TheBanyanTree: Tell It to the Judge

[Pam North]

Yeah, but did you write the check yet?!?!?!

On 1/12/06, Maria Gibson <mgibson7 at nc.rr.com> wrote:
>
> Hey, I'm supposed to be at work right now but I just got a 'get out of
> jail free' card and need to just relax.  Here's the story.
>
> Last September 9th, I got a ticket.  First ticket in my whole squirrelly
> life, I think I may have mentioned it; cute cop, all that...?  I don't
> know, maybe I did, maybe I didn't.  God knows I have enough fodder to
> jam up email boxes everywhere so maybe I layed low on that incident.
> Anyway.  First ticket was for driving without current registration.  And
> it was several months past or the cute cop said he'd have let me slide.
> I never got the thingy from DMV but turns out it's actually my
> responsibility as the car owner to know when to have the darn thing
> renewed.  The next day, first thing in the morning, I went to DMV, got
> it taken care of and was happy as a clam until I saw that my court date,
> October 10, was smack dab in the middle of my trip to Florida to see
> Carla for her birthday.  Ok, called the DA's office to speak with
> someone about postponing the date and talked with the nicest woman
> ever.  EVER.  Heard my little story including how cute the cop was and
> told me to fax everything to her.  She wouldn't have the date
> postponed...she'd have the ticket DISMISSED!  Got confirmation that the
> fax was received, called her for confirmation on the dismissal, all was
> well.  Wow, Kathy, thanks babe, love you, mean it!!!!  So off to Florida
> I go without a care in the world.  Well, maybe I had cares but that
> ticket wasn't one of them.
>
> About five weeks later I get a message on my cell phone.  "Mrs. Gibson,
> this is Kathy.  I'm so sorry, didn't know you are in Wake county, I am
> in Johnston county.  Looks like you missed your court date."  Geeeeeze,
> thanks babe!  But, as luck or unluck would have it, the holidays and
> some anxiety and depression were taking up all the hard drive space in
> my brain at the moment and I promptly forgot about it.  Until I received
> the letter saying my license would be revoked as of February 16th if I
> didn't get it taken care of.  Hey, why didn't they just say so, right?
> Ok, so make my call, ask the Wakecounty DA's office if I can fax it in
> and they say "Absolutely not, you have to appear before the DA on a
> Wednesday and then return on Thursday."  Man, sure wish I'd gotten that
> ticket in Johnston county.  That would be by 7:30 am on a Wednesday and
> I had been warned that actually waiting to get there until 7:30 would
> result in waiting in the longest line in history.
>
> Up by 5:15, out the door by 6:15, leaving in darkness.  I got to the
> public parking lot by 6:40, I was sooo proud of myself!!!  Pull in to
> get the ticket and....wait, what does this silly machine mean, "out of
> tickets"???!?  How can it be out of tickets??  Jam button a few times
> demonstrating the real definition of insanity (email me if you have
> forgotten) and by the time I look behind me, four cars block my way
> out.  We all backed out back onto the busy city street and I slowly
> drove away.  Slowly because I was stopping every pedestrian who would
> talk to me (note: not all of them I saw were willing to talk) and asking
> about more parking.  Ok, find a place two blocks away, not bad.  Still a
> little dark but what the heck.  The sign said pay the box...what box??
> Where's this pay box?  Where are the people to assist me??  Oh hell,
> just park and risk it.  Gotta get to court, right?  Finally get there,
> walk through the metal detector and beep.  Of course.  Had to be wanded,
> front and back, arms out.  Ok, ok....up the stairs, find the line I am
> supposed to wait in and then wait.  That is the purpose of the line
> right?  In that case, I put it to good use.  I waited from 7am to 7:45.
> I was third in line which was good because when I got to the desk I was
> told I had to go to a different office which by the way, doesn't open
> until 8:30.  Thank goodness I was second in that line.  A very abrupt
> and rude lady had me sign a piece of paper saying I'd be back at 10am
> today.  How does the state find so many mean and rude people?  Is it on
> their resumes?  Ech, fodder for another day.  The only good part of all
> this is that my car didn't have a ticket on it when I returned and there
> was no one to pay so I got off scott free for parking.  Finally, a break.
>
> So, I left work at 9:15 today, got to the parking place where more
> tickets had been placed in the box thingy and got my ticket. Went in,
> made my way to the line to check in and have my file handed to the
> magistrate, get in another line to actually get to talk to the one
> person who can help me with this now complicated, convoluted,
> multi-faceted, spiraling out of control to *my* mind problem.  However,
> the magistrate really wasn't interested in all the ins and outs of my
> sad tale.  He looked at me sternly and said, "So, you decided to just
> skip your court date?"  I say "No, I had a prior commitment."  Says he,
> "What was the commitment if you don't mind me asking?"  I say, "I had to
> go out of town."  Mind you, I am starting to wonder how I'll pay this
> crap because it ain't looking so good.  He says, "What did you have to
> go out of town for?"  To which I grudgingly admitted, "A birthday
> party."  He looks up and says, "You dodged a court appearance for a
> birthday party?!?  Well, I hope it was worth it."  I then pulled out my
> fax copy from October fourth, my only evidence to present, and told the
> sad story about Kathy but before I could get to the wrong county part he
> interrupts with, "Well, I'd go upstairs right now and ask her why she
> did this to you."  In a horrified and dejected voice, yes both can be
> done simultaneously but it takes a master not an apprentice, I said,
> "But, I'd like to share this fully with you and point out it was sent to
> the wrong county and when I left town I thought was taken care of!"
> Without missing a beat or breaking his stern stare he said "What's your
> favorite charity?"  "Huh?"  (That was me not him) "Your favorite
> charity, what is it?"  "Uh, breast cancer awareness."  He says, "If I
> let you out of here without paying the court costs, fine and late fee,
> will you promise me you'll write a check to them for 25$?"  Need I even
> relate my answer?
>
> So, this whole thing has me back in the car by 10:15.  Swear it.  So, I
> decided to go home, tell all of you about it and try to relax.  I'm
> going back to work now but it is with the clear knowledge that on
> February 16th, I'll still have my license.  Barring any further criminal
> acts on my part, of course.
>
> Maria
>
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