When do you discover a burned out headlamp? At home in broad daylight when you can take it to a garage or fix it yourself? When the officer flashes all those lights in your rear-view mirror and stands behind his door as he checks you out? When it is dark and you are in a shopping mall forty miles from home?
I chose number THREE. Suddenly the trip's objective is NOT a super robo at Toys or Who Else.It becomes an adventure in getting home without getting uzied by an irate driver as I drive all the way with my BRIGHTS on....... OR......experiencing NUMBER TWO of the above.
All the way home I was working on an appropriate answer to give the arresting officer: "Yes sir, I did know it was burned out.". "Yes sir, I do know it is illegal to drive with a lower beam burned out." "No sir, I did not think of parking the car and taking a taxi home.". "No sir, I do not check my headlights each time I leave home." None of my answers were convincing. I will get ticketed for sure. But what about driving with the high beams on (They were both working fine) Is that against the law. I honestly don't know.
Well, we made it home all right and next morning I was buying a bulb. Congratulations to the South Koreans. They have the lower beams operating in such a way as you release a spring and slip the bulb out. Total time was less than fifteen minutes. Total cost $8.00. Total stress with the situation...100%.
I was reminded of an old hymn sung in my youth. "Let The Lower Lights Be Burning".
