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Traffic School Trauma
By Meena Yeggina

Did you know that two double solid yellow lines mean that that area is a divider and cannot be entered?

Did you know that you have to signal at least for 300 feet before you move to the next lane?

You would if you had attended a traffic school!

Yes, a traffic school, an eight hours of torture and revelation. Rushing to see my son who fell off the monkey bars while playing at his school, I didn't realize I was six miles over the speed limit 41 miles in a 35-mile zone until I saw the blinking lights of the cop behind me. I explained the situation it was not a school zone or something nor was it a traffic time. The cop responded to my explanations with a stony look, checked my license and wrote me a ticket. As it was my first time in eight years of driving record, I could attend a traffic school to clean my bad history. Okay, so be it, I thought. It'll be a good experience anyway. No, it will not. I realized this fact within 20 minutes of my attendance. It's going to be a long monologue by a teacher named Bob who's equally bored, and who seems to want to get out of the class as quickly as we did. Almost all of us participants were ticketed for speeding except for a few cases of red lights and seat belts. And every single person caught for speeding felt that they were given a ticket unjustifiably. As the majority of us were from Milpitas, there seemed to be a general notion that Milpitas' cops were prejudiced.

Though all these notions seemed funny and even superficial, there was one point which I couldn't help notice. By accident or coincidence, I'm not sure, almost all (except three I guess out of say 40) were non-Americans. Most of us were Asians. I believed that traffic school though tiring would be a serious, fact- revealing experience. However, the school, at least my particular class, was boring, repetitive with constant complaints and unnecessary arguments. Not one soul was repenting. It was definitely not worth it. However, by the end of the day I learned three important points which, I feel, are worth learning.

• One, a cop can give a ticket to anyone he pleases at his whim. Follow the rules very strictly as that's your only protection.
• Two, don't use your vehicle as a weapon. Be polite, gentle and cordial to your fellow drivers.
• Three, don't let your friends or spouse drive drunk. Even if they (the friend/spouse) don't like it and feel less manly/womanly.

• The main pointer, however, is AVOID TRAFFIC SCHOOL!

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