The effect of a simple sign change

I've been told that my driving can be improved upon.   

I've been known to forget where I'm heading to and kind of go on auto-pilot and sometimes end up at places that I shouldn't be ... like work on a Saturday.  Or worse -- forget where I'm actually going.

I am also guilty of doing the 'rolling stop' through stop signs if no one else is around.

To me, a yellow light means to 'hurry up and go through it'.  (Linda claims that sometimes they've already changed to red as I go through them...)

I've always gotten comments that I'd better watch it, or I'll get nabbed one day, on any of these 'bending' of the rules.

To date, I've only gotten 2 speeding tickets and no tickets for anything else in my 34 years of driving.  Not bad for all those bad habits that seem to bother my passengers.

Tonight, Linda called me on her way home from work.  Seems she was pulled over by a cop at the end of the exit we live off of.  There used to be a yield sign there and now it's a stop sign.  Not really sure as to why the change was made, but it WAS made.

And they nabbed her and many other drivers who didn't notice the change in signage either.  It doesn't seem quite fair to make a change like that and not really do anything to make sure people take note of it, but I guess the lawmakers assume that drivers are watching for signs and responding accordingly instead of just going on 'auto pilot'.

Linda was SO mad.  But not because they had changed the sign.  She was mad that SHE, the perfect driver, had been caught and not ME!  She was going on and on about all the the bad things I do and don't get caught and then SHE gets caught because she missed the fact that they had changed a yield sign to a stop sign.  I finally had to stop and ask her if she was going to turn me in to try to get herself off the hook!  A little trade-off to the local police department!!!  I could hear her now... "Officer, listen, if you let me go, I can give you the name of someone who REALLY deserves a ticket!  You wouldn't BELIEVE what she's done and how many violations you could get her for!!"

Of course, I know she loves me too much to really do something like that, but boy, the way she was ranting, I was a little nervous for a little while.

Oh, you're wondering what the financial damage was from this innocent violation?  $124.00  But, as long as it's paid before January 11th, no points will go on her license.

I couldn't help but smile that when I was driving home tonight, there were no police around as I came to a complete stop at the new stop sign at the end of the exit!!!

Comments

[SassyFemme]

Oh that just sucks that they nabbed everyone coming off there with the new sign. Poor Linda!

And you, missy, ONLY two tickets??? Sheesh! LOL @ going to work on a Saturday on auto-pilot.

[KittyLitter]

I'm assuming its the same exit I get off daily (18?) and i coasted through this morning...didnt notice a change at all....hmmmmmm

[David in DC]

Twice I've won dismissal of a moving violation ticket just by showing up for the hearing and finding the ticketing officer had failed to.

In both instances, I went to plead "guilty, ..." looking for a reduction in fine or points.

If she can afford the time, it's worth the shot.

[weese]

I agree with David.. she probably could get this dismissed.
plus she's cute - that always helps.
I am kinda suprised she got the ticket at all (cuteness factor again)... did she cry? cuz crying usually works.

[SassyFemme]

Wondering how Weese would know that crying usually works.

[cruisin-mom]

Weese, you're right...crying works! (well, it did when I was 16, probably not now at 52 :(

[Rain]

Sorry to hear about that. Is she going to pay the fine or fight the ticket? Before the sign was changed, was an announcement made the sign was going to be changed from yield to stop? If not, that is just cause to fight the ticket. If the sign has been yield for so many years, and then out of the blue changed to stop, the residents should be notified of the change.

If there are enough people at court with the same violation at the same location, the judge may side with the people. Let me know how it turns out.

[Jack]

$124- not too shabby.