I've Been Hailed

I received a speeding ticket Saturday. It's all part of some silly little campaign called "Keep It 55" and somehow I was hailed above all others. Lucky me.

First, let me clear: I do not admit to speeding. In fact, I was rather shocked to be pulled over in the first place. The officer was not stopped along the side of the road with a radar gun, and he used his own odometer to register what he believes was my speed at that time. When I first saw his vehicle, I thought he needed to get through traffic, and it was rather congested on the freeway, so I was trying to gain clearance from the cars in the other lane to move over, and perhaps I was traveling in excess of the limit, but my focus of the moment was not so much to watch my speed as it was to clear the fast lane for his vehicle to pass.

Second, I could have been in a lot more trouble than what I received. I am in the process of changing my car registration from another state and, although I have a temporary permit from this state to cover me during this transition, I'm technically in limbo between states. What's preventing me from being firmly registered in this state? Well, that leads me to my third point which is I cannot locate my proof of insurance. Now, I know I'm covered. There is a receipt of payment that proves I'm covered...but that little card they give you for situations just like this? Yeah, I cannot find that little card, and the State of Indiana says I cannot obtain my new registration without that little card. See how this silly game works?

I've always just paid my tickets and moved on (literally...I seem to move to another state soon after so these have yet to catch up on my insurance), but $150 is soooooooo much, I'm thinking about fighting it this time. Perhaps I'm tempting fate though? Given my questionable state right now without my official state registration? Hmmmmm.

I may have been hailed, but I do not have to succomb to "so be it."