Off topic day... why it pays to be able to talk to a doorknob

[jenphilly]

Well my beloved, yet ever so people adverse, daughter has always made fun of me for striking up conversations with strangers while out anywhere like the line at the grocery store... coming out the theater... pet stores.... parking lots, dark alleys... you get the point...

So anyway, today was my hearing for a speeding ticket... Get there, sign in and sit down to wait patiently. I can hear from the court (its small district court, most doctor's offices are larger), three voices, clearly a cop, clearly a defendant who apparently has covered every possible tactic for why the cop was wrong and no way he was doing 45 in a 35. Now, granted, I am there myself because I know I was not going as fast as they said, mostly because I know the road and where they run speed traps and in front of me was my boss and I would have literally rear ended her if I had been 24 miles over the speed. But, it must be added for everyone's information, I normally consider the signs as a general suggestion, not exactly how fast I should be going.... I drive a Maxima, so its not a slow car and apparently my foot weighs a lot, so I almost always am slowing down in residential areas, I don't drive fast thru side streets, but lots of fun two lane roads in PA that I zip along where kids are not playing... anyway, that out of the way, back to the story...

So, half hearing this guy being annoying as all heck and the cop is trying to be nice and has offered to reduce the ticket to no points, guy is still arguing away. After its all over, the cop and annoying guy are standing in the waiting area where I am sitting and this idiot starts asking the cop about the best holster to purchase to conceal a gun... I am half dumbfounded that you would ask a cop how to conceal a weapon, but hey... some people... The guy walks out and I am guessing the look on my face is literally saying 'what an idiot', the cop raises his eyebrows and I laugh and ask, was that guy crazy enough to ask you what I think he was asking you? Cop laughs back and says yep and it was the most emotionally draining speeding ticket hearing he'd been thru, the poor judge was ready to pull his hair out. Cop asks if he can sit down, he just wants to relax for a moment, we chat a bit more about stupid things people do and ask, etc. He finally asks why I'm there (and no he's not the cop who gave me a ticket)... tell him its for speeding, he asks my last name and then, how fast were you going. I laugh and I joke that I was hoping there was a third option of 'not as guilty', cause I know I was doing 45, but explained I was following boss, etc. Well, he knows the guy I work for, yeah.... We chat some about how the company is doing, etc. He says its very unusual to have someone walk in with my perspective, tho I do stand behind the officer who timed me was off (was stopwatch timed between 2 lines, 158' distance at 1.7 seconds, that is better reflexes then a professional athlete). But I had no intentions of taking that argument, had thought about it, but figured go in with a little humor and admit I was speeding, fine me, but please no points (was a 4 point ticket she wrote me). And I do not have a single thing on my driving history, pulled it from DMV, not one single thing.... so obviously not a totally crazy driver... Anyway, he asked me how I felt about 5 over and no points. I did the thumbs up and said I'd take that offer. We continued chatting about cars, company I work for, etc. and he walks over to the clerks and writes down whatever, comes back sits down and we continue to chat and talk. Out walks the judge, introduces himself and joins in the chat about cars. Judge leaves the courthouse... I'm looking at the clock, thinking, what the heck, is he going for lunch, my 'hearing' starts in a few minutes... clerk waives me over, hands me paperwork and says my fine is now $145. I look at her, then the cop and ask, that's it, just write a check and go home?? Apparently, yes... that's what happens when you can talk to a doorknob... you chat with people and turns out they know people you know, drive the same roads you do, agree what road is fun to drive and offer to reduce your 24 miles over, $190, 4 point ticket to 5 miles over, $145 and no points....

So, I'm a happy camper... and that is a long story why everyone should go out and chat with a stranger today, never know who the person standing next to you is or how they may impact your life!!! or insurance rating....

 

[Lovely]

Door knobs are the key to everything

 

[JerseyWendy]

If I'm ever in that predicament, you will SO sit in for me.

I swear, I'm SUCH a sissy with authority - ANY kind of authority. :54: Tail goes between the legs, my mouth won't open, brain stops functioning properly, and cold sweat pours out of every square inch of my body. :11:

 

[jenphilly]

Nah, they are just people... might be carrying a gun, but generally speaking, police are the good guys

I remember years ago I was in Philly for a construction bid opening and they were filming a Brad Pitt movie or interview or some crap... I was trying to get past people and actually bumped into him and he asked me if I wanted his autograph, I replied, no do you want mine? Wish we had smart phones then, would have made for a truly priceless pic for the look on his face.

 

[Mishcka]

I remember when seean and I was first dating and I was traveling a lot back and forth from Canada to the USA, I was coming home one late night from the airport in Maine, to my house in New Brunswick which was a boarder trip and 3 hours drive. I got pulled over for speeding on an on-ramp LOL I was like REALLY NO WAY. I have just got McDonalds to, I was so hungry I just wanted to eat my little hamburger. The cops walks up to my window and starts making all these rude comments to me about being Canadian and traveling in the USA, I was like excuse me SIR but I do not have to take your BULL CRAP ! you can not talk to me this way. He started getting pushy with me and called me a f----en Canadian and I went crazy and I took my hamburger and smashed it right in his face. He yelled at me get out of the car. I yelled back NO your crazy cop and I want to see you manager, I want to press charges on you for harassment, he said I am arresting you for assault on a police officer get out of the car ! I locked my door and rolled up the window and shoot me ! NO ... You can follow me to the police station where we will see your manager...So we went down to the station, and after about 2 hours of talking I got a Cop to say he was sorry in front of all the other cops in the station for decimation. Sean thought I was going up the river ! and was freaking out the hole time. I even told the police Sargent "he was staring at my Boobs too" and it was making me feel uncomfortable on the side of the road.

