Status
The blip of the siren and the flashing lights on the police car behind me told me I was busted. Good grief, I thought, I can't believe they're pulling me over for this. Due to construction, I was stuck in a long backup. I had to make a left turn about half a block ahead, so to speed my way up I went into the left turn lane and drove the half block in it. Unfortunately, I went into the left turn lane too early, crossing a double yellow line, and the cop got me.
The cop took my license and went back to his car to do whatever they do in there, probably look to see if I'm in the serial killer data base. I've got a good driving record, so I wasn't too worried. As I sat waiting for him, my mind wandered to a conversation we had in the doctor's dining room a few weeks ago. Several people had recounted their experience getting traffic tickets, and a couple told how they tried to use their physician status to get out of a ticket. One doctor, a radiologist, even admitted that he had lied to a cop and said he was on his way to an emergency at the hospital, when he wasn't, and amazingly the cop bought it and let him go. Personally, I find such behavior a little despicable, both lying and taking advantage of your M.D. status.
Now as I sat in my car, though, I wondered: would he go easier on me if he knew I was a doctor? I knew I couldn't lie and tell him I was on my way to an emergency at the hospital. For one thing, I could never pull off a lie like that, even if I wanted to, and for another thing, I was clearly heading into a shopping center - wearing shorts and a polo shirt. But still, could I use my status to somehow influence him to let me off without a ticket?
I pulled my hospital I.D. badge out and placed it in the center console, with my name, face, and the MD clearly showing in the path he would have to look into when he looked through my driver's side window. I felt a little funny about it, though, and chickened out in the end. When he started to walk back to my car I flipped the ID badge over, so he couldn't read it.
He gave me a traffic citation for an illegal lane change that costs 125 bucks. (What a rip off! When did tickets get so expensive?) He was nice, though, and implied that if I went to court for it he might let me off. I know I did the right thing by not telling him I was a doctor, but still, it was quite a temptation. Maybe I should wear my hospital I.D. badge when I go to traffic court....
The cop took my license and went back to his car to do whatever they do in there, probably look to see if I'm in the serial killer data base. I've got a good driving record, so I wasn't too worried. As I sat waiting for him, my mind wandered to a conversation we had in the doctor's dining room a few weeks ago. Several people had recounted their experience getting traffic tickets, and a couple told how they tried to use their physician status to get out of a ticket. One doctor, a radiologist, even admitted that he had lied to a cop and said he was on his way to an emergency at the hospital, when he wasn't, and amazingly the cop bought it and let him go. Personally, I find such behavior a little despicable, both lying and taking advantage of your M.D. status.
Now as I sat in my car, though, I wondered: would he go easier on me if he knew I was a doctor? I knew I couldn't lie and tell him I was on my way to an emergency at the hospital. For one thing, I could never pull off a lie like that, even if I wanted to, and for another thing, I was clearly heading into a shopping center - wearing shorts and a polo shirt. But still, could I use my status to somehow influence him to let me off without a ticket?
I pulled my hospital I.D. badge out and placed it in the center console, with my name, face, and the MD clearly showing in the path he would have to look into when he looked through my driver's side window. I felt a little funny about it, though, and chickened out in the end. When he started to walk back to my car I flipped the ID badge over, so he couldn't read it.
He gave me a traffic citation for an illegal lane change that costs 125 bucks. (What a rip off! When did tickets get so expensive?) He was nice, though, and implied that if I went to court for it he might let me off. I know I did the right thing by not telling him I was a doctor, but still, it was quite a temptation. Maybe I should wear my hospital I.D. badge when I go to traffic court....
posted by neonataldoc at 2:22 PM
39 Comments:
...and then there are the photo tickets, at least where I live, where no amount of status will get you out of them. And there's not a lot that's more humbling than getting a photograph in the mail clearly showing you meandering obliviously through a red light - except the price tag at the bottom of the picture. >:-(
Just go to court. Tell them construction had the traffic pattern all messed up and you felt it was appropriate to disregard the the usual road lines. It usually works as an argument.
I usually just explain that I am an intergalactic ambassador and thus have diplomatic immunity. I then ask for directions to the nearest teleportation conduit to my home planet Optimus Prime. Works every time.
