Wednesday, August 20, 2008

SPEEDING

A week ago today I got pulled over--the first time ever. The officer (on a motorcycle) showed me the radar. It read 44 mph. He informed me that I was traveling in a 30 zone. I was shocked. I had just weeks before counted my lucky stars that I had never gotten a ticket and hoped my luck would last until I was 90 or whatever age I was unable to continue driving. So I was a little shocked that my luck ended at the young age of 30. The officer was pretty nice and told me I sure could leave the air conditioner on while he wrote up my ticket--how thoughtful. Now I'm wondering if it would have helped if I had tried to explain that my two-year-old seated directly behind me was on a screaming rage--it turns my right foot to lead every time, and that my whining children were very hungry. No, it didn't help that we were traveling down hill at a steep grade.

The officer spoke so fast I had him explain a few times my options for paying the ticket. Its so convenient that you can pay them online. He also informed me that he only wrote the ticket for doing 5 over the speed limit which I am assuming will be less expensive than doing 14 over--again how thoughtful.


Just about everyday I look and try to pay the ticket online (he said I only have 14 days) and a week later there is no sign of a ticket. Should I assume that he threw it away after I said, "Could you explain that to me again I've never gotten a ticket before" or maybe he's a BYU fan and caught sight of my BYU insignia as I drove away in front of him.

I wasn't really nervous when he pulled me over because I knew I was going too fast but as I sat there I got a little anxious and felt some tears coming on. Good thing Jordan broke the tension asking, "Mom, how many tickets do you have to get before you go to jail?" The question was sincere but it made me laugh and has been funnier since the incident. Incidentally we've seen that motorcycle officer twice more in the last week and I have been diligently following the speeding laws. 1 ticket by the age of 90 isn't bad is it?

9 comments:

Cheri said...

Oh that is too funny. I'm sorry about your ticket though. Maybe I won't ever talk about how I haven't gotten a ticket either, as it might curse me.

Leah said...

Funny, yet frustrating at the same time. Hopefully you'll get everything all sorted out. Good luck!

leigh said...

those cops have been there dilligently up and down that hill for the last 3 or 4 days. i'm actually surprised you haven't seen them before.

also - pretty unlikely he's a byu fan, you were definitely in ute territory on that one! you probably haven't seen it online because it's up to an incompetent government agency.

smart mama said...

uh did i ever tell you about the time i got 2 tickets in one week!!! Yes- as it turned out my speedometer was broken- but I still had to pay them--

Jamie said...

smart mama, that must have been one expensive week. so funny though. I'm wondering, did you try to appeal the tickets?

Anonymous said...

I have had two tickets. I couldn't even blame my kids for one, as they were both sleeping in the back. Don't worry. I will come and visit you in the slammer. Bake you some mini-nail file cupcakes :)

The Howard Bolton Family said...

What a great story. I cried my way out of a ticket one time. I had never had a speeding ticket. Howard was leaving for three weeks on a business trip to the Orient, Mikaela was sick and had been vomiting, the dog was acting funny, it was snowing,etc. I was crying. I didn't pay attention to the speed limit. Mikaela was in her car seat (about three years old at the time). The policeman pulled me over in the new tunnel. I started BAWLING. He asked me what was wrong. I told him about all the stress in my life. He told me that I was going seven miles over the speed limit. I covered my face a cried more loudly. Not intentionally, but just too much stress! He told me to sit there in the car. He was worried about me driving so emotionally. He wanted to make sure Mikaela was safe. He walked away and ten minutes later came back. I wasn't sobbing by then, just tears rolling down my cheeks. He said that he would let me go with a warning, but he would be calling me to check on me. He let me go. I cried when I left, because I couldn't believe I had been such a basket case. He never did call to check on me. I think he was worried that I might cry again!

Jamie said...

Melanie, that is hillarious! Too bad I wasn't stressed out enought to bawl MY head off--though Grant's screaming does drain my patience very quickly.

birdeeb said...

I have had a couple...I even had a thoughtful officer follow me to an ATM so that I could pay the ticket right there... haha ;o) Well it didn't go on my record :o)! He probably pocketed the money haha.

I had a cop pull me over like 2 months ago to inform me that my license plate needed to be on the front of the car not in my windshield...he let me know that if I got into an accident that it could slice my head open. hmmm ok?? I thought it was weird he pulled me over...it has been over 8 years since I got pulled over last. He just thought I was cute maybe? LOL jk!!

And Jaime I have to say that I love your blog! I usually don't go back this far, but I am loving your posts!