Saturday, January 10, 2009

Speeding ticket

Well, I finally got my first-ever speeding ticket.  My SECOND ticket for anything at all in my entire life, since I got a parking ticket on sale day at Manheims a couple of months ago.  That place has been trouble for me, and I am glad to be leaving it for something better. Now I have to sign up for traffic school and GO to traffic school, on top of everything else that costs time and money.  But I WAS speeding, not unreasonably so, but speeding.
 
There is a new bridged river crossing at Cotton Lane, which hooks up to Estrella Parkway in Estrella Mountain Ranch.  It seems like an ideal way to get to work at Petsmart, since I can stop at the Elliot Market for a diet Coke on the way.  That is, it DID seem like an ideal way.  It doesn't anymore.
 
The speed limit, as it turns out, is 35 miles per hour headed north from Estrella Parkway to the bridge, where it changes to 45.  The stretch where is 35 is coming down a hill, open land on both sides, and you can see all the way to Hwy 85.  No reason in the world for the limit to be so low.
 
So I was COASTING down the hill and a motorcycle cop put a radar gun on me from about a mile away, next to the bridge.  He said I was going 54 miles per hour, and I am sure I probably was. That is 19 miles per hour over the limit.  I could have been going a LOT faster, as there is perfect visibility and NO traffic.  I had previously wondered off and on why nobody uses that road, and now I know. Duh, why wasn't I watching for cops?  Just fat, dumb, and happy, I guess.  No more. 
 
I have gone back to using Hwy 85 and making a left on to Cotton Lane.  I will just have to stoke up my caffeine on tea before I leave home and have a diet Coke on break at work.  That will be better for me anyway.
 
I start on the cash register at Petsmart tomorrow, 9-3.  Then I will work at Manheims Monday, Petsmart Tuesday, Manheims Wednesday, Petsmart Thursday, Manheims Friday, and Petsmart Saturday and Sunday.  Its not as bad as it looks.  No shift at Petsmart is over 6 hours, and Saturday is only 3 hours.  Plus I will only do it for one week.  Even if I go back to Manheims to help out for a little while, I will never tax myself over it again.  This next week is the second week on my notice, and I am working as many hours for them as I can manage.
 
AJ

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