Banned In New Jersey!

As in, me.

Yesterday, I was making a trip into NYC. An overnighter, so I dropped off Faithful Companion at doggie lock-up, then got on the road. The route that I usually take is head up River Road and cross the river into Frenchtown, New Jersey, head up Route 513, and twelve miles into New Jersey, I pick up I-78, and it's a straight shot to the Holland Tunnel.

So there I was, coming out of Frenchtown. As you come up the hill, it's a nice straight road. And a speed trap. As I found out. The cop pulled me over for doing 51 in a 40 mile an hour zone. I said, "Forty? Are you sure? I thought it was forty-five back there?"

"Well," he said, "that still puts you at six miles an hour over the speed limit."

Right.

So he takes my license, insurance card, and registration, and goes back to his car to write me up.

And then he comes back. "Are you aware," he asks, "that your driving privileges have been revoked in the State of New Jersey?"

Say what?

I was informed that because I had failed to pay a parking ticket in Jersey City, New Jersey, the State of New Jersey is empowered to forbid me to drive on their highways and byways.

I'm banned in New Jersey.

The police officer asked if there was someone I could call to pick me up, since he couldn't let me drive. Because I was in New Jersey.

Say what?

Of course there's nobody I could call. My dad doesn't drive at this point, and even if he did, the idea of directing him to Frenchtown, New Jersey... Heaven help us all.

At this point, I started to get verrrrry worried, picturing myself walking back to Pennsylvania. So I started to get all beggy and pleady. And, yeah, mentioned... umm... the fact that I'm taking care of my eighty-year-old-home-bound father. It just slipped out.

So Officer Hupka (that was really his name) was feeling generous. He told me that he would follow me to the bridge and I wasn't allowed back in New Jersey until I get those Jersey City parking tickets resolved. So that's what we did. I drove, slowly, with the squad car following behind me, down to the bridge. He sat there and watched me drive onto the bridge and out of New Jersey.

*sigh*

I'll miss New Jersey. It will now take me about seven hours to get to New York. No more Jersey Shore in the summer time. And I had such a blast at the Mr. New Jersey Leather contest in Asbury Park.

Okay. So I'll give money I don't have to resolve the parking ticket problem, and I'll be able to go to New Jersey again. Like, to my trial on the charges of speeding on December 20th.

But what is going on with me? This stuff never used to happen to me. What is going on with this string of bad luck? I mean, c'mon! Is there a message here? Something I'm doing wrong? It's gotta break though. Something's gotta give.

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