Once we start driving, the excitement is endless. Knowing that we can just pick up our GPS and get from place to place is a different type of adrenaline rush, to say the least.

There are only two things which can become hindrances–gas money and parking. While we can shell out a crisp 20 for gas occasionally, parking is a completely different terror.

I am officially a law violator. Oops.

Just earlier this week when I was excited to get into my parked car and drive off, I saw a little white envelope flapping in the wind. At first, I thought it was just a random ad that was placed by a stranger but after closer inspection, I learned that it was so much more than just that.

That’s right: I had gotten my first parking ticket. At first, I panicked and imagined the worst. I was convinced that for sure this would go on my record and this would be the end of my driving. After turning to the ever-present Google, I learned that this would not be the case. Although I was a little relieved, I still was upset and scared.

In retrospect, I guess I should have seen this coming. I was parallel parked (perfectly, if I do say so myself) in a free two-hour parking spot. However, the problem came from the fact that my car had been there for longer than two hours. I had driven up from home at around 8 am and when I checked back, it was 1 PM, so definitely more than two hours.

Whoops. I just expected the traffic control officers to be a bit more relaxed and I depended on the fact that I was parked in a very quiet area with very little incoming traffic. I guess those make the best inspection spots.

After reading the instructions on the ticket, I knew that I had to pay right away, but I was still very nervous. My next steps were to reach out to friends who I knew had also gotten tickets. I was immediately congratulated for joining the ticket holder’s club. Everyone had told me that they had accumulated so many over their driving time that the number had become irrelevant. I felt like my friends were no help.

I accepted defeat, took my victimized car to the local Starbucks, ordered a drip and then restarted my Google research. My entries included “Do I have to pay my parking tickets?” and “Do parking officers roam the streets all the time?” Good old Google convinced me that there was no escaping this and I only had one choice--pay.

When I tried to pay online, I learned that there was a convenience fee. Dear Municipal Court of Seattle—you already are getting an unwarranted $44 from my decrepit bank account so there is no way that I am willingly going to pay more. I pulled out my checkbook and stamps and then wrote out a check.

Was I in the wrong? Sure. Is a ticket the best way to enforce a rule? Maybe….Not entirely convinced that this is going to be a good thing.

It’s not quite how early I would have liked my ticket but I guess I know now how to stay away from parking violations in the future.

Also, my mom and dad don’t know about this adventure yet so…