Let’s just say I’m not the most observant person you will ever encounter and I do not intend to research how many other of these United States already use words in such odd ways. Actually that’s because I’m afraid that knowledge may plunge me into believing there is no hope for us.
You see I’m from what probably is called the “old school” now. I grew up understanding that if I broke a traffic law, parked where I shouldn’t or committed some civil misdemeanor and got caught I would have to go to court. I further understood that if either I pleaded guilty or was found guilty by the court or a jury there would be punishment in some form(s) for my actions. That punishment could include incarceration for a period of time and/or requiring me to pay a fine.
Being of that “old school” mentality also lead me to understand that when I need someone to provide a service for me (for example patch a nail hole in a tire) I expect to pay a fee for that service. I would never say the price for repairing the tire was the fine/punishment for getting a flat tire but I surely can say I paid a fee for the repair service.
So the first time I saw a Handicap Parking sign with the statement (this will be paraphrased) unauthorized parking could cause a $xxx FEE it gave me reason to question how the schools teach English now. Since then I have seen numerous construction zone signs stating speeding tickets and other moving violation FEES double in work zones. It’s another one of those things that makes me go: Huh?
Why on earth (the moon, Mars, Jupiter or Venus for that matter) would the regulatory bureaucracy decide to substitute the word FEE for FINE? Could it be they are afraid the lawbreaker being fined may take offense because they are being punished for breaking a law?
Lawbreaker: “Oh gosh, I’m so offended by your intention to punish me that I’m going to file suit for offending me in that way”.
Judge or Bureaucrat: “Golly we don’t mean to imply you are being punished so we won’t fine you but you will have to pay a fee. Is that better for you?”
Lawbreaker: “Oh, OK! Long as I’m only paying a fee it’s all better. Thanks for salvaging my self esteem. Now who do I write the check to?”
There are those that will claim it is an indication of the decline of the educational system while others will lay the blame on political correctness. I question if it isn’t some of each.
Whatever the case I can only hope I never stand before a Judge and have him/her tell me the FEE for my indiscretion is $xxx. That my friends could be one you want to be in the courtroom to witness.
That may help explain why I chose the nickname Curmudgeon.
