Wouldn’t it be great if you could say what was exactly on your mind, without fear of recrimination? Enjoy this short play called, “A PSA From Dixie”.
Fade in:
Ext. Highway-Day
A minivan with New Jersey license plates is pulled over by a Florida police officer. He is dressed in full southern state police uniform, complete with mirrored sunglasses. He walks calmly and deliberately to the driver’s side window, where we see Steve, in his thirties, awaiting the officer’s arrival.
The officer appears at the window with his citation book in hand.
Officer
Good morning.
Steve
Yeah, it’s a good morning for you. You’re not a northerner being pulled over by some redneck cop.
Officer
I see y’all are from out of state.
Steve
Well, that’s how Interstate gun trafficking works.
Officer
Do y’all know why I pulled you over?
Steve
Don’t tell me. Our eyes met back there and you thought we may have had a moment.
Officer
Do you know what the speed limit is on the down side of that bridge that you just came over?
2.
Steve
Let me guess. A million miles an hour.
Officer
It’s thirty-five miles per hour.
Steve
Fifty-five miles per hour going up the bridge and thirty-five coming down it. Gee, if I didn’t know any better, I’d think that’s some kind of speed trap, there, Jethro.
Officer
Didn’t you see that thirty-five mile per hour speed limit sign?
Steve
Actually, Officer, no I didn’t. I was too busy reaching in the cooler for another beer. Would you like one?
Officer
Well, I don’t know what they do in New Jersey, but do you know what we do down here in the south?
Steve
Aren’t you late for a Klan meeting?
Officer
We obey the speed limit.
Steve
Well, that would have been my ninetieth guess.
Officer
I clocked you at sixty-three miles per hour.
3.
Steve
Hey, I’m pretty impressed, considering you don’t look like you can count higher than five or six.
Officer
Driver’s license.
Steve hands over his driver’s license.
Officer
Steven Harris. Is that your name?
Steve
Actually, no. My real name is Rodney King. Why don’t you invite eighty or ninety of your cousins over here and you can play pavement piñata with me?
Officer
Can you tell me why the state of New Jersey hasn’t issued you a picture I.D. driver’s license?
Steve
Well, that’s because I’m from another planet and our image doesn’t show up in a photograph.
Officer
This state issues photo IDs to all its drivers.
Steve
That must make it tough, considering you start driving tractors at, what, the age of four down here?
Officer
It says here that you are six feet.
Steve
Actually, I have six feet. I’m from another planet, remember?
4.
Officer
Is there any reason you’re in such a hurry this morning? Some sort of emergency?
Steve
Well, Barney, I was rushing over to your house so that I could screw your wife, who, probably, is also your sister. Right?
Officer
Well, sixty-three in a thirty-five mile per hour zone puts you twenty-eight miles over the speed limit.
Steve
Once again, I’m impressed. You actually did that without taking off your shoes.
Officer
Do you know what the fine is for being twenty-eight miles over the speed limit?
Steve
Down here? Probably, three chickens and a jar of preserves.
Officer
That’s one hundred fifty dollars, plus ten dollars court costs.
Steve
So, that means eighty for you and eighty for the judge, who is probably your pappy.
Officer
Now, you can come back to court next week…
Steve
Oh yeah, like I want to spend another minute in this jerk-water-one-horse-hick-town.
5.
Officer
…or you can mail the one hundred sixty dollars to the address on the ticket.
Steve
And that would be, what, your home address?
Officer
If you fail to pay the fine within thirty days, do you know what happens then?
Steve
You tear the ticket up and we have a good laugh over it?
Officer
We will notify the state of New Jersey and your license will be suspended.
Steve
In mid air? Do you know any other tricks? I mean, besides your wife?
Officer
Do you have any other questions, Mr. Harris?
Steve
Yeah, can you tell me where I can unload about two hundred kilos of cocaine?
Officer
Do you have any other questions, Mr. Harris?
Steve
Just this. About how many species of barnyard animals have you slept with?
Officer
Well, then, drive carefully and obey the speed limit.
The officer hands Steve the ticket.
6.
Steve
Thank you, Officer Billy Bob. By the way, why don’t you go screw yourself? And, don’t step in any cowpies.
The officer walks back to his patrol car. The announcer enters.
Announcer
Wouldn’t it be great if we could say exactly what was on our minds at a time like this, without fear of recrimination?
Cut to:
Ext. Swamp-Day
A crew of police and volunteers are dragging the swamp.
Announcer (V.O.)
Of course, if you did answer that way, there’s a good chance they may end up dragging the swamp for you. So, remember, when you’re going down south, drive carefully and obey the speed limit.
Fade out.
The End
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