Today I just plead GUILTY to my first ever anything. I was pulled over on Monday night after my friend & I went for Indian food. I was not sure why I was being pulled over, I knew I was not speeding or intentionally committing any violations. This was my second time getting pulled over, and I handled it better knowing my friend was there to help distract me.
The officer approached my passenger window, but kept shinning his flashlight in my windows looking for more evidence of something. We small talk and finally tells me why he pulled me over. My driver's side headlight is out. It was around 8pm. The inquisitor bombarded me with questions: Didn't I know my light was out? Why would I be driving an unsafe vechile? Don't I know how important lights are? etc. I tried to explain that when I picked up my friend and went to dinner, it was still light enough out that lights were not necessary and that last night, my lights worked perfectly fine, and I know that because I park my car indoors and see the light reflection in my neighbor's car as I am backing into my space. He disappears with my info for 10 minutes or so, as I sit there becoming blind at the huge spotlight that he has on my car.
When he returns he tells me he gave me a ticket but that I have 24 hours to have it fixed and it will be like nothing happened. 24 hours? That is not enough time. I asked for 48 - I had to work and I had plans with the tea leaf reader the next night. He already wrote the ticket - so arguing at this point was fine. But no, I could not have 48 hours, just 24. He suggested I have it fixed during my lunch break. Then I start laughing and say "Officer, not many people are as fortunate as you to work so close to where you live. Some of us commute to work; leave the house at 7am and do not return until the evening and may have plans. There is no way that I can have my car fixed during my lunch and return back to work, when I work in Manhattan in under three hours". Of course he can't disagree but informed me that the police station is opened 24 hours. I laughed again and said, "Sure the police station is open 24 hours, but it is 8:30 pm and I can not go to a repair shop to get this taken care of NOW, nor am I car-smart enough to know how to replace something so simple on my own, therefore it must be done during 'normal working hours'. He begins to ignore me and proceeds to tell me what I need to do in the next 24hours. I ask him to repeat it three times to 'make sure I fully understand' even though I understood the first time. I take the ticket, wish him a good night and drive off to return my friend home after our 30 minute hold-up. In the car, I call my parents (I do not have a working headset) and ask them to have my car fixed the next day.
Unfortunately I forgot to leave the car key and had to leave work early to get this done...but any excuse to leave work early is OK with me. So I had the light replaced at 3pm, was at the police station with my proof at 3:30pm left there at 3:45pm and brought my stuff to work to make photocopies and signed that I was GUILTY of the violation.
Crazy how I can be guilty of something that I have no control over. It isn't like my light beeps before it is going to die out. Don't get me wrong, I fully understand how important it is to have a car that is safe and is working order for everyone else I drive around with. I agree headlights are important and need to be repaired when they die out. What I don't agree with is the office accusing me that I knowingly and purposefully was driving around like that and that a simple warning to get it fixed would have been enough for me (especially because I have zero record with the DMV). I am concerned about this stuff on my own and would have had it fixed before I drove around at night anyway (that is just the type of person I am). But because I use my car three times a week...and I work in Manhattan, getting something done so quickly is difficult. I am fortunate where I have the kind of job that I tell them I need to leave and they let me do what I want...but not a lot of other people have that luxury.
Hopefully this will be the only thing I am guilty of in a LONG LONG LONG time.
No comments:
Post a Comment