I got a few speeding tickets back in the day of my misspent youth. Not too many but enough. And in my complete narcissistic irresponsibility, when I figured nothing bad could truly happen to ME…I paid those fines. Quickly. Just in case.
As I grew older and more mature, I was driving 45 in a 25 but got a ticket for 5 over. It was the blonde hair. And…I paid the fine again. Quickly. Because well, you just never know.
This February. I was driving along and minding my own business. I was taking my son to Kindergarten, kind of on a mental cruise control. Auto pilot, if you will. I’m not proud but it happens sometimes. I was going 35 in a school zone. I should have been going 25.
I got pulled over. I’m NOT a crier. In fact, and no offense to everyone who cries when they get pulled over but, I think it’s ridiculous to cry. I figure, I was doing something wrong and I almost always know when it’s my fault. So why cry? I refuse to be seen as weak by a stranger. So whatev.
The cop was nice. He gave me a ticket for not having my insurance certificate with me. I told him that I knew exactly where it was. Hanging by the magnet my vet gave me on the lower part of my fridge. An appropriate place for a certificate of insurance, especially when you need to have it handy for proof.
The ticket was only going to cost me $25 and no points. Which was very kind of the policeman. He took pity on a blonde chick who SO OBVIOUSLY needed her roots done.
I put that ticket in my center console. I made a mental note to pay it, after all…I had two weeks. And I was really good about that type of stuff. I AM the daughter of an attorney, after all. I saw how many of my friends tickets he had to fight for them when I was younger!
I kept reminding myself to go to the assigned court and pay the ticket.
And then…
I forgot. Things happened. Time flew by. I can come up with a kagillion excuses if you’ll let me.
The notices kept coming home. But the fine wasn’t $25 anymore. It was a whopping $200. So, due to finances, I ignored it even more.
And they kept coming. Piling up in the bill corner.
I kept ignoring. I was getting really good at it.
Until today…
Oy. I’m so ashamed…
For the first time in my 4ahem1 years, I have just received notice that something I tried to avoid EVERY FRICKING TIME I ever got a ticket happened…
I officially have a suspended license.
Because I didn’t pay my ticket.
I feel so young and immature. So rebellious. So..without a cause.
I wonder if my dad will fight my ticket for me…right after I’m done being grounded for the rest of my life.
ouch 🙁 It’s so easy for this to happen … I’m sorry, I know this didn’t make your day any better.
Geeze I would not know what to do. How can you get around in Michigan without a car, and a license to drive it? Another reason why Michigan needs proper mass transit.
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Awesome that you have a dad that can fight the ticket for you.
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ahh, that stinks!! Can you pay a fine to get it back? and I would SO cry if I got pulled over. But it would be out of fear/anxiety. Because I’m tough like that. also, I’ve never been pulled over. So I’d be like “OH CRAP OH CRAP OH CRAP OH CRAP! I dont really know what to do”
and now I’m off to google “what to do if you get pulled over” so i can be informed.
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Wow! I’d be shaking in my boots to even get the first notice and would’ve camped outside their door to pay it the next morning!!!!!
.-= The Retired One´s last blog ..Tahquamenon Falls in the Winter =-.
DUDE. I used to get so many tickets that I never paid but they eventually turn into warrants. One time I got pulled over at like 10pm for speeding and since I had a warrant they hauled my ass to the clink.I sat there in a cold cell for three hours while I waited for my friend to get there and bail me out. It sucked.
I am so sorry to hear that. Hopefully you can get things taken care of. Its too bad that the police can’t have little credit card things in their car so you can just pay the ticket right there.
.-= Another Suburban Mom´s last blog ..HNT Hugs =-.
WOWZA…that totally sux! Here in Texas they have these annual surcharges that are expensive and are doled out to people that get too many tickets, or don’t pay their fines, or get their license suspended. Also, if you don’t pay or go to court, a warrant is issued for your arrest for failure to appear, so on top of the fines for the ticket, you have to go to jail and pay fines for that!
Good luck getting your license back.
I’ve done the same thing but with the added bonus of the cops showing up AT MY DOOR with the threat of handcuffs if I didn’t pay the damn thing. For a speeding ticket!
Bright side: I finally got it paid.
Zoinks! I had my license PLATES suspended for 19 days for being 19 days late on paying my car insurance…ok, for the second time and that was a HUGE pain in the ass. I hope this is one of those things where when you pay it you get it reinstated. But just in case…fix your roots.
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I’m going to start serving 14 days in jail for the exact same reason. Only I got caught driving with my suspended license.
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Yikes! This reminds me of my last trip to the public library. The SUV parked next to me was being hoisted onto a tow truck. I made some remark about city coffers being empty and extreme measures to raise funds. The parking enforcement officer told me that they checked the plate on the car and found the driver had a few unpaid parking tickets. Parking tickets! That will be one big, fat surprise for that library patron. I had no idea that parking enforcement officers ran plate checks on cars.
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As I was reading this,I thought about my husband and his multiple speeding tickets. He always forgets to pay them, until the fine and doubled or tripled. He had his dl suspended and didn’t know it. His employer had to tell him. Fun times and extra money:(
Hugs and Mocha,
Stesha
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*until the fine has doubled or tripled.*
Sorry about the spelling errors.
Hugs and Mocha,
Stesha
.-= Stesha´s last blog ..Project iPhoto 365: 5/365 – Town Bunny =-.
Oh crap. Oh well…I thought I was the only one who did stuff like that. Glad I’m not alone! :o)
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