Budget Buster vent-Speeding Ticket

[princessmorgan]

Ugh Sorry I had to vent here, because I don't want to get mad at DH. He told me he got a speeding ticket on the way to work after he took our DD on her field trip. I've told him a million times he needs to slow down on the side roads, because there are always cops (and it's the law). Anyway today they got him-less than a mile from our house! $135 we could have used on our Disney trip next month I don't want to be mad, because I make mistakes, too and have sped. Oh well hopefully he learned his lesson.

 

[mom2faith]

Ugh Sorry I had to vent here, because I don't want to get mad at DH. He told me he got a speeding ticket on the way to work after he took our DD on her field trip. I've told him a million times he needs to slow down on the side roads, because there are always cops (and it's the law). Anyway today they got him-less than a mile from our house! $135 we could have used on our Disney trip next month I don't want to be mad, because I make mistakes, too and have sped. Oh well hopefully he learned his lesson.

My DH and I have kind of an 'deal" - one person has to earn money to cover these budget blunders - or give up things to cover them.

For example - DH would have to give up his daily coffee for "x" amount of days, or I would have to pick up overtime, etc. Whatever it takes, we try to take responsibility for our actions so the family does not have to.

I hope this all make sense and it not sounding like "He is not taking responsiblility", I am just suggesting going one step further.

It sure makes the two of us more aware of our mistakes, and we are less likely to make them again in the future....

 

[princessmorgan]

My DH and I have kind of an 'deal" - one person has to earn money to cover these budget blunders - or give up things to cover them.

For example - DH would have to give up his daily coffee for "x" amount of days, or I would have to pick up overtime, etc. Whatever it takes, we try to take responsibility for our actions so the family does not have to.

I hope this all make sense and it not sounding like "He is not taking responsiblility", I am just suggesting going one step further.

It sure makes the two of us more aware of our mistakes, and we are less likely to make them again in the future....

That's a great idea actually! I think that applies more to me though. He makes the money since I'm a SAHM and doesn't really buy anything for himself. We'll have to talk about it. Thanks for the suggestion!

 

[janey99]

Poor you! Did he get one of those "Virginia Specials" where they have a million reasons why a regular speeding ticket in any other state becomes reckless driving in Virginia?

DH got one of those in November driving through Va. - ended up being tried in absentia and getting a 375$ fine!

I feel your pain -

Jane

 

[ssawka]

Has he had any other tickets in the past several years? How many points does he have on his DMV record? Have him log onto the DMV site and see how many points he has. If he's 0 or positive, he should go to court. If for no other reason then for the fact that the judge will probably lower the fine. They may also lower the speed so it will have less of an effect on his driving record and/or insurance rate. That's the best you can hope for, because in the state of Virginia, Judges do not have the authority to adjust DMV points and it is highly unlikely that they will drop the ticket all together.

 

[princessmorgan]

Luckily he did not get reckless driving! I'll have to look into the court thing. This is his first ticket ever. I'll just be mad if the judge doesn't lower the fine and then we have to pay court costs on top of that.

 

[Cdn Gal]

OK True story! My girlfriend told me that when she was growing up she can clearly remember that fights that her parents used to have about speeding tickets. It seems that her father wanted speeding tickets to be part of the monthly family budget!!! He got sooo many of them that they had to budget for them!!! Also true- same friend failed her first driving test because she was taught how to drive by her father. Speed Limit signs? "those are only a suggestion" and the Stop Sign? "another suggestion- you don't have to actually stop, just slow down and look" I know her father who is now 73 years old- still driving and still as crazy as ever!

 

[springandmac]

Luckily he did not get reckless driving! I'll have to look into the court thing. This is his first ticket ever. I'll just be mad if the judge doesn't lower the fine and then we have to pay court costs on top of that.

I got a speeding ticket last August (I live in Virginia too). I was caught going 72 in a 60. I tried to explain to the officer that I was being wedged in by a truck full of perverts making inappropriate gestures (keeping speed and riding right next to me and DD16) and a landscaping truck pulling a utility trailer that was riding in the fast lane for miles while black smoke poured out of it so much that I couldn't see their tail lights to see if they were stopping. Needless to say when there was a big enough opening in the right lane for me to slip into I sped up and passed all the trucks. What I didn't know is that the officer was in front of the truck that was breaking down. He said he wouldn't ticket me for reckless driving or for illegal passing but he did give me a speeding ticket.

I hadn't had a ticket in 15 years so I thought I could go to court and plead my case. I ended up with 12 hours of community service (1 hour for every mile over) and I have to take the drivers improvment course (which cost $75), I had to pay $61 in court costs and I'm on probation for the next year if I don't complete the community service and the class or I get another ticket then this ticket won't be dismissed.

Good luck to your DH.......

 

[princessmorgan]

I got a speeding ticket last August (I live in Virginia too). I was caught going 72 in a 60. I tried to explain to the officer that I was being wedged in by a truck full of perverts making inappropriate gestures (keeping speed and riding right next to me and DD16) and a landscaping truck pulling a utility trailer that was riding in the fast lane for miles while black smoke poured out of it so much that I couldn't see their tail lights to see if they were stopping. Needless to say when there was a big enough opening in the right lane for me to slip into I sped up and passed all the trucks. What I didn't know is that the officer was in front of the truck that was breaking down. He said he wouldn't ticket me for reckless driving or for illegal passing but he did give me a speeding ticket.

