Everyone gets tickets and citations throughout their lives at some point.

Maybe some don't.

I was on the side where I tried not to get one EVER in my entire life. I like to keep my nose clean, mind my p's and q's, you know?

via GIPHY

That all changed 8 years ago on March 7th when I got my first and only ticket. It wasn't so much of a doozy as it was hefty, a very hefty ticket. The icing on the cake is that this ticket was federal.

*Cue the Dragnet theme song*

8 years ago when I was at college in Missoula, my girlfriend at the time, her roommates, and myself decided to take a roadtrip to Jerry Johnson hot springs, hike in, and go for a little dip. Jerry Johnson Hot Springs is a very popular hang out for most everyone and it's about a miles hike from the interstate in Idaho just off the Montana border into the wilderness.

That evening we checked the time and realized that we needed to leave and hike out. That was at about a quarter to 8 in the evening. It was dark at that point, but most of us had hiked that trail before and knew where to go, the only thing we were worried about was a chance we would run into a bear.

I'm glad we avoided that problem.

Get our free mobile app

We got back to the wooden bridge crossing to the interstate when a flash light appears...

"Good evening, how are we all doing tonight?"

via GIPHY

 

We were met by a federal officer patrolling national park entrances.

We were all stopped and ID'ed and asked why we were in a national park after dark. We explained why and said sorry however, it didn't get us out of trouble.

We were cited tickets and this time it was a federal offense. The reason we were not let off the hook was because in the past people abused the law of national parks being closed after 8pm which I was unaware of, and people also were victims of violent crimes in the area and they were pretty bad with one individual succumbing to injuries according to the officer.

The law is the law. I paid my ticket and learned my lesson to the tune of 370 dollars.

I definitely will not make that mistake again, especially in Idaho.


✅ Here's How To Behave When Idaho Police Stop You

BOISE, Idaho. For many, getting pulled over by law enforcement can be an uncomfortable experience. Because knowing better leads to doing better, we're exploring the dos and don'ts of getting pulled over in Idaho.

Scroll on for advice on the do's and don'ts of Idaho traffic stops from an Idaho Criminal Defense Attorney! For more information, click the pic!

More From 94.5 Max Country