I had to go to court this morning for my speeding ticket that I got back in February. The ticket was for “Speeding 35 in a 25 / Traffic Calming.” I was totally NOT going 35mph when I passed that police officer. I know this, because he was not hidden and I saw him the minute that I turned onto the street he was “hiding” on so I watched my speedometer the entire time that I passed him and it never went above 30mph. He pulled me over and wrote me up for 35mph - but here is the kicker; Virginia Beach sponsors a Traffic Calming Program, where neighborhoods can petition the city and be included, so that if people get caught speeding in their neighborhoods, it is not prepayable and the fines are a lot higher - it is supposed to deter speeding.

So, it was mandatory that I go to court and the minimum fine for any speeding infraction on that particular road was $200 plus court costs. When the judge asked me if I was guilty of the charge, I said, “Well I am guilty of speeding a little, but not 35mph!” - and she let me explain my case. She said that she believed me and that since I was technically still going over 25mph (whoopty-doo 30mph), that she would split the cost with me, so she reduced the $200 fine to $100 and waived all the court fees, and then she must have known that this May is tight, cause she gave me five months to pay the fine - YAY!!!  I am so glad that is behind me now, even though I really feel like I should not have even been pulled over, oh well, $100 is better than $261 anyday.