I hadn't had a ticket in 15 years so I thought I could go to court and plead my case. I ended up with 12 hours of community service (1 hour for every mile over) and I have to take the drivers improvment course (which cost $75), I had to pay $61 in court costs and I'm on probation for the next year if I don't complete the community service and the class or I get another ticket then this ticket won't be dismissed.

Good luck to your DH.......

Yikes! Maybe we'll just pay the ticket...And I thought Maryland was a Communist state

 

[princessmorgan]

OK True story! My girlfriend told me that when she was growing up she can clearly remember that fights that her parents used to have about speeding tickets. It seems that her father wanted speeding tickets to be part of the monthly family budget!!! He got sooo many of them that they had to budget for them!!! Also true- same friend failed her first driving test because she was taught how to drive by her father. Speed Limit signs? "those are only a suggestion" and the Stop Sign? "another suggestion- you don't have to actually stop, just slow down and look" I know her father who is now 73 years old- still driving and still as crazy as ever!

Haha! thanks for that. It made me and my DH laugh.

 

[1stluvispooh]

My DH seems to only get a ticket when there is no extra money around. Well I have to say it has been several years (oops I think I just jinxed him!) Anyway I find if I keep my mouth shut he feels even more guilty. So you know what I say to him? Absolutely nothing

 

[erin.w]

I got my first ticket last year. Pleaded not guilty, they gave me a court date for maybe 6 months later? (If anything it bought me time). I went to the hearing, they dropped the ticket from $150 to $50 and the judge (who spoke to everyone at the end), gave us all a month to pay because of the "economy." They have these hearings once a week, my week there were 106 people there! Good luck!

 

[Jex]

Ask around for a cheap attorney, when I used to get a lot of tickets I would just pay an attorney $50 or so and they would just get it dismissed.

 

[Nayan]

The Wednesday before Thanksgiving 2005, my DH calls me and says 'I almost got arrested this morning'. So of course I start freaking out and asking why. He was speeding...really speeding in a construction zone...really speeding to the tune of $575!!! I was livid! He learned his lesson in a hurry but you want to talk about a budget buster just a month away from Christmas. It was not much of a happy holiday.

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

I got a speeding ticket in Virginia too a couple of weeks ago. I was going 76 in a 70 and thought they wouldn't stop me unless I was at 80. Ooops, guess I was wrong.

I'm just going to pay it though. It's just under 100.00 and I'm not driving back to VA for a court date for that.

I tried to pay it on line already but my name's not popping up on the website yet. I guess I have to wait a bit longer for it to show up.

 

[Earstou]

Your car insurance might go up now, too, so remember to budget for that.

 

[princessmorgan]

Well I looked at DH's ticket and we'll actually be in Disney when his court date is scheduled for. I should have thought about this yesterday but I called my brother-in-law who is a Fire Chief around here. He's actually friends with the officer who gave DH the ticket! So, we'll see if anything can be done. (fingers crossed) I should probably just let DH accept responsibility for it, but I really don't want our car insurance to go up.

 

[Purseval]

I got a speeding ticket in Virginia too a couple of weeks ago. I was going 76 in a 70 and thought they wouldn't stop me unless I was at 80. Ooops, guess I was wrong.

Virginia is the WORST!!!!! ripoff state in the country. I moved out of VA (Navy enlistment ended) and never went back. 10 YEARS LATER I was routinely getting my license renewed when they told me I couldn't because my license was suspended in VA. VA? I told them I hadn't been there in 10 years. They said sorry, you have to deal with it first.

So I call the VA Dept. of Motor Vehicles and they tell me I have an unpaid ticket and I have to send them $150 to get it taken care of. "What was the ticket for?" I ask. "We don't know" was the reply, "just send us $150."

It's not worth my time so I send them the $150 and I go to get my license renewed. They guy at the license bureau tells me I can't get my license renewed because it's suspended in the state of VA. I explain I straightened that out but he says his hands are tied.

So I call the VA Dept. of Motor Vehicles again and tell them I paid the ticket. They check and say that yes, you paid your ticket but you have to send us $150. "What for?" I ask. "To get your VA driver's license unsuspended" was the reply. So I send them another $150 and now I can get my driver's license renewed.

Whenever I see a hurricane headed up the east coast I say a little prayer and wish the VA Dept. of Motor Vehicles gets reduced to a pile of rubble

 

[ssawka]

Well I looked at DH's ticket and we'll actually be in Disney when his court date is scheduled for. I should have thought about this yesterday but I called my brother-in-law who is a Fire Chief around here. He's actually friends with the officer who gave DH the ticket! So, we'll see if anything can be done. (fingers crossed) I should probably just let DH accept responsibility for it, but I really don't want our car insurance to go up.

He could ask for an extension. Just tell the court he will be out of town on "business".

 

[buzz2400]

At least he got the ticket for speeding. My father was in Arizone in February on vacation and he walked in a crosswalk but the light didn't say to walk and the cop gave him a ticket which cost him about $160. He wasn't going to pay it (saying what are they going to come to CT and arrest me) but I paid it behind his back. The cop told him if he had crossed down the road a bit (out of the crosswalk) he wouldn't have gotten the ticket. Go figure!

With the budgeting of your trip, bring granola bars and make him eat these instead of food at the park to make up for the speeding ticket price. That will slow him down in the future.