My first speeding ticket came about a week and a half after I bought my car. A sign of the times. Or, just a sign of my speeding. Either or, it was going to happen eventually. And, to make it even better, my entire family was smashed in my car. My dad patted me on the back and said, “I taught you well”. Where my mom repeated what the officer was saying to me AS HE WAS SAYING IT. I might have yelled at her and said, “MOM! I’m 25! I can hear the officer myself!”
That ticket was $85. Not too bad. Well, not too bad compared to my next one.
Five months later I get pulled over. Here is my documentation of the event:
I might have taken this picture and sent a picture text to a few close friends while I waited for my sentence. The message might have been one word. It might have started with a S and ended with a HIT. So, you get the gist. I wasn’t happy about this ticket. I was going fast. Well, very fast. And I was in a construction zone. This was going to be a big one!The police officer was actually quite nice considering my reckless driving. Only wrote me for going 20 over. A Saint!
So, after not calling before 5 days or after 14, I called the court listed on my ticket. It wasn’t registered yet. I called the next day. It wasn’t registered yet. I called the next day. It wasn’t registered yet. I called and called and by the end of January, it still wasn’t registered. An entire month after the ticket was issued, it still wasn’t registered.
I finally gave up. I figured it was God’s way of blessing me with not having to pay a speeding ticket after just losing my job.
Skip to February 2nd. I check my mail at my parent’s house. Low and behold, I have a delinquency letter from West Valley Police Department. My ticket had gone up from $282 to $332 because I didn’t pay my ticket with the first notice. And, that if I didn’t pay it by February 6th, there would be a warrant out for my arrest.
I immediately called WVPD and told them that my ticket said to call the Salt Lake court. The little worker said that there was a mix up and that I shouldn’t pay WVPD. But to wait a couple of weeks while the ticket was sent to the SL court – and then to pay them. My hell people, how hard is it to send a ticket to the correct court?
Finally, I checked the other day and it was registered. It is $332. It should only be $282. The court clerk told me there was a warrant out for my arrest. Crap, is this how I am going to end up?
Let’s hope not. Tomorrow I will make my appearance in court. I will pray that the hearing officer will take pity on my two month ticket debacle and let me off with out paying. Don’t you think he should?
6 comments:
ha! what an AWESOME post! i totally laughed out loud when i read about your mom repeating everything the cop said. hilarious. and of course you took a picture while being pulled over. OF COURSE!
Just to be safe, you better get a lawyer. ahem.
You are so funny Nat! Good luck tomorrow. For sure they'll take it down to the first price. Same thing happened to spence and I our first month in Cali - since we were out of state plates - we kept calling about our ticket - and I mean kept calling for 9 months then quit. About 16 months after our ticket we got a letter and our tickets was up to like over a thousand dollars and was a huge mess, but we just went down, explained the situation, and payed the original fee. GOOD LUCK!
I haven't even mentally processed the amount of the ticket yet; I'm still stuck on you saying that your family was "smashed" in your car. I thought you were the good LDS type? Although I suppose being drunk would explain your mom's obnoxious behavior.
My favorite day was when you got this ticket. Sorry we made you speed with PF Changs. Really, it's IMG fault. They should pay the ticket.
If you get thrown in the slammer I promise to come visit. I'll even bake you a cake with a file in it so you can saw your way to freedom.
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