Finally the uber destination feature worked on my way to court to contest a traffic infringement. A lady who wasn’t out of the way at all. A cannabis farmer who has only been out of the USA twice. Canada and Mexico. It surprised me. I love to travel and the U.S. has many countries close to it rather that the neighbouring border countries. Countries like Guatemala, Cuba, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, and course countries in South America. While we were talking a semi trailer decided to cut out in front of me. Almost wiped me and my passenger out. The irony was that I was trying to get out my third speeding ticket for the year. Meanwhile this wanker almost side swiped us. The truck was at a stop sign and I was traveling straight with no traffic control signs at all. I had to go into the shoulder to avoid the accident. The person driving should be going to court not me. My passenger was shocked at this incident also. She couldn’t believe it.
I dropped my passenger off and made my to my first ever court appearance. I’d never been in a court room before. I parked across the street and made sure I paid 0.75 so I don’t get a ticket. Oh boy. I crossed the road at the zebra crossing aka crosswalk and entered the building. Looked at my slip and took the lift up to the 4th floor where a few people were hovering around a door. I found my name. I’m the first person at the top of the list, ooo lucky me. It said court room 3. There’s no sign in area, you just walk in at sit down. Early by 10 minutes I looked around the room. A Washington State flag and a Star Spangled Banner criss crossed the back wall. Two cameras faced the room where four rows of chairs were situated. Then the two tables were at the front, where the defense and prosecutor sits. Two chairs are allocated for each rectangular table. A jury booth to the right was moulded on the right wall, with a little door. Oh of course the judges seat strategically placed in front of the flags, with another seat for the recorder. In Australia the judges and lawyers wear wigs, in the U.S. they don’t. A bald judge appeared after the recorder told me and three other people to rise for the judge. Obviously I laughed on the inside and thought no wonder we have wigs in Australia. We were all told to sit and the judge leapt into our options. The judge then read out a list of names and the man at the front stood. He deferred his ticket for 7 years so it doesn’t appear on his record. Lucky bugger I already did that this year. Then next person she was done for using an electronic device while driving. She was wanting to contest the ticket like me. The shiela stated “where’s the police officer that pulled me over?” I thought the same thing. I’ve been told if the copper doesn’t show you get off. Then the judge proceeded to answer “do you have a subpoena?” She said “Oh it’s in my car, can I go and grab it?” The judge agreed and I thought wait what subpoena? Crap! Where was this information? Nobody told me this at all! I was next. The judge called me up and I nervously walked up to the stand. I had to swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth so help me God. I stood up, help my right hand up and agreed to under the punishment of perjury. I then pleaded my case and produced evidence including photos of the location where there is no speed limit sign and a photo shown below. The judge produced a laptop with the police officers statement. It talked about how the officer calibrated his radar before work and the end of work to even using a tuning fork. Next thing I did was tried to plead my case with all the evidence I had.
The judge perused my evidence. He pulled out a large cumbersome book that had all the laws of the state of Washington in them. “According to Whatcom County law you are correct in the Whatcom County speed ordinance. However the city of Bellingham it is 25 miles per hour if the speed limit sign isn’t visible. The police officers infringement still stands, do you have anymore evidence that supports your case?” Annoyed and frustrated at the result, I replied “No your honour, but is there another way to pay the fine? As in traffic school or a way to work it off?” The judge looked up at me and responded “Yes, you can work for the Whatcom County Community instead of paying the fine if you wish”. I took a deep breath and said “That’s what I’ll do”. The judge boomed “Under the state of Washington and the United States of America I hereby agree to the officers original findings”.
I walked out of the court room and made my way to the administrative office. Walked up to the window in my suit and discussed my options. She produced a piece of paper to give the Whatcom County Community Works. I left and went straight to the facility and arranged a date and time. The next day. I was to arrive at 8am with the appropriate PPE. I asked the officer “how long will the work be?” The sergeant replied “six hours, a day is worth $154 & increases to $157 on the 1st of January”. Unfortunately I had to do two days for a $220 fine.
Back to ubering I left the facility and got a ping instantly. A bloke who works at Avenue Bread in town. It was his first uber ride ever. He was getting his mouth checked to see how he was healing after a wisdom teeth operation. Three were pulled out. This same year I also had all four crushed and ripped out. I’m still in pain from that operation.
I plonked him off and was extremely satisfied with the uber ride mentioning my sweets and waters. He hadn’t seen that before and felt privileged for riding in my car.
One of my apps went off like a frog in a sock and I made my way to the airport to pick two sheilas who had flown in from Vegas. Two Canadians wanting to go to the mall to wait for their ride back to Canada. A five hour wait for them. One lady works at an ice cream store over the border and the other works in retail. We rolled up to a traffic light whilst chatting, when two blokes started calling out to me to the left of me. I looked to the left and realised they were super keen on my passengers in the back seat. Pointing and smiling. I smiled, nodded my head and drove off. My passengers laughed at them. It was weird and awkward. No thanks chaps. My main aim is to keep my customers safe. You creeps aren’t getting near my precious cargo.
After dropping them off I got another ping near by. An employee from T Mobile, who I’d picked up once before. He told me he was going to Canada for the holidays. Nice mate. Eat those poutine fries.
Now the passenger who followed this bloke was someone I didn’t expect. My former bosses brother. He remembered me, but couldn’t remember where. I remember meeting him the first day of my employment at that archaeology company in June 2018. What were the chances of running into him? We chatted for half an hour heading to his work. His relationship with his brother wasn’t very strong. Hostile, but tolerable. It didn’t sound healthy and I felt sorry for him. I hadn’t spoken with him at length before and realised he has his problems with grog, but he was extremely nice. No one’s perfect. He tipped me well and wished me all the best.
Next was a recovering druggo who wants to do uber to assist people. He picked my brains for the whole ride. Crikey crumbs he went into detail on how he had an epiphany the other night doing acid and various other drugs, then stopped. His mates commended him and said “How did you stop man?” he said his body just didn’t want to do it anymore. I told him of my career path and he immediately said “I have a dinosaur bone you might be interested in”. I educated him on archaeology, but I will still look at it. At his house he told me how one of his mates owed him money and gave him this dino bone instead. He was only a minute and produced a large vertebrae bone. I couldn’t tell him what it was, but it was definitely fossilized. It was at least 15 cm length, 5 cm thick and 20 cm wide. Maybe it was a whale vertebrae? I couldn’t tell him. I asked him where his mate got it from? He responded with “I’ll probably never see him again, he still owes me money”. Bloody hell. You’re hanging with the wrong crowd.
Then I got activity in Fairdinkumhaven. An elderly couple who knew Australia was on fire and I told them about how eucalyptus trees burn like matchsticks due the oil they produce and how dry the trees can get. They don’t need much water survive at all. One of my passengers was a retired surgeon and the other the former art gallery manager or an art gallery in Oregon.
My final passenger was the manager of an Apple Store. CityMac. We discussed the factory recall of the Apple phones regarding the batteries. He said if I knew anyone who needed a battery replacement for the old iPhones he’ll do it for the original price before it changed a year ago. I said “You know what I do know someone”.
That’s it. A full thirsty Thursday. 6 Trips uber and 3 rides Lyft. Next up my bludgey day with a bunch of misfits and a fruitful Friday.
