Stupid Tickets

When we lived in Wisconsin, I had to drive about 40 minutes to and from work, mostly on a major highway, which gave me time to ponder.

During the Clinton administration, there was a lot of talk about reducing the budget deficit, and, in fact, there actually was a year or two we spent less, as a nation, than we collected in taxes. Oh, how I wish we were that close to balancing our budget again. Anyway, on one of those daily drives to work, I came up with the idea of “stupid tickets.”

How it would work is that a person could purchase, say, three “stupid tickets” for $50 each and choose to whom and under what circumstances they could be awarded to their fellow drivers. For instance, if a person pulled out in front of you, causing you to slow down significantly, you could award that other driver a “stupid ticket.” If a person received a ticket, they could pay a nominal fine of, say, $20, or attend a common-sense course.

“One who wanders from the way of good sense will rest in the assembly of the dead. Whoever loves pleasure will be a poor man; he who loves wine and oil will not be rich. The wicked is a ransom for the righteous, and the traitor for the upright. It is better to live in a desert land than with a quarrelsome and fretful woman. Precious treasure and oil are in a wise man’s dwelling, but a foolish man devours it. Whoever pursues righteousness and kindness will find life, righteousness, and honor.” - Proverbs‬ ‭21‬:‭16‬-‭21‬ ‭ESV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

In my mind, it was a win/win situation. The government received additional money from both the sale of the “stupid tickets” and/or the fine when a person was awarded one. Besides administering the system, the only cost would be to conduct the common-sense class.

For some reason, this idea made me feel better at the time because it addressed a funding shortfall and helped provide an outlet for a driver’s frustration without incurring legal infractions.

While this sounded good on the surface, there were many problems with the concept. First, no infrastructure exists for the sale, tracking and redemption of the “stupid tickets.” Second, there would be a risk to those who are giving and receiving the tickets, which would require significant training and adherence to legal and administrative requirements. Third, I did not define how the fines would be collected when the receiver was noncompliant. I’m sure there would be many more problems to overcome.

“And he called the people to him again and said to them, “Hear me, all of you, and understand: There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him.” And when he had entered the house and left the people, his disciples asked him about the parable. And he said to them, “Then are you also without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him, since it enters not his heart but his stomach, and is expelled?” (Thus he declared all foods clean.) And he said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.” - Mark‬ ‭7‬:‭14‬-‭15‬, ‭17‬-‭23‬ ‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

What I didn’t realize at the time (and still don’t fully) is that my creative pondering was my pride getting in the way. I wanted other drivers to drive the way I wanted them to drive to avoid my own inconvenience.

It’s fun (or common, more likely) to see a problem and want to be a Monday morning quarterback and come up with a solution. We need to remember that God allows those in government to be our rulers and leaders for his sovereign plan.