I was a Stupid Driver

I was a stupid driver for many years. Of course it was when I was young so I have an excuse. My biggest problem was speeding. I also did some other stupid things like passing in dangerous situations. But the absolute most idiotic thing I ever did was backing my father's car through the front window of a Pizza Restaurant.

Lucky for me I didn’t hurt anyone inside the restaurant. But I did have to pay for the window ($275) and to replace the exhaust system ($900) that was ripped off the bottom of the car. At sixteen that was a lot of money.

They say that admitting you have a problem is the first step to being cured. These days I am a safe driver. I don’t speed, I don’t tailgate, I use my turn signals and I always wear my seatbelt. But I am surrounded by idiots.

If you’re like me and just want to drive without some moron attached to your rear bumper then welcome. The stories chronicled here will help you know you’re not alone. Think of this as a 12-step program to becoming a smart and safe driver.

Saturday, July 28, 2007

Can you Afford a $363 Ticket?


Today's stupid driver is Tonya from Tallahassee. Tonya is a college student who somehow managed to go 25 MPH over the speed limit in a school zone in Tallahassee. Tallahassee is in Leon County Florida and is the Capital of the state.


Tonya's biggest worry is that she cannot actually afford the fine, which is $363.50 according to the Leon County Clerk of Court. She decided to take a traffic school course online, which saves here little on the fine. It goes down to $317. Florida lets you take a 4 hour class for tickets 5 times in your life. By taking the class called "Basic Driver Improvement" you get no points on your drivers license and your insurance cannot go up because of the ticket.



What's really frightening is that Tonya had no clue she was in a school zone and had no clue she was going 25 MPH over the speed limit. She was going 60 MPH in a 35. Not sure what she was thinking but the only place you can go 60 MPH in Florida legally is on a highway like I95 or the Turnpike.

In Florida, speeding fines are doubled in school zones and construction zones.

This seems to prove that there is no connection between basic intelligence and getting a drivers license, or even getting into college. But now Tonya knows the reason they post those school zone signs - it's not to make it easy to find your local elementary school

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I think that it is better that she can't afford the ticket. If she doesn't pay attention enough to know that she was going 25 mph over the limit in the first place, let alone in a school zone, then she needs to learn to notice more while driving. Maybe she will concentrate harder now , so that she won't get another ticket.