ここ4日間連続でLAX（ロサンゼルス国際空港）通いの私。月曜にはじいちゃんとばあちゃんがサンフランシスコに行って、火曜にはパパがフィラデルフィアに行って、水曜にはパパがフィラデルフィアから帰ってきて、木曜にはじいちゃんとばあちゃんがサンフランシスコから帰ってきた。LAXはご存知大空港でターミナルもたくさんあって、パーキングもたくさんあって、車も多くて、しかもポリス・カーがあちこち見張っている。時間によっては車は大混雑状態で、無理なレーン変更や割り込みなどやむを得ない場合も多い。ターミナル前ののロータリーで帰ってくる人を出迎えようと待っていると、ここに停まるなと追いやられる。仕方なくまた空港の周りを一回りすることに。そんな中、電話がかかっきたので、「今、大混雑の中を運転しているから、また後でね」と一言いって切ったところ、後ろからピカピカ。。。捕まっちゃった。州法での基本罰金は20ドルなんだけど、さまざまなゴミ料金（法廷料とかプロス料とか）が追加されて結局150ドルくらいになるらしい。財政難だからね。I have been driving back and forth to LAX (LA International Airport) for four consecutive days. On Monday, I dropped my parents there who left for San Francisco. On Tuesday, I dropped my husband who left for Philadelphia. On Wednesday, I picked him up coming back from Philadelphia. On Thursday, I picked my parents up coming back from San Francisco. LAX is a huge airport as you may know. There are many terminals, parking structures, many cars and also lots of police cars awaiting us to violate one of the traffic laws (you know, California is deeply in debt and needs MONEY!) Depending on the time, the rotary is simply a mess and you are forced to do a little rough trick here and there. You wish you were able to park your car a little on the curbside while waiting for the arriving family. Those uniformed personnel quickly find you and tell you to leave. You then end up in the messy traffic on the rotary again. That was then I received a call on my cell, so I answered the call, told the caller (my mom) that I was in the traffic and would call you back later, and hanged up. Unfortunate me! I had a police car right behind me. I got ticketed for using cell phone while driving. The basic fine under the state law is only $20, but they throw in all kids of miscellaneous fees including court fee, possessing fee, record fee etc. etc. and it adds up to $150, I heard. See, that is very California.
