Things for an adrenalin junkie to do in Nairobi: #1 Drive past a police check point

I’ve spent the past few days wondering what my next blog entry should be. Nairobi has seemed pretty ‘quiet’ which frankly is the way I like it to be. However, yesterday evening my blog's wishes were answered:

I went out for food with Estabon and Janae, Steve and Marina as the latter couple are leaving Nairobi for the United States this Thursday after a six week working holiday. We went for Ethiopian food at Habesha Restaurant (Ethiopian is the equivalent of going for noodles in that it’s reasonably priced and plentiful). To get there the natural route goes past a police checkpoint, and knowing that I seem to get stopped when I have a car of people, I took an alternate route on the way. On the return trip, I took the direct route. Approaching the checkpoint, in front of me I saw a torch beam waving up and down, urging me to pullover. Window down; exchange of greetings in Swahili. The officer checks the insurance sticker and asks for my driving license – it’s all been checked before so I don’t expect a problem. “Your driving license has expired” he says.
“Let me see that” – not quite believing – I put on a light and read ‘31/3/09’. Oh dear.
Two other police come over including the senior officer. They want me to drive to the police station and appear in court the following morning, or pay the fine then and there – the body language of the officer makes me think that he’s wondering how to fit in the car with here already being four passengers. I explain that I haven’t got the money and would rather go to court as I work with a Christian organization who would like me to get a receipt.
“OK. You’re forgiven. You can go, but you must get it renewed tomorrow.”
“Thank you very much, asante sana!” I say, shaking the hands of every police officer there.
I drove off an illegal but forgiven driver. I drove off promptly, just in case they changed their minds.