Traffic ticket

My license registration expired on May 31st, I renewed it online May 30th. I thought to myself...I should probably print out a record of it...like they suggest and I always do, just in case. But you know what, since I don't want to waste paper I will plug it into my cell phone instead. Confirmation number, amount paid, and time. No problem, right? I mean what are the chances I will be needing it anyways. Haven't had a ticket in years.

On June 2nd, after I dropped my kids off at VBS, in no hurry whats so ever to get to work...who is hiding behind the bushes with his radar gun??? Mr. Police man. Crap!! (I was obviously in la-la land cause I don't remember speeding, but I suppose I could have been) He pulls me over and asks for my info. I knew I had written down the information somewhere, but could not find it anywhere. (didn't even think to check my notes in my cell phone) "Officer, I know I have it in here somewhere, I promise" "If you can show me proof that you renewed it, confirmation #, ect., I will take that." "OK, great. But I just can't seem to locate it, I'm sorry. I will keep looking" Meanwhile, he goes back to the truck does his stuff and comes back after a few minutes. "Good news is you have a very good driving record, so you can take the class to get rid of your ticket, Bad news I have to give you a ticket as well for no license registration. When you get home and find it, fax it in to the courts and they will get rid of it. " I was mad, cause I know I had it somewhere and was clearly registered. Oh and after I called the court to fax it, they said I had to come down and show it to them in person...uugghh!!

I went to the court house this morning to show them the proof that I had my registration. Well, the date on the tags (you get in the mail) says June 2nd 10:40am. Hello!!! If I renewed it online, of course its going to take a couple of days for them to print it!! I got my ticket at 8:30am. She said I owed $110 cause I didn't have it at the TIME of the ticket. That is a bunch of hog wash. Well, I didn't physically have it in my hands, but I did in my phone. The officer would have taken that. I could have gone to the Motor vehicle Dept and got the record that I did indeed have it and then go back to court and prove it, but you know I was just not wanting to do all the xtra running around. With gas prices the way they are, I probably would have spent that much just to go prove all that. So I paid it, then kicked myself later because I should have gone to all the extra trouble.

So moral of the story is...always print out your renewal info and don't speed at all on Carefree Hwy or anywhere, because the police are lurking behind the bushes with their radar guns..duh!!!