Two years ago, Alabama’s Abbie Rutledge was driving on her way to work when she saw the blue lights flashing behind her.
But what she didn’t know as she pulled over to the side of the road, heart beating up in her ears with anxiety, is that it would be one of the best things that ever happened to her.
Alabama state trooper J.T. Brown noted that Rutledge was speeding. The 20-year-old replied that she was sorry, didn’t have the money to pay a speeding ticket, and was stuck in a dead-end job.
Most people have a story about talking their way out of a ticket, and Trooper Brown has probably heard it all before. His response?
“How about we talk about it then?” he asked.
Rutledge told Steve Hartman of CBS News that the ‘talk’ went on for about 10 to 15 minutes, just sitting in the car talking about different career choices.
The conclusion, if one can believe it, was that the state trooper convinced Rutledge to enroll in nursing school.
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Two years later and Rutledge is a surgical technician at the University of Alabama Hospital. She loves her job, and credits Trooper Brown with her accomplishment.
She invited Brown to her graduation, showing him that she still has the citation from that fateful traffic stop, listed as $0.00, and including the handwritten message: “Promise me you’ll go into scrub or nursing school & slow down, and I won’t give you a ticket.”
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When asked if he ever imagined the talk would lead to any actual change in the young woman’s life, Brown replied simply, “Never.”
It shows the power that lending a considerate ear can have on a person, even if they’re a complete stranger.
WATCH the segment below from ‘On the Road’…
SHARE This Kind And Considerate Cop With Your Friends Who Need A Bit Of Inspiration…