fix-it ticket
n.— «Apparently, in most states, having one headlight out is not considered a moving violation (in some states it is legal to only have one headlight working), but referred to as a “fix-it ticket.” Meaning, the police officer gives you a ticket or fine and tells you to get it fixed as soon as possible. Most of the time, you can then head immediately to an auto parts store to purchase a new headlight, and go to a judge or the police station that issued the ticket, and have the whole thing dismissed, barring a small court fee. You can walk away without getting any points on your driver’s license.» —“What to do when a headlight goes out” by Jon Ray Who is Jon Ray? (Austin, Texas) June 1, 2009. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Martha recently found a 1938 letter that her grandfather sent to the local police chief in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley. It concerns a suspected thief who her grandfather thought might be persuaded to confess because, he wrote,, the young man surely...
A firefighter named Steve in Newport News, Virginia, wonders why in his line of work, and for some police, certain additional kinds of days off after long unbroken shifts are called Kelly days, Kelly shifts, or Kelly time. The term most likely comes...