Thursday, April 9, 2009

I Smell Bacon...

Or should I be nice and say Poe Poe? Either way I got a ticket!

Here's the scenario. I was asked to make a meal for a friend who just had a baby. I love doing this because I know how much I appreciate a home cooked meal after I have my babies. It is nice during that adjustment period of adding another baby to the family. Plus there is the added bonus of feeling good, knowing that you might make some one's day with the small gesture of making them a meal. Anyways, so I made the meal, put my own family's meal in the oven to cook(while I make the 2 minute run over to her house to drop the food off), ran out the door, placed the food in the passenger side of my car, and was on my way to try and get the food to her while it was still warm. Until ... are you kidding me? Flashing lights behind flipping pull me over. Off course I was going over the speed limit! I was obviously not paying attention to the speed limit, I was thinking about getting this meal to her and then getting back to my own family to finish making our meal. The cop caught me going 50 in a 35! 15 whole mph, how easy is this to do, especially when the street you turned from was 45? Who changes the speed limits like that? Darn Penndot!

As I clearly point to my food in the passenger seat and plead my case to the occifer, he says "Well let me just check all your info, so we can get you on your way." I gave it to him and as he walked off I prayed in my head that he would just give me a warning. I have not had a ticket in 6 years!!! Why now? Especially knowing that I was on an errand to brighten some one's day. A ticket would just ruin the whole meaning behind making the meal and helping someone out. Plus it wasn't like I was recklessly driving and going waaayyy over the speed limit. I just was a busy mom trying to get stuff done. I honestly wasn't trying to hurry, I was on auto pilot, not paying attention. I could drive this street with my eyes closed. That is how often I drive on this street(Audubon Rd.).

Needless to say he hands me my ticket to sign and says "You might be able to get a judge to drop this if you tell them your story." I said "No that is your job! Your the one who is supposed to tell me that this time you will give me a warning." Call me rude, but honestly, he could clearly see that I was not trying to break the law! I was trying to do something nice! All he could say in response was some saga about how the state has mandated that we yada yada yada... I was so mad, started my car, and pulled away to get to my original plans of delivering what was now my cold meal.

So here I sit with this $150.00 ticket wondering if it is worth going to court to try and get it reduced. I don't care how rich or poor you are, $150.00 for 15mph over the speed limit is inconvenient! I could think of a million other things I could put my $150.00 towards.

11 comments:

Stacey said...

I swear the cops have to meet their quota right now or something. I got a ticket the other day ... going 60 in a 35. Yikes. Mine was $109.50. I figured it wasn't worth the time to go fight it ... so I paid the dang thing. I feel your pain.

em said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
em said...

UGH. My very first speeding ticket was doing 50 in a 35 (where they changed the speed limit from 45 to 35 GOING DOWN A HILL) and was $102. Yes, I still remember bc I was 16 and was SO scared to tell my dad!

I feel your pain. I think it's totally worth fighting (but I always think tickets are worth fighting...), especially because if the cop doesn't show, the judge drops the charges.

Can you do traffic school or something else?

Thompson Family said...

Oh Ashley, that sucks! How lame and when you were trying to be so nice, too! Not fair. I feel for you. Justin--good luck with boards!

E n D said...

Cops can be such jerks sometimes! It's probably worth it to fight the ticket, although this isn't the most convenient time. I'm sure you are super busy!

Laraine T said...

Been there, done that! Write a well worded apology, claiming guilt, send a check for the entire amount and you will get a nice check later for the amount they reduced. Such a pain!!!! I guarentee you won't repeat that trick again--at least on that street!

Lee said...

that's called karmic payback for posting that video of me...

Lee said...

oh, and I once got pulled over doing 93 in a 55 and only had to go to traffic school...

Janell said...

I'm so sorry Ashley. I actually got 2 tickets by the same cop (no headlights in a construction zone and failing to stop completely at a temporary stop sign) on Ridge Pike a few years ago. I had 4 kids in my car and balled my eyes out to no avail. The cop admitted to me that the township was cracking down to pay for road construction. This infuriated me!I paid the $50 when I sent in the ticket stating that I was going to fight them in court. So, I showed up in court with both my kids on each lap trying to get some sympathy...the cop showed up and tried to negotiate with me before the judge entered in the room and I said that I wanted to fight both. The judge heard me out and dropped both tickets and refunded me my $50 bucks. TOTALLY WORTH FIGHTING IT! Saved myself $181..and I didn't have an excuse like you! Hope it works out for you! See you at the senior dinner!

Hermana Gracee Sue said...

What did you cook for dinner? Maybe it didn't smell that good to the Copper.

Ashley said...

Wow, full of compliments tonight!