Frivolous Jingle Request to Counter my Own Stupidity...

[Astral]

So this is my night so far...

Driving home from an event with coworkers, I realized I couldn't remember if I had closed a window earlier at work. The story of my life is not remembering if I locked doors or not and having to turn around. I was about 20 minutes away. I called a coworker who lives nearby to see if she was planning on going out, or to at least figure out a game plan. As soon as she answered, I saw lights in my rearview, as I had conveniently forgotten there was a hands free law in NY (I've only been here a few months, and an rarely on my phone anyhow). So I now have 5 points on my license. I work in a rather sketchy area (I've been there four months, in which there has been two shooting and a stabbing within less than a block), and going back slightly before midnight, without having the beat cop's phone number handy, seemed like a bad idea. I talked to my coworker again (this time, parked at a gas station), and we confirmed that not going back was a better/safer idea, and that she'd go over in the morning and check it out.

I know the stupid thing is open. I know it. It's a bit higher up, but maybe not immediately visible as being open, but it's open. If some punk kid wanted to climb through it, with a ladder and a little motivation, they could. Everything else is locked up.

The frivolous jingle request is because I have to overthink absolutely everything, and I've gone through every worst case scenario of what could happen, what could be taken, what could be destroyed, and that it would all be entirely my fault. Can my frivolous jingles just be that no one notices that it's open? In any other neighborhood, this would be less of a concern, but there's just been a lot of... activity around there...


As a secondary question, the cop said that I could plead not guilty, even though I told him very clearly that I knew I was on the phone (and explained my plight). He wasn't terribly sympathetic, but appreciated that I was honest about it. Apparently, in NY, you don't get a ticket or a fine - they go right to knocking points off your license. I've never really had to plead not guilty to something I knowingly did. It sort of feels like lying, but apparently that's how it goes? I feel like I have a pretty good reason - I mean, the initial "dammit, now I have to turn around take another hour out of my night to see how much of an idiot I am" and trying to balance out the whole "did I leave something unlocked?" vs. "will I be bodily injured if I go back to check?" thing... Anyone had any experience with that, particularly in NY?


(Not to sound dramatic, but the rest of the drive home involved my passenger side wheel making horrible, horrible noises; stopping to throw up because I got so far inside my head about the whole thing; taking an extra 20 minutes [after the stop] to get home because of the fog; stopping to move a turtle out of the road; and coming home to hear the squirrels, which the landlord hasn't dealt with, having a party in the walls).

[Flight]

Jingles!!!

That sounds like a bit of a rough night!

[chantal]

Jingles for you, and everything!!!

[PaulaO]

Jingles that nothing happened, and it didn't!

[LeoApp]

I have no experience with points on my license for anything in NY, but you can take a defensive driving course. Still, the points will always be on your license. Maybe if you go to court to plead not guilty they can reduce it to a seatbelt violation or something.


Point Reduction

After I complete the PIRP course, how do I receive the point reduction?

The PIRP sponsor will notify the DMV within ten weeks after you complete the course. A notice will then be entered on your driving record, and the DMV computer will automatically reduce your active point total by up to four points. Important: Completion of a course under the "Point & Insurance Reduction Program" does not remove, delete, subtract, or erase any violation, conviction, or notice of original number of points from your driving record. Even after you complete the course, most violations, conviction and points assessed will continue to show on your driving record for up to four years. Violations and convictions involving drugs or alcohol will remain on your driving record for ten years. "Point reduction" means the DMV will not count up to four points on your driving record toward license revocation or suspension.

[Astral]

Ha, well, I'm an idiot, and it was actually closed (it's a transom that's really hard to close - I usually remember whacking at it!).
It's a disease, I tell you, this "Did I lock the doors, etc." thing.
Thanks for the frivolous jingles.

LeoApp, I am going to plead not guilty. If that doesn't work, to defensive driving I go. Sigh.

[chantal]

I'm glad it was closed. I had to lock up at work a few weeks ago and double-checked the next morning that I actually did. I worried through the night that I didn't. So silly, so I get it.

Jingles for a good outcome for your violation too!

[Flight]

I was terrible at remembering if I've turned the bathroom heater off or not (in fact, I haven't put it in there this winter!). Once i had left it on, and how my house didn't burn down is a wonder.

I usually have zero recollection of when I turned it off, and it's because i'm thinking of other things.
Now as I'm leaving the house I see the front door (cue) and make myself stop and think (even do a lap) if I've done everything before I leave. Sounds a bit psycho I know! But you'll find forgetting things is because your mind is off thinking of other things at the time.
Glad it was shut!

[PaulaO]

A lot of people, myself included, do the checking thing. Some mornings I get in my car and do the "did I turn the coffepot off?" Some days I"ll go back in the kitchen 3 or 4 times!

[Cookie]

In some places, you can do defensive driving online. I've done it before.

Jingles that it all works out!

[Code3]

I don't know about NY, but in Oregon you can go in front of the judge and plead guilty with an explanation. They usually reduce the fine. (Okay, always, but they never wanted us to tell people that).

[Astral]

Thanks, everyone!
The ticket (which needed to be mailed to the courthouse) gave the option of pleading guilty (which would just end everything right there), or not guilty and then I'd get a court date. So, obviously, I went with not. (I mean, that's what the cop even told me to do).
So now I wait...
Sigh.
I think the fact that I have to live with the "did I lock it?" disease is punishment enough!
As an aside, you know that whole "You didn't close the door. Were you raised in a barn?" thing? That's such a poor choice of words. People who grew up in barns neurotically check to make sure that doors are closed... says someone who can't just get visual confirmation that a stall door is latched, but has to actually go back and physically touch the door to make sure is closed. And then that just extends into the rest of your life...


(Also, I went back first thing Sunday morning, and the transom was closed. Sometimes, me brain makes be angry).