I got a ticket and I am fuming!

It's Friday - not even this blog can get me down.

Final football game last night. Hip hip hooray. And we went out with a bang! A 28-20 win. 1-4 ain't half bad. The other team had only 18 players. But that is not a stat. The only thing that matters is the "W."

Oh my gosh, it was a long season. It was an 8 week season that felt like a year and a half. I think it was long for Luke too. I mean, school, practice, shower, eat, homework, bed. That is what he did every night for 8 weeks. It gets old, especially when you are getting crushed every game.

Slow dental week so you are going to hear about my life instead.

I got a ticket last week. I have been trying to rectify it in my mind all week. I didn't get a ticket for speeding. I didn't get a ticket for running a stop sign. I didn't get a ticket for making an illegal u-turn. I got a ticket crossing a double yellow line. Let me explain.

I was driving home and to take a left into my neighborhood there is a turning lane. Before the turning lane is something called a "yellow line island." This is the buffer zone between a center lane and a turn lane. I turned into this "island" to roll into the turning lane. THIS IS WHAT I GOT A TICKET FOR.

I was so angry I couldn't sleep for two days. Look, I know I actually violate the law, on purpose, about 10 times a day. But this ticket was so stupid. There was no reason for it. I was not endangering anyone. I feel like a grave injustice has been done. I mean, police officers are here to protect and serve us no one there needed serving or protecting. I think he just wanted to give me a ticket. He just wanted my $189 and to give me 3 points on my license.

This, officer, maybe all of 24 yeard old, came up to my car and asked me if I knew why he was pulling me over. I knew what I had done, but I didn't think in a million years this would be worth his time to give me a ticket.

I had to eat my anger and say, "Sir, I think it might have been because I drove into the yellow line island."

Then we had a discussion about why I thought doing this was in no way a ticketable offense, all while holding back the, "Listen, kid, I have been driving longer than you have been alive. Why are you wasting time and resources pulling me over for this ridiculous thing?"

Because at this point he's got me by the...well, you know. If I tick him off before he goes back to his car he could throw the book at me. He could give me a ticket for bald tires, endangering the lives of other drivers, driving into oncoming traffic, a bumper that is too low, and whatever other laws that he could say I was breaking. He could easily make this $189 ticket $500 in a swipe of a pen.

So I got the ticket. Then all the thinking began. I should have talked to him before he went back to his car. I should have told him my church cooks breakfast for all first responders on Thanksgiving morning. I should have told him I was a dentist (I have heard some cops don't give tickets to doctors or dentists). I should have told him I was friends with 2 cops on his force, "See I have their numbers on my phone."

But all this happened so fast and he went back to his car so fast that there wasn't that much time to think. AND I really didn't think he was going to give me a ticket even after he went back to his car. So there I was, with the ticket in hand, and there was no sense in my telling him to bug off.

Even after he told me to have a nice day, I was so angry I didn't know what to say. I figured my mouth was going to get me in trouble so I didn't say anything. But I regret not getting my whits about me and just telling him how I felt without being incensed.

I could have asked him, "How are you protecting and serving anyone right now?" I know police are always trying to build relationships with the people that they are serving. How was he doing this? By hanging out in front of the upper middle class neighborhood (the people that pay more than 90% of his salary....wow, I am bitter) and making sure people don't drive over a double yellow at 4 mph?

So now what do I do? Well, I go into damage control mode. I call one of my patients that is higher up on this particular force, and I sing him my blues. He tells me he wishes he could do something, but second in command just got fired for getting people out of tickets. But he made me feel good when he said the guy was just being a jerk by writing me that ticket.

My assistant's husband is a past chief of police and knows the chief of this force.
I thought about calling him, but decided against it. I thought about going to court and just hoping he doesn't show up. But what am I going to say to the judge, "I think this guy was being a meanie." I mean I did it, as ridiculous as the ticket is, I still did it.

Now, my last thing is I am looking into an attorney "to make this go away," Doesn't that sound so Sapranos? I don't know how they do this, but I have heard of them. I don't think it is dirty or anything but I don't want this police officer to have the satisfaction (it's not like he ever thought of me again). It is just the principle.

But basically, I am all out of options. I am probably going to have to pay the stupid ticket. I did something wrong and I got a ticket for it. But I don't know why I'm so angry. I think I am entitled to NOT get tickets. I am a good driver. I have never been in an accident. Before this one, I have received one ticket in 17 years (and that one I deserved).

I pay my taxes and I am happy to do it. I appreciate police officers and what they do for me and my family. I know they have a hard job and I sure as heck wouldn't want to do it. I just don't want to get tickets - because it sucks. Is that too much to ask?

"Have a great day and drive carefully out there." (Oooh, that ticks me off just writing it.)
john

Marathon in 9 days. I guess it is too late to start training hard.