Go Straight To Jail... Do Not Pass GO Or Collect $100

***So this is going to be an interesting post… I wrote on my facebook page about my trip back home to Vancouver Washington, and they will be posted here soon as well. This post is about the journey after I landed back in Salt Lake and a 'night' in jail. Mind you there was no Shanking, Robbing or Assualting involved...

My flight was delayed leaving Portland, and I was not sure when we would actually land so I was told to call my roommate when we landed so she would just leave then. We live fairly close to the freeway, so in all actuality it is all freeways. As she was coming into the airport, there are a few ‘speed traps’ and sadly she was caught in one of them. When the “Airport Police” pulled her over, they found a bench warrant for an unpaid ticket to the city of Midvale. This in turn led to her Arrest. She called me and said that this nice officer was going to swing around pick me up, sign over the rights to the car and I would meet her at the county jail. This is where it went weary.

As I was getting ready to sign paperwork for the vehicle, and was heating up the car, they asked to see my driver’s license. Apparently the fine that I was paying for the city of Centerville (Expired Registration and not the currant Insurance cards in my car) something was wrong and I too had a bench warrant out for my arrest. This had the arresting officers laughing hysterically. So they in turn arrested me as well. This was by far the best coming home present anyone could have asked for!

I hurried and wrote down my roommates, roommate’s boyfriend, Aunt, Uncles and parents numbers. I also quickly called my boss laughing that I was being arrested for a traffic violation and I would try to make it into to work at 7am. They then told me that since this ‘infraction’ happened in Davis County and I was in Salt Lake County, that they would need to transport me up there, but since the snow was so bad up there, they did not want to come ‘claim’ me until the morning. Welcome to a free night in the slammer!

They put the cuff on me, stuck me in the back of the “Airport Police” SUV (mind you I find this funny it was an airport police officer, and the fact that this is all they have to do. What type of officer screws up enough on the job and gets ‘Airport’ duty?! That’s like getting parking enforcement duty!) and took me to Salt Lake County jail. They did not buckle me in, and he drove like a speed demon! I was scared he would crash, and I would die from a lack of seatbelt! When they got me in the pre-booking area, they asked if they needed assistance, and my officer was all like “No she’s a good kid”. This made me irate. If I am a ‘good’ kid why am in hand cuffs?! Why is he putting me through this?! That was when I saw my amazing roommate and we just laughed. At this point, you can cry or just laugh it off. We chose the laughter in place of getting upset.

They later questioned me about my medical history and medications what not. He came to the all too familiar question of “Do you have any current or past considerations of Suicide?” I answer, “Well right now I do!” He did not find that so funny and actually yelled at me… How do you really want me to answer that? Then after getting basically violated (The officer had to make sure I was not ‘carrying’ anything and when it got to the front chest area, she was like “obviously you can’t get anything else in there!”) they where ready to take me down to the holding area. Mind you I was slightly disappointed, there was no actual bars or real cells, they where all mostly just a ‘pit’. I found my roommate once again, and I felt comfortable. Honestly if I had to go through this with anyone, I would totally pick her! However, I did have to use the restroom since PDX, and I was terrified of using the “inmate” bathroom! It took me almost two hours to finally get over it, and suck it up. That is the last I wish to comment on this, I have a huge phobia of using public restrooms, and it was not pretty…

I then called my uncle to see what was going on. I called him at the time of the ‘arrest’ and he was coming to help. He also works with the department of corrections. We then found out it would take 2-3 hours, and that he should just go home and to bed. I was then told to call my one roommate at home and let her know what was going on. I couldn’t help but laugh when she picked up the phone at 1:30am, and it said “Will you accept a collect call from Amber an inmate at Salt Lake County Jail?” Sadly her phone would not accept collect calls, and that was a no go. She started to stress though and then I felt horrible. I did not want to stress her out too!

Somewhere in the mix my roommate and I where separated and it was harder to stay calm for myself. For the record I would once again like to point out “TRAFFIC VIOLTION” and I was sitting in the same area of gang bangers, drug dealers, druggies, assault charged and one person who had a DUI and ran her ex boyfriend over with her car! I was sitting there in my nice new designer jeans I bought for my trip, a nice blouse, slippers and a sports jacket, and I felt like the prude person! After the picture taking, pre trial and finger printing it was around 3am. My roommate was released close to 3 hours before me, and I was still stuck there since it was another counties jurisdiction. Because of it being Davis County, I had to pay the initial ticket I was giving back in July, with out what I had paid on it already, which totaled $1030, oh and in cash before I would be released. Thankfully my roommate helped me post bail, and in just enough time. If I could not come up with all of it within 2 hours, then they would ‘dress’ me in for the rest of the night. Let me just say what I herd they do for that was not appealing and did not want to do any of that!

There were lots of other interesting things that happened, but a lot of it I choose to forget. I still had to sit there on these cement blocks basically for another 2 ½ hours after my bail was posted before they released me! Oh and they will not let you sleep, lean, lie down, put your feet up, stand or anything! By the time I left it was close to 5:30am, and it had been close to being awake for almost 24 hours, and I had to be to work at 7am! That was the just of my experience. Oh and the fact that I guess I am allergic like my mom to different metals and my wrists started to break out into a rash yesterday, and they swelled along with the bruising. I did not get to take a nap until about 2:30pm, since my boss let me off early but I had to help my roommate find her rental car that was impounded and all that fun stuff. All in all interesting experience, I hate “airport” police, and learned that the city of Centerville sucks and always make sure they receive everything, even if the check clears the bank! I now have to fight with them about getting a refund. Oh what great great fun I get to deal with now!

*Oh and for the record, the officers in the jail, could not stop laughing at the reason why where in there! Not only that, but the look of "joy" on the arresting officers face when they brought me in at least was ridiculous! All the other officers with the gang arrests and cocaine bust where making fun of the "Airport" Police officer for his "BIG" capture!