Lord Regent Usar Quat
I've never pulled the doctor thing on cops or state police. The truth is the thought never crossed my mind.
best,
Flea
Around here everybody knows I'm the mayor so I don't get ticketed. Of course I don't drive in a way that would get me ticketed. Of course we only have one cop, Nort Collier, and he only works until 5pm. After hours people don't drive much unless they are heading to Gilead for one of them wrestling matches or to Strang for the Demolition Derby on Sunday evenings. Personally I don't like to drive. Nothing beats a stroll down Avenue A right here in Belvidere although the folks over on 2nd street might not agree.
Thanks for the tips. Next time I've got to try that intergalactic ambassador thing.
That you would not lie to get out of a ticket, shows you have a lot of character.
Stand tall, knowing you made the ethical decision.
And if you go to court and have the ticket downgraded or dismissed, you have still done it in the proper way, not used your position in life to influence the police.
We need more people like you:-)
Been to traffic court. The judge isn't going to care that you're a doctor. If you're arrogant, he might even get pissy about it.
Judges in my state like people who dress respectfully - a tie wouldn't hurt. They appreciate a respectful demeanor also. They also have access to your driving record, so no point telling anything but the truth about that.
Odds are VERY high that if you show up to court and have no recent offenses, you'll be offered probation before judgement, if they do that sort of thing in your state. Means a much smaller fine and no points.
If you get really lucky, the officer won't have but one or two other folks showing up that day and he'll decide he'd rather not go to court, or he could decline to testify. Your response in the situation where there is no officer to testify against you is to plead not guilty.
One thing that makes traffic court judges in my state really snippy is pleading not guilty to speeding charges when the officer has you on radar. I know that doesn't apply in your case, but I went to traffic court with my son and we watched some really slow learners trying to lie to the judge. Makes good entertainment if you're not the one waiting to talk to the judge.
I don't see what would have been so wrong with having your ID in an easily viewable spot on the dashboard? It's not as if you would have been lying to the policeman about anything and if he had seen it and decided to let you off then no harm no foul.
It's not as if you had said, "hey, I'm a doctor that takes care of sick premature babies, doesn't that count for something?"
In the state I live in arresting officers NEVER go to traffic court. The baliff reads the charge and police report and then the judge asks you how you plead.
If you plead no contest then the judge will ask you for an explanation as to what happened. He will then decide if you are guilty or not.If you plead not guilty then you end up going back again and usually need to get a Lawyer. Big hassle and would end up being more expensive than the tkt. by far. I would go and plead no contest and get it settled that day.
oohhh the doctor card. My husband is a firefighter and I inadvertently played the fireman card...we had just settled in to a campsite and he was called away. I was upset and explained why we had to leave so suddenly. The campground hosts refunded our money. I must say, it felt good.
The fact that you didn't play the doctor card says a lot about you. A man of honor! It's a slippery slope, isn't it? Starts with a little justfication here, a little more there, and before you know it, there is a complete air of entitlement.
I haven't played the fireman card since, and also, we have a child with special needs. Sometimes I think about getting one of those handicap parking stickers (excellent parking for the rest of our lives!), but I haven't done that yet either. It goes back to that entitlement mentality. I don't have it and I don't want it.
Wear scrubs, preferably with bloody smears (fake of course). Wear your mask cocked up on your forehead. Keep your stethoscope around your neck. In your front scrub top pocket, carry a bunch of vials, a prescription pad and several ink pens.
Won't do a bit of good ticketwise, but you'd sure impress all the other "cons" present.
Oh I have a speeding ticket sob story. Haha... I was barreling down Rte 322 on the way home from Penn State to Philly to take the GREs. (There is no place close to PSU where they offer the GREs, so I decided to go home to mom and dad's house and take it in Philly.) Earlier that week, I had been diagnosed and treated for pyelonephritis. I'd missed my job because the doctor at the women's health center was very behind, so I'd driven all the way out to this nursing home in the middle of nowhere (a 45 minute drive) only to be told the research work for that day was done, so I didn't get paid and also wasted a good 2 hours out of that day just driving.
