I am a law abiding citizen. I don’t find it that hard to be so. I don’t steal or lie. I don’t speed when I am driving. I don’t really drink much alcohol, so I never drive intoxicated. I mostly find the Ten Commandments and the Golden Rule to be all the guidance that I need to stay on the straight and narrow. If, rarely, I am pulled over by a cop, I don’t worry. I am not wanted for anything. It just makes life easier and more pleasant.

That said, I could not imagine why the Highway Patrol car was in my mirror with his lights going, and since he didn’t pass me, it must be me that he was after. So, I dutifully signaled and pulled over on the side of the highway.

I was on the way back from a week in Mexico, where I had been running the spring volunteer project for Amigos de Las Escuelas. We had built two classrooms for a secondary school that had too many students. It had been a pretty successful project. I had gotten a great response from the community where the classrooms were needed. Parents and school kids and teachers had shown up the first morning as the lumberyard truck arrived with a load of 2×4’s and plywood and sheets of metal roofing, and I arrived with 10 volunteers of my own to build the classrooms. I was going to have to be at the top of my game as a leader. We only had two days to build them, and then the volunteers were heading back stateside.

The week before I had come down to Mexico, I sat at my kitchen table one night and made scale drawings of the two buildings, drew up a materials list, and made a plan of action. If I held my mouth just right, I would be able to get the job done.

It went well, with great interaction between the local folks and my non-spanish speaking volunteers. It always amazed me that with the right attitudes, the language barrier was not much of an issue. I translated where necessary for both the American volunteers and the Mexican volunteers. Like my days in Peace Corps in Africa, if you have willing people, and you explain the plan, and put tools in their hands, the rest was just smiling a lot and making the volunteers feel appreciated. And a little guidance.

By Saturday night we were painting the buildings that we had just built, and everybody was happy. It is one of my favorite parts of what I do… working hard, and being able to look at the concrete evidence of the fruits of our labor.

Sunday morning, after making sure the volunteers were heading back to Texas with nothing left behind, the hotel rooms paid for, and thanking everybody for their participation, I loaded my tools in my truck, and Lee, a volunteer, and Rob, the Director of Amigos de Las Escuelas and I got on the road northward. We only had to wait in line at the border for 2 hours to get across to Texas. Some projects I had waited 3 or 4 hours in slow moving lines to get across the border, but today, 2 hours seemed fairly quick.

My plan was to stop in Premont, where I usually filled my gas tank and got a Subway samwich, about a hundred miles north of the border. That would allow me to arrive at my house with about a quarter tank of gas left. As we pulled into the gas station with the Subway inside, I turned to Lee and Rob.

Me: Ok, I paid for the gas to get us to Mexico and back to here. It is only fair that you guys pay for this tank full.

They agreed, and went in for a sub while I filled up the tank. I went in to get my own sub, a Black Forest Ham with provolone and tons of veggies on multi grain bread. Mmmm. I love Subway subs. I hit the john while they were making my sub, came out, paid for it, and got back behind the wheel of my truck, moderately refreshed and ready to get back on the road.

We drove north, enjoying our subs, and talking about the project just completed. All 3 of us were tired but happy. It is impossible to not be happy while munching on a Subway sub. About 27 miles north of the gas stop, we passed a Highway Patrol cop sitting in the median of the highway. As I was obeying the speed limit, I didn’t even tap the brakes or think much about the cop sitting there. Until, that is, he hit the lights on top of his car and pulled out, and accelerated quickly up behind me. Puzzled, I immediately pulled over. The cop walked up to my driver’s window and asked for my drivers license. I gave it to him.

Me: What’s up officer?

The cop: You boys don’t look like deadbeats. Why did you drive off from the gas station in Premont without paying for your gas?

I was stunned for a second, and without answering the cop, I turned to Lee and Rob.

Me: You assholes! You were supposed to pay for the gas! And now we are stopped like common thieves.

Rob: I thought Lee did.

Lee: I thought Rob did.

I turned back to the cop who was looking at me surprised.

Me: I apologize, officer, for these two vicious criminals in my truck here. You should put them in handcuffs and take them directly to jail. And I will not be paying for their bail.

The cop started grinning.

The cop: I reckon I could do that. Let me have their ID’s.

Lee and Rob sheepishly pulled out their ID’s and gave them to me, and I gave them to the cop.

Me: I would never do that, officer. I am a working man, just like the employees at the gas station. It is not in me to cheat my fellow laborers.

The cop: I won’t need to arrest these shady characters if you will just follow me back to the gas station and pay what you owe, and apologize to the manager.

Me: No problem at all, officer.

So, we turned around and followed the cop back 27 miles to the gas station. As we drove back, I yelled at the guys for getting me in trouble. I went in with Lee and Rob, and walked up to the manager.

Me: I apologize for the behavior of my associates for not paying for our gas. It was their turn to pay, and frankly, it never occurred to me that they had not.

Lee and Rob paid for the gas, and apologized, and the cop gave us our drivers licenses back.

The cop: You boys didn’t look like somebody who would not pay for your gas, so I gave you a break. Don’t run off without paying again, and obey the speed limits.

Me: I never do that stuff officer. Thanks for the break.

And we got back on the road, heading north.

Kids, don’t try this at home.

Being honest is it’s own reward.