That's my cop story !!

 

[Kiwibird]

Glad you got your ticket reduced

Knock on wood, but I've only ever got one ticket. I'm like the queen of obeying all traffic laws. My hubby bought me a fast car (Mustang) too, and he HATES driving with me because I just don't push my luck, ever. He says I drive like an old lady lol. I probably wouldn't be so bad but I got in a very bad car crash when I was 18 and while speeding wasn't the sole cause, it definitely made it worse (the crash was my one ticket). I was only going 10 or so over, but I came around a curve, at night in the rain and there were 2 cars, dead stopped in the middle of the road for.....skunks. I tried to swerve into the turn lane and hit my brakes, but ended up skidding head on into one of those massive trucks on a lift kit at like 50 MPH. I have hated driving ever since, and avoid it if at all possible. I'm absolutely paranoid...

 

[crimson]

glad everything turned out better than you thought

it sounded like quite a day for you.

 

[Allee]

I've paid more than one speeding ticket but one of the few I ever got out of was one I deserved! I always get hung up on the right to remain silent: I cannot keep my mouth closed, even when I should. I was going to one of my brother's weddings, I don't remember which one, but I had three teenage boys in my car and my Mom's dress and other things for the wedding, it was the middle of summer and 99 in the shade. A Shar Pei was drooling down my neck and it was a three hour drive. I had confiscated a CD from one of the boys, it had one of those, new at the time advisory stickers, it was Snoop Doggy Dog. I had to be sure I was right before I left the boys on the highway, one of them wasn't even my kid, so I was actually listening to the CD for evidence. A good ole boy, highway patrol officer pulled me over and I let him have it. Bless his heart, he didn't even give me a warning and I know I was going twenty five miles over the limit at least. I think asking him if he'd ever listened to rap music got me a free pass. Rap is not my favorite music by a long shot but I admit I kind of like Snoop.

 

[Dinosrawr]

Hahaha! I guess that talkative gene does both of you well in the end ! Cops deal with so many people that disrespect authority and yet would be absolutely lost without it, it's quite unfortunate. My mother's side comes from a long line of male police officers, many of which are in the RCMP, and the stories we've heard of the people they deal with are just ridiculous.

My very first speeding ticket was quite hilarious now that I think about it. I was going 140 km/hr (I think that's about 85 or 90 mph? Don't quote me on that!) on a 110 km/hr highway. Next thing I know I see this bright yellow blob in the middle of the road and waving to me to pull over. Mind you, I'm also a wet noodle when it comes to authority. I hatteeee being in trouble, upsetting people, or causing trouble. So as soon as he pulls me over, I have my license and insurance ready, my tears are already starting and I'm basically whimpering like a lost puppy. He takes my papers, looks at my license, walks back to his car, and I wait about 5 minutes which results in me crying like a blubbering baby while my boyfriend tries to calm me down. We had already been driving for 10 hours, had another 4 to go, and I reaaaallly wanted to be home.

Because I was on my way from B.C. to Saskatchewan and had a B.C. license at the time, he came back and asked me why I was so far away from home, to which I explained I was a university student and started fumbling for my student card to prove so. He starts laughing and says, "Ah, you're a poor university student heading back from Thanksgiving, huh?" I nodded, wiping tears away and apologized. He told me he understood my impatience and didn't want me to have to pay an excessive amount of money when I'd already paid so much on gas, so he reduced my $180 ticket down to $75. I was so happy I started crying even more, hahaha! He was incredibly kind.

The few police officers I have encountered have been very kind, genuine people who are simply trying to look out for the safety I of everyone. There are unfortunate jerks, though, and power tripped cops, but most do go into the profession because of passion and a strong desire to help others. I really respect cops, and when you realize they're just another human being, I think they appreciate it so much that they don't want to charge you a heinous amount when there's other people out there doing worse things.

Wasn't that a lovely bed time story? Goodness I could write a book with my lengthy posts...

 

[Terry57]

Great job, Jen, especially since you weren't even trying! A smile and a friendly face goes an awful long way

 

[MomtoPercy]

Good for you! I tend to go into 'attack mode' when a cop pulls me over . I was in another town for work a few months back and inadvertently drove up a One Way, in the wrong direction (I didn't know the street). I was driving very slow because I was looking for the place I had to be so it was easy for the traffic cop to walk up to my car and ...hit my window to get my attention. Let me just say here that I am hyper pedantic about my car - never touch my car if you want to continue living LOL!

I was instantly in such a rage because the cop had dared to HIT my car with a fist that I stopped in the middle of the road, jumped out and had a full on "WTF are you doing?!" Shouting match with Mr Cop. Yes, I was driving up a one way but the signs were vandalised and I couldn't clearly see them. I went on and on and the cop kept trying to say that if I was attentive, I would have seen the sign. I was like a raving banshee LOL! I demanded that he just "giving me the bleeping ticket so I can bugger off and go work, yes, I do work, I don't just loiter around like you people!". I'm so embarrassed by my tirade now but hey, he was so flabberghasted he told me to "park your car properly and just go".