Dear God--Please Just Take My Damn Money!

So...if you care to remember, about a month ago, I received a lovely little present from the people of Whitestown.

A speeding ticket.

I was told to call the court to figure out how much I owed, etc--which I did the very next day. Because there was no notation on the ticket that I was given that said 1) How much to pay 2) How I could pay or 3) Where to pay.
Pretty awesome, right? I know, I know...in theory, it seems like a great way to make sure you get money from people....

So I called the court the first thing on Monday morning.

But they don't open until noon.

In fact, they are only open from noon until 5 pm. How they manage such sweet hours is beyond me...but I'm jealous.

So...I called back. Spoke to a lady who told me where to mail my check to and that it would be $155.00.

$155.00!! What the flaming hell! Do you people think I crap gold coins? (This too, would be awesome. Especially since gas is probably going to be $4.25 a gallon by summer...which means if I don't find a new job closer to home--SOON--I'm going to have to figure out a way to survive on tap water and government cheese.)

Being a good girl (for the most part...let's put it this way--I REALLY would prefer to stay out of a police database), I promptly copied my ticket, wrote out a check to the Whitestown Court, and dropped it in the mail.

But then, the check didn't clear. And didn't clear. So--I called them, because the nice lady at the court told me they had to have my payment by March 1st, or they would issue a warrant for me. (They don't fool around in a small town people.)

The nice lady in the court? A total idiot. I talked to the SAME woman. (How do I know this? She kept calling me 'hon' and 'sweetie'...I'm sorry, do I know you? No? Then knock it off!) And this is what she told me:

My check is coming back to me. They don't take checks. (Really? That's not what you told me the first time I called.) Also--the payment isn't due until March 31st. (Again--do you just make up things as you go?)

So now I have to go get a money order like some poor person at a gas station because I refuse to pay 12.00 for a certified check from my bank when I have perfectly good checks in my checkbook that work just fine. It's not my fault that the general public are too moronic to make sure they have enough money in their bank accounts to cover tickets. I am a responsible grown up, damnit and just because I was doing the state mandated speed limit on a county road, well, that doesn't make me a bad person. (FYI: It may be 55 on a county road--but it's 40 anywhere that Whitestown has incorporated..so be aware if you drive in Boone County, because these jerks don't have signs!!) So off to the gas station I shall go...

But not until I get my check back in the mail. I'm not THAT stupid. They aren't getting a dime from me until March 31st. So ha!