Scofflaw

After action report on, Officer Dickhead meets Citizen Hothead.

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I mentioned in that post I intended to torture them before they got my money. We settled last Friday. My file had some twenty pages.

The rationale for traffic citations is to change the scofflaw’s driving habits and attitude. That may be true for some officers, they being the ones who deal with the physical carnage, but for the courts it is all about revenue. Example. In Weld County, CO should you be ordered by the courts to perform xxxxx hours of “useful public service”, you can take the hours times the prevailing minimum wage, write a check, and walk away. (Yes, I know because I’ve done it – thirty over reduced to driving faster than road conditions,  and many, many benjis)

My torture program, over time, involved three city attorneys, a judge and recorder, several clerks and summons to court for the officers involved. Yes, I know the officers get paid. Yes, I know that involves scheduling problems. Since I settled the matter four days before the court date my bet is the clerks didn’t notify the officers in a timely manner and they will show up tomorrow.  

Remember I said it was all about revenue? My original fine went from $155 to $172. Points against my license went from four to two.

I may not have the negotiating skills of an attorney. Several decades of sales and the car biz left me with some. Along with those, I’m seldom intimidated.

Very well WSF you are saying. What about all the time you spent? Hell, I’m semi retired. Time spent doing this kept me out of  bars.

Outsourcing Jobs - Is There No Limit??

China now has the worst traffic jams in the world. One takes 36 hours to negotiate. Excellent planning to be sure.

Having driven I -70 Eastbound through Kansas City today, I find no improvement over the other four times I've driven it this year. I do believe the planning for these "improvements" must have been outsourced to the crack team of planners in China.


My profound sympathy to those residents who endure this daily.

Behavior Modification

Friends and family know about my cavalier attitude towards speed limits, traffic signals, stop signs and road conditions while going about my daily business. Take this device in the picture. The street is industrial with no sidewalks, blind driveways, or retail businesses. 35 mph should be the speed limit which is my usual velocity. Today I decided to "be legal". A good thing as local P.D. had a radar unit working the street.

My last encounter with our outstanding officers ended with me beating a stop sign ticket (for once I really was innocent). Our City Attorney said, words to effect, "That is all right, we'll get you next time"!

I willingly concede my driving behavior has been modified. My attitude? Not so much.

Winner???

Won my stop sign ticket case this morning!!! (Posts on 1/18/09 and 1/23/09) The City Attorney had a pre-trial conference with the officer and then me. He offered a "deal" which I declined. He then said he would dismiss the case because he didn't believe he could win. Said I was getting the "Well prepared Good Citizen" break. I'm glad I didn't need to act like a lawyer. Overall, I am confident in my skills but I was damn nervous. Great feeling walking across the parking lot to my car - a couple of fist pumps.
The real question is, did I really win? Three trips to court, a few hours taking photographs, more hours preparing and a real change in my driving behavior begs the question, who won? All this has eroded my scofflaw standing.

Traffic Ticket Part 2

Perry Mason here we come; Friday, March 13Th. The City Attorney offered the same deal that he gave everyone. I had to ask him to look at my "evidence". He didn't care. The Judge was doubling the fines on anyone who had a recent ticket plus costs. In my case that would be over $200. Seems like a good value bet to me.

Traffic Ticket

I'm an unsafe driver. I speed, follow too close, use my cell phone, program my GPS, and otherwise multi task when I should pay attention to driving. This, combined with covering 30,000 miles a year on average, means many meetings with Officer Friendly. If the ticket is righteous I don't fight it too hard and never, ever argue with Officer Friendly. Courts are for arguing.

What rankles is a flat out wrong ticket like I got last week at 11:10 p.m. for running a stop sign. One, I did stop and two, the officer's view of the area behind the stop sign was blocked by a bus stop, trees, bushes and a banner welcoming the troops home. All he could see was my headlights after I entered the street.

Game on! Think Alice's Restaurant. I've taken several pictures and printed maps. Now I'm drawing arrows and writing notes. Court is 1/23/09 so will plead "Not Guilty". If I can't convince the City Attorney to drop it will get to play Perry Mason.

Forced Humility Sucks

Taking a class or two can humble you. First, an eight hour marathon CCW class (concealed carry weapon), i.e. wild eyed crazy gun nut

class to those in our population that need to ban anything that makes them uncomfortable when doing so thrills them by exercising their assumed moral superiority and smelling a whiff of danger. This was a Profire USA effort than annoyed me buy exposing my ignorance of several points I had assumed mastery for years . Good people; Profire-worth the money.

Last night was a driver ed traffic school whatever. The choice of a fine and points or paying to attend a class was a no brainer. As a 50 year license holder and career traffic scofflaw the challenge was to stay awake. The instructor, a retired police chief, was very annoying. He made the class interesting and taught me several things I didn't know. In doing so he ruined a perfectly good snit.