Last Saturday after a family get-together, Sophie and I were happily cruisin’ along home via the rural state route off of which my hubby’s sailing club is located when I looked up and saw a State Trooper coming toward me on the other side of the road. I quickly looked down at my speedometer. It said 70. The speed limit was 55. I knew I was toast. Crap!!
Sure enough, the trooper turned around and flipped his lights on, and thus at the age of 30, I got my first speeding ticket. He clocked me at 71, and the fine was $175. That’s right, one hundred seventy-five-freakin’-dollars!! A little steep, I think. Champaign County must be hurtin’ for cash. But alas, I was guilty. I knew I was. It just would’ve felt a lot better if I had meant to speed. I’d much rather be punished for a crime I intended to commit than for one I totally didn’t mean to at all. I was just driving along…not even paying attention. There was no one else really on the road out there in the sticks. Just me and the cop.
At least the trooper was nice. Right away he told me that Sophie was adorable (adorable enough to get me out of a ticket? Apparently not.) I probably would have cried if he had been mean to me. Last year we got pulled over in Indianapolis when Bobby was driving, and the trooper was a complete jerk for no reason. He was a disgrace to his profession. We had two sleeping kids in the back of the car and he treated us like we were hiding meth under the seats or something. Ugh. But anyway, while I was waiting for Good Cop to write my ticket up, Sophie kept saying “uh-oh, uh-oh!” Truer words were ne’er spoken, little girl! He wrote my ticket up and gave me my instructions for payment and/or court (I’ll take payment, thanks so much. I’d love to spend $700 in gas to come back out here and see you again, but I have to wash my hair that day. So.), and sent me on my way, admonishing me to “be safe.” Which I guess means drive 55.
So, my friends, that’s my sob story. Crime doesn’t pay. Unless you are the Champaign County Municipal Court, in which case my crime just paid you $175.
You’re welcome.
Now, please tell me some of you other ladies out there are criminals like me!
Just a couple weeks ago, my sister and I were taking our FOUR children to a pool in Florence, KY. On the way there, we also got stopped. We had our swim suits on, four happy children in the back seats, and the cop basically looked at us like we were nuts! But, just like you, no matter how cute those kids are in the back seat, it doesn’t seem to make that cop feel generous!!!!! I feel your pain!
my most recent run in with the law (yes, there have been a few in my time) wasn’t even my fault! It was May 5th – yep – Cinco de Mayo. The local long arm of the law was conducting a DUI stop point to check that a bunch of drunks weren’t driving around at 4 in the afternoon. I could have turned around, but I didn’t, clearly knowing that I had nothing to hide.
Or so I thought.
I made it up to the officers, gave them my license and proof of insurance and they were very kind to me and appreciative of me not being a jerk being held up in the line. They were going to send me on my way… until… they noticed that my tags were expired.
Now, my husband spent his birthday at the DMV getting new tags to put on the vehicles. He just failed to put them ON the license plates. He was waiting on a WARM DAY to adhere them to the plates – per the directions on the stickers. But the WARM DAY argument didn’t work on the 5th of May.
The stickers were in HIS glove compartment. A lot of good they did me there!
Fortunately, I was just given a “failure to display” warning. And, my husband got a very upset and angry phone call.
Ahhh, my J-Rap is now on the “normal” list with those of us offenders. It has been many years since I have been hunted down by the law for speeding (knock on wood) but it happens to the best of us my dear, and you are the best!
My twin sister!
71 in a 55 for me too.
Also just driving along on a two lane country road.
Only difference for me…..I cried. Bawled like a baby.
Can’t remember the amount of the ticket b/c this was about 10 years ago.
For Christmas that year I got a radar detector (which I don’t even use anymore)
Ah, the benefits of being married to a cop! I’ve only been pulled over once (running late for a parent/teacher conference when I was still teaching) and thankfully it was in Dayton where Nathan works. The cop knew my hubby, said he was a really good guy, and sent me on my way. Maybe Bobby should take up a different profession.
Oh yeah, it is also helpful for getting out of jury duty and for if there is a neighborhood disturbance you want taken care of asap! =)
LOL! The pictures make the story! Thanks for making me laugh this morning! LOL
You absolutely crack me up!
