Traffic School

Traffic School
Robert holding Traffic Cop Timmy in "Traffic School"
Season	2
Episode	21
Air Date	April 20, 1998 (USA) October 5, 2004 (Canada)
Cast	Ray Romano Patricia Heaton Brad Garrett Doris Roberts Peter Boyle
Director(s)	John Fortenberry
Writer(s)	Kathy Ann Stumpe
Preceded by	T-Ball
Followed by	Six Feet Under

Traffic School is the 21^st episode of Season 2, and is episode 43 of the full 210 episodes for the entire series. In this episode, Robert has to teach traffic school, so he practices on his family.

Episode Information

• Episode Title: Traffic School
• Episode Number: Season 2, Episode 21 (#43 of 210)
• Air Date: April 20, 1998
• Episode description (from DVD): "Robert teaches traffic school."
• Cast:
  • Ray Romano as Ray
  • Patricia Heaton as Debra
  • Brad Garrett as Robert
  • Doris Roberts as Marie
  • Peter Boyle as Frank
• Crew:
  • John Fortenberry - Director
  • Kathy Ann Stumpe - Writer
• Preceded by: "T-Ball"
• Followed by: "Six Feet Under"

Synopsis

Robert has decided to teach traffic school for the NYPD for a little extra money. But when he gets his first evaluations, the feedback is not pleasant. So he decides to practice on his family.

During the practice session, Ray, Debra, Frank, and even Marie all make jokes and laugh at Robert. After being told to loosen up, Robert comes back to the practice session with a ventriloquist dummy named "Traffic Cop Timmy". Hoping it'll liven up the session, it only makes things worse when Robert revealed about the time when he and Ray were kids, they went on a family trip to the Grand Canyon and accidentally left Robert at a gas station in New Mexico.

Running Gags

• As in every episode, all the other characters make jokes at Robert's expense.

• Robert touches his binder to his chin, as he does a lot of items throughout the series.

Trivia

• Though she doesn't appear in the episode, Robert's partner Judy is mentioned. Also, Robert's dog Shamsky is not seen in the episode. But a photo of the dog can be seen in the background in Robert's bedroom, right next to the baseball jersey of Art Shamsky, Robert's favorite baseball player.

• The viewer also finds out the Robert has been with the NYPD for 16 years.

Production Notes

• This episode features a held-back lunch from the first season, hence the later version of the 1996 Where's Lunch logo. The only other episode to do this is The Visit.

Quotes

• ROBERT: The binder's not just a guide, Debra. The binder is... binding.

• MARIE: Let's pretend I'm a crazy driver...(points to Frank) shut up, Frank...and I get caught. Now I've got to go to Robbie's Traffic School!
• ROBERT: It's not called "Robbie's Traffic School," Ma!
• MARIE: It doesn't matter. It just doesn't matter! Let's pretend I'm a person...shut up, Frank...

• ROBERT: Now...what was the offense that led you to be here today?
• RAY: I killed my brother.
• ROBERT: Traffic offense.
• RAY: Oh...could you go lie down in the driveway for a minute?

• ROBERT: Don't you have an outstanding moving violation, Dad?
• FRANK: I wouldn't say "outstanding"...but it was pretty good, though!

(after Marie correctly says what to do before driving)

• TIMMY: Oh, that's it! She thinks that's it!
• ROBERT: Is--isn't that everything, Timmy?
• TIMMY: Oh, sure, that's everything, but how about...(turns to Marie) making sure your firstborn child is in the car before you pull out of a gas station in New Mexico?!

External links

• "Traffic School" at IMDb.com