A run in with the law

The title makes this post seem a little more exciting than it really is. Basically I got a traffic ticket today but there are a few details that do make it interesting. To start, I will explain how the traffic cops work over here. Each morning groups of cops are dropped off on random corners and streets throughout the city. Then they wait until they see someone "breaking the law" (I will explain quotes later) and when they spot someone, they walk out into traffic, step in front of your vehicle, blow their whistle and point to the side of the road. Then they will proceed to explain to you what you did and a final price for the fine is negotiated and agreed upon. Weird, I know. The quotes earlier were because often times no law was actually broken. Sometimes westerners will be pulled over because the cops assume you have money and you may not know all of the rules and may be willing to pay more. In fact I was told I may get pulled over 3-4 times my first month here. We are 3 weeks in and this was my first time so not bad.
So this gets us back to my story. I was driving into town with Carolyn and Cameron. I proceeded to enter an intersection on a green light which turned yellow as I was in the middle. Once through, an officer stepped in front of our car (only going about 5 mph because of heavy traffic) and motioned for me to pull over. I did. He came to Carolyn's window and I greeted him in Khmai with a smile and he returned the greeting. He then talked for about 2-3 min in Khmai with me smiling and saying I don't understand at each pause. So finally the moment of truth came: negotiating the amount of the fine. When I heard him say in understandable english that the fine would be $10 I politely looked at him, smiled and said "there is no way I am paying $10". The gauntlet had been thrown down :). He then replied, "Okay, how much will you pay?" I said I would pay no more than $2. He then said that that would be fine. So I gave him a $20 bill and he made change for me. The whole thing was hilarious and not nearly as intense as the story may sound. Traffic cops here make their living off of fines. The more they can get the more they make. We were told never pay full asking price for a fine and NEVER over $5. After we paid up, I smiled and said thank you and good-bye in my best Khmai, he returned the sentiment and reached in and shook my hand. The whole experience was fun, interesting and one I will remember for a long time. Thanks for sharing it with me!