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I got a speeding ticket two weeks ago. My emotions remind me of a boy caught with his hands in the cookie jar, but as an adult, I’m angry with the officer that we couldn’t just have a conversation to work this thing out. He nailed me, fined me, and jeopardized my insurance rates. He disagreed with my style of driving, so to speak, and won every argument against me. He didn’t care that I knew the speed limit had just reduced from 45 to 30 only a quarter-mile back.
As he approached the car I employed every respectful and compliant action possible. I handed him my license and registration out of the window BEFORE he asked. I had my window DOWN and acted friendly. I answered his questions HONESTLY. I didn’t cry (men don’t cry when they get tickets…we fume!). When he asked for my insurance card and had to get it from the glove compartment, he went back to his car to call in the numbers. I WALKED BACK to the police car with the insurance card, and still he punched in the numbers. I could tell his duty this day was to write speeding tickets.
In my mind, the ticket, though correct, is undeserved.
- I’m a good person and a good driver.
- I confessed my sin to him.
- I repented and respected his authority.
- I obeyed his requests without snarling back.
- This particular road is one of those roads where the speed limit is far less than most people drive. Most people drive 10- 15 mph faster than the 30 mph since it is five lanes wide and 45 mph just a quarter-mile back.
If Jesus had caught me speeding he would have let me off. When I confess my sin, he’s already forgiven it. I expect police officers and everyone else to put up with my trespasses just like Jesus. But they don’t. I’ve got to pay for my own sins with the human gods.
This week I went to the police station to see if I could get my ticket reduced by going to driving school. I was amazed at what she said: “Mr. Bier, we don’t have a record of any ticket.” I should have four plus this one. She typed in the number of the paper ticket I handed to her. She told me I could go to driving school to get the ticket REMOVED.
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OK, maybe Jesus is in the system somewhere!
I think your “luck” has run out. All those years of getting pulled over and NOT getting a ticket…
I wonder what difference driving school will make. Four plus this one? I think that’s what the officer was looking at…. Like everything in life, it takes a soft heart to learn a lesson.
it’s interesting that I had two tickets in 29 years before moving to Tennessee, and none in the previous 13. The speed limit changes here are so frequent, and easily missed. One of those four tickets was dismissed, and the other three were for 11, 13, and 13 over the limit just because the speed limit changed and, the police sit at that point waiting for people to come over the hill, miss the change, and then nab them. It’s annoying, but I have slowed down. Even with a conscious effort to not go more than 3 over, I still find myself accelerating to what feels normal, but is, in actuality, speeding.
Our BSF leader says “A Christian’s right foot is the last part to be sanctified” : )
That’s funny!