Then I got into a car accident. I was trying to pull out of my apartment complex to get to a choir performance, and they had all these construction vehicles along the road so I couldn't really see. They were also re-doing the lanes, and just when I decided it was safe to pull out, this guy comes barrelling down the wrong side in an SUV. So I backed up without looking to see who was behind me, and this was the end result. Plus a $1900 fee for her car... (I no longer have that car...nobody use it to peg who I am! LOL)
So I'm barrelling down rte 322, which is how I started this long ramble...and a cop pulls me over for going 77 in a 55...right outside Harrisburg. That's like, 5 points and $160 fine. I did have a handicapped permit sitting on the passenger seat, albeit not strategically placed on purpose, and I was really hoping that between the permit and the obvious damage to my car, plus a slate clean driving record and my girl-status (although I did not cry crocodile tears), then maybe, just maybe the officer would go easy on me. No such luck. I didn't say more than 2 words to him because I was afraid if I said anything, I'd either cry rivers or unload and get myself into a lot more trouble!
However, as I was pulling away, I called my best friend, bawling my eyes out from the entire horrible week, ending with this gigantic ticket. My dad and I went to court, and my dad name-dropped several of the officer buddies we have (my roommate from nursing school's dad is a sargent with the PA State Police), but it wasn't that that got us off. He mentioned the insurance rates going up for the ticket, and the officer knocked it down to <5mph above speed limit. I still had to pay like $75 or so, but no points.
That sure as hell was a sucky experience. People have told me to get RN on my license plate, but I never have. I like to try to have some integrity now and again. *grin* Oh and about the handicapped plate, I hardly ever use it - trying to reserve it for days when I really dont' feel well or am having worse of a limp or something. If I can, I park wherever there's a spot - I figure the walk is good for me anyways... I got it because I was a student at a huge university and having just gotten out of the hospital (which would happen numerous times), I didn't have the ability to walk down my driveway, let alone across the 3rd biggest campus in the nation...
You did the right thing. You're not more special just because you're a doctor. :)
People are commending you for not taking advantage of your physician status. There are comments on how special you are for "having done the right thing ". "We need more people like you", they say. Suggestions on how to reduce the ticket.
The reality is that you felt as though you were too important to wait in line, that your time was more valuable than the others in line before you. You couldn't wait. You knew what you were doing when you did it. You did wrong, you know you did wrong. Pay the fine.
Thanks, all. Anonymous 11:40, the fact that I didn't wait in line had nothing to do with the fact I am a doctor. I didn't think I was more important than the others. I just saw a way to speed my trip. Most of the people ahead of me were not turning left like I was; they had to wait to go straight.
Don't know what kind of car you drive doc, but if the cop is bringing home $30,000 a year, and he sees you're a doctor, maybe he would definitely give you the ticket because he thinks as a
"doctor", you can afford to pay it regardless of how small your salary might be. Why would he assume that you're saving lives and not a podiatrist? (No offense to those who have a passion for feet.)
As the body loses more muscle mass, the body's overall metabolic rate decreases. The metabolic rate is the rate at which the body burns calories and is partly determined by the amount of muscle you have.
Keto Gedeon
Not every man needs a prescription level drug solution to address Erectile Dysfunction (ED) or male impotence. A combination of several powerful natural herbs and supplements such products so effective? The specially formulated ingredients of male enhancers and their
Bionatrol Pro Enhance
The subject of male enhancement isn't something which many males are more comfortable talking about. On the other hand, lots of men search for tips on how to enhance their sexual capabilities on a regular basis. Irrespective of your age, you might find that a male enhancement product will help you to maximize and boost sexual functionality. There are
Ryzex Male Enhancement
Unfortunately, not everyone who wants to reduce is doing it in a healthy way. Weight loss is an industry worth more than $60 billion dollars in the United States, and much of that industry is dedicated to selling products rather than keeping people healthy. Here's a look at what you may not know about losing weight.
Keto Trim 800
With more than 50 percent of the population paying attention to weight, you'd expect the pounds to be coming off. Most people, however, are experiencing little to no weight change. Some people even find that their weight goes up after they attempt to reduce. Depending on the study, statistics show that between 30 and 60 percent of dieters not only regain all the
Rapid Fast Keto Boost
This era seems to be all about big things, from phones to TVs to buildings-- everything supersized. Taking a look at this hype brings the question, is bigger really better? Maybe not for everything. But when it comes to men, they believe that the bigger their junk, the better they
Celaxryn RX
If you feel that your sexual performance is not what it used to be, you maybe someone who would try out natural male enhancement pills. Often sexual performance has physiological and psychological impact on men sexually, so taking a natural enhancement pill can boost confidence and renew their desire for sex. This is a bonus to the general effects that male sex
Zydenafil
damaging ecologically to the course. Golf carts you ride on do not provide any health benefits in comparison to walking. In comparison, the electric golf cart can go anywhere you do, and their light weight has no more negative impact on the course than that of a walker.This enhanced mobility can also speed up play, since you can go directly from Point A to Point B without being restricted to a cart path.
