Instant Karma IS gonna get you

Instant Karma’s gonna get you
Going to look you right in the face
Better get yourself together, darling
Join the human race

How in the world you gonna see
Laughing at fools like me?
Who on earth d’you think you are?
A superstar? Well, right you are

— Instant Karma by John Lennon

This past weekend, my wife and I were headed south on Pennsylvania Ave. toward the Quail Springs Mall area when a blue Chevy Silverado pickup suddenly changed lanes right in front of us, then raced to the light at NW 150th.

“Hey, that guy just cut us off!” my wife said with some righteous indignation.

I was right behind the Mr. Blue Pickup at the light, but what are you going to do to get some justice? Nothing but fume.

The light turned green and Mr. Blue Pickup shot off like the green flag dropped at Daytona. This is on Penn, mind you, in a very busy corridor with cars constantly turning on and off of the street.

The speed limit is 40 mph, and Mr. Blue Pickup was roaring away at least 50. We watched him racing far ahead against no one when, suddenly, the lights of a police car in the northbound lane started flashing.

As a character named Earl from an old favorite TV show of mine often said: “Karma is a bitch.”

The police car did a U-turn and pulled over Mr. Blue Pickup before it reached the next intersection.

“You don’t see that very often,” Paula said. “The guy cut us off, sped down Penn and was nailed by a cop right in front of us.”

I resisted the temptation to pull into the parking lot where the cop was just getting out of his car so I could wave and smile at Mr. Blue Pickup.

Besides, there’s always the chance that Instant Karma would bite me, as well.

But it was a satisfying ending, so I will treat you to John Lennon’s Instant Karma.

Just because.