Notice of Violation

It was not that long ago that Houston drivers ran red lights a lot. Well they still do. Accidents happen when those drivers run the lights. They try to beat the light but frequently end up hitting another car or causing some other problems. So the City of Houston decided to put up red light cameras. Of course this created a lot of controversy as well as cash. Supposedly a lot of money has been collected from the tickets.

A lot of people have found a notice in their mail box from the Houston Police Department. Hey, Dummy, you ran a red light and we have it on camera! The dreaded Notice of Violation! I have never gotten one of these tickets in the mail. I have run an occasional red light. Shush, don't tell. Actually where I drive, there are no red light cameras. I usually do my duty like a good girl. I have had the occasional palpations while I wondered if the guy behind me is paying attention.

I could never imagine what the ticket would look like. Well, apparently one of my neighbors got a ticket recently. Some how this ticket ended up in the trash. Actually I found it blowing across the parking lot. Daisy tried to chase this piece of paper. So being curious, I picked it up. Yes Big Brother is watching. This informative piece of paper had the picture of the car's rear end and plate number. It had an official ticket form with all the information like where it happened, date, and time. Naturally it listed the violation (Art.XIX, Chapter 45). It also told the violator that she could view her images and video online. And of course it gave the addresses of the Walk-in Payment Center. I wonder how busy that place is? Of course it also gave the address of the Houston Municipal Court where the "images and video...will be submitted as evidence in the municipal court proceeding..."

There was something funny about this notice. The address of the Photo Enforcement Program for the Houston Police Department is in Mesa, Arizona! Yeah buddy! Run a red light in Houston, Texas and get a ticket from the Houston Police Department in Mesa, Arizona. Jeez!