Justice

Funny how sometimes you get two awesome titles for one post in your head and have to pick just one. It was a toss up between this and “Karma Police.” Both are linked to music, but this one is just way more ironical, so I went with it.

That said, this post is about justice, karma and the police.

It all started one bright, sunny Thursday morning… earlier this morning… or does it? After all, wasn’t I just railing against the MBTA Transit Police the other day for a “suspect” parking ticket?

Hmm… yes I was, and based on plain facts at the time, not so suspect. I mean, I was over the lines and I wouldn’t argue otherwise. I deserved the ticket, no matter what the circumstance, but it would’ve been nice to point out why I was over the lines. Well… here we go again…

So, I drove into work this morning because I was going to be driving up north after work to meet up with some friends from my old job. There’s a sweet $12 for a day lot over by the new Joe Moak courthouse on Fan Pier, so that was my destination. Well, I got over the bridge and missed my turn at the light, so I kept going and then saw a left lane — a special left lane — turn off and pulled into it. I then noticed the No U-Turn sign after looking left to see a driveway entrance into a lot which had since been fenced in. In other words, we now had a left turn turn-off with no left turn to be made. So, I did what any Masshole would do and pulled the U-ey anyway.

Unlucky for me, it was witnessed by Boston’s Finest and I was pulled over at the light. He had me, no two ways about it. I didn’t even say a word, and neither did he except to ask for license and reg, which I already had ready. I was prepared to accept my fate of a tidy fine and a couple points on my insurance next year. He surprised me by returning with a written warning and stated it was a clearly marked No U-Turn and I readily agreed and thanked him for the warning.

So, after pulling off, he followed and I ended up missing the lot entrance, so I proceeded to go round the block. Ironically enough, once back on the same drag I got busted on, someone else pulled that same U-Turn in front of him and he didn’t pull them over. I guess he was feeling overly generous this morning, or had some other place to go at that point. No worries though, I didn’t get a ticket and I realized I shouldn’t have any thoughts like that because I only got the warning and the ten more minutes late for work…

Flash forward to tonight as I drove home from meeting friends. I was messing with my iPod to put on a new disc and as I was looking down to put it down in the right spot, I drifted out of my lane on the highway. Again, unlucky enough, this was witnessed by a State Trooper coming up quickly in the passing lane and he quickly threw his lights on and pulled me over. Everyone has done this fiddling with their iPod, radio, phone, make-up, shaving, reading the paper, etc., but usually not in view of a trooper or officer. (I only ever see those last three during a morning commute, but still.)

Okay… now I’m thinking, this just wasn’t my day and it was meant to be to not escape it without a fine. I had my license and reg ready again and provided them when he asked and simply stated I was messing with my iPod and that’s what caused the drift. He correctly pointed out that that was how accidents are caused and I quickly agreed. I generally don’t do such things with cars around me, and to a certain extent, this was true tonight except that he sped up behind me pretty quickly after I started choosing my new disc.

So, he returned with a ticket for $100 and said he could have gone higher, etc. Honestly, I’d rather you give me the higher fine if I’m going to take points on my insurance and especially if I deserve the ticket. At least the extra fine would do some good — buying textbooks for schools, etc. — and that would offset my bastard insurance company gouging me for a minor moving violation for the next three years.

Now, as before, I am accepting of the violation as I clearly committed it without any excuse, although not as intentional as this morning’s, and to a lesser extent, the parking violation the other day. No, this one was very accidental, but probably potentially the most dangerous had there been other cars around. So, to have gotten the ticket on this one doesn’t make me angry or upset or anything at all. I actually find this a bit humorous due to karma and irony.

Karma because I had to have it coming to me for not only railing against that parking ticket, but for getting off this morning when I clearly shouldn’t have. Ironical because the band I queued up on the iPod was named… maybe you guessed it… Justice.

Had it actually been “Karma Police” by Radiohead, then that would have been way over-the-top.