A Last Minute Gift Idea

Dear Santa-

I wish to remain a licensed driver this year. I have not been a great girl, or even a good girl, but that has never stopped you from spoiling me in the past. (Minus the year I came home from college and got silverware. Yes, silverware. I am not sure WTH you were thinking.)

Sincerely,
Linz

I got two tickets within 2 weeks of each other this month. Even for my reckless standards, that is a lot. I was worried for my license's sake. I have had many a ticket just this year for speeding, but the last one was for "running a red light" as the PoPo put it. I say the light was yellow when I entered the intersection, and at worst, maybe orange, but definitely not red.

I decided to fight it.

My parents were in town for the weekend and were planning a lunch date with Hannah and myself in the city. In retrospect, being a troubled youth has really paid off for me. Now when I casually mention that I need to make a brief, appearance at the Salt Lake County District Court, before we go to lunch, they don't even blink an eye.

My visit was brief. With my sister and my beautiful, impressionable daughter in tow, we made our way through the sea of law enforcement, thugs, and more thugs. I successfully passed through the metal detector with my studded trauma shears in the bottom of my purse, and presented myself to the window.

Apparently these'a days you can't just appear before the judge, say "I didn' do it." and be on your way. I shoved my ticket across the counter, and said just that, but the guy studied the ticket for a moment, and then made a big sarcastic show of pushing a post-it note back to me. Apparently, one of my buddies at work had seen the citation sitting by my computer and had lovingly written, 'Another ticket? I love you even though you are dangerous.'  Not helpful. The driving court officer said I could fight the ticket, but it would take 8 months, mean several trips to the city, and legal fees. He said, "With your good record, you should just pay the ticket."

He didn't strike me as the joke telling kind, so I enquired as to what he might mean about my good record. He said that it only showed me as having the two tickets. That's when I just leveled with him. He phoned-a-friend at the DMV and realized that the records from the counties hadn't merged. He said I was safe, and to pay my ticket, and be on my way. Never trust law enforcement.

Today I got a letter saying that the Defensive Driving Course was going to be my Christmas present, or my license would be revoked for one year without the option of taking a course. Holla.

Merry Christmas to me.