Traffic Court

On October 31, 2007 I left the office to take some Finish Line branded giveaway items to our Finish Line store in Clay Terrace.

There is a school on the corner of 30th and Post, which means there is a school zone in that area too. I am well aware of that and know the rules of the road as I have held an Indiana drivers license now for 12 years.

I was stopped in the turn lane at a red light waiting to turn onto Post Rd. The light turned green and I proceeded to turn left. I was going around 20 miles per hour just as I was up to about 25 miles per hour, I see it....the flashing lights. All of a sudden I feel this wave of panic as I see a police officer approach me.

Long story short, he gives me a ticket for speeding in a school zone. What the hell...I was absolutely not speeding. I am enraged and decide to appeal the ticket.

Fast Forward to May 7th, 2008, 1:30pm Indianapolis Traffic Court. One scary place! As I am waiting in line to get into the court room I strike up a conversation with the woman waiting in front of me. I ask her if she had ever been to traffic court and she goes on to tell me that she has been several times and that she appeals her tickets because she cant afford to pay them. She adds that she was pretty lucky this time because she had a bunch of open beer cans in her front seat when she was pulled over. Apparently she was only given a speeding ticket when she should have been ticketed for much more. As she is saying this I am thinking...hope I am never on the road when you are driving.


As we are waiting in line against a painted cinder block wall, which reminded me much of Elementary school when you line up to go to the lunch room, the court house sheriff comes out. He begins his speech about not bringing guns into the courtroom, that children cant come into the court room and that the gentleman in line DID NOT have to remove the change from their pants pockets as they proceed through the metal detector. Three different men put change from their pants pockets into the little bowl by the metal detector. Really? Is it that hard to pay attention.

Finally I get into the court room and I gotta tell you, it is intimidating to see 20 IMPD officers sitting there laughing and joking. Luckily the officer that pulled me over was a Lawrence Police Officer and apparently they are lazy and never show up to court. That held true for me so my $150 ticket was dismissed. And rightfully so as I was not speeding in the first place.

All I can say is that I hope I never go back there again.

"Every day may not be good, but there's something good in every day." -Anonymous