California Law- And why it sucks to be a "minor"
Posted: Tue Aug 29, 2006 7:23 pm
Sigh. 
So, just three days ago, I bought this brand new Shoei rf1000 helmet. Expensive, but sooo confortable, and much safer than the 3/4s ihad before it. I only got to use it once though, and it will now be shelfed for about 6 months.
Rest assured, this is not my choice.
About two months ago, me and a couple of friends, as well as a couple of guys I didn't know too well, met up to share a couple beers (Of course, I would NEVER ride with even the smallest amount of alcohol in me, so my bike was at home. I don't own a car, but if I did, I wouldn't have been driving it). This is by no means a rare occurence. It's summer time, and we're just trying to enjoy it to it's fullest.
Anyways, after we had gotten sufficiently soused, we decided to get some burritos, and found ourselves at the local Mexican food joint. At that point, one of the guys i didn't know so well decided that it would be a good idea to hit a parked car with a tree branch(genuis). Had I been sober, I would have immediately left the scene and the idiot behind. But I wasn't, and I did not.
At this point, I noticed a cup on the ground, and went to pick it up (note that, at this point, we had no alcohol with us) just as the police rolled up. Can you guess what was in the cup? Yup, at the very bottom of the cup were the remnants of someone else's beer.
After being taken home to my parents (the shame, the shame) Officer Po informed me that i was being ticketed for Drunk in Public as a minor. Essentially, my crime was being seventeen, had i been 21, I would not have been charged with anything. The officer also made it clear that he knew I was not involved in the aforementioned vandalism, due to eyewitness accounts.
So, today, I got to go to the happiest place on earth. I am of course refering to Torrance Juvenile & Traffic Court, which manages to beat out the dmv for the fun factor - something I had previously believed impossible.
Keep in mind that, because this was my first offence, it was only an infraction (less than a misdemeanor), and I am about to go off to college(in about a week and a half), I completely expected the judge would chastise me for my transgressions and usher me on my way.
After an ungodly long wait, I went in to see the judge. I don't remember his name, but thats a superflous detail. The judge proceeded to tell me, much to my horrified dismay, that I had two options at this point:
1) have my license suspended for a year, pay a fatty fine
Or because I was a first time offender:
2)Enroll in a drug/alcohol program with mandatory random drug tests (as someone who values his privacy, this sat particularly badly with me) for 5 weeks. And, i must surrender my license for 6 months.
I chose option two. And now I sit here wondering why. Not why i chose option two, but
WHY THE HELL DO I LOSE MY ****ING DRIVERS LICENSE FOR A "crime"(read: being seventeen) WITH NO VICTIM THAT WAS NOT COMITTED IN, NEAR OR AROUND ANY SORT OF VEHICLE?
I mean honestly, I wasn't even thinking about operating a vehicle when I was rolled upon by the La County Sheriffs Department!
Words can do the incredible amount of loss I am feeling little justice.
Anyways, thats my life at the moment. Thanks for letting me vent, and if you've made it this far, thanks for reading my post.
One final thing I would like to reitirate. I would never, ever, consider driving or riding while intoxicated, to any degree (including just one beer). If anything i strive to be as safe as reasonably and practically possible in both those activities.
So, just three days ago, I bought this brand new Shoei rf1000 helmet. Expensive, but sooo confortable, and much safer than the 3/4s ihad before it. I only got to use it once though, and it will now be shelfed for about 6 months.
Rest assured, this is not my choice.
About two months ago, me and a couple of friends, as well as a couple of guys I didn't know too well, met up to share a couple beers (Of course, I would NEVER ride with even the smallest amount of alcohol in me, so my bike was at home. I don't own a car, but if I did, I wouldn't have been driving it). This is by no means a rare occurence. It's summer time, and we're just trying to enjoy it to it's fullest.
Anyways, after we had gotten sufficiently soused, we decided to get some burritos, and found ourselves at the local Mexican food joint. At that point, one of the guys i didn't know so well decided that it would be a good idea to hit a parked car with a tree branch(genuis). Had I been sober, I would have immediately left the scene and the idiot behind. But I wasn't, and I did not.
At this point, I noticed a cup on the ground, and went to pick it up (note that, at this point, we had no alcohol with us) just as the police rolled up. Can you guess what was in the cup? Yup, at the very bottom of the cup were the remnants of someone else's beer.
After being taken home to my parents (the shame, the shame) Officer Po informed me that i was being ticketed for Drunk in Public as a minor. Essentially, my crime was being seventeen, had i been 21, I would not have been charged with anything. The officer also made it clear that he knew I was not involved in the aforementioned vandalism, due to eyewitness accounts.
So, today, I got to go to the happiest place on earth. I am of course refering to Torrance Juvenile & Traffic Court, which manages to beat out the dmv for the fun factor - something I had previously believed impossible.
Keep in mind that, because this was my first offence, it was only an infraction (less than a misdemeanor), and I am about to go off to college(in about a week and a half), I completely expected the judge would chastise me for my transgressions and usher me on my way.
After an ungodly long wait, I went in to see the judge. I don't remember his name, but thats a superflous detail. The judge proceeded to tell me, much to my horrified dismay, that I had two options at this point:
1) have my license suspended for a year, pay a fatty fine
Or because I was a first time offender:
2)Enroll in a drug/alcohol program with mandatory random drug tests (as someone who values his privacy, this sat particularly badly with me) for 5 weeks. And, i must surrender my license for 6 months.
I chose option two. And now I sit here wondering why. Not why i chose option two, but
WHY THE HELL DO I LOSE MY ****ING DRIVERS LICENSE FOR A "crime"(read: being seventeen) WITH NO VICTIM THAT WAS NOT COMITTED IN, NEAR OR AROUND ANY SORT OF VEHICLE?
I mean honestly, I wasn't even thinking about operating a vehicle when I was rolled upon by the La County Sheriffs Department!
Words can do the incredible amount of loss I am feeling little justice.
Anyways, thats my life at the moment. Thanks for letting me vent, and if you've made it this far, thanks for reading my post.
One final thing I would like to reitirate. I would never, ever, consider driving or riding while intoxicated, to any degree (including just one beer). If anything i strive to be as safe as reasonably and practically possible in both those activities.
