I confess my guilt: it was wrong of me to complain about my speeding ticket in a public forum. Luckily, I had many Blogcritics who were more than happy to call me out as a "naive" twentysomething trying to apply the logic of common sense and safety to a system based solely on revenue. So... forgive my transgressions, you may now return to your regular broadcast of cynicism.

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While the charcoals of my frustration have cooled since then, I now had in engage in damage control for the ticket. The fees were begrudgingly paid via credit card, so all that remained were those two points on my license. As most of you know, insurance companies aren't too fond of points, and will hike up your rates or even drop your coverage at their holy discretion. Indeed, I had no wish to see if the gecko could be a poison spitting serpent.

So I went in search of a defensive driving class to reduce my points and insurance. I was lucky enough to find one about half a mile away. On a nice day like last Sunday, I could walk there. Such a thing could come in handy if I get caught in another speed trap or two. But let me knock on wood for that thought.

Anyway, I had been to a defensive driving class twice before, in 1999 and 2002. Both times, it was for the 10% discount. In your twenties, 10% is usually a nice chunk of change over a three-year span (which is how long the DD class is good for). So this would be the first time I actually had to use the point reduction option.

When you attend a DD class, you'll quickly learn that it is not offered by the Department of Motor Vehicles, but through an independent contractor or driving school. The contractor then mails your proof of attendance in to the DMV, who will confirm your reductions in a few weeks.

In my three experiences, the classes all consisted of three identical elements: handouts, videos, and discussion.

The handout is half workbook/half factsheet. It's filled with DMV statistics, common sense advice, and recommendations on avoiding road rage, cell phone use, etc. Are there any kind of magic factoids, where you leave and can suddenly drive like the car chase from Ronin or French Connection? No. But it is a good refresher of everything you skimmed over when getting ready to take your driver's test at 17.

The videos are usually either a recording of a TV story from 20/20 or PrimeTime Live, or a cheesy made-for-driving school short. The recording I saw had Sam Donaldson traveling with Delaware state troopers in an undercover car, then interviewing the violators the trooper pulled over. The short was actually an instructional video geared towards teens, which the driving school was getting double mileage from. But the basic information was there.