A few weeks ago the judge handed down my sentence. Last night it was time to pay the piper. I drove to City Hall, signed in, and took a seat.
A little guy with a big chest, crew cut, starched uniform and shiny badge stood behind the lectern at the front of the room and asked us four questions.
“How many of you would like to be here all night?” He squinted slightly and slowly scanned the room for any raised hands.
“All right then,” he said. “Who would like to go home early?” Again his eyes squinted, this time counting the room full of hands raised in the affirmative.
“All right then,” he said. “What is the meaning of a stop sign? …It means stop, not roll. Stop, wait for your vehicle to reset itself, then progress through the intersection.” The officer glanced down at his notes as if things were about to get complicated.
“All right then,” he said. “What is the meaning of a speed limit sign? …It means do not drive faster than the stated speed once you have reached the sign. If a sign ahead of you indicates an increase in speed is allowed, it is not allowed until you have reached that sign. Do not accelerate before you reach that sign. If I catch you rolling through a stop sign or speeding I will issue you a ticket. We’re done. Sign out.”
And just like that my debt to society was paid. I did my time. All ten minutes of it. And I had to sign my name twice. In cursive.
Sure, justice probably wasn’t served all that well last night. But when I’m the one benefitting from a little injustice? Well, it’s all right then.
Suzanne says:
So nice to hear you have flaws and that you can write in cursive…
Thomas says:
Another example of a hard working government employee.
anon4him says:
Perhaps one could say you were benefiting from grace rather than injustice.
Lindsay @ Not2Us says:
LOL!
Shaun Groves says:
Grace is love’s injustice.
Christine says:
Reason #482 to leave California and move to Tennessee! Two nights, my friend…two stinkin’ nights at the courthouse, from 6:30 to around 10. Watching the most ri-darn-diculous “movies” ever committed to film. Be careful who you relate this experience to in person…you may well get clobbered by a still-bitter traffic school graduate.
Me..? No, I’m not bitter…not bitter at all
Stretch Mark Mama says:
Oh. I have gotten a ticket (2 yrs ago) for not doing a complete stop at a stop sign. It was in small-town midwest America where the traffic cops just sit around waaaaiting to dole out a ticket. And that guy was a j-e-r-k, bless his heart.
Then I moved to the city, where honest-to-goodness, I NEVER see traffic cops. (They are all too busy with REAL crime.) That is, until their budget got cut and they flooded the area with radar-patrol, and no kidding, scads of us got tickets. UGH.
No traffic school, just $250 down the drain.
And in OR they take your license away after three violations. Which means I am an amazing obedient driver these days.
Not that you wanted to know all that.
Mr. Police Man says:
Being a cop I love hearing people say, speeding, and running a stop sign is not a real crime.
Yes we sit a stop signs and wait. Usually they are the stop signs that everyone blows. Or the area where a lot of people speed and its unsafe to do so.
I love how the person who enforces tthe “crimes” is the one who is the bad guy.
So if your pastor walks up to you and says, “I know you are cheeting on your wife, you and she need help.” It was the pastors fault? His fault for not teaching on lust last week instead of on loving your brother as yourself… Same application right?
Side note, maybe he should have made you stay for a boring class. Maybe he realizes its a waist of time and lets you out early so you can get the “went to traffic school” discount on your ticket but won’t learn anything anyways.
Shaun Groves says:
Woe, Mr. Police Man. I never blamed an officer for anything other than radical grace. No complaints here. Stretch Mark mama is another story altogether. That woman obvious despises law enforcement officers. Send the boys in blue to her house not mine. ; )
Stretch Mark Mama says:
(*SNORT*)
Bring ‘em on.
“They’re coming to take me away, ha-haaa!
They’re coming to take me away, ho-ho!”