Man Pays Ticket With Pennies, Reveals True Self

I  saw the story picked up by several larger broadcast media outlets in big cities across the United States. I was prepared to like this story. It sounds like the kind of thing someone does to prove a point and be a little mischievous.  Who can argue with that?  Especially since nobody likes to pay tickets.

After watching the video, I had quite the opposite reaction.  I felt sympathy towards the people collecting the fine, and nothing but disdain towards the full of himself little jerk who made this video. If you want to make a point about what you believe is unjust,  do it with humor, class, style, and graciousness.  Make me want to cheer you and entertain me since I am your audience. This guy didn't.

Friends and people of good will, I hope you watch this video. Sometimes we're all convinced we are right and therefore without having to explain ourselves to anyone due to the purity of our motives.  That's arrogance and self-righteousness, and you can see it in this video. Very off-putting. Don't we have enough rancor these days?

I thought about printing the guys name in this article but decided against it since he saw fit to plaster his video with it.  Now I know why some Texas media declined to cover the story rigorously. This guy comes across as is a rabble-rouser who does this kind of crap all the time. He must have a lot of free time on his hands because  as much as I'd love to pay for everything in pennies, make custom paint buckets to carry my money in, and film every move I make, I have a job.

He didn't have to be a jerk about it, especially when the lady behind the counter was trying to be as nice as she can be. She's just like the rest of us, trying to make ends meet day in and day out. Because she's a total professional and was raised right, she's going to put up with jerks like this guy with a smile.  I don't know when the idea of being a Southern gentleman fell so quickly out of favor in the South.  Maybe I'm romanticizing the stereotype from long ago.  I really wanted somebody to stop this guy and defend the honor of the poor lady behind the counter who did nothing to deserve this kind of treatment.

For all the intensity the traffic offender tried to convey, I now couldn't care any less about this guy's point about living in a police state. What a joke. This isn't North Korea or some other strongman dictatorship. Indeed, The fact that there were no repercussions only proves his point is a moot one. Police states have a way with dealing with the cheekiest among us that shuts them up pretty quick. None of that happened here to the credit of the people and the state of Texas, and any other authority involved.

I don't rather much like the tone our politics is taking as of late.  Keep it classy.