Speeding tickets: what a circus!

Here is an email exchange- just had to share.

Dear Jeff,
I am working on my 2nd novel, making good progress, and yesterday I was writing a scene where a man is pulled over for speeding. He gets a warning instead of a ticket and his son is disappointed that the patrolman didn't give his dad a ticket "for the circus."

You may not remember, but I was pulled over once for speeding (my only speeding ticket ever) when your Grandma Craner was with us, and you three kids were in the back seat. We were in the old Chevy Malibu.
I told you not to say anything about the ticket to your dad - that I wanted to tell him after we got home, a little bit later. Well, you burst into the house and said "Daddy, Daddy, a nice policeman stopped Mommy and gave her tickets to the circus!"

So you are memorialized in that scene. Thanks for inspiring it so many years ago. I guess. (?)

It made me laugh. I hope it makes my readers laugh.

Love, Mommmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Jeff's reply:

It is a lovely memory, and I do indeed remember it. Though, the tickets were not for the circus, they were for the Festival of the American West.

Old west daily shootout at the American West Heritage Center

Baby animal days

Love, Jeff

p.s. I talked to my oldest son today and he remembered my speeding ticket, too! That was 19 years ago, guys! Give your mom a break!