Being polite never hurts. You may not always come out on top, but sometimes you do.

I remember being puled over because I HAD been speeding. When I wound down my window I was hugely apologetic, but explained that I was returning home after looking for one of my students that we all thought had drowned. I'd just heard he'd been found.

He had just heard too, so he sent me on my way. PHEW!