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Monumental Waste of Time
By Chris | June 19, 2008
Had court yesterday for a traffic ticket that CPD wrote me for doing 75 in a 60 or something like that. He wrote me for Careless Operation, $232.00. First, I was a little surprised I got stroked one, since there’s often a professional courtesy towards other public safety agencies (see my November post on a MPPD ticket). In any event, I was caught speeding, so I own up to it. I didn’t drop that I work for a PD, which seems to go against what many of my coworkers said. In any event, the officer advised me to go to court, and the judge often reduces the fine when you plead guilty, and it was no points. He wasn’t overly nice, but certainly not the nicest, curt might be a good adjective.
So court day was yesterday at 1100. My boss allowed me to use comp time, so I wasn’t out any money for going to court, which I expected to be back by 1, at the latest. I went home to snag a copy of the ticket and convinced Jamie to tag along, as it wouldn’t increase my time away from work any. After some reluctance, he came with. We got there barely at 1100, and we’d later learn that it really didn’t matter that it took us forever to find parking, because they were still working on the 1000 hour tickets when we walked in shortly after 11. At 1200 they weren’t done with the 1030 tickets. At that point, the 1100 and 1130 dockets were asked to go upstairs to a second courtroom, as they ‘were backed up.’ So, the new courtroom and new judge moseyed along and I got it dropped. I swear the officer gave me a look when he saw the logo on my work shirt. Meh. I went downstairs and paid the fine and went on our way. We left at 1. Two hours there for like 2 minutes of actual usefulness.
While there I watched a Citadel cadick argue that he should receive lenience because the littering charge (cigarette butt / $440) was too much for him, a poor poor college student. And he stated he doesn’t even smoke, yet when asked by the Judge, admitted he did at the time of the ticket. Lies. Who said cadicks were smart. He was made to look stupid in front of the court. In any event, the fine was reduced if I remember correctly.
While we were downstairs waiting in the equally slow payment line, a girl who was in the court room with us entered sobbing. Jamie and I both expressed to each other our disappointment at being unable to see what transpired to make her cry. Damn.
I finally got back to work at 2. Bleh. In short, what have I learned? Would it be not to speed? Maybe… but I also learned that I should have somehow worked what I do for a living into it and maybe avoided the whole thing. Hey, you would if you could, eh?!?
Topics: General |
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