My criminal record started at 16! Why waste time, right? I really wasn’t speeding but the officer (Mr. May to be exact) from the wonderful city of Springboro (not!) said I was. What the problem really was is their school district was in school and ours wasn’t. I think he was thinking I was skipping school. He wrote me a ticket for 30 in a 20 (School Zone). However, I was doing 30 in a 35. I paid the $125 fine and called it day. Warning – if you ever travel through that city, don’t speed. They will get you for anything over the speed limit!! I try to avoid the area completely. Other than that, I have been criminal free. I still have a lead foot…it just hasn’t gotten caught in 15 years!
Way to be brave! I cried!
Unlike Lori, I didn’t get away with the “failure to display” route for my tags, because my husband and i forgot that our cars are registered in each others names…. when i bought tags, it was for HIS CAR, not mine! So i got a ticket. And Jen’s right…you have to be married to a cop. I’m friends with a cop here in good ‘ole Troy, ohio, but apparently I didn’t mention his name soon enough in the punishment, or else he may have let me off (or at least thats what my cop friend tells me!) Lesson: make sure you purchase tags for your own vehicle AND if you know a cop, mention his name right away for possible pardon.
Unfortunately yes. In Springboro by another cop who was a disgrace to his profession. Rude, wouldn’t listen to a word I said, condescending….basically out to prove his self-worth I think. Jerk. We are almost 100% sure he clocked one of the cars I was IN-BETWEEN (!!!), both much bigger than my little car, but I was easiest to pull over once I stopped behind a SCHOOL BUS!!!! Grrrrrrrr…..
I got my first (and only) speeding ticket when I was 17. It was actually a photo radar ticket back during the brief time that BC had photo radar. It was the last day of highschool and I was bawling on my way home (I’m nerdy like that). It was like 4:55 pm and I was driving through a school zone. Yeah, five minutes later and I would have been in the clear.
Nowadays, I deserve a speeding ticket often, but have yet to get caught. Good thing they ended the photo radar program!
Love the pics by the way!
I have been stopped several times. But, usually I just get a warning. However, a few years ago, I got a speeding ticket. It was a speed trap town, and they let me pay something crazy, like $300, to keep it off my record. Obviously, they just wanted the money! Next time smile for your mug shot.
OH!
Last time I got pulled over I was going to see my boyfriend (now my Hubby). The officer asked what I was doing so far from home and I said going to visit my boyfriend. He asked who it was. I told him (all the while wondering if this was where I found out about hubby’s 137 murder convictions). He said “Well…I like Brent D. so I bet his girlfriend’s pretty good too. I’ll let ya off this time but be careful, I’d hate to see his girlfriend hit a bear” Me too officer. And I’d hate to see her pay a ticket.
I was a little smug about this until I found out his whole family (by whole I mean uncles, aunts, cousins, sibling, parents and 3rd cousins twice removed) heard them run my license on the scanner. They couldn’t wait until I showed up!
I have more stories too. Like the time I was 17 and got pulled over for supposed drunk driving. They made me get out and do those stupid tests…in front of my church. I wasn’t drunk thank-you very much, just suffering from severe allergies which were making me sneezy and swearving!
Ahhahaahhahha! The pitcures are worth $175! Sorry that you got busted you friggin’ delinquent! “uhoh”
WE actually got pulled over last week, but the hubby was driving. He batted his eyelashes and sweet talked the cop and we totally got off with a warning. Maybe you didn’t bat your eyes enough.
Champaign County? As in Champaign Ill? That’s where I grew up. Now in the state of TX I would almost pay your ticket myself to move back north..well almost…175 is pretty steep 🙂
Jenny…..this too will pass. At least it wasn’t an accident or something like that that stopped you on your way home. AND I totally second the DONT GET CAUGHT IN SPRINGBORO
Sorry! I cannot think of anything I hate worse. I have always said you drive more like a boy than either of your brothers. I have been stopped three or four times. Mostly warnings but the fines I really hate. Do you think you can pay them with ECB”s?
your dad cracks me up.
Just found you blog, that why I am so late replying to this, but about 2 months before I turned 30, I got a ticket for 51 in a 35. My first ticket ever. Sucks!!! Welcome to your 30’s.