Rant (Update): Speeding Ticket

Prologue for those 14 of you who didn’t read my last blog post (I’m assuming the rest of the world’s population read it):

Got pulled over on Saturday, 9/3/11 for allegedly doing 76 in a 65.

Called the Judge’s office as instructed the following week, they told me I “wasn’t in the system yet.”

Called again last week, told the same thing.

On to today’s call…

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So now I’m finally “in the system.” I’m told that I have until October 21 to come in (oh yes, I have to somehow miss time at work to take care of this) and register a plea and/or pay the fine, which is $XXX (a three-digit number, removed on advice of legal team).

When I asked about points on my license, the lady told me that I could avoid them or any other issues by taking care of this by October 21. (No duh, I’ll do that.)

Option 1: Pay $XXX (removed on advice of legal team) in person, bringing license, insurance, registration and inspection (for the last two, cell phone photo is OK) and it’ll be “dismissed at that moment.”

Option 2: Pay $XXX (removed on advice of legal team, $70 less than Option 1) in person, bring license and insurance, and do Defensive Driving course.

Drum roll…

MY CHOICE: Option 1. I know how to drive defensively. I also know how to drive offensively. And pensively. And frankly, however many hours of time it takes to complete Defensive Driving is worth a ton more than $70.

Next up, get the money and all my little paperwork together, then find a day to head over to the Dallas County courthouse on Marsh Lane. Wondering if I can go at lunch, or will I be standing in a line for hours like the DMV. Hmm.

Checked Google Maps, it’s a 20-minute drive from the office. BUT, they’re open at 8AM. Guess I’ll go in late one morning.

You win, Dallas County. Just to make this silly ticket go away, I’ll pay you a few hundred bucks and waste a chunk of my morning.

I believe the word I’m looking for is “Ugh.”

Rant: Speeding Ticket

Got a speeding ticket on the Dallas North Tollway this past Saturday. 76 in a 65 near Wycliff exit heading north.

Although I don’t think I was actually doing 76, I’ll probably just pay the fine or do the online courses (or both). Typical fine is $250-300 or so.

Sure, I could be stopping a burglary. But this looks more badass.

I call the judge today as instructed by the quota-filler cop who pulled me over. I get a mildly annoyed representative on the phone who takes my information and basically tells me to call back — that my ticket hasn’t been filed in their system yet.

So I’m supposed to call back. As if I don’t have a job and family and things to do, I need to keep calling back while I wait for the “system” to get updated.

FACT: I haven’t gotten a speeding ticket since 1997 on the Atlantic City Expressway. I was doing a 1.5-hour commute, and got caught doing 76 in a 55. THAT is a stop-worthy offense.

FACT: The “violation” I allegedly committed last Saturday was “Speeding 10 percent or more above posted speed limit.” So math-wise, here’s your lesson:

—In a 75 MPH zone, you can do up to 82.5. (75 x .10 = 7.5; 75 + 7.5 = 82.5)

—In a 65 MPH zone, you can do up to 71.5. (65 x .10 = 6.5; 65 + 6.5 = 71.5)

—In a 55 MPH zone, you can do up to 60.5. (55 x .10 = 5.5; 55 + 5.5 = 60.5)

And so on.

I’m not sure why they went away from actually telling you how much your fine is on the ticket.

I guess it’s nice to give me an option where I can avoid getting “points” on my license — via the online courses.

It would be a lot nicer to either give me a cost up front or at least update your bureaucratic systems.

So I have to call back. You gotta be kiddin’ me.