Today I spent 4 and a half hours driving. I went to the court in Bethlehem to contest a speeding ticket. I did not want that shit on my driver’s license record due to rising insurance rates, excessive pay and other things that other people told me and I brainlessly accepted.
Thank goodness I set an alarm at 12pm because otherwise I would have straight up forgotten. I drove up there for a 2 hour 15 minute drive up to the little town, stopping around 15 minutes beforehand for a quick drink and pee break. As I was close, I got lost and had to refresh my navigation several times before I was able to actually get to the desired location, which I thought was a courthouse – similar to what I had visited in previous times, where you go into a room and people listen to you – but this time it was legitimately a “court” where there were several dozens of people sitting down and the judge was in the front taking peoples’ judgments, reminded me somewhat of a town hall.
Anyway, I had rehearsed my line several times over and over again about how I didn’t have intent to speed – I was caught 83 at a 60 – but apparently they gave a ‘public defendant’ to everyone; mine told me I could plead guilty to a lesser charge. She originally recommended a reckless driving, or driving without license of a vehicle, or something of that sort? but when I questioned the cost – $75 charge with a 0-150 fine – she avoided the question by offering a lower charge plea of a $25 plus $150 for a parking ticket.
The fucking system man, trying to make us think we get a better deal, bribing us with “it’s gonna go on your driving record but a parking violation doesn’t” but making us pay that much more anyway. Whatever, I should stop speeding.
It was only one event, but there were so many people and I couldn’t concentrate on one thing and it just made me tired and I am about to pass out. Don’t “get a parking ticket,” folks, or else you’ll have to pay $175 for basically nothing.
KEVIN KIM 