The dreaded summons came to my home. Sure, it isn't quite as bad as the kind of summons that says you are being sued, but jury duty still sucks. I know because this is my second time to be called even though I still haven't hit thirty. (And yes, I'm tired of senior citizens marvelling, "You've been called twice? I've never been called for jury duty." Bite me, Grandma.)
Having done a stint at the county courthouse when I was a young pup of eighteen, when I at least had my college text books to study, I knew I was in for hours and hours of boredom. So, when I showed up at the Federal Courthouse, I came up with a plan to fight the tedium: share my experience with you, TheLostOgle reader.
7:00 - I arrive downtown seeking day long parking that won't require me to take out a second mortgage on my home. It's not that I am new to parking downtown, it's just that my employer usually covers the parking, and the court will only reimburse $5. The one lot that costs that exact amount and does not require a marathon walk is, obviously, full. So, I end up at the Main Street garage, which is a long jaunt, but at least it caps at $7 and has the benefit of going out on to uncongested streets toward I-40 if I get stuck at the courthouse until rush hour.
7:15 - I arrive at the Federal Courthouse and get to stand in line at the metal detector. Apparently, someone decided the only thing forced public service was missing was the thrill of going through airport security. Now, that is not a problem.
7:20 - Oh yeah, one of the rules of the court is that camera phones are not allowed. Since I have a camera phone, I was forced to trade with my wife, who does not have that option on her cell. The drawback, besides it being obsolete five years ago, is that it is hot pink in color. Showing that off to the security guard was fun.