Eenie, Meenie, Minie, Moe... catch a driver or let him go.

I got a ticket yesterday.

I hate getting tickets (as if anyone enjoys the experience).

I’ve had a good run though as I can’t remember the last time I got any kind of traffic ticket (parking tickets are another matter). I was going down a local parkway that ends with an intersection with a traffic light leading into a highway. I got caught behind another motorist who decided to stop at a yellow light. I was behind him.

When I looked to my left, there was an unattended police motorcycle standing on the grassy square. The owner of the motorcycle - a portly leather clad office (looking for all the world as if he could be one of the Village People) was on one of those phone boxes along the side of the road.

He walked up to my car and looking in could see I wasn’t wearing my seat belt. I had thought about putting it on but, as the officer was already walking up to the car and could see in it seemed pointless to do the seatbelt dance - it’s not as if he wouldn’t have known.

Sure enough he gave me a ticket.

Now I’d like someone to explain this to me though... it’s a $40 ticket. Okay. But, there’s a $30 surcharge! What the f**k! Just call it a $70 ticket! That’s what it is. It’s not like you can not pay the surcharge. They’ve been doing this for years and I still don’t really understand it. I mean if you get a ticket, you pay what you pay, you don’t have any choice in the matter. Is this just another way of dancing around the fact that it’s really, really expensive to get any kind of ticket. The parking tickets in the city are $100 now!

Anyhow, I was surprised to find Roberta had gotten a ticket for the very same thing while in her neighborhood and only a block from her house (in Williamsburg) so, maybe there’s some edict for the police to generate more money for the city by writing more tickets. If so, buckle up! You have been warned!