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[lëtzeshark]

Hint: In many jurisdictions you can get your points reduced if you simply bother to come into your court hearing rather than paying up front. Also, you won't automatically lose your license from speeding unless you accrue N number of points in M months. (And even then, many jurisdictions have ways, such as 'drivers' safety' courses you can take, to get points taken off your license.)

Some states/jurisdictions also have mechanisms to avoid points being assessed in the first place. The exact name and conditions for eligibility differ from state to state: for example, in North Carolina (my "home" state), it's called a "prayer for judgment continued", while Washington calls it a "deferral" and Tex-ass "deferred adjudication". The effect is still the same, though, where the offense is not recorded as a conviction for most purposes.

(Also, while states can suspend a license on a single speeding ticket, you normally have to be really, really breaking the limit for that to happen. In NC, for instance, your license goes bye-bye for 30 days on a first conviction of going faster than 15 mph over the speed limit, if you're going faster than 55 mph, and you become ineligible for a "prayer for judgment continued" if you're going faster than 25 mph over. I think Ohio and Virginia only consider suspensions at 20 mph over, but details may vary.)

No. A secret is that car insurance providers over time will drive up your insurance costs over time no matter what you do, even if you have a perfect driving record, and even if you have tickets on your record you can significantly reduce your costs by regularly changing car insurance providers.

The funny thing is that this does partly depend on the state in the US (North Carolina has a complex rating system), but this effect does happen with so many things: rather than "loyalty" discounts, so many companies tend to offer new blood discounts to entice people to join them.

[malloc]

OK then. I don't know how Missouri handles this sort of thing. As it currently stands, I am already on a tight budget and have given up so many luxuries over the years (it really is remarkable how much my quality of of life has deteriorated over the years). I can't really afford another surge in expenses. One problem after another even at the best of times and always tightening my budget. Looking over my current income and expenses, I honestly can't find any room left for cuts.

Considering all the outrageous crimes that other people routinely commit with impunity, it feels genuinely strange to realize that one speeding ticket will probably destroy my life.

[Raphael]

Today I learned that the Wikipedia article on the 95 theses of 1517 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ninety-five_Theses starts with the words "Not to be confused with 99 Problems."

[Travis B.]

Today I learned that the Wikipedia article on the 95 theses of 1517 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ninety-five_Theses starts with the words "Not to be confused with 99 Problems."

I find it funny that someone has the idea that the 95 theses would be confused with a Jay-Z song.

[Man in Space]

Today I learned that the Wikipedia article on the 95 theses of 1517 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ninety-five_Theses starts with the words "Not to be confused with 99 Problems."

I find it funny that someone has the idea that the 95 theses would be confused with a Jay-Z song.

I’ve got ninety-nine problems and a beatification ain’t one

[Darren]

Considering all the outrageous crimes that other people routinely commit with impunity, it feels genuinely strange to realize that one speeding ticket will probably destroy my life.

Malloc, this is the second time this year you've been done for speeding (last time if I recall correctly you were going to be emprisoned for it). I know speeding is good fun, but you have to be careful when you do it. Only do it on roads you know very well and keep a good eye out for cop cars. Luckily in America they don't have speeding cameras (on account of people would just shoot them out if they put them up), and it's much easier to get out of it in person. Consider such witty repostes as "lovely day for a warning, isn't it officer?" and "sorry officer" and "thank you officer". You can also offer a bribe, although this can be risky.

[bradrn]

Considering all the outrageous crimes that other people routinely commit with impunity, it feels genuinely strange to realize that one speeding ticket will probably destroy my life.

Malloc, this is the second time this year you've been done for speeding (last time if I recall correctly you were going to be emprisoned for it). I know speeding is good fun, but you have to be careful when you do it. Only do it on roads you know very well and keep a good eye out for cop cars. Luckily in America they don't have speeding cameras (on account of people would just shoot them out if they put them up), and it's much easier to get out of it in person. Consider such witty repostes as "lovely day for a warning, isn't it officer?" and "sorry officer" and "thank you officer". You can also offer a bribe, although this can be risky.

While I appreciate the humour, might I gently suggest that this may not be such a helpful reply for malloc?

[Travis B.]

Considering all the outrageous crimes that other people routinely commit with impunity, it feels genuinely strange to realize that one speeding ticket will probably destroy my life.

Malloc, this is the second time this year you've been done for speeding (last time if I recall correctly you were going to be emprisoned for it). I know speeding is good fun, but you have to be careful when you do it. Only do it on roads you know very well and keep a good eye out for cop cars. Luckily in America they don't have speeding cameras (on account of people would just shoot them out if they put them up), and it's much easier to get out of it in person. Consider such witty repostes as "lovely day for a warning, isn't it officer?" and "sorry officer" and "thank you officer". You can also offer a bribe, although this can be risky.

While I appreciate the humour, might I gently suggest that this may not be such a helpful reply for malloc?

Seconded.

[malloc]

Quite. This is a serious situation that will require some substantial budget cuts at the very least. I am trying to decide what foods I can ditch without suffering nutritional deficiencies and questioning why I bother living without luxuries in general.

[zompist]

Quite. This is a serious situation that will require some substantial budget cuts at the very least. I am trying to decide what foods I can ditch without suffering nutritional deficiencies and questioning why I bother living without luxuries in general.

Did you look for other insurance? Did you ask about ways to reduce the charge, e.g. a higher deductible?

It sucks that a single job is often not enough to support a person, but there are also options here: have you considered part-time work? Having a roommate? Looking for a cheaper apartment?

Someone seriously messed up in not giving you basic life-coping skills. But you are smart enough to recognize that and be aware that there are things you do not know and should ask people about.

