July 23, 2008
-
One Lucky Bastard
Last night I didn’t go to sleep until a little after 0300 for various reasons, mostly because I had a good night last night at my part-time job and am enjoying the promotion. Curiously, I woke up at 0700 this morning.
I had planned to get up and go to Walmart to get a few much-needed items before coming into work a few minutes early so I could get some installs done. As I made the turn onto the road where I would turn to come into the commercial zone, I was pulled over by a cop that was in the opposite lane at the opposite light.
This officer was a young guy and seemed like he was new. His presentation though professional was perfunctory and stilted. I was meek and said little, deflated that my day was ruined straight out of the shoot.
I turned down the Dark Knight score that I had been enjoying on the ride in.
The officer asked for my license and insurance, went back to his car and wrote me a ticket.
While he was in his car, I remembered the speech from driving class back in February: “Just ask. You never know. If you’re contrite and courteous, you could save yourself a ticket.”
I definitely needed saving. The student loans kicked in this month and money is about to be tighter then it ever has been with the minimum wage going up and while I was waiting for the officer to return, I panicked that this ticket would not only make my insurance skyrocket, but it might cost me my part-time job. The money has been good lately and I can’t afford to lose it.
The officer came back, told me when my court date was and asked me to sign. Then I did something that I have never done: I timidly begged the officer to let this one slide.
At first he hesitated, saying that he had already filled out the citation and had I asked him before…
Dejected, I picked up the pen to sign.
“Please?” I pleaded. “I was just trying to get to work.”
“When do you have to be there?”
“Eight-thirty.” I fibbed, as I was trying to get a jump on the day and had planned to be in by 0830. “The turn off is the next road up.”
“Okay. I can let it go this time. Have a good day.”
I shook hands with the officer, collected my license and came into work still shaking nervously, but with a cheesier grin and a Joker-esque laugh.
I’m one lucky bastard.
Comments (4)
*hugs*
i generally keep a bunch of medically related paraphernalia in the backseat and look my usual super tired…has gotten me out of several tickets
@firetyger -
Yes, I’m glad he let it slide too.
I’ve gotten too many tickets in the past. I couldn’t afford the higher insurance cost nor the cost of the ticket, so there was a lot on the line here. Most of my tickets have either been thrown out by the judge or dismissed in lieu of driving school.
Did you know that if you go to driving school, the ticket still gets reported to the DMV and thus your insurance? Once you go to driving school, the agency that issued the ticket then tells the DMV to take the offense off, but the DMV only cleans your record twice a year on average, so the only benefit of going to driving school is that the points do not accrue against your license.
@Rveblade -
Cool! Do you have paraphernalia that you can spare?