I have so much to say about this morning's trip to the traffic court. One thing is for sure, this one is definitely the most interesting.
For starters, I seemed to miss the big sign that read "Restricted Parking". At around 8am, when the doors were supposed to open, one of the policemen come out on a loud speaker and begin to give us some general info. Let's just say that I went to move my car, to avoid being towed, and left my pocket knife in my car in order to avoid a misdemeanor.
I just so happened to have a 70 year old lady that stood in line with me and later on sat next to me in traffic court. She was a character and quite comical. It's funny how much you learn about a person while standing in line with them. They become your "friend" for a brief moment. I never even asked her name. Her story is as follows: she got a speeding ticket for going 6 miles over the speed limit. She worked for city schools district as a librarian and is now laid off. She recently lost her $50k mobile home that she could not afford to pay for the space anymore. She told me that a company went in and began to raise the space rent every 6 months. It went from a little over $300 all the way up to over $900. We're talking about a senior park mind you. So she had to lose it because she couldn't find anyone to rent it out and is unable to claim it as a loss since it's paid off. Now she's struggling to make ends meet with the minimal disability that she gets. I felt really bad for her. I almost wanted to pay for her traffic school. Her appearance would never determine the strong personality that she has rather she reeks of a strong personality that of a surviving Cancer patient, which she is.
While sitting in court, the bailiff was giving us some general information when another office walked in and whispered something in his ear. He exits through the door behind him. A few minutes later, he and 2 other officers are pretty much dragging this guy through the court and then exiting through a door where the judge enters. Weird? Yeah, slightly. You'd think they would escort the man out the front door. But, I guess it may have all been a little "show". The bailiff enters the court room gasping for breath and informs us that he was making a big deal about turning off his cell phone. Wow, I guess better turn off those cell phones.
Last but not least, the cases. The only thing I can recall is a 19 year old getting fined for having someone in the trunk. Yeah, was he killing that person? No! He said he was at a gas station and assumed someone saw the drunk passenger get out lol. He claimed there was no more room to sit. The judge dismissed the charges because she found it completely hilarious and claimed, "it's one of the best stories ever."
Other than that, ALWAYS have insurance. Otherwise, risk getting an $800 ticket that will NOT be reduced or dismissed EVER. Unless, you were insured at the time of the ticket but had no proof. I hate traffic court!
