my house and said "but my house is RIGHT THERE!"

FINALLY, the policeman asked me why I was swerving as I drove, and I explained that I had the kid in the back seat, that he was asking for his apple, and I couldn't find it as I drove. The cop on the other side of the car said "Yeah, it looks like her story checks out... " (As if I could INVENT a child in the back seat and groceries on the FLOOR.

He casually remarked, as he handed me my driver's license, that "even though it was early in the evening,  it wasn't too early for them to be on the lookout for drunk drivers." THEY THOUGHT I WAS DRIVING ERRATICALLY BECAUSE I HAD BEEN DRINKING. I was horrified at the idea, and even more shocked that I didn't learn the reason for their traffic stop until they were going to let me leave.

With trembling hands, I pulled away, and made the left turn into my driveway, where I sat for a minute and cried for a few minutes while the whole thing settled into my brain. THEY DIDN'T TELL ME WHAT I DID WRONG. THEY WERE MEAN TO ME, AN INNOCENT MOTHER IN MY CAR WITH MY KID. THEY THOUGHT I HAD BEEN DRINKING.

What did I learn?

Always pull over to the right, even if your house is RIGHT THERE ACROSS THE STREET.

Never question the policeman or appear hostile.

Keep your hands where they can see them at all times, especially in a dark car.

And NEVER EVER fish around for a misplaced apple rolling around on the floor behind the driver's seat.