I guess my car troubles are not over. I cleaned out the water pump and replaced the obvious hoses but it turns out the problem was a 1" long bypass hose which costs a million dollars to fix because it is located in a place which involves removing the radiator fan, the serpent belt, the water pump and a bunch of other stuff just to get to it. I could scream, it is such a stupid little thing covers a gap less than 1/4 inch wide. I decided to try fixing it redneck style and got a replacement hose and then sliced the hose down the middle and clipped it on. I'm waiting for the seal all stuff to cure on it and then I'll put a tire patch over it and see if it holds for at least a little while. I hate being without a car, especially over something as stupid as an impossible to get to 1" piece of hose.
Yesterday I had to go to court over my car registration, somehow I had completely skipped getting it done, probably because it was due around the time my dad died and obviously I had other things going on at that time and got a parking ticket for it. I paid it retroactively and decided to see the judge since my argument is, I paid it retroactively, I paid all late fees and fines, so my car was in fact registered at the time I got the ticket. Yeah yeah, whatever, it's my story and I'm sticking to it.
I sat in the court room and waited for my turn. This was just like "arraignment court" and everyone was pleading guilty and getting HUGE fines, my fine is only $65 but on principal I fight every ticket I have ever gotten. I went up there and said "not guilty" and showed him my current registration. He looked at the date and said he could not look at evidence since he was only an arraignment judge but asked me a few times if I thought I wanted to go to court and have the cop who wrote the ticket subpoenaed. He said so your car WAS registered on July 9th 2005? And I said, yes your honor it was. I have paid retroactively and therefore my vehicle was registered on July 9th 2005. He then offered to reduce my fine by $5 if I paid it there and then. I thought about it for a second and then said, no, as long as I'm paying $65 I may as well get a dog and pony show, schedule me a court date, I have nothing better to do anyway. The look on the judges face was worth the $65 all by itself. Besides, if the cop doesn't show up, they will be forced to dismiss it regardless so either I get a free show and have to pay $65 or if the cop doesn't show up I'm free to go. I see no real risk in going to court over it. Besides in my entire 14 years of driving I have only had one ticket ever stick by going to court because only once has the officer ever actually shown up, funniest thing about that is, that was the one where I really hadnt done anything wrong too, damned small towns.
Yesterday I had to go to court over my car registration, somehow I had completely skipped getting it done, probably because it was due around the time my dad died and obviously I had other things going on at that time and got a parking ticket for it. I paid it retroactively and decided to see the judge since my argument is, I paid it retroactively, I paid all late fees and fines, so my car was in fact registered at the time I got the ticket. Yeah yeah, whatever, it's my story and I'm sticking to it.
I sat in the court room and waited for my turn. This was just like "arraignment court" and everyone was pleading guilty and getting HUGE fines, my fine is only $65 but on principal I fight every ticket I have ever gotten. I went up there and said "not guilty" and showed him my current registration. He looked at the date and said he could not look at evidence since he was only an arraignment judge but asked me a few times if I thought I wanted to go to court and have the cop who wrote the ticket subpoenaed. He said so your car WAS registered on July 9th 2005? And I said, yes your honor it was. I have paid retroactively and therefore my vehicle was registered on July 9th 2005. He then offered to reduce my fine by $5 if I paid it there and then. I thought about it for a second and then said, no, as long as I'm paying $65 I may as well get a dog and pony show, schedule me a court date, I have nothing better to do anyway. The look on the judges face was worth the $65 all by itself. Besides, if the cop doesn't show up, they will be forced to dismiss it regardless so either I get a free show and have to pay $65 or if the cop doesn't show up I'm free to go. I see no real risk in going to court over it. Besides in my entire 14 years of driving I have only had one ticket ever stick by going to court because only once has the officer ever actually shown up, funniest thing about that is, that was the one where I really hadnt done anything wrong too, damned small towns.
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Me, I am usually too lazy. I figure for a fine that little it is worth just paying to avoid going to court. I will make more than that at work and it is not worth giving up my vacation time to go.