My very own Alice's Restaurant Thanksgiving !!!

My wife's car has had the passenger's side headlight (low beam only) out for about a week now- appears the cheap plastic used in the connector deformed around one of the sockets over time. I've been working 45+ hour weeks, and since we rarely drive that car at night, it has not been fixed yet.

Of course, she got pulled over last night on the way home for the headlight. Not by a real agency, but by one of those departments that are created and funded by the HOA's in 4 upper class "estate" style subdivisions. You know the kind- their entire fleet consists of 2 top level trim package Explorers with low key graphics, and low profile lightbars so as not to ruin the aesthetics of the community for Thurston Howell, III while on patrol. The only "public" street they have jurisdiction on is the one that borders these neighborhoods.

Of course, her insurance card was the old one that expired a month ago, and no proof of insurance is a 4 point offense in CO. If she presents proof that insurance was in effect at the time to their strip mall "police station" the ticket is dismissed, no multi-hundred dollar fine, 0 points. Officer Obie did such a thorough job, he didn't even notice that the registration she handed him was not signed (a $100 fine in CO), or that it was last year's registration. He also somehow completely lost sight of the headlight that posed a so-called safety hazard that he initially pulled her over for at this point.

To add to the other threads going about the pussification of America, he actually said to her "Now, I want to find a solution that works for both of us, so here's what I propose..." It took everything I had not to suggest that he go back to sitting on the side of the road while on the clock, let us continue to drive home, and pretend the whole thing never happened.

Now, both my wife and I realize that she berkeleyed up in the area of keeping the current paperwork in her car.

What really grinds my gears is the $25 "administrative fee" to have the ticket dismissed. When we got home, I suggested she save them some time and just make the check out to "Donut Hut." That was not a well received comment...

Also, according to SWMBO, apparently the entire incident is my fault. If I fixed the headlight, it wouldn't have happened. If I noticed that I also had expired insurance cards in my wallet, I would have reminded her to swap hers out for the current ones.

P.S.-I'm not a cop hater. The last time I was pulled over, it was for running a red light in plain view of a Lieutenant. He then thanked me for finding a safe place to promptly pull over, complemented me on my courteous demeanor, and let me off with a written warning. So yes, I realize that there are decent officers and departments out there who do have a true interest in public safety, and do not just view the public as a revenue stream. This department is not one of them.

If you'll excuse me, I have a headlight connector to replace, then rebuild the PS pump on my G20.

Any 8x10" color glossy photos?

Look on the bright side, you had a defective equipment violation and a couple of documentation deficiencies, and you can make it all go away for the cost of a case of beer.

You reminded me that I made it through all of yesterday without listening to that song. I think I'll do my best to make up for it right now.

You reminded me of that song. I hate it.

I also forgot to listen to THE THANKSGIVING SONG .... I'll fix that later this evening

bludroptop wrote: Any 8x10" color glossy photos?

...with pictures and arrows, and a paragraph on the back of each one, to be used as evidence against us.

Well if you decide to just dump the ticket off the side of a side road where there is a cliff with garbage at the bottom and decide that one big pile is better than two small piles and rather than take that one up, you'd just shove yours on down... Make sure that you remember to take your name off the ticket. But I think that may require a red VW Microbus with shovels and rakes and implements of destruction.

Listened to it yesterday on Vinyl, Ipod, and Radio!

In all seriousness though, do you live in that particular HOA? I've thrown one of those tickets away and never had any retribution (mine was a BS parking ticket).

Arlo still puts on a good show.

though he acts like he ABSOLUTELY HATES performing Alice's Restaurant

I'm sure he's gotten tired of doing it over the yrs... but he seems to have a hard time accepting the fact that he wouldn't be anywhere near as popular as he is if he had never done that song in the first place

In california a headlight ticket means more like $80, and a trip to the police station to have it signed off first, most officers will refuse to sign it off as fixed anywhere else.

neon4891 wrote: Arlo still puts on a good show.

I was in school in Nashville and my one and only visit to the Opry, he was the guest and Johnny Cash was the host, '70 or '71. After his performance, the following conversation:

Johnny: "That was great. Will you come back sometime?"

Arlo: "Can I bring my dog?"

"Sure, you can bring your dog. You can sit on a log and do a monologue."

"Can I bring my stash?"

Johnny and everyone in the audience was speechless.

Is this a real ticket or some kind of HOA violation meant to look all threaten-y and generate revenue to keep gas in the rent-a-cops' Explorers? If it's the latter, I'd pretend it never happened (aside from fixing the headlight and putting current paperwork in the car) and if they ever hassle you about it, tell them, "You'll have to talk to my lawyer about that."