[malloc]

Did you look for other insurance? Did you ask about ways to reduce the charge, e.g. a higher deductible?

That will have to wait until after the ticket goes through court since my rate will depend on that.

It sucks that a single job is often not enough to support a person, but there are also options here: have you considered part-time work? Having a roommate? Looking for a cheaper apartment?

My apartment doesn't really have room for a roommate since it's a 300 square foot studio and it's already about as cheap as I can reasonably expect to find. Furthermore, my schedule probably doesn't leave room for a part time job, and it would hardly leave me with any time to enjoy life anyway. Let me stress that I am already the poorest active poster on this forum and you're expecting to accept a significant plunge in my quality of life.

Everyone badgers me to see a therapist and insists that would solve my problems. Meanwhile they overlook the crushing burden of my economic and political situation. They imagine that somehow I can and should be content with working sixty hours a week while living under a fascist dictatorship.

[zompist]

Did you look for other insurance? Did you ask about ways to reduce the charge, e.g. a higher deductible?

That will have to wait until after the ticket goes through court since my rate will depend on that.

So you're going to sit there and catastrophize until that actually happens?

It sucks that a single job is often not enough to support a person, but there are also options here: have you considered part-time work? Having a roommate? Looking for a cheaper apartment?

My apartment doesn't really have room for a roommate since it's a 300 square foot studio and it's already about as cheap as I can reasonably expect to find. Furthermore, my schedule probably doesn't leave room for a part time job, and it would hardly leave me with any time to enjoy life anyway.
Let me stress that I am already the poorest active poster on this forum and you're expecting to accept a significant plunge in my quality of life.

Let me stress that you know fuck-all about other people's lives here. You lose a lot of sympathy because everything that happens to you, you act as if you're the only one in the world with that problem. Yet you are absolutely unable to think about any solutions to those problems, you just want to argue with people. Every one of us has had traffic tickets, housing problems, employment problems, health problems, political problems.

The Missouri minimum wage is $12.60 an hour, rising to $13.75 an hour in January. if your report of your hours is correct, you're making $39,000 a year and will soon be making $42,900 a year. Congratulations, you make more money than I did for many years.

Edit: You've missed the point about roommates. Inviting someone else to your present place is only one option. You are always full of reasons you can't make any changes; it's not up to us to find alternatives for you that delight you, it's up to you. You are not out of options; your psychological problems are what make you think you are, which is why you need therapy.

[Raphael]

I generally agree with you, zompist, but...

Someone seriously messed up in not giving you basic life-coping skills.

Not sure about that. I have a somewhat similar lack of basic life-coping, or, in my case, more like basic life-management skills, and I doubt this can really be blamed on "someone messing up". It's at least as likely to be at least somewhat genetic.

[zompist]

Someone seriously messed up in not giving you basic life-coping skills.

Not sure about that. I have a somewhat similar lack of basic life-coping, or, in my case, more like basic life-management skills, and I doubt this can really be blamed on "someone messing up". It's at least as likely to be at least somewhat genetic.

The first step in dealing with a personal issue is recognizing that it's an issue. It's no shame to have issues. Getting to the point of recognizing them takes some people decades; but whenever they start, that's good.

[Ares Land]

Everyone badgers me to see a therapist and insists that would solve my problems. Meanwhile they overlook the crushing burden of my economic and political situation. They imagine that somehow I can and should be content with working sixty hours a week while living under a fascist dictatorship.

What I think is that it sure looks like you're suffering from severe depression and anxiety. Okay, I'm just some guy on the internet, and only a professional could tell, but there's probably something along these lines going on.

That doesn't negate all the various issues you're going through; but you don't deserve to be dealing with major depression on top of that.

[Darren]

While I appreciate the humour, might I gently suggest that this may not be such a helpful reply for malloc?

I don't know if there is such a thing as a helpful reply for malloc. I was serious about the main point though. If you're really worried about getting speeding tickets, you have to stop yourself from speeding. But he got off once for some pretty severe speeding, so he might well come right again anyway.

[Raphael]

Someone seriously messed up in not giving you basic life-coping skills.

Not sure about that. I have a somewhat similar lack of basic life-coping, or, in my case, more like basic life-management skills, and I doubt this can really be blamed on "someone messing up". It's at least as likely to be at least somewhat genetic.

The first step in dealing with a personal issue is recognizing that it's an issue. It's no shame to have issues. Getting to the point of recognizing them takes some people decades; but whenever they start, that's good.

No disagreement. My point was that I'm not sure what, exactly, the people involved in raising me, or malloc, could have done differently to avoid the issues in question.

[malloc]

I asked my lawyer for help on this issue so now I can only wait to hear their response. Hopefully they can resolve this problem without me falling into financial ruin, but who knows. Regarding therapy, I do wish people understood that if I can't afford a hike in car insurance, then logically I cannot afford therapy either.

[zompist]

Regarding therapy, I do wish people understood that if I can't afford a hike in car insurance, then logically I cannot afford therapy either.

I've told you before that I'll pay for an initial session.

You use your brains only to find excuses for why you can never do anything. This is itself a problem for which you need therapy.

[malloc]

I've told you before that I'll pay for an initial session.

You use your brains only to find excuses for why you can never do anything. This is itself a problem for which you need therapy.

Sure, but who's paying for the subsequent therapy sessions? Perhaps there simply are no good options. Even putting aside the current crisis with my soaring car insurance costs, the world is full of catastrophic problems that I simply can't address in any meaningful sense. Is it rational to feel content in a world run by fascists and AI and ravage by global warming?