it took me several hours to beat oshimura on ps2, longer than i expected. that's why i was late leaving savannah this afternoon to get home in charleston, 1.5-2 hours away. i convinced a friend to come back with me since he had no plans for the weekend in savannah after i leave. we would drive in separate cars because i wouldn't be able to drive him back home.

it takes us 2 hours to leave savannah, usually a 20 minute drive, because of heavy traffic. we were five minutes away from my house when a cop pulls my friend over. the entire trip, i made him drive behind me so no one could pull him over for speeding. i pulled over behind the cop car and got out of my car. another cop comes up to me, flashes his flashlight directly in my eyes and tells me to get back in my car. i tell him that the man that they pulled over was a friend of mine who was escorting me home. he tells me again to get back in my car. i ask him what the problem was, and i was being considerate the entire time because that's just the kind of person i am, ask anyone. he tells me that if i do not get back in my car in 3 seconds, he will arrest me. i ask for what charge, why? he counts to three. i stand there, considering whether or not i will go back into my car, what charges he could possibly charge me with. he all of a sudden grabs my left hand and puts it behind my back, telling me to stand up against the car. i had not even moved towards him. why had he twisted my hand behind my back in a restrain hold? i am in a little pain so he asks me if i'm going to go back into my car. i of course, do because i did not want to be harmed.

i call several people, asking them what i should do. no one knows. how could they? no one learns their cities' laws in school or anywhere else. only when they get pulled over. therefore, because no one knows, everyone can be a victim, everyone can be abused by the police or any other law enforcer because they do not know how to handle situations like this.

my friend is currently in jail. i have to go to a bond hearing tomorrow morning to see whether or not i have to pay a fine, and to see how to get his car out of the pound. he was arrested for driving without insurance, which is illegal in south carolina. i did not know this. this was not something that i was taught in drivers education in high school, nor was i tested on this information when i took my driving test.

so i ask you since i dont' know.
the cop told me that he could have had me arrested for abstructing justice, among other things.
i had not even moved 2 feet away from my door when i was restrained. i had merely asked questions in a formal, respectful manner, as i would any adult. plus another cop car had pulled up, so there were 3 policemen questioning my friend, searching his car, pulling him out, handcuffing him. how would i be obstrucing justice by asking questions.

this is all my fault. i convinced my friend, who has no job, no money, to come up with me to charleston for the weekend. he has to still unpack his stuff plus his roommates stuff into their new apartement, pay some bills and get a job. is it a crime to escort a friend, a young woman driving alone at night? the entire trip, we saw 2 cop cars. we drove through 3 highways. cars were speeding over 20 mph the entire trip. at the time that my friend was arrested, the car ahead of me was speeding. granted, my friend did not have a license plate on his car (i have no idea why he didn't). yes i understand that it is illegal to drive without insurance in south carolina, but was it necessary to handcuff him and restrain me?

what is the purpose?
what can i do now?
what should i have done?
what can be done?
what can WE do to stop this?