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i feel like ranting.

today i went to court in the afternoon to fight a traffic ticket.  i say fight, but the plan was more like to beg for some mercy on my driving record so my insurance rates wouldn't increase.  i was willing to pay the fine.

so being the good citizen i am, and having utmost respect for most law, i dawned my suit, starched my shirt and went to the courthouse.  my time was already chosen for me, on the courts schedule.

the first thing that made me mad was time.  i showed up ON TIME.  the judge polled the audience looking for the officer.  he wasn't there.  sweet.  then the judge says, “i know he was here earlier, let's recess for 10 minutes.” WTF?! had the citizen not showed up, it would be an immediate judgement against.  strike one against me.

the officer did show up and had taken copious notes of our conversation the day of my ticket (almost a year ago it happened).  strike two against me...he remembered all the dumb things i said to try to get out of it.

when it came my time to speak, i pleaded with the judge to not assign points to my record.  the judge informed me that he cannot control that -- strike three.

colossal waste of time for me and the courts (apologies to the taxpayers).  i realized one thing though.  the system worked.  the judge showed no mercy on me based on who i was, what i was wearing or how i treated him (which was kissing arse of course).  he decided on facts and law.  cut and clear.  i then realized i could have showed up in a g-string and tank top and the same outcome would have happened.

it was evident of those that went before me and who remained in the courtroom.  i was the only one clean-shaven (i guess i didn't match the stereotype of who should be in a courtroom, whatever that is).  i had somehow thought it would give me an edge...it didn't.  and in some sadistic way, i'm glad.  i love the law.  my education is in law.  law almost always equals the greater common sense.  there is right and wrong things to do.  i did something wrong and paid the price.

the price by the way, for driving in the carpool lane with only one person, was $365.  the guy who went before me who was traveling 85 MPH in a 55 MPH zone, $200.  that's right.  i took a shortcut and it was more expensive than what is legally considered a reckless abuse of speed.  i won't go into the details, but my use of the carpool lane (at 8:45 AM and it isn't a carpool lane anymore at 9AM -- oh and not to mention NOBODY USES IT) was only on an exit -- i wasn't driving in it the whole time.  there is a shortcut exit to my office...well now i'm just babbling anyway.  i went on the carpool lane when i shouldn't have.

seriously though...should it be more costly than 30+MPH driving?

damn i hate love the law.

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