Wednesday, April 23, 2014

A-Z Challenge T is For “But I Was Moving With the Traffic, Officer”

It’s time to participate in the April A-Z Blog Challenge.  I will be blogging every day in April, with Sunday’s off. 
The topic for each day will begin with the designated letter of the alphabet.
This Wednesday’s letter is T for Traffic Ticket.

In my post -  “J is for Born on the First of July Jitters"  I mentioned that Ross was stopped for speeding.
I’m pretty sure that police officers from every part of the country go to the same traffic violation school.  I say that because their routine is always the same.
First, they ask for your license and registration.  Next, they ask where you are headed.  Then it’s “Do you know why I pulled your over?”
The policeman who tagged Ross skipped that second one…the “Where are you headed?” one.
I doubt, though, that our explanation that we had been driving for over five hours and that we were headed to our brother-in-law’s funeral would have been of interest to this all business, no nonsense officer.
After Ross honestly admitted that he may have been going a little over the speed limit, the officer told us to “Stay in the car, both of you.”
Then he said, "I’ll be right back.”
When he got back to our car, he handed Ross the ticket and then began to briskly explain that his court date was set for April 22.   He also said that if he wanted to plead guilty he had to sign the ticket and mail it to the court, which was listed on the front of the ticket.
Ross asked if the amount of the fine could be found on the ticket.
“No,” said the officer,  “it wasn’t on the ticket.”  The officer just repeated that Ross had to sign the ticket, mail it into the court and that he would be notified how much the fine would be.
The fact is, Ross was moving along with the traffic.  But, he was the only one in the pack with “out of state” licenses plates.
I’m quite sure that Ross was stopped specifically because we were not natives.  It’s an almost certain guarantee that no one is going to drive hundreds of miles to fight a traffic ticket.
I did a little research and found out that there would be an automatic sur-charge of $85-$93.  Then the actual fine would depend on the leniency and mercy of the judge.

Speeding Ticket Violation  Fine Schedule


Rather steep, wouldn’t you say?

Now, I’m probably going to jinx myself, but in the many, many years that I have been driving, I have only gotten one ticket.  That ticket was for going through a red light.  Although, I swear it was still yellow.  I got that ticket shortly after I got my license.

Ross has had more than one ticket.  The silliest one was for having his bright lights on.

The one Ross most certainly deserved was the one he got for speeding.  Actually it was for speeding up and passing a cop.  But, that’s a story for another time.

He has also talked himself out of several tickets.

Have you ever talked yourself out of a ticket?

Why not check out other postings written by the more than 2,000 bloggers participating in the  2014 A-Z April Challenge.




16 comments:

  1. Nope, never talked myself out of a ticket. I've never been pulled over (knock on wood!).

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. My theory is if you don’t do anything wrong, you are not going to be stopped. (knock on wood).

      Delete
  2. My husband drives a lot and gets a speeding ticket every few months. These are the automatic tickets that are sent in the post when he leasts expects them. They usually say something like "a photo is available on request". So he requests one and almost always receives another letter cancelling the fine "due to a clerical error" i.e. there isn't a photo. I always tell him off about these speeding tickets, but have to chuckle that he gets away with them so easily. He didn't get away with the last one and was given the choice of going to court or goiing on a speed awareness course. He obviously chose the latter and again the ticket was cancelled. Very strange.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Interesting that one can request a photo. Apparently, not too many people request one because if everyone did, I’m sure they would make certain that a photo was always available.
      My husband was going to try to fight the ticket. He was going to challenge the accuracy of the radar gun that the officer used by asking when it was last calibrated. But, I reminded him that he was in fact doing the speed that the officer said he was.

      Delete
  3. i consider myself to be a law abiding citizen..(ahem ahem!!) .and try never to get on the wrong side of law.....but when I moved to Bangalore, i wasn't very familiar with the roads and have got myself a ticket or two for wrong parking!!! and no, i didn't try to talk myself out of it!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, I suppose if you are illegally parked, there is no point in trying to get out of it. It’s still annoying to come out to your car and find a ticket on your windshield.

      Delete
  4. I was once done for driving without due care and I was stationary. Nice to meet and connect through atoz challenge. http://aimingforapublishingdeal.blogspot.co.uk/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That’s a good one driving while stationary.
      Thank you visiting. I will be over to see you.

      Delete
  5. I was going 35 in a 25 mph school zone and got pulled over. I pointed out that there was no school that day and got off! (It was one of those 7:30 to 8:00 25 mph zones.)

    ReplyDelete
  6. I was coming home off a road trip of about 5 hours. I made a quick detour to check on my dad before heading home. When I left his house I was so ready to be home and was speeding in a 45 mph section of an old country road. When the cop came to my window I explained I'd been on the road for hours and was just leaving this last stop of checking on my invalid father. I explained that I had been driving this road for 30+ years and knew it "like the back of my hand". I also confessed that I had another recent ticket for speeding. He let me off! Can you believe it? I still can't, but I'm grateful!! My daughter was with me and I'm not sure if this was a good lesson for her.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think the fact that you were a local helped you out. That’s the kind of officer you want to be stopped by…a nice one!

      Delete
  7. We live right by a speed trap, the police cars park on our cul-de-sac to pull people over. Its a booming business, I'm sure that's why they do it. I'm sure they do have a system that they do target out of state cars because you are right, you aren't going to go to fight it. I never talked myself out of a ticket because I haven't been pulled over, but hubby is due in court a few weeks from now for something he's going to try to fight with an infraction he did (not speeding).

    betty

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The other part of the game, for those who choose to plead not guilty, is the plea bargain business. I suppose, though, that most people have rightfully gotten the ticket they were issued.

      Delete
  8. The next time I get stopped, I'll just say, "Officer, yes, I am guilty of speeding for the gazillion-th time. You know ... it's just my turn, again!"

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That’s right just accept your punishment! :)

      Delete