(no subject)
On average, American municipal law enforcement makes about 15 billion dollars off traffic tickets and parking fines. They'll be consistent in nailing your ass whenever possible. They'll fine you till your ears bleed.
Unless, of course, you let their warped satanic bureacracy help you out.
I got pulled over for making a rolling stop and right turn at a red light (it just turned red). The big burly officer guy comes up and acts like a macho ass at first, after he fills out the ticket he alerts me to the fact he could have "gotten me for the stop sign (I) ripped out back there" and for "wreckless driving" but felt nice and gave me just the one 3 point violation and 150 dollar fine. Note: if you're ever told that, that you could have gotten something "worse", do not on any account believe it- he's bullshitting and just wants you to plead guilty out of fear.
In any case, he set my court date to be this morning at 8:30. I could have very easily just plead not guilty on the ticket and mailed it in, and try my luck at delaying the trial. I just wanted to get it over with- so I went at the specified time to City Hall. Traffic court is in the basement; lovely.
I went wearing a suit and tie. Gave me an oppurtunity to see how the yellow shirt and tie go together (very well, thank you Rachel). I was the only person there dressed up. Note: traffic court is full of hotties with parking fines.
I gave the clerk my name. She went about trying to find the paperwork for my ticket.
Couldn't find it.
When my name was called up the judge told me there wasn't any paperwork filed, that he couldn't even read who the arresting officer was ("Maybe O'Brien?"), and that I was free to go.
My first violation, erased because of incompetence. No 3 points, no $150 fine.
The entire courtroom behind me groaned.
Lesson learned: Do NOT take the easy route and try to mail in a plea. The worst that could happen is that you'd talk to the police rep and plea down. It also gets done earlier, and the arresting officer is never there for the first hearing.
And if Officer O'Brien (apparently) is out there, thank you for your incompetence.
This is why I ♥ the irish.
Unless, of course, you let their warped satanic bureacracy help you out.
I got pulled over for making a rolling stop and right turn at a red light (it just turned red). The big burly officer guy comes up and acts like a macho ass at first, after he fills out the ticket he alerts me to the fact he could have "gotten me for the stop sign (I) ripped out back there" and for "wreckless driving" but felt nice and gave me just the one 3 point violation and 150 dollar fine. Note: if you're ever told that, that you could have gotten something "worse", do not on any account believe it- he's bullshitting and just wants you to plead guilty out of fear.
In any case, he set my court date to be this morning at 8:30. I could have very easily just plead not guilty on the ticket and mailed it in, and try my luck at delaying the trial. I just wanted to get it over with- so I went at the specified time to City Hall. Traffic court is in the basement; lovely.
I went wearing a suit and tie. Gave me an oppurtunity to see how the yellow shirt and tie go together (very well, thank you Rachel). I was the only person there dressed up. Note: traffic court is full of hotties with parking fines.
I gave the clerk my name. She went about trying to find the paperwork for my ticket.
Couldn't find it.
When my name was called up the judge told me there wasn't any paperwork filed, that he couldn't even read who the arresting officer was ("Maybe O'Brien?"), and that I was free to go.
My first violation, erased because of incompetence. No 3 points, no $150 fine.
The entire courtroom behind me groaned.
Lesson learned: Do NOT take the easy route and try to mail in a plea. The worst that could happen is that you'd talk to the police rep and plea down. It also gets done earlier, and the arresting officer is never there for the first hearing.
And if Officer O'Brien (apparently) is out there, thank you for your incompetence.
This is why I ♥ the irish.