Small Town Politics

Ok, now this story, Sam and I both thought was really funny. =) A few weeks ago, Sam was SO MAD, because on his way to work, he was stopped for speeding on the interstate outside a small town that he passes by. This police officer was in an undercover cop car, and when he came up behind Sam, Sam started speeding up because he thought the vehicle was tailing him. The whole thing resulted in a $192.00 ticket for improper lane usage, 14 miles over the speed limit, and then a proof of insurance citation. At that moment Sam couldn't find our vehicle insurance card in the glove box, so he had to go back and prove he had it by calling in with our policy number, etc..
Well, anyways, Sam thought his court date was on Tuesday, so on his way to meet me at the doctor Monday he went through this small town and stopped in to pay his ticket. Well, he had actually missed the court date, because his date was actually MONDAY morning and not Tuesday like he thought. But, and this is the odd part, the clerk pretty much WOULD NOT LET HIM pay his ticket! She was like you need to go to court at 1:00 today and see the judge, this ticket is 6 points on your license. Sam was like "No, I'm surprising my wife at her doctor's appt. so I just want to pay the ticket and leave." The clerk was then like, "Well, how about you go to court on June 1 for this ticket." Sam was like "Well, we're having a baby so I'm not sure I can do that date..." Well, the clerk got so exasperated with him, she was like "You can't pay this ticket!!! I'm going to give you the district attorney's number so please talk to him about it." Has anyone else ever heard of a county clerk just not letting you pay for a speeding ticket???
So Sam tells me that story at my doctor's appointment, and we both thought it was really odd. So anyways, he left a message with the District Attorney for the county. Well, Sam and I decided at like 3:30 on Monday afternoon, he should just call the courthouse clerk back, and just tell her he wants the June 1 court date. We thought it might be a good idea, since now he was technically late paying this ticket to have something on the books that he was going to pay it! Well, he calls her back, and she's like have you talked to the district attorney? And he was like no, not yet...and she was like talk to him. It was like she was refusing now to give him the June 1 court date or let him pay for the ticket!
Well, the district attorney called Sam back around 4:00 on Monday, but Sam missed the call, and the office was closed when he tried again Monday night. So Sam calls me Tuesday morning, tells me he talked to the district attorney, and that they were dropping two of the charges and now his ticket was $160.00. BUT, and this is the funny part, at the end of the phone call the DA told Sam they had thought he was a different "Sam Crass." Apparently, in that town, there is a "Sam Crass" that is a board member of the planning and zoning commission, on the board of directors for the local YMCA, a life member of the historical society, he's a donator to the Yew Dell Gardens (that I posted a blog about that Sam and I had visited), his wife is on the professional women board of the county, etc...
So basically, Sam and I know NOONE in that town, but because the clerk recognized Sam's name, she apparently thought he was this other Samuel Crass - hence, why we weren't allowed to pay the ticket. The District Attorney still helped Sam out, but I have a feeling, had he been the other "Samuel Crass" all citations would have probably disappeared! =)