It’s All Sliding Downhill

When I was in college, I initially had a job at a fast-food restaurant. I usually worked close, so I drove home after midnight. Being a little zoned, I edged over the speed limit a bit. I got pulled over twice, only going twelve and thirteen miles per hour over. But at eighteen years old with a provisional license, this was enough to lose all my points and get suspended.

By the time my suspension hearing came up, I had a new office job at the college, and a new quarter had started. We needed four PE classes to graduate, and my college offered Skiing, so I’d taken that. I’d gone to one class (held at a local ski area about an hour out of town). But at my hearing the next day, the hearing officer had no mercy and gave me a three-month suspension.

I initially thought that I’d just keep driving, making sure not to get any unwanted attention. But my brother cautioned me that getting caught driving on a suspended license would be expensive. I then had a thought about appealing to the hearing officer. 

I went back to his office and asked to speak to him. I told him I had a class off-campus and really needed to be able to drive to it. He then asked the fateful question:

Hearing Officer: “What class do you have off-campus?”

Me: “Um… skiing.”

Hearing Officer: *Laughing.* “You’re kidding!? I’d be laughed out of a job if I let you have a license to go skiing!”

I slunk out of his office. So, I couldn’t continue to drive to class, and I didn’t have any friends who were in the class. So, I dropped the skiing class.

My brother happened to be friends with the instructor of the skiing class. He asked me months later if I didn’t like my instructor. I reminded him that my license had been suspended and I couldn’t drive to class. He then said I should’ve hitchhiked. I told him I’d rather miss skiing instead of being murdered by someone who picks up hitchhikers.