Sheri, I think it has something to do with having children now.  :)  I sure slowed down once I had my kids with me!  My tickets were for speeding, too!  Ole lead foot.  That was me.  Poor Jen now has to go stand in that dreadful line. I hear it starts at around 6 a.m.! 

Thanks Jennifer for mentioning your story.  I never really knew whether or not it was required to stop if you were traveling the opposite direction.  I always wondered.

I have to totally agree with Dana.  Simply making an appearance in traffic court will benefit you.  (Although presently I hear the traffic court is beyond backed up).  Like Dana, there was a time I religiously received tickets (speeding for me) many years ago.  In fact, two years in a row . . . I kid you not . . . I received a speeding ticket ON THANKSGIVING DAY!!!  What are the odds?  Of course I told the officer thank you at the end of our "discussoin", although I'm still not sure why.  Just trying to be polite I supposed.  (After I broke the law, that is)  The first Thanksgiving Day ticket I was heading to the coast to spend the holiday with my grandmother and the following year I was heading up north to Salinas to hang out with my newly married friend and her husband.  Let's just say on each of those trips, it took me a lot longer to get back home.  :)

Fortunately, with time I've learned my lesson - - - I haven't had a ticket in many years.  Let's hope the stroke of luck and good judgment continues.

Thanks for the great advice, Dana. I guess I'll have another day off between now and November 12th! ;-)

Wow! I'm so surprised that you were a multiple ticket receiver! You can put that on your "Five Things You Didn't Know About Me" when you become a best-selling author...

Kyle's right... get that point taken off of your record. You can do it in online school. 

NOW, if you want to have some real fun, go stand in line (gotta get there early) to see a judge about your ticket.  If you see a judge, you automatically get the fee reduced.  Yay.  You still have to go to traffic school, but the reduced fee will definitely pay for it.

Gee... do I sound like I've done this before?  Yes, several times in my life. Get a ticket, see a judge, fee reduced, traffic school.  There was a day when I'd get a ticket religiously every 18 months, get it cleared and then get all ready to get another ticket the following year.  Not so much anymore (knock on wood).

Anyway...  go to court!  It pays.  Literally.

Dana,

Call it bad luck and bad timing. It was as if everything just came together at once - and then threw up in my lap!! Pardon that phrase, but you know what I mean. Right as I was passing her, the sign came out, and I was slowing for the red light. Apparently, talking to a couple of people, I probably should've slammed on my brakes. Kyle researched the ticket and it looks like the minimum will be $150, along with a point on my license (so he wants me to go to traffic court). Bum-mer.

Well, at least I've been home and able to play around on the NW Voice, which I usually don't have a lot of time to do! Smile!

This totally stinks..  but I don't get how you could have gotten busted if you were stopping at a red light?  You were slowing, then stopping?  Had you passed the bus or something?  How annoying, especially when I consider WHO this happened to!  I know you are dedicated to your students on and off the road!  Grrr!

Haha, gajordan... That's what I've told myself all morning! I thought, my students are the ones I probably caught this from in the first place! I must say, spending the day at home watching random shows has been as great break... I just can't get that bus driver's face out of my mind! Argh!

Your right.....you should have saved yourself some $$$ and went to school sick.....that is what my high school students do with no regard for others that they will infect. That stinks......

Your right.....you should have went to school and spread the germs.....at least that is what my high schoolers would have done. That stinks.

oh yeah!!! i wonder if it's the same cop that sits in front of my house every morning waiting for that exact thing!  near the corner of fruitvale and norris, bus picking up kids at the norris fruitvale park. 

that's how his day begins EVERY day.  i've known the rule for some time now as i vividly remember answering the question on the multiple choice question to get my permit way back in the...uh..let's just say bush sr. was still our president. 

you see, what the cop RELIES on is the exact reason you got a ticket.  people know to stop when they're in the same lane as the bus, what they don't know as easily is you have to stop on the other side too, and the rule is to stop when the lights start flashing...before the stop sign comes out.

i had to put on the brakes really fast the other day in the afternoon for this same thing ON norris.  the guy behind me nearly rear ended me.  And then he went around me all the same because the bus was on the opposite side of the street. and where was the cop then??  oh well. 

Ah, the irony of this situation is not lost on me. I will heed your warning with vigilance.

So sorry a missed day of class was compounded by a ticket!!!