The story you are about to read took place several years ago. It was so ridiculous that I was compelled to share it with my Friday night Bible study (aka Growth Group). I received mixed reactions at the time. Some found the humor that I intended and some couldn't laugh due to the series of unfortunate events that took place over the course of time. Enjoy.
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Earlier this year or late last year (can’t remember when) I was pulled over by an officer. He asked me if I knew that my right brake light was out. I told him yes and that I was planning on getting it fixed. (I’d known for a few weeks that the light was out and I really was planning on taking care of it one Saturday soon, but I kept forgetting – plus I wasn't sure how much it was going to cost.
Anyway . . .
The officer asked for my licence and then walked away. When he came back to my car he handed me a “fix it” ticket he'd written that gave me 21 days to fix the problem, and in addition, a lovely fee of $10.00 that I’d have to pay once I fixed the problem and proved it was fixed by going to any police station and getting the ticket signed off on by an officer. I felt like a verbal warning would have been sufficient but clearly this officer was not in the mood to be nice. Needless to say, I. was. not. happy.
Unfortunately . . .
I missed my 21 day deadline. How, you say, did that happen? I’m not sure, and I am without excuse. All I know is that my funds were already pulled to the point of snapping and I did not appreciate the added stress of the time limit and the additional fee, no matter how small.
So . . .
Rewind to last year when I occasionally let my son use my car. Well, he was not careful where he parked my car and got a couple of tickets that he did not tell me about; however, I did find out about the “secret” tickets when the citation payment reminders came in the mail. Because my finances were under tremendous pressure I didn’t have the money to pay for the tickets, and since he was unemployed (yet again) he could not pay for the tickets either (and we all know what happens to tickets when they don’t get paid by a the due date...).
Fast forward to . . .
March which is fast approaching and my registration is coming due along with the cost of the tickets (my son got). I didn’t have the money to pay my registration at the time it was due and I knew I could put it off for a few months.
One evening . . .
I’m talking to one of my guy friends and it dawns on me to ask him if he can fix my light. He says he can and that all I need to do is purchase a certain type of bulb and come to him. The first Sunday after our conversation I pay him a visit after morning service. Per his instructions I pick up the light bulb for my tail light at Kragens. The cost? Minimal. I’m thankful.
Fast forward 6-8 weeks.
I get a notice in the mail stating that there is a warrant for my arrest. It seems that my “fix it” ticket has evolved into something more menacing than I could have ever imagined. And, and that stupid $10.00 fee has become a $331.00 fine on top of the warrant. Wow! Really?
I still can’t take care of my registration; however, I have no pressure to drive my car during the summer months and I’m happy to take public transportation. It doesn’t help my situation when I make a couple of dumb-dumb moves (I can’t even share them, that’s how incredibly dumb and embarrassing they are) which cost me additional $$$. I can’t even be mad though because I’m 100% at fault.
Finally . . .
I’m ready to go to DMV and pay the registration and the tickets. I have a 10:30am appointment on Friday so I let my boss know that I’m going to DMV (using my lunch hour just in case it takes me more than an hour). Thankfully my travel time, and time spent at the DMV took me under two hours. But, what I don’t understand is how or why I didn’t realize I needed a SMOG test to complete my registration before I went down there. To find this out now was just . . . to . . . unbelievably . . . ridiculous. All I could think was are you kidding me! I mean really though. I walk away with a new thing to do that will cost me more money. Yay!
Okay, so . . .
The next Friday I’m off work and this is my day to pay the car insurance, get the SMOG test done and go to DMV to get my sticker, finally. Everything works out except when I get there DMV is closed. It seems that they are closed the first three Fridays of each month until 2012. At first I wanted to be mad and pissed off but the Holy Spirit wouldn’t let me. Instead the only reaction I seem to be capable of was to smile or laugh. I chuckle.
Saturday my daughter wants me to meet her on 24th and Mission to deliver items of importance to her. I’m feeling precarious so I agree to drive and meet her plus I have all this proof that I’m working on getting my car “road ready” in case I’m stopped by a peace officer. On my way home while I’m waiting for the light to change a guy on a motorcycle pulls up next to me and informs me that my right brake light is out. WHAT! I thank him. All my confidence goes out the window. If, if, if I’m stopped by a cop will he believe that I actually did get my light fixed or will he think I’m lying? Now I’m nervous. I make it home and realize that I can’t drive my car yet again.
Now . . .
My mind is flooded with all kinds of "what if" thoughts. What if the problem is electrical. What if this or what if that. All the what ifs are driving me loony so I give up the thought of what ifs and again I chuckle. There’s always Monday . . .
A short time ...
Later I take a day off from work and I head to DMV to finally be done with this portion of business. I make sure I have the SMOG certificate (don’t leave home without it). It’s impressed upon me to bring my proof of insurance (I don’t second guess the thought but wonder if I’ll need it). What I do forget and don’t realize until I’m getting off the bus as I walk the two blocks to DMV is the receipt showing I paid my registration, but I don’t freak out too badly because its been two weeks, the check has cleared and they should (better) have a record stating all fees paid.
Because . . .
I don’t have an appointment this time it takes a tad bit longer to wait in line just to get a number... to wait a tab bit longer (at least I get to sit down). I’ll never forget my letter-number combination (I kept looking at it) because they called every other letter-number combination known to man but mine. It would have been nice to know where I stood with my letter-number combination. Needless to say, I was becoming a tad bit impatient and nearly lost my cool especially when the guy who stood behind me in line (sometimes too close for comfort) was called before me. I was down right livid (in my mind) debating whether or not to go back to that woman and demand a letter-number combination that was going to be called before the end of business day. While I fought this major battle in my mind C021 was called. The war was over.
The guy servicing me was not very polite although I did expect him to be somewhat cordial. Nonetheless, I was happy to finally be served. I gave him my SMOG certificate. Then that son of a gun asked me for proof of insurance. Well I’ll be, they wanted proof of insurance as well. I wanted to give him a hard time but I choose not to and produced my proof of insurance as I glowered at him, which of course was wrong. He gave me my sticker and I thanked him.
Zoom! I was gone.
Tuesday evening I share my ongoing brake light horror with a girl friend who subsequently offers to get my light fixed if I do it within 48 hours. I’m almost speechless but thankful for the blessing and agree to the terms. I call some random shop and the guy tells me that it could be any number of reasons as to why the light went out so soon after getting it fixed. He offers to check it out for me at no cost. Thankfully, it was just a connection problem and I leave the auto body shop elated that the problem was very minor and easily solved. I called my friend to deliver the great news and we rejoiced together!
The last hurdle is the warrant for my arrest and the absorbent fee attached which I plan to take care of at the end of this month (August).
It has been an unforgettable and tumultuous journey with my Nissan which I won't soon forget. I'm not sure what new challenges await me once the last hurdle is tackled, but this one thing I know, I will either smile or laugh at the cataclysm.
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