I got a speeding ticket the other night. I had worked both my jobs that day, I was exhausted and rushing home to put the kids to bed and then hopefully relax for a minute with a cup of tea.
My heart sunk when I saw the blue and red lights. I instantly felt stupid and ashamed. I also felt sad, and almost victimized. Why me? I am a good person, I work really hard, I pay my taxes, I give back to my community and I made a simple mistake and I am being penalized for it.
After the officer gave me the ticket, my feelings of sorrow very quickly turned to anger.
I couldn’t help but think why he was on a rural road, pulling me over for speeding when there are missing people out there, bigger crimes to solve and deal with?
My niece’s paddle board was stolen recently. My social media feeds are filled with grainy surveillance footage of Smithers’ residents scouring for details after things have gone missing in their yard.
I have to scan the playgrounds for needles and broken glass before I let my kids in them.
Almost every volunteer at New to You has a story of someone threatening them or making them uncomfortable. People are afraid to walk in certain parts of our town.
The crime in our community is rising and yet I feel this police officer is wasting his time for dinging me for driving too fast on a side road.
After I eventually got home and had my cup of calming chamomile tea, I cleared my mind.
In the end, I realized I made a mistake. I broke the law and deserved the ticket. The police officer was professional and was just doing his job. I’m sure he doesn’t enjoy writing tickets.
Police are here to keep us safe and I suppose by driving over the speed limit, I wasn’t driving safely.
I read my ticket and noticed that if I pay it within 30 days I get a discount. So, obviously, I will do that. But that did get me wondering where the money goes.
According to the B.C. government website, the province will transfer 100 per cent of net revenues from traffic violations to municipalities that are directly responsible for paying for policing.
This provides municipalities with additional funds to support community safety and address local policing priorities. Transfer grant amounts are based on a municipality’s policing costs relative to the total policing costs paid by all municipalities. So Smithers will get a percentage of my fine.
So, I suppose the silver lining here is that I have just given some money back to the community to deal with crime.
And maybe, just maybe, the universe is telling me to slow down.
