Have you ever realized while driving down the freeway that you were going the wrong way? That five miles to the next exit seems like thirty as your mind begins to calculate the time you are wasting. That little gravel path in the median that is reserved for “official use only” looks pretty inviting, doesn’t it? Sure, it’s illegal but your time is valuable too, right?

Recently, I was driving north for a Thursday night service in Chico, California. I had tried to squeeze in a little too much work before leaving and was running a bit late but traffic was light, the weather was great, and I was keeping the cruise control on the speed limit as I made my way up Interstate 5. Around Stockton, I was needing to get fuel. Since I had driven this route countless times before, I decided to stop at a Flying J truck stop. Unfortunately for me, they had reconfigured the exit ramp since my last visit to this establishment, and so I found myself on a different road than I expected. But, praise the Lord, there happened to be a “Pilot” truck stop right there, so I pulled in and refueled both the car and my stash of snacks.

As I exited, I was a little confused as to how to get back to the freeway. As I approached a stop sign, I did not see any signs pointing me back to I-5, but I did spot the Flying J in the distance. I decided to turn in that direction to the right thinking that if I could get to that familiar spot I would be able to make my way back to the interstate. As I drove by the Flying J, I realized that in order to get back on the highway, I needed to be going the other direction. So, at the next stop sign, I simply made a u-turn. A few seconds later, as I approached the entrance ramp—you guessed it! Those blue and red lights were flashing as my criminal act had been witnessed by two of our finest CHP’s. After a twenty-minute delay I was handed a ticket with a fine of $142! I haven’t made a u-turn since! Read more »