I Was Wrong... Skateboarding IS a Crime

I just got home from my hearing for "Skateboarding on the Roadway". My mom represented me as my attorney and did an amazing job. I was surprised how official it was. Judge Hazel sat up on his high throne in front of us. My lawyer and I sat at the desk on the left and Officer Smith sat across from us on the right. Both the officer and I had to be sworn in to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth while raising our right hands.

My attorney plead our case in 3 aspects.

First: The ticket was written to a Miss Catherine COOK... not Court

Second: The ticket was written under sanction 10-3-10 which states that no persons riding rollerskates, coasters, or any such devices may be on the roadway except in crosswalks... It says nothing about skateboards. Skateboards have their own separate law which clearly defines skateboarding as not being allowed on stairways or various government properties.

Third: The fact that this law is selectively enforced in the area of Las Sendas... where the chief of police lives.

My attorney did an amazing job but the Judge still favored on the side of Officer Smith on the terms that the bike lane (where I was riding) is "exclusively" for bicycles.

He did, however, reduce the fine by $7... How's that for stickin it to the man... Right?

Say It Ain't So

This week two of my friends had baby showers. I'm pretty sure they're too young to be having babies, both of them are younger than me... only by a couple of weeks but still. I also have two more friends on top of that who are expecting. I can't take it anymore!

I mentioned this to a girl in one of my classes and she was completely taken back by it. I tried to explain that both of them were married but she came right back with "Did they get married because they were pregnant?"... The Mormon culture is a tough one to explain, especially at such a liberal school like ASU.

Californ-i-a

This past weekend my friend Mike and I drove to California to visit some friends of mine that I met in Hawaii. We stayed with a girl named Courtney in Valencia. On Thursday we spent the day in LA. Mike, Courtney and I met up with Rob, who I had met 2 years ago in Hawaii, and his 3 little brothers at the LA temple. We did baptisms and then got some food and headed off for the Dodgers game. Rob and his bros are die hard Dodgers fans so it made the game so much fun.

Friday me, Mike and Courtney spent the day in Hollywood. I'd never been there before so it was fun doing the walk of fame and seeing all the street performers. We also went to the House of Wax and the Guinness Book of World Records.
Then at night we went to 3rd Street and the Santa Monica pier. It was fun but those street performers were so greedy. Any time we would stop to watch one of them they would stop what they were doing and yell at us to put money in their bucket. I understand that its mostly how they earn their income but I'm not going to give money to someone that's rude to me.

Saturday we spent the day at the beach making sand castles and enjoying the weather.
Then that night we went and saw Hairspray. Me and Mike had already seen it but Courtney hadn't and there are really no other good movies out right now that one of us hadn't already seen. I probably loved Hairspray even more the second time. Its such a cute movie.

We drove home on Sunday since Mike and I both started school this week.

Not in the Budget

Yesterday me, Mike and Jordan went down to the Mesa Municipal Court to take care of our longboarding tickets. I thought the hearing would be right then and there but really we each just had to go up to a window and say if we wanted to pay the fine or schedule a hearing.

(Mike wore this on his shirt)

Apparently the fine for "Skateboarding on the Roadway" is $57 So while the other boys paid their fines, I still thought it was an injustice so I opted for a hearing. We were on a residential street at 11 o'clock at night in the bike lane! Now I am due to appear in front of a judge on the 27th of this month. Really the worst that could happen on that day is that I will have to pay the fine so why not try and fight it? Maybe the officer won't even show up then I don't have to pay anything.

And plus, if I would have paid the fine I would have over withdrawn from my bank account because T-Mobile decided to abuse the automatic bill pay by taking out $130 instead of $50. I'll have the $80 back into my account but not till sometime next week.