Thursday, April 12, 2007

pay onto to Caesar

so i was driving back from picking up my friend @ LAX last month and i get pulled over.
I know I wasn't speeding, i am up-to-the-minute legal with insurance, registration, etc so i
wasn't too concerned.
The cop strolled up and said, "know why i stopped you?"
me: "no idea"
him: " you have no front license plate on your vehicle."
and so i take a fix-it ticket and am on my merry way.

i write to my good friend who sold me Ghosty, my beloved little car.
she said that maybe she had the second plate in her garage,
looked a bit, called back, no she couldn't find it.

that's ok, i then went down to the DMV and stood in line for a bit
to get two shiny new plates. i went out in the pouring rain (only on that day did it rain in southern california)
and unscrewed my back license plate to find---viola! the second plate snuggled into the first. I walk back into the DMV, sheepishly hand over the two plates and the lady says, "uh-uh, you bought new ones...we can't void transaction"

so fine, i then go to put the plate on except there is not a place to put it. so i got to the dealership (which i rarely ever do)
and bought for $52, a small bracket, which had i smelt the metal like a blacksmith in the days of old and welded it together myself, may have cost three dollars total...but, i figure ok, they got me. As i am pulling out of the dealership, i hear a whick-whick-whap and then a whappita-whappita-whappita, I pull over and see a HUGE bolt sticking out of my front tire.

ok, i can handle this, i go back to the guy who just charged me fifty plus for the bracket (which i didn't have him put on cause that would be an extra charge) and i point at the tire...say "eh? look what i picked up in your parking lot--what do you suggest?" he said, "sorry, tires plus is down the street."

that's still ok, i am feeling in tune with the universe. I pull into the tire place and ask the guy, can he patch me up?
"oh no, ma'am, this tire is too old to patch.." i said, "fine, fine, two new tires, can i get by on that? "

so they put them on, i get out of there, but before i do, i say," can you put my fifty dollar bracket on? please?"
they do, I fly away.

i go down to get the vehicle sign-off place, and they are closed for Caesar Chavez day. that's ok.
when i go back the next available day, they only charge me $15. to look at it and $10. for court costs...
now the automatic cameras can read the front of my car, in case i am zipping through any red lights...
pay onto caesar, baby. sometimes you just have to pay onto caesar....

4 comments:

Yoga Gal said...

You poor baby, reading about your encounter with the MAN send the proverbial chills down my spine! You have a real cute red sportcar (am I correct) didn't anyone tell you that such a car is a cop magnet? Just lucky it was a fix it ticket, the last time I was pulled over it cost me $400.00! The cop asked me; "Do you have children?" because I was stopped for not stopping when a school bus had it's red lights flashing, (I was in the second lane over and the little stop sign hadn't flipped over yet so I thought it was safe to proceed). Well, I bark back at the cop; "I EAT MY YOUNG!" Might as well give the guy something to talk about when he's back at the station. Then I ripped into him for giving me a ticket and not letting me go with a warning. I knew I was going to get a ticket so I gave him a piece of my mind knowing he wouldn't do anything to a tiny, cute white chick! I'm a rebel, true and blue! Sorry, to read about the ticket but it could be far worst and your insurance rate will not be effect by the ticket. Count your blessing beautiful! Namaste.

Dan Guy said...

Yikes, the hits just keep coming some weeks!

Chris said...

Car dealerships are run by evil red 'lektroids from the 8th dimension.

I know -- I've seen 'em.

Avoid car dealerships at all costs.

Yoga Gal said...

Kat- I would disagree about car dealer ships being evil, once you get a high end car you should always take your car to a dealership! My beautiful red Accord got rearended and I will only trust a dealership to repair my poor baby.