Breaking the Law
I said, excuse me, your honor. He goes, you think this is good enough? You think you're a good enough driver? You think you can just come on my streets and tear up my neighborhoods and be riff Raff among the community? And I say, excuse me, your honor. I said, that's a clean driving record. He goes, that's not good enough. He goes, you need a four year clean driving record.
Hey my name's Justin Pogue. I'm from Phoenix, Arizona and Alaska. I commute a lot. I enjoy motorcycles and I live to ride.
So, one time, me and a friend of mine, lets call him Ryan. We were on bikes, and we were going on a pretty good little ride and we were going down to this conference. It was basically a conference to help men transition from prison to real life. So it was a better me program. And so we were on our way down and I had suggested we take a certain route and cause it was early in the morning and there would be less traffic, but he had suggested we take another route. And I said, no, you know, that way there'll be more traffic. Um, there's a lot more, um, you know, police and you know, all that, just there's a lot more factors.
Let's just go this way. He said, no, no, let's go that way. So we argued about it and in the end he won. We went that direction and we're cruising around on the freeway. Now you have to understand when you're on a motorcycle, you have a tendency to go a little bit faster, not because you want to be cool or whatever, but if you're in front of a car, they can't hit you. If you're behind a car, they can hit you. So you always stay in front of traffic. So we were standing in front of traffic. We were, it was 65, so we were probably doing 75. And, we got pulled over and as we were getting pulled over, obviously we're on Harleys and it's really, they're really loud, loud pipes save lives. But uh, didn't hear the police car until the last minute.
And so notice him over off to my right and he's motioning to the side of the road. And so, okay. Okay. So we pulled over and as we were pulling over, he almost takes out a car and so he got kinda upset. And so we pulled over and of course he comes up hand on his holster, step off the bike, step off the machines, and we're like, Hey, Hey, Whoa. It's cool. And so we go through this whole process and he has backups to the backup and they're asking us, we have guns and knives and everything else. We're like, no, no, we don't. We're going to this man's conference to help people transition out of prison and get into society and be productive and blah, blah. And then all of a sudden the cop that had taken my license and registration, he had gone off into his car and he, he called me back to his car and I was like, Oh boy.
So sit in his car. And he goes, uh, couldn't help but over here that, um, you guys are doing this. And he goes, I really apologize. He goes, I had a rough morning. And he goes, you guys didn't see me right away so I just got kinda irritated. And he goes, I'm really sorry. He goes, honestly, I got, he goes, I probably let you go. It sounds like you guys are doing a great thing, but I got to give you this ticket. Cause I started the paperwork. I said, Hey, no problem. You know, we were speeding. No big deal. I'll go to traffic school and blah blah blah. So Hey, we're all gold, right? We go to our conference and I have a quarter court hearing. So I go down and my buddy is there with me cause we got the same exact issue ticket.
And the difference being he had no valid motorcycle license, no valid insurance, no valid registration, and the bike didn't even belong to him. I had all of the above. I had a registration, I had a current insurance and I had a valid motorcycle license with a clean record. And so we go before the judge and the judge goes to my buddy Ryan and says, um, so, uh, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. Looks like you need to slow it down. Um, take it easy. You know, the dangerous, so go to driving school. Now what I forgot to mention was two weeks before that he had a criminal speeding violation, which meant he was going over a hundred in a truck and got a criminal speeding ticket. So this is how his day goes. I go up, I'm dressed in a nice shirt and pants.
I wear shorts all the time, but I put pants on, I go before the judge and he looks at me and goes, what is your problem? And I, excuse me? You think you can come into this town and ride like it an idiot and blah, blah, blah, and just goes into me just rails into me. I don't get two words out of my mouth. He goes, I'm going to find you $300 and 10 days in community jail. I said, what? He said, excuse me, are you getting smart with me?
I said, your honor, I said, I'm clearly eligible for driving school. And I said, I have a clean driving record and you know this, why am I doing a fine and jail time? And he goes, Oh, you think you have a clean driving record? And I said, yeah, I do. And he goes, so you can prove that. And I said, yeah, I can. He goes, okay. So I'll recess to this and you can go get your driving records. So I went and got it clean two year driving record, came back and I gave it to him and he says, you think this is good enough? And I said, excuse me, your honor. He goes, you think this is good enough? You think you're a good enough driver, you think you can just come on my streets and tear up my neighborhoods and be riff Raff among the community? And I say, excuse me, your honor. I said, there's a clean driving record. He goes, that's not good enough. He goes, you need a four year clean driving record.
And I said, okay. So he reassessed and I went and got a four year clean driving record, came back and at this point I literally thought I was going to jail so I had nothing to lose. So I go before the judge and he goes, he just bird dogs me. As soon as I go in and he goes, come up here. And I just like, okay. So he comes up here and just starts railing into me. He's yelling at me, I'm going to jail. And so finally I just said, you know what? I said, I don't know what your problem is, your honor. I said, but this is ridiculous.
I said, the lady before me, she had three DUIs, she assaulted a police officer, stole a car, crashed into another car and assaulted a police officer. Again. Then stole a police car and pursued it, proceeded to go on. They had to then crasher and then she's here now, today. And you gave her 30 days probation and I have a speeding violation and a record for community service and you're gonna throw me in jail. I said, this is a corrupt jail system. You your honor, a disgrace to your robe. I say, if I'm going to jail, I'm going to go to jail. The bailiff was standing there, he didn't know what to do. He was getting ready to tackle me I think. And so finally he said, Oh well come forward. And so I went forward. I thought I was going to jail because I guess you'll get clean driving. Uh, you can go to driving school if you think you're eligible and just don't do it again in my town.
And I stormed out of the courtroom, grabbed my paperwork and I went out and in the hallway was the police officer that had given me the ticket. And he had mentioned that he would come and testify on my behalf. That, you know, I wasn't this bad guy and blah, blah, blah. And I said, where were you buddy? And he goes, I walked into the courtroom and saw you yelling and screaming at the judge. And he goes, I just backed out. He goes, I figured that I wasn't going to be able to help you in all that. So anyway, that was one of the most memorable experiences, on the motorcycle. Kids be safe, don't drink and drive and for sure don't speed in Scottsdale, Arizona.