The Po Po and The Hearing Officer

Can you believe you can be issued a parking citation for inadvertently attaching your DMV stickers in the wrong place? I didn’t. The Grand AM, or “grey car” is the car my teenager’s are allowed to drive. It is specifically for their use, but I own it.

Steve used to manage all vehicle registrations, and attachment of the DMV stickers. Years after his passing, we have been taking care of it, and correctly I must add, until recently. The kids’ inadvertently attached the stickers in the wrong place. One of my teenager drivers’ was parked in Salt Lake City and received a parking citation for this.

Surprise, surprise this child forgot to tell me about the ticket, until I received a notice in the mail. Not even understanding what it was for, I inquired. I made the child responsible contact the appropriate people to refute the ticket. This child was informed that all we had to do is get new stickers at the DMV, attached them correctly, and show proof to the Justice System. New DMV tickets were acquired, and I thought the ticketed child had appeared in court.

That was until I received a collection notice in the mail. I guess this child had forgotten to take care of an important matter, prior to leaving the country. When I appeared in front of the Hearing Officer today, she took no mercy. “But officer, the child responsible is out of the country on a HUMANITARIAN TRIP, and forgot to take care of the ticket before leaving,” I begged. “If this child would have taken care of the ticket in the first week of receiving it, it would have been $10," she refuted.

The minor “sticker ticket” had been increased to $140. As I plead my case, she looked indifferent. She “generously” (her words) reduced the fine to $50. Fifty bucks for a sticker error, still too much in my opinion.. When I semi-jokingly, asked if I didn’t pay it if they would put said child in jail, she stated, “No, it will be you, you are the person on the registration.”

Feeling trapped, and wanting the whole situation to go away, I reluctantly paid my $50 fine. It was, however, not without negative discourse with Pedro (well I’m not sure that was really his name), my fellow delinquent while waiting in line. Thank you to the Po Po for such a lovely fine. Hopefully, lesson learned by said child.