Electric Back Massager Reviews
In order to weigh less, we must eat less. In order to eat less, we must reprogram our subconscious mind, and use our subconscious power to believe, feel, and think, like a thin, lean person. If we can do this, our eating habits will change, and we will achieve rapid weight loss, natural weight loss, and healthy weight loss, permanently.
Meta Keto Boost
Customer Helpline Australia fitness as exercise. In case you're concerned about being overweight, you do not need to feature the more pressure of "weight-reduction plan". No "low-fat this" or "low-carb that"; just healthful ingesting of smaller portions, with weight reduction being a satisfying facet effect. Enhance health by means of consuming real meals carefully. (for lots motives, now not each person has easy get admission to to or incentives to devour a balanced weight-reduction plan. Although, people who devour a well-balanced food regimen are more healthy than folks who do
https://customerhelplineaustralia.com/
to eat it several times per week, well more like every day. However, I know that those aren't the healthiest of food choices so I have it about 2-3 times per month. I am not giving up my favorite foods, I am just eating it in moderation so that it doesn't catch up to me in the form of excess weight.
Number One Keto
quick weight loss?" There is no mention of a healthy weight loss at all! The problem is that everyone wants the results, but doesn't care about what they have to do to get there. More importantly, they don't care about the long term negative affects that will follow their quick weight loss. In order to achieve your healthy weight loss and for it to also be a quick weight loss, you must make some fitness tuning changes to your body.
Keto Shred Biotic Immunity Booster
For severely overweight individuals that have failed to see results from diet and exercise alone, weight-loss surgery has become the safest and most effective means of achieving significant weight loss. In fact, studies have shown that with diet and exercise alone, nearly 95% of obese
Keto Shred Biotic Immunity Booster
Horny Goat Weed - Once reputed in early Asia as a natural aphrodisiac and cure for impotence, this extract contains high doses of icarin. Which may be toxic to the liver and kidneys.
Korean Ginseng - Another herb unregulated by the FDA has been known to cause anxiety and rapid blood pressure.
Formax Lean Male Enhancement
Taking into account the aforementioned points, it is unfortunate to note that there are actually some weight loss programs that in an attempt to show prompt results incorporate the use of diuretics to give the illusion of weight loss. Diuretics, both drugs and diuretic herbs, promote body water loss through the kidneys. Apart from these diet programs leading
Reliant Keto
Will Brink is an author, columnist and expert in the supplement, fitness, bodybuilding, and weight loss industry and has been extensively published. Will graduated from Harvard University with a concentration in the natural sciences.
Vaso Prime RX
On those days you might just cave into your undeniable cravings and go crazy at your local all you can eat artery clogging buffet. But hey,that's OK. You're human. Sometimes you have to go a little nuts to get back on track.
Reliant Keto
have very rigid diet expectations and often lead to injury for those not prepared to handle the demands the program requires. Do your homework and find a program that is designed with you in mind.
Nature Clarity Keto
For the next 90 to 120 days eat 12 scrambled egg whites, one whole grapefruit, and a gallon of water twice a a day. You will lose plenty of weight. Will it be healthy? Nope. Will the weight stay off once you are done with this diet and are then forced to go back to your "normal" way
Viadine Male Enhancement
efforts into the gym. Once you are able to pump out your body training exercises like a professional, then you are ready for weight and resistance training. Depending upon your
Bio Jolt Male Enhancement
I've found that I can't get below 9-10% body fat on diet alone (you can only reduce your calories so much, or you begin to eat up muscle)-I have to add in cardio if I want to continue losing. When I bulk, I usually end off around 14-15% body fat, and I can diet off the first 5% or so, but then I hit a plateau that only 3-4 days per week of cardio can cure (20-25 minutes per session).
Keto Now Real
It may sound odd, but it's possible to get thinner without actually seeing a change in your weight. This happens when you lose body fat while gaining muscle. Your weight stays the same, even as you lose inches.
Virtus Strong Testo Boost Pro
Post a Comment
<< Home