How My Glasses Saved Me From A Speeding Ticket
I was speeding.
I had spent the weekend out-of-town and was just in a hurry to get home. The car behind me was going fast too, pushing me along a bit. Radio blaring and in another zone, I snapped awake suddenly when I noticed flashing lights behind me and realized that it wasn’t an ambulance.
Bummer.
In the state where I was doing NASCAR practice there were two choices for big speeders. Those were: a night in the slammer or a day in court. I don’t look good in stripes, so I chose the latter.
As the big day approached, I consulted a lawyer friend. He told me what I needed to say, and not say, as I plead my case. But, the most interesting and helpful advice he gave me was something that I’m quite certain they didn’t teach him in law school. He told me to wear my glasses!
Yes, combined with the most conservative outfit in my wardrobe, my glasses would be the key to my, “No, Your Honor there was a really good reason why I was driving so fast” outfit.
Not my fashion eyeglasses. I left the wild, rhinestone-studded, funky frames at home. This was not an occasion to show off my hipster glasses collection either, though I do have one! Instead, my basic brown metal frame would be the perfect, and really only, accessory for my court day ensemble.
Guess what? It worked!
I mumbled a few words about being sorry and not really intending to break the law. But, I candidly think the judge took one look at me and decided there was no way I ever drove 90 miles per hour. Instead, he ruled that I was being followed and cleared me of all charges and fines.
And, I think it was the glasses. On that day, the right glasses frame saved me hundreds of dollars. Who would have guessed?
Turns out, there is some science behind it too. In 2008 the American Journal of Forensic Psychology actually found that defendants who wore eyeglasses received fewer guilty verdicts than defendants who did not. Speculated reasons for this include the fact that people perceive those who wear glasses to be more dependable and in some cases (mine), more conservative. My glasses made me look like citizen of the year…not a speeder!
So, if you tend to be a wild driver, I suggest you pay a visit to your eye doctor or finally go get that glasses prescription filled before you go before the judge. Who knows, just might work for you too.
