I don't heart NY.

There, I said it. I might even make a t-shirt that says it too. I really don't heart NY, well, at least the thruway portion. While I was making the 5 hour trek across that state, I got popped for driving while chatter boxing on my cell phone. Yes, silly me, I left that ear piece thing at home and I refuse to purchase a Bluetooth thing because I think they look completely ridiculous. Plus, only really important people should be sporting those things, people like Secret Service guys. What's I'm unsure of is if I actually got the ticket because I was talking on my cell phone while I was driving or if the cop gave it to me because I had the audacity to question why it was a)not posted anywhere along the 271 miles of the thruway that I drove and b)perfectly legal for drivers to be texting and checking the email on their Blackberry's while flying past me, clearly exceeding the posted speed limit. After all, I didn't see them getting pulled over.

I was informed, not so nicely, that it is posted along the thruway, on one little sign right as you enter the state and that yes, the only illegal thing to do with your cell phone while driving was talk on it, and if I think the law should be changed I should probably contact a legislator. Hmph. I was also politely asked why I did not choose the handsfree option and just chat that way - I wanted to tell him that if he wanted me to change the way I talked on my cell phone, maybe he should just buy me a new one that had a better handsfree option; however, I bit my tounge and shut my mouth. Probably a good idea since I had the kid in the car with me and she was already worried that I was getting arrested.

Alas, I will not follow the advice of a friend and avoid paying the ticket. Little Miss Me does not need an active warrant, no matter what state it falls in. As a Criminal Justice major, I would carry a bit of guilt with me over that one. Although as luck would have it, I, like so many before me, appear to be doing everything I can to avoid using said degree; instead I am actively pursuing freelancing on a full-time basis - as a writer no less. A few grant proposals for a few non-profits, some writing about a new summer television show and working with my new favorite friend, Aaron, on his little newspaper, The North Iowa Buzz. How exciting!