Note: This is an old post that was retroactively added to the new wordpress site
So I was driving through Arizona on highway 60, traveling north towards Salome. I was in my relatively new RX-8, cruising along at about 80, when this patch of freshly laid asphalt came up. It was slightly curved and the smoothest part of the road I had been on the whole trip. Well, I kinda wound up the car a little bit, maybe hitting 95ish when I noticed there was traffic ahead of me, well just a gray maintenance type truck. I slowed down to about 80, figuring I would pass him when the next broken center divider line came up. Well, as I came up to the truck, and I could see the line breaking on the upcoming straight away, I stepped on the gas a little to pass him (safely of course, there was no oncoming traffic, and he was the only other vehicle I had seen on that road for 10 minutes).
As I start to move to the opposite lane to pass him, I notice that the truck says Arizona Highway Patrol on the side… ut oh. I figured oh, ok it is just a maintenance truck, he has no authority, he is probably just making sure this brand new road is in good shape for safety reasons. As I pass him, he flips on his lights (I didn’t notice he had red and blue lights), which means I’m screwed. Anyway, I pull over, he asks me some dumb questions like “do you know how fast you were going” and “you have been driving for 5 years and can’t tell how fast you are going?” Anyway, the speed limit was 65, and he was probably just peeved because I was going to pass him. He writes me up a ticket and I sign it and stuff. He writes it up for not reasonable and prudent speed, then crosses that out and writes on the 2nd line speed 809 in a 65 zone. At least I think it was a little 9, it might have been just a squiggly mark to get his pen working. He also writes that I don’t have my vehicle insured, which I do, I just happened to have my old insurance card that was expired. The new ones got lost, and I forgot to get a replacement. The officer tells me that I just need to present my proof of current insurance to the judge and that part will be dropped from the charges. I go on my way, keeping the vehicle on cruise control at 65 while a few cars and an RV pass me on the two lane highway. I waited until I got to highway 71, turned there, and stepped on it, returning to my previous pace. That was a good trip, other than the ticket. It’s fun trying to drive in a snow storm in Flagstaff with an RX-8 and no snow tires/chains. Note: it was dry as a bone and empty desert where I was pulled over. Not a cloud in the sky.
So anyway, back to the ticket. In California, I have received one ticket for “driving in the bike lane” by a CHP officer who happened to be turning around to get back on the freeway. I was turning right, and my truck had just stalled pulling out of the driveway at work. I was being cautious and possibly straddling the line in case I had any more issues with the truck. Anyway, when I got the ticket that time, the California courts give you 90 days to respond to the ticket, before which you can either pay it, request traffic school, request a court date, or get an extension for an extra 90 days.
I get home after my trip, and put the ticket on my desk so I remember to respond to it. I wait a little while so I can re-coop the cost of gas to drive an RX-8 over 1100 miles in 26 hours. This happened in January, 07. Anyway, in March I decided I should send in my insurance card and pay the $178 fine. Since it was Arizona, I wasn’t worried too much about getting points on license (and higher insurance rates), since they don’t carry over to California, where I hold my license/insurance. I sent in the proof of insurance, money order, and a letter apologizing and informing that I will never drive off the interstate in Arizona again. A few weeks later I get a response stating that I need to pay an additional $978 and a note stating that I did not respond within the 30 days alloted to me. I checked the little brochure that the officer gave me back when I received the ticket, and it did indeed say I was only given 30 days to respond, in very small print at the very bottom back page. That was a bummer. The extra funds were because the payment was late, and since I didn’t provide proof of insurance, a default judgment was placed on my case. What a bunch of assholes. I tried pleading with them in another letter to lower the charges, since I had the valid insurance information, just wasn’t in the car at the time. There was no chance though. I have been paying $100/mo for the last year just to pay off this stupid ticket. I am legally not allowed to drive in Arizona until I pay it off either… bastards.
So in conclusion, I say screw the Arizona Highway Patrol and Salome Justice Court’s retarded 30 day response policy.