Ordeal over and no harm done .

[Teresa]

This story goes back to being caught speeding , I was taking my daughter shopping to an out of town store and forgot about temporary speed restrictions through a roadworks .

In the UK we have three options depending on the percentage over the legal limit , we can pay a fine ( ?100.00) and have three penalty points on your driving license or take a speed awareness course (?90.00) or finally plead your case in court , I opted to take the course . Normally they are held in a classroom or a hotel conference room but with the lockdown restrictions they are done online using Microsoft Teams . The next problem I faced was choosing to sit the course as Teresa . The requirement at the start of the course is to show evidence that you were the driver at the stated address which is usually proved by showing a drivers license or a current passport . I telephoned them explaining I was TG and my appearance wouldn't match those documents so they agreed to prove my identity though a current household bill . The receptionist did thank me for letting them know as they hadn't dealt with this situation before .

Today I finally joined the course after two aborted attempts through technical problems , it was the first time I've been on an open conference call and it went very well , I could see and hear all the other participants and obviously they could see and hear me . It was very informative , I have to admit after years behind the wheel it's surprisng the things you forget , the guy running it also had some fun with us .

At the end it was so good to have this ordeal behind me , I had a confirmation Email from the County Police Force confirming I had successfully attended the course and no further action would be taken

Sorry it's a longish story , again it's to show being TG isn't a problem , I admit I had been told twice to take the course in male mode , I personally feel doing it as Teresa was the right thing to do , not just for me but the whole TG community .

[Vikky]

A good story and affirming. These little challenges to your new life and acceptance knows no bounds. Well done.
Vikky

[Stevie Allyn]

Congratulations and well done Teresa.

[JennyUK]

Nice to hear that our UK bureacracy is moving in the right and correct, inclusive direction.

Thanks for sharing, and nicely done avoiding the 3 points ;-)

[Helen_Highwater]

Teresa,

I think you handled that well. Ringing ahead saved any awkward moments at the start and I'm sure helped the organisers by raising their awareness.

Quick question; do you have to declare it next time you apply for insurance?

[Raychel]

You are right, Job well done Teresa.
The more people interact with us in a normal setting
The better off everything will be.

I had an issue at the customs border between US and Canada one time.
I just told them the story and all was fine.

Thanks for sharing your story

[Teresa]

Jenny,
I have been a bit naughty in the past so I know what it means to have twelve points , living alone it's something I must try and avoid now but I admit the roadworks caught me out . As for bureaucracy nothing official will happen unless we make it happen !

Helen,
I knew if I was going to take the course as Teresa I would have to check what procedure was in place , the one thing they didn't tell me was any documents used instead of photo ID had to be not less than 6 months old , he let that one go . I will to have a serious think about changes to my ID next year .

Informing the insurance company isn't necessary according to the instructor on the Drivetech course and he should know as it's part of the AA .

Also an interesting point he raised was that in two years time all new cars in the Euro zone will have automatic speed controllers fitted , they may also have a kickdown feature but if you have an accident while using it the insurance company may walk away .

Rachel ,
You're welcome

[adelinapa]

This is just a great story with a wonderful ending. In all kinds of ways we twist ourselves up bc of assumptions we make of others assumptions of us.

Well played, madam :)

[Rogina B]

High time to change the pic and info on your license !

[Connie D50]

Teresa As always your handled fantastic, I'm a little shocked "The receptionist did thank me for letting them know as they hadn't dealt with this situation before ." I would think in these times it would have come up by now.

[Teresa]

Connie,
I was a little surprised too with her comment , I also received a similar one from the instructor on the course again thanking me for making the sitaution clear so they know how to deal with the same situation in the future .

As a P.S.
I received another Email this morning from DriveTech thanking Ms Terri ****** for taking the course .It also makde it clear I'm not legally obliged to tell my insurance company I had attended the course because the Police had taken no further action .

[Angela Marie]

Congratulations on once again affirming who you are. I wish I were in a similar position.

[Teresa]

Angela,
I hope I've made it easier for you when you finally get more freedom to be you .

[GretchenM]

Teresa, this is a wonderful, positive thread with lots of helpful hints for the rest of us. You handled it really well and their responsiveness shows there is respect for you and who you are. I agree it is time to get a new ID and become Teresa more officially. I really don't think you are prone to falling back to your previous identity. You have joined womanhood and fit there very nicely.

