Licence, Registration and Transportation Inequality

Colombia River Gorge, Oregon.

I said, "I know, Officer."
I know it's been since July
that's nearly half a year,
I clearly see.

That's plenty of time to get my registration up to date
what's with all the wait?
Surely I'm incompetent, lazy or negligent,
surely, a $200 ticket will fix this.

I said, "I know."
And you took that condescendingly.
So tonight you'll meet your quota,
but you'll never actually see.

It's been since July,
because in order to comply with registration requirements
my vehicle must undergo an inspection
and with that, comes the expectation that my car is in working order.

But, this constant rattle
vibrating at every brake like the wheels are loose on the axle,
is going to cost me over a grand,
and you don't understand,
that with three jobs,
I still can't manage to withstand a car savings to pay this fee

So you see,
half a year,
it seems like a lot.
What about you? You got $1,000 to spend on a car?
Must be nice, driving a company vehicle.
Probably get aligned once a year, probably free.
I wonder, what's your salary?

Average 50k?
Hmm... that's a livable wage.

As for me,
18.36 per hour- Bexar County said that's what I need just to get by.
you know,
basic essentials like food, health insurance and a roof over my head.
Instead,
I'm driving the rattling vehicle
from one job to the next
I'm averaging 10 per hour...
some weeks making poverty wage
some weeks a few dollars higher.

10 per hour, you see that's at least 8 dollars under livable wage.
you know,
basic essentials like food, health insurance and a roof over my head.

So forgive me,
if instead of prioritizing my vehicle
and said registration
I focus on basic essentials like food, health insurance and a roof over my head.

16.2% of the Bexar County population you work to serve and protect
is unserved, and unprotected in the vulnerable condition of poverty.
That's got me pondering...
isn't that more people impoverished than the national average at 14%?

Of course, we're in Texas...things are bigger here.
Why am I steering away from the problem at hand.
My vehicle.

Female, brown eyes, caucasian...
"What's your current address ma'am?"

Wait a second.
Here I am talking about poverty,
what's that got to do with a privileged white female?

Well,
funny thing.
Females, age 25-34
happen to be largest demographic in poverty
within the great city of San Antonio.

That just so happens to be where I land...

you know,
the other end of your pen
asking me to sign,
showing me when and where to appear...

Hell,
I've had tickets before,
really what entails is an arbitrary number
saying my negligent registration burden
has cost the city a surplus of money.

And I can't stop thinking about how funny it is
that your system seems to think charging more money
to somebody who got in this very situation because
she didn't have enough money
and suddenly
your economic mobility philosophy,
that this ticket will stop unregistered vehicles
is completely lost on me.

"It's been since July,"
you kindly remind me.
Surely, I'm incompetent, lazy or negligent.
Because poor people, they just sit at home and cash a check, right?
It's not like the majority of individuals living in poverty in our country are the working-poor,
that can't be right.... so we'll just ignore that statistic for your case..

Oh, and about that court date,
you know,
the day I'll have to miss one of three barely-above poverty wage jobs to appear,
sacrificing several hours of pay when I'm already at least 8 dollars shy of basic essentials like food, health insurance and a roof over my head,
​
that day..

Do you think the judge will be open to talking about the gap between minimum wage and living wage in Bexar County? And how a working citizen can have three jobs and still not make a living wage?
​
Do you think maybe we could discuss the high poverty rate in this city and perhaps a plan for female women in their late 20's and early 30's dominating the poverty demographic in San Antonio?
​
Or do you think we will just be talking about the ticket payment?