My First Speeding Ticket!

So pissed! So pissed! SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO PISSSSSSED!!!! Yes! Quadruple Exclamation Point!!!!

You know how they say there are those who are sorry because they truly feel bad and they want to change and there are those who are sorry because they got caught? The "sorrow of the damned" if you will? Count me among the damned for this one.

Cruising along I-84 in Oregon on my way up to Washington (and when I say "cruising" I mean "doing my best imitation of a jet because I was flying") I get pulled over. On long drives it's hard to sit at the speed limit when all you can think about is making good time. I had to make up time becuase of an hour snow delay way back in Brigham City so you can imagine what I was doing to make "good time". I'm usually pretty vigilant about looking out for radar patrolmen, but on I-84 in Oregon it is pitch black with no highway lights anywhere. Oh yeah, one other thing, the speed limit is 65 all throughout Oregon, even if you're on a 5 mile straightaway in the middle of nowhere with about 2 other cars in sight.

So I'm flying along and I pass a police car. I know I'm done. No way to hide it, no way to put on the breaks and slow down to even remotely close to the speed limit. Flat out, red-handed in-the-cookie-jar caught. I generally go about 5-10 over as most people do, enough that if I was within distance of a police car I could simply let off the gas and be within range; but on this night as I was an hour behind on a 9-hour drive I let the lead foot get the best of me.

The officer was nice about it, marked me at 85 instead of my true, faster, not-to-be-acknowledged speed, so because of his "break" (and I say that meaningfully as he noted to me that without his "break" the ticket would have run upwards of at least an additional $200) the ticket is "only" $255. I had no idea tickets were so expensive. Good thing I had the seat belt on or it would've been another $100.

Yes, no need to ask, my wife was furious. She doesn't like me doing these long drives anyway. I'm officially in the doghouse this week and I'm not even home to do anything.

But I do have some good news. . . I just saved a buttload of cash on my car insurance! Ha ha ha! Seriously though, I just switched to Progressive 3 days ago and saved like $250! I'm sure all of that savings will swiftly revert back to no savings after my ticket is tacked on the record for my next quote in 6 months, but still, plug for Progressive.

I hate Oregon.

Postscript:

Thanks to my cousin Brad for his comment as he reminded me of the other thing I hate about Oregon. You can't fill your own gas! That is the most idiotic thing I've ever seen in my life! I've filled up once in Oregon, and I will never fill up in Oregon again! I now fill up right on the edge of Idaho and right on the edge of Washington coming back. I pull in right before Washington one night and the lady basically attacks my window! She tells me in Oregon I can't fill my own gas, even though I try to get her to let me five times. What type of morons in the state legislature thought up, "Hmmm, what can we do to make a good news story about creating more jobs but actually add nothing of value to society? I know, make a law that somebody else has to fill up your gas! Thereby creating more jobs!" Stupid.

I hate Oregon.