criminal?

wow! what an experience i had yesterday. last wednesday i got a ticket for parking in a handicap spot when i took my boys to basketball practice. i don't usually park in handicap spots. they need the spots more than i do. it was 6:30 pm. . we were at the back of the intermediate school. . it was basketball practice. . the parking lot was full except the three handicap spaces. i didn't think three handicap people would show up to basketball practice at the same time. my thinking is not fair, i know. but i was alone with my four children, and i was only planning on running in to make sure that my older two boys had made it in to practice okay.

. . anyway, i went to pay the ticket yesterday, and they tell me that i should talk to the judge because the ticket's like $100. so i sat down in court. i couldn't believe the stories that people will tell. . like nobody could tell they were lying. . du!! i felt embarassed to even be sitting in the courtroom among that group of people. i don't mean to be so judgemental, but the lying and excuses were sooo obvious. everyone that had to go in front of the judge made excuse after excuse about why they hadn't paid their fines, etc. most of them were paying on past fines for drugs, bad checks, etc. am i one of them??? i certainly hope not! i seriously wanted to laugh out loud at most of the excuses and stories that i listened to yesterday. it's so sad that society cannot be responsible for the mistakes that they make and just pay the money that they are fined for. most of them, i'm sure, could not afford to pay because they're in a terrible cycle of lying, cheating, stealing, etc. to support their drug habits. i personally knew one of the girls. she was in there for a domestic violence charge. holy cow!! it's time to grow up.

. . so i went in front of the judge for my handicap parking ticket. he asked for my story. i told him i was sorry and that i wouldn't do it again. he told me that the recommended fine for this charge was $125. whoa!! he only charged me $75. . still alot, i know. . but much better than $125. i definitely WILL NOT be parking in a handicapped parking spot again (unless i have a handicap sticker). $75 is too much to pay for close parking for only 20 minutes. I received my sentence, my receipt, said "thank you", and left. I don't want to return any time soon.