Monday, February 18, 2013

Can't Hurry Law



Yes time flies way to fast around blogland...*LOL*.   So I'm way overdue for revealing the second truth.   So let's get right to it.

Truth #2:

 I received yet another speeding ticket this past week after coming back from a routine doctor's appointment.

Of course the week in question was months ago.    And actually my court date is on the 25th.   Originally it was scheduled for Jan 18th.   However that weekend I flew off to Reno for the weekend where I actually wound up $80 ahead.  

The situation of my latest dally with the law actually involved another car.    The guy in the second car was tailgating behind me for half a mile on a one lane road.     We both got caught by the light and by that point it became two lanes.   However the guy was still behind me.    So the light changes and we drive along, he's still tailgating me.   Finally he gets an opening and zooms around me and signals back into the left lane.   I see him darting ahead and maybe I accelerated a little.     I see that he's stopped a half block away.    I don't see exactly why he's stopping and surmise that he may be making a left turn.    I get over to the right and that's when a cop comes darting from the left side of the street and orders me to stop.   I seriously didn't even see the cops when they stopped the first guy.

At first I thought there was construction ahead.   Maybe it was an accident.   Or possibly a family of ducks crossing the street.  

I'm confused as he directs me to turn onto a side street.    From my rearview mirror I see my tailgater turning as well.    I note the cop car(s) parked on the side street and realize there's two cops.   And that was where they hid their vehicles.    It make me wonder if that one cop just ran in the middle of the street to stop the first one.   So one cops comes up to me and immediately says I was going 47 in a 35 but the other guy was going 53.   I'm in shock and cursing my bad luck as I hand him my license and registration.    Neither cop was even hot so I couldn't even salvage the sucky situation.

Illinois has this stupid law (or maybe it's Cook County) where they take your driver's license (or if you have a bond card) and hold it hostage until your court date.    I've never understood why they do that as they have a record of you anyway.

I told the cop I was going to contest the ticket even though aside from the circumstances of the pullover, I don't think I have much of a case.

My concern was that I would wind up getting a court date around the time of my Reno trip.   Which I did when I got the notice mid-December.    I emailed the clerk and they mentioned I could come by prior to my court date to request a continuance.

I wound up going to the courthouse three separate times.    I went a few days after the notice hoping I could reschedule.   Unfortunately I should've read between the lines and realized that prior meant a few days before.   So they wouldn't honor my request, instead telling me I had to come back Jan 15 - 17 to see the judge.

So I come back on the 15th.   I get the continuance for February 25th.   Only I thought it was January 25th.    Yup that was my third trip.

And now next Monday makes four trips.    What a waste.   I'm praying for a miracle.    Maybe the cops won't show since it's been almost three months since the incident in question.    We shall see.   Wish me luck blogland.