"Dear California Driver"

I received this letter in the mail from the DMV's office. Yes, I admit, I have received 2 traffic violations within 4 months. Both of which were violations that were very specific to the neighborhood I was in, and not ones you see everywhere. Unless you live/drive there all the time, you really wouldn't know they existed. I know, I know, excuses, excuses. But still. In addition to over $300 in fines, they feel compelled to additionally reprimand me with this condescending letter? I felt as if I needed to go hide in a closet to read it, it was almost that humiliating. Good grief California. This soap box is one I'd rather not pay for in postage with my tax dollars. Go preach to someone else!

My absolute favorite quotes from this letter are:

1) "We understand that you may believe you are a good driver" TRANSLATION: You are the worst driver on the planet and don't even know it.

2) "You can choose to prevent further action from DMV by avoiding additional traffic convictions and by not causing any crashes." In my defense, I did not cause ANY crashes in my apparent "lapse in driving judgment". I made a wrong left turn out of a freaking Home Depot parking lot and I switched lanes on an empty roadway when I wasn't supposed to. These are apparently CRASH CAUSING offenses. Who knew.

3) "If you choose to continue your unsafe driving..." Am I 16 years old?

4) "We hope that you will decide to change, but the choice is yours."

I am awaiting my "12 step program for bad drivers" letter from the DMV next. Because I can only imagine that such program exists, and that they would forcefully recommend it, for horrible drivers like myself.

Geez. Enjoy.

"Dear California Driver,

Drivers with crashes and traffic convictions on their records are at a greater risk of causing future crashes. Your recent record of bad driving places you at increased risk of causing crashes, injury, and death. We do not want you to suffer those consequences and want to help you avoid them.

We understand that you may believe you are a good driver, and yet your driving record is much worse than the average California driver. While you may be a good and safe driver most of the time, your record reflects at least momentary lapses in driving judgment. At highway speeds, a moment of carelessness can become a tragedy. Good, caring people who make careless decisions while driving can cause injury or death.

In our effort to urge you to drive more safely, we are offering you a choice. You can choose to prevent further action from DMV by avoiding additional traffic convictions and by not causing any crashes. However, if you choose to continue your unsafe driving, the penalties will increase and eventually lead to probation, suspension, or revocation of your driving privilege.

We believe you are capable of making a change to become a safer driver, but it is up to you to do so. If you do not want to change, your driving will continue to present a risk to yourself and other road users. If you want to change and become a safer, more responsible driver, you can. We hope that you will decide to change, but the choice is yours.

If there is a discrepancy in your driving record, you may contact the Sacramento Department of Motor Vehicles.

This action is independent of any other action taken by the court or this department.

Department of Motor Vehicles"