Breakin the Law

All my BFF Amy had to do was mention that she had a hassel of a morning dealing with a ticket and immediatley I am sympathetic. It brings up bitter feelings about my own recent experience all over again. I mean I get it, I did break the law (albeit a small one. I mean really, does it endanger others on the road that it's been over a year since I've had my car looked at?). But seriously, my bad. But shouldn't paying it be punishment enough? Why in the age of technology and the internet do we still have to keep track of a paper ticket, remember what time we have to haul ourselves and potentially small children down to a court house, sit in a cramped room with the dregs of society, wait in a forever line to talk into 2 inches cut into plexiglass to a person who hates life...so I can then finally hand over 180 dollars for having an expired inspection sticker? Why I ask? And this most recent time, I have Drew and Jackson with me and the lady informs me that my ticket has a court time on it so I have to appear before the judge. I go into the cramped room with the dregs, and this judge proceeds to ramble on for 30 minutes about the rules of his courtroom, how many people he has held in contempt of court in his last 15 years on the bench, yada yada yada...meanwhile Drew's diaper that should have been changed before I left but I decided to push it,has leaked and he is now soaked. I can tell the girl beside me is wondering if he is that thing she smells. Jackson has taken to crawling on the floor and telling me loudly that he is bored. Which, i will say, i was half hoping the judge would hear and get a clue. (The other half of me didn't want Jackson to be added to the judges list of people he's held in contempt of court.) I finally couldn't take it any longer, my older kids were going to be getting off the bus in 20 minutes and I was 15 minutes from home so I grabbed my kids, went back to the 2 inch plexi glass hole and threw myself on the mercy of the clerk. I was then informed that I could go ahead and pay my fine with her. I only needed to see the judge if I wanted to try and get a reducement in my fee. As I try to not bore holes into her with my brain over what she just put me through I ask her, "How much of a reduction are we talking about?" She says, "Maybe 40 dollars off, maybe nothing." I promptly whip out my checkbook and pay the whole fine to get the heck out of there. Maybe a 40 dollar reduction? I would have gladly paid an extra 40 dollars to get the last 30 mintues of my life back.
So sorry for your ticket hassel Amy. I feel your pain.