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.