Going to Orange and not getting to jump is pretty horrible given what I have to go through to get there, but I discovered that there is one thing worse than going there and not getting to jump. It's leaving Orange after not jumping and getting a reckless driving ticket - 61 in a 35. Here's the deal:

I decided that I would take the back roads up to 66 so that I could avoid driving on I-95. It sounded like a great idea. I did it once before and was very happy with the results. Somehow, I missed the exit for Warrenton and ended up driving through the city of Culpeper. I had no idea that I was driving through a city, but something didn't look right.

I didn't see the sign reducing the speed limit from 55 to 45 and then to 35. I didn't see any speed limit signs. I was busy looking at my directions trying to figure out what I did wrong. As I approached a stoplight, I noticed a 35 sign and immediately reduced my speed. Then, I noticed a police officer sitting right next to the sign. UGH!

He didn't give me a break. Instead, he gave me a reckless driving ticket and a court date of August 30th - the first day of school. Great...just great!

Since the court date was the first day of school, I was in a quandary. Should I pay the fine or should I drive to Culpeper? If I drive to Culpeper, I'll have to make arrangements for the kids. I'll miss the first day of school. I hated the idea of ditching them on the first day of school. If I didn't go to Culpeper, how would the ticket affect my driving record and cost for car insurance? I needed to do some research.

I contacted the Clerk of the Court to investigate my options. If I didn't come to court, the fine and court costs would be $288. Eek! That's a jump and a video.

In addition to the fine, the reckless driving charge would result in 6 points. OMG! I've never had even one point...six at a time. The good old country boys sure can dish it out! I didn't have a choice - I had to go.

I went to the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration to obtain a copy of my driving record. It was clean. The report cost $9. Not bad, but it took an hour of my time. While I was there, I asked if points transfer from state to state. The clerk advised me that the points would not transfer from VA to MD, but the ticket would appear as part of my driving history.