I give you full permission to reshare this story with others. This is one of those, "Oh man, that sucks..." stories that makes for good icebreaker conversations. So, enjoy it.
The Texas inspection sticker for our Honda Accord expired at the end of April. (For you Californians, this is like your annual smog check certificate). Knowing that we would be selling our car in the first two weeks of May, I did not get the car inspected. I didn't want to pay $46 for an inspection of which I would be a beneficiary for only 2 weeks.
Oh sure... you know exactly where this is going. I think Alanis Morissette wrote a song about this.
So TODAY... WHILE ON MY WAY TO SELL MY CAR... seriously, while driving the remaining 10 miles I would ever drive in this car... I got pulled over. For an expired inspection sticker. I guess the 4-9 (meaning, expires April 2009) was visible enough for the Constable to see from a distance.
He was a nice officer. I told him my situation, that I was literally driving to go sell my car that very minute. He asked me how much I was selling it for. I thought, "Hmm, maybe this police officer might even want to buy my car. Well, at least he believes me when I tell him that's where I'm headed."
After sitting in his police car for 5 minutes, checking out my records and everything, he returned... and said, "Have a good day. Be safe."
And then he handed me a ticket. The County of Dallas would like to send you off to Asia with this official certificate. Have a good day. Be safe.
It actually makes for a pretty funny story, so I'm totally not upset at all. I willingly broke the law, and so this entry is not a gripe about me thinking that I deserved or am entitled to anything other than what I got. And it has made for some good conversations today.
3 comments:
I got a very expensive ticket before too. I called the Dallas County Courthouse to ask how I could make sure this didn't get on my record. I was then asked if I wanted to see a judge. I said, no, that I was only interested in taking whatever driver's education requirement they had to make sure it didn't go on my record to increase my insurance. They told me to write to the address on the back of my ticket. I did as they told me. And have never heard from them. We leave tomorrow. Hopefully, they'll never catch me. I had California plates then.
That's unfortunate. =( Was the cost of the ticket more than it would have cost to do the inspection?
nyu -
For sure the ticket is more expensive. If it wasn't, then everybody would take the risk and just not get an inspection. The fine definitely makes it worth it to just do the inspection instead.
Post a Comment