There are several universal truths in our society that are accepted as fact. The theory of gravity and the theory of evolution are both widely accepted as truth. But perhaps the most prevalent truth is that, the policeman who pulled you over for doing 80 mph in a school zone is always a jerk who is unfairly picking on you.

F%#* the police. I cannot count the number of times I have heard that expression. I guess maybe if I rolled with the rap group NWA that would not be all that unusual, but since I rarely get together with Ice Cube and the boys anymore, it should be odd that I would hear that expression. But for some reason, every time someone gets a ticket, it’s $*@# this.

What about police generates such a negative response from people when they are just doing their job? I admit, I have been just as guilty of this as any teenage North-shorian with a license and access to a car. I am probably even more guilty since I live seconds away from a speed trap. (At Winnetka right off of Pfingsten near Glenlake Estates. Seriously, do not go over 25 mph)

But as I was driving through this speed trap, I did not mind the car behind me driving within centimeters of my bumper, or the car that honked and passed me by on the one- lane street. As I tolerated some twenty-year-old kid rolling down his window and telling me to, “get off the road, grandpa,” I began thinking of what life would be like if people hated other professions to the same degree as they hate policemen.

There would be complete chaos, someone screaming expletives at a cashier for giving exact change, a customer yelling at their beautician for making their hairstyle just right. There would be students swearing at teachers for giving homework. That would be ridiculous! That cashier and that hairstylist were just doing their jobs, the same way a policeman does. Believe it or not, going 45 miles per hour on Lake Street is against the law. I do not intend to say that all policemen are nice men who are undeserving of the label given to them. Although this may seem like a mortal sin, I think Glenview cops are, well, nice.

A little while ago, on the way to the Glenbrook South-Glenbrook North football game, I was driving a car full of people over to Glenbrook North. While on the way, we were getting a little rowdy, as boys tend to do, and one of my companions decided to start playing some Tupac. So here are several sixteen- year- olds in a car, including some painted head- to- toe in blue, with “Shorty Wanna Be a Thug” blasting from the speakers.

About half a block from the field, we were stopped by a red light at an intersection. Suddenly, one of Glenview’s finest pulls up next to me. I panicked, frozen and staring straight ahead, afraid to so much as glance over at the police car. I tried to discretely turn down the volume, but then out of my peripheral vision, I saw something I never expected. The policemen were laughing. I was half expecting to be pulled over and ticketed right then and there.

Then a strange thought occurred to me; maybe policemen are human after all. Maybe, just like all who have tough jobs, they do not like to punish people, but they have no choice. Whether or not we choose to admit it, if you get pulled over, you probably did something wrong. Except when it happens to me- in that case, it’s just unfair.

Peter Collins, columnist