Public Defender 101 – Rule 30: Don’t believe that you cannot do something stupid.

Let’s be honest. If you are a public defender, it is safe to presume that you are rather bright. You have survived high school, the SAT/ACT, college, the LSAT, law school, and the bar exam. You have a high opinion about yourself. However, let me tell you this: you are still human; you are still capable of doing something immensely stupid.

Case in point: January 18, 2013:

I was going out on a date. However, my car had some mud on the side of it. I decided to leave work early to go a car wash that was nearby. The entrance had a long driveway that led to a sharp curve that had a guard rail along it. This particular car wash had an automated guide rail that required you to put your car in neutral, and it would pull your car through the car wash. As I approached the terminal to make my selection, I presumed it had the option to pay by credit card, since I rarely carry cash on my person. Well, I presumed wrong. It did not. So, I was faced with two options:

1. Back my way out of the car wash and down the entrance, or
2. Sneak my way through the car wash outside of the guide rail.

I chose number 2. The reason was for my decision was that my luck through out the day had been bad, and I did not want to push it by backing down this odd entrance way. So, I decided to ease on through the car wash outside of the guide rail. My thought process was that if I started to drive through the car wash on the guide rail that it might activate the system, and damage my car. Along the automated guide rail are a series of metal grates that while quite heavy (100 lbs or more), they can be lifted up to help service it. Well, as I was easing my way through the car wash on said metal grates, two of them, one at the driver side front tire, and one at the driver side rear tire gave way. My car frame landed on the other grates, but I was unable to move my car. After an initial moment of panic, I knew what I needed to get the car out, which was a couple of floor jacks & a couple of boards to put under the wheels. I had to buy one of the floor jacks and call my parents to bring me their floor jack, but I was able to get my car out of this mess. Yet, I had to call my date, I had to swallow my pride, and I had to tell her the truth. She understood, and we rescheduled our date.

Now, if you have any doubt that I am telling the truth, I took two pictures to document this mess.

See, the sign clearly tells you not to drive through, and I did. I got what I deserved.

Now, I am not telling this tale to be down on myself. Here are positive things that I took from this experience:
a.) I got me a floor jack for only $50; most cost about $80-$120,
b.) My car is no worse for the ware,
c.) My date for the evening is quite understanding, and she still wants to go out with me, and
d.) I was able to get my car out of this mess without having to pay a large sum of money to a towing company.