I Got a Ticket Coming Home From Work Last Night

So, I’m driving home last night on I-195, doing the speed limit in the right lane when I see a state trooper approaching from behind in the left lane; he pulls about half way up the side of my car, and then falls back. I didn’t think that was a terrible sign, but it wasn’t a good one, either.

He then gets in the right lane directly behind me, and I knew I was getting pulled over. He stayed behind me for about thirty seconds, during which, I assume, he was running my plate. Then the flashing lights went on, and I pulled over. The trooper came up to the passenger side window, while I tried to figure out what I had done wrong. He asked for my license, registration, and proof of insurance, all of which I had, and I asked him what I had done to get pulled over. He told me I had a headlight out; I pointed out that, technically, the bulb was working, it had just gotten dislodged when I had an accident last week and was resting behind the dome where it is supposed to be. He did not seem swayed by explanation nor moved by my accident story.

He told me that the bottom line was I was driving down the highway with one light. He went back to his cruiser to check my credentials, and at that time my hope was, he would see that I had a clean driving record and let me off with a warning. He came back to the window with my documents and a ticket for “improper maintenance of lamps". He told me he “only” wrote me a summons for the headlight; only? I wasn’t doing anything else wrong. I can’t complain, though, the headlight wasn’t working properly, so I can’t claim I didn’t deserve it. I paid it this morning; it was $54, $56 with the “convenience fee” of paying on-line added.