A couple of months ago, I got a parking ticket at the garage I used to park in. The citation claimed that I was parked in a carpool permit only zone without a carpool permit. The citation was correct on one point: I did not have a carpool permit displayed. However, it was incorrect that the space I was in was a carpool permit space. In fact, a week prior, the space HAD been a carpool space, but the garage was going through some major changes in terms of designated permit spaces vs. carpool spaces vs. meter spaces to accommodate a greater number of carpool spaces. The space I was parked in that day had been re-designated as a regular permit space.
It was a $50 ticket. I'm happy to say that I'm at a point in my life where it would have been cheaper for me to pay the damn ticket than to miss a couple hours of work to fight the ticket. But there was no way I was paying this ticket just on general principal. I even took pictures!
Well, today was my court date. I pled "not guilty" to the ticket and explained that the garage had been going through a period of transition, but that the space I was in was no longer designated as a carpool space. And then the bastard -ahem- county employee who gave me the freaking ticket said, "Your honor, I'm in that garage every day. I wouldn't have given the citation if it wasn't correct." And you know what? That freaking bastard of a judge agreed with the bastard- I mean county employee. He was "nice" enough to reduce my fine to $10, but of course added court fees, for a grand total of $32.50 due. Total loss? Several hours of my life and a couple hundred dollars.
I suppose I should just learn to pay the stupid tickets instead of arguing them. But you know? I hope that little piss-ant- I mean, county employee is at least a little bit pissed off that I "wasted" a bit of his time.
It's completely illogical that I'm this pissed off about this, but I am. And I hope I get over it soon, because I get enough freaking migraines as it is.
ARGH.
