Quid pro quo

As of today I am on probation, for 6 months,180 days. I must commit no offenses agaist the laws of the State of Texas or any state including traffic offenses. They tell me actually no traffic offenses, but I am not planning on committing any others, either.

I was accused of failing to yield to a vehicle entering or leaving highway. Accused. By a police officer, who happened to be the vehicle leaving the highway. He is, was and always will be WRONG.

I did yield.  To the vehicle in front of him (another police man) AND to the policeman, who claimed I did not , who was driving very fast (probably to proverbial doughnut shop) behind the first police vehicle, AND to the construction cones that ate up my lane. AND again, to the same policeman as he waved me into his lane ahead of him. Stupid move, on my part, to beleive he was being courteous. The policeman informed me he had it on tape that I was in the postion in front of him, though it was straddeling my ended lane and his traveling lane, so if I contested then he could show what happened. But not his waving me in.

Here are/were my choices for the ‘pleaing of this accusation:

• Guilty– pay it and it go on driving record-cost Court cost $97 and ticket fee $32, and what ever premium hike insurance comes up with.
• No Contest/Guilty pay it and pay to go to driving school and it not go on record.–cost $97 and ticket fee $32, $10 driving record from DPS and $25 online driving class.
• Not Guilty and go to judge or jury trial- my choice. –$200 bond, refundable IF win, and a court fee(which could be $1-higher depending on ? ) IF loose then pay ticket and it goes on record.

Today I received the other option choice, from the city attorney,( who ‘they’ suggest I speak to, though he is not ‘for’ me but for the State of Texas, prosecutor of me).  Probation, pay the  $32 and $97 and be ‘good’ for 6 months. The prosecutor emphasized that it would basically be my word against the policeman who does have a tape of the alleged ‘crime’.  He explained the policeman states  I was beyond the yeild line, so that would go against me.  I agree that I was beyond the line, at the time #2 policeman came, waiting at the cones for him to pass on by. MMMmmm.

So my choice.

What I have to consider:

• I don’t like to pay anyone any money, for something I, me, myself, don’t get. I am not a good donator. 
• I don’t like to be accused of something I did not do. And I very much like to point out that.  I don’t like being caught at actually doing wrong either, but I do take responsibility of it.
• I don’t want to pay extra on insurance, insurance is a pet peeve of mine also.
• I want to pay the least amount possible to get out of this mess.
• I don’t like to gamble, it depends too much on the ‘dealer’ and my being able to play my cards right, and ‘they’ not having one up their sleeve.

I chose to take the six months. It is the least amount of money, of all the amounts due. Yes, if I won on trial, which I may have, it would have been  basically nothing, BUT, if I lost, it would cost me more out of pocket and my insurance would go up, double whammy.  No, I don’t get the satisfaction of proving myself innocent, and rubbing the punk kid cop’s face in his wrongness. (Maybe I need to work on this need for vindication)

There is another plus with the 6 months probation, I will be paying attention to my driving all the more.  I will not be fudging on the speed. I will not be talking on the phone in town, and then realize I am driving through a school zone. In checking my p’s and q’s ,just for a day, I realized I have become a slacker driver.. There have been a lot of deadly wrecks here recently. I need to be paying attention. So now I will be.

I think about not ‘doing’ wheat, being a choice. One no one really likes to make. None of us ‘deserves’ being gluten intolerant, we did nothing wrong. Sometimes we resist and won’t accept the fact that there is no way out, other than removing the wheat, and we will try everything else. Pills, masking/treating symptoms, surgery, denial. We will pay with money and pain and misery, instead of just retraining ourselves. Putting ourselves on probation, removing the wheat, and getting better.  Once you make the choice to remove wheat, you find it really did not cost you anything, compared to all you saved, yourself included.

Do the right thing. Go on probation from wheat, for 6 months. Know that if you mess up you will cost you more physically, mentally and monetarily.   Pay attention to the wheat and you will pay attention to everything you put in your body. On 4/12/2013 you will find that you feel better, look better, and think better. You will be better for it.