I'm just not good at court

This morning I received a courtesy call reminding me of my follow-up court date from last February's left turn incident. Thanks, Municipal Court of Houston, but this time--unlike last time--I was prepared. (Let's file this phone call under "things that would have been useful three months ago.")

So I arrived at the courtroom early--but not too early--for my 4pm date, previous paperwork and car insurance (another thing that would have been useful three months ago) in hand, knitting away and hoping the hardened criminals around me wouldn't bug me. There were fewer of us than before: ten people tops. The nice court assistant called my name and I confirmed that yes, I was Mary Dickinson, whatever you want to call me, really, just don't put me in jail please.

So the judge went through the names, and I waited, and he made small talk with the nice assistant, and I waited, and he said "does anyone have any business to discuss that is NOT on the dockett, because I'm about to leave the bench" and I panicked! What about MY dockett!?

I approached the bench (this is not entirely true, because you see I live in Texas and that bench scares the hell outa me--so more accurately I got a little closer to the bench but still stood behind the firing line) and avoided eye contact with the judge, and motioned my distress to the nice assistant. "Your name was...?" she asked, and started rumaging through papers, while I'm thinking You called it! It's there!.

And the confused-looking judge (oh god, I confused him, he's gonna book me for sure) pulls out my record, stamped DISMISSED, and informs me that since I haven't gotten any additional tickets, I didn't have to come today.

(This despite the pink slip from last time that says I must obey the rules of traffic and show up in court on said day and time OR ELSE TAR AND FEATHERING / DISMEMEBERMENT / DEATH. I am not making this up.)

The whole trip cost me an hour and three dollars for parking. I did get three rows of knitting done on my sweater. Do you see where reckless left turns will leave you, children? You're better off taking the bus.