So as some of you may, or may not know, not sure if I mentioned it before, I have a younger sister. She just turned 18 in March, passed her road test this weekend and finally went to the SOS on Wednesday to get her official license (she was really sick this week). I was talking to her yesterday via Facebook and she told me she got a ticket. Already. I asked her what happened and apparently she was going to school and she hydroplaned and hit a tree. She did everything she was suppose to aftewards and called the police and whatnot. The police officer wrote her a hundred dollar ticket. She didn't say what for, but I'm pretty sure it would be for driving too fast for conditions. (Little side note--it was DOWNPOURING yesterday morning. I had to drive in it and it was just plain nasty. At least where I live there was at least an inch and half of water on the roads, flash flood warnings all over the state etc. etc. )
She's perfectly fine, more shooken up and scared to drive than anything. I am very thankful that she is alright because it could have been a lot worse. The street that this happened on is right in front of the high school and it's extremely busy at that time of day. She could have hit any number of cars, or even someone walking on the sidewalk to school. I am really happy that she is alright, but I'm also pretty frustrated and what she told me after she explained the accident. Apparently, her and my parents are going to fight the ticket. They believe that it wasn't her fault she hydroplaned and he shouldn't have written her a ticket. And they aren't even upset at all.
Two things came to my mind:
1. What the heck? Actually more like WTF. If I was driving one of their vehicles and got into a hydroplaneing accident two days after I got my license, I would have gotten my tail end chewed out. She didn't total the car, but she smashed the front end pretty good. This accident plus the ticket is going to jack their insurance rate up sky high when it's already sky high because of a young, new driver being on their policy. My parents would have made me pay the difference on their insurance and to get the car fixed and the ticket since it was my accident and I am an adult. But she gets off scot free! She has a dang good job and makes even more than I do, so she's perfeclty able to pay it out of her own pocket. But nope, my parents are covering it.
2. I think its not even worth their time or money to fight the stupid ticket. Honestly, all they have to go on my sister's word that she wasn't speeding. Okay, even if she was going the speed limit in that area (45, I do believe, there's signs posted everywhere) you can still hydroplane. You can also still get a ticket for "going too fast for conditions." I mean honestly rain is really no different than snow. I would not go 45 on that street when its snowy and icy out. Same with rain. It's just frustrating to me that they are going to waste time and money.
I think they should just pay the stupid ticket and have a nice long chat with my sister about speeding and the dangers of it. I dont' understand why they have to make it so complicated and difficult. Maybe I'm just jealous beause like I said, I would not get off so easy. Or maybe I'm just over reacting. either way. I just needed to vent.
thanks for listening.
09.27.2007 (the start of a great adventure.) 12.24.2010 (the day he popped the question!) 07.22.11 (the day we added a fur baby: PAWS!) 01.21.2012 (the day we said "I Do.") 07.2012 (the day we decided to start our family!) 11.03.12 (the day we added another furbaby: WEASLEY)
"So it's not gonna be easy. It's gonna be really hard. We're gonna have to work at this every day, but I want to do that because I want you. I want all of you, for ever, you and me, every day." ~The Notebook