[Angela Marie]

Angela,
I hope I've made it easier for you when you finally get more freedom to be you .

Teresa. Yes you have made it easier. As I become more comfortable in my feminine persona posts such as yours are a great encouragement.

[Jean 103]

You are right it isn't a problem. Can you get new IDs?

When my license needed to be renewed a few years ago, I was dressed . It's only a head shot but I'm in full make-up.

You are Teresa, I totally understand. It is your identity, who you are, to be other than that brings pain.

On a funny note, with fewer people on the freeway, they are driving way to fast. There is one of these electronic billboards the state has, yesterday it said " you are not driving a sleigh so stop flying".

Happy holidays love Jean

[CarlaWestin]

It's nice to get those pesky issues resolved. I too find it interesting that you were the first TG encounter for the receptionist.
Evidently, only a very few of us are Menacing Speed Demons!

(I had to say that because a female judge used those exact words to lambaste me in traffic court. I remember just fantasising about her wearing nothing but sexy lingerie under her robe.)

:straightface:

[CD Rachel]

I personally feel doing it as Teresa was the right thing to do , not just for me but the whole TG community .

Teresa the trail blazer! Thank you for leading and making a difference.

Rachel

[DMichele]

Teresa,

Thank you for sharing your experience and avoiding the penalty points. I don't believe the options you have are available where i live (US - PA).

I agree with with this...'being TG isn't a problem'.

Best wishes and safe driving.

[Teresa]

DMichele,
It's sometimes debatable whether it's done for safety reasons or just to fund raise .

I admit the course did make me more aware of the risks of speeding but after the course I had to pop into town , it's then far more apparent how many idiots there are on the roads , so few really care about other road users and some pedestrians just like dicing with danger .

Rachel,
Thanks for that , I'm in a position to do it so I do !

[KymG]

Teresa, i once did the course and came away from it feeling that most of it was good stuff and it made a lot of sense, and im glad i did it.
However, i do feel as if it is more of a cash cow than a safety issue, due to the places they put cameras in.
One place near us has a camera as a result of a road death, that actually turned out to be a pedestrian suicide. Nothing to do with speeding.

[Teresa]

Kym,
Recently I was returning home after a shopping trip , I followed an electric car through my town doing 15mph because he was trying to conserve his battery , so the obvious solution is everyone buy an electric car , you can't speed because you're so paranoid about a flat battery . I can see the man with the red flag being reintroduced !

My biggest gripe is they appear to want to catch you out , I pointed out on a previous course that many foreign drivers do not know some of our outdated laws that designates a speed limit . They keep coplaining about the plastic mountain , why can't they use it to make more speed inicators marked in MPH and KPH ? If you have a constant reminder rather than the guessing game we sometimes have to use I'm sure it would reduce most speeding problems .

I was caught speeding through roadworks , the temporary speed sign was hidden by a construction vehicle .

[Liz Jones]

Teresa,
We have a car with all the "bells&whisles (yep --even has a T.V.! ) but the sat nav tells me the speed limit--sometimes the (old) speed limit so not always safe to trust that ether !
Liz

[Carole]

Some speed limit areas don't conform to the Highway Code either, there is a hamlet (12 houses) near me that has a 30 limit, there are no street lights and a repeater sign halfway along the stretch, I often wonder who lives there to get that past the county planners. The HC states street light spacing and no repeaters for a 30 limit area

[Teresa]

Liz,
I admit I have been on a course before , on both I've attended there were more women than men !

There were two guys on the course who had been caught speeding where there was a zero tolerance limit , one was clocked at 31 mph in a 30 mph limit and the other 33 . It does beg the question as you say what can you trust to give you an accurate reading , my Volvo appears to be 2-3mph over indicated .

[DMichele]

DMichele,

I admit the course did make me more aware of the risks of speeding but after the course I had to pop into town , it's then far more apparent how many idiots there are on the roads , so few really care about other road users and some pedestrians just like dicing with danger

Teresa,
I totally agree with you that there are a lot of idiots on the roads today. I have adopted a get-there-safely approach when driving, whether it be local or on the interstate highway. Note, that does not mean that I am a slow poke, but I determine speeds based on traffic and weather conditions. Furthermore when traveling to my daughters, whom are in within driving distance (4 & 6+ hours), I tell them that I get there when I get there.

I don't want to become a highway statistic or cause harm to anyone. It is not worth.