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Short and sweet version.

First, no need to get into it as much as you do in the second. Your situation made me laugh, sorry.

You need to minimize the urinating in public thing - it is just bad...can you call it a ticket for public nuisance or something? Also - is this something where you pay a fine? Did you go to court? Can you fight it? I just think that most people frown seriously on urinating in public. This one is going to follow you around for a while so make it sound as vanilla as possible. And maybe get some advice on how you can fight it ?

I would tell as little as possible and let them ask for clarification if they want more information.

The first i assumed you were drunk.

I know its a very shitty situation, but it really was a "my bladder is going to explode and there's nowhere else I can go" kind of thing. My only reservation about keeping it vague is the adcoms coming up with their own conclusions (i.e: I was drunk and had to piss) but at the same time, I don't want to shoot myself in the foot by going into detail. Any other opinions?

Take out that "I am determined that"... the tone sounds like it is really hard for you to keep a clean record.

Other than that, I would go with the second one. You need an explanation otherwise your a drunkard.

Pulling over while driving from CA, I was cited and pled out a petty offense for quickly relieving myself on the road shoulder. The relevant code is Sec. 22-13. Urination in public place.

(a) It shall be unlawful for any person to urinate upon any public or private property except in toilet facilities provided therefor.

(b) Any violation of this section shall be punishable as a petty offense, subject to a maximum penalty of three hundred dollars ($300) per violation.

and it's "were open in..." not "where open"

Use the second one, but make it less graphic.

The first one keeps admission folks guessing, and it can be interpreted as vandalism if not guided in the right direction.

Thanks for all your suggestions. I really hope I can minimize the damage this addendum is going to cause. Here's a #3 version. Thoughts/suggestions?

On April 10, 2010 around 11:30 PM., I was driving from California to Arizona and realized that I had to take an emergency restroom break. Noticing no available facilities or businesses in my vicinity at that time of the night, I pulled over and relieved myself by the shoulder of the road, against my better judgment. I was issued a citation for public urination, a misdemeanor in the state of Arizona. I plead guilty to the offense and paid the $139.60 fine. I very much regret this black mark on my otherwise clean record. Accepting full responsibility for this offense, I am confident that no such behavior will ever reoccur.

thanks guys, I can use all the advice I can get

dh22 wrote:Thanks for all your suggestions. I really hope I can minimize the damage this addendum is going to cause. Here's a #3 version. Thoughts/suggestions?

On April 10, 2010 around 11:30 PM., I was driving from California to Arizona and realized that I had to take an emergency restroom break. Noticing no available facilities or businesses in my vicinity at that time of the night, I pulled over and relieved myself by the shoulder of the road, against my better judgment. I was issued a citation for public urination, a misdemeanor in the state of Arizona. I plead guilty to the offense and paid the $139.60 fine. I very much regret this black mark on my otherwise clean record. Accepting full responsibility for this offense, I am confident that no such behavior will ever reoccur.

thanks guys, I can use all the advice I can get

That is giving me a bad image in my head... Trying really hard to think of better phrasing, but I am failing miserably.

On April 10, 2010 around 11:30 PM., I was driving from California to Arizona and realized that I had to take an emergency restroom break. Noticing no available facilities or businesses in my vicinity at that time of the night, I pulled over by the shoulder of the road, against my better judgment. I was issued a citation for public urination, a misdemeanor in the state of Arizona. I plead guilty to the offense and paid the $139.60 fine. I very much regret this black mark on my otherwise clean record. Accepting full responsibility for this offense, I am confident that no such behavior will ever reoccur.

How about take out "relieved myself"? You were issued a citation for public urination, so I think the reader will figure out that you urinated in public...

BlakcMajikc wrote:On April 10, 2010 around 11:30 PM., I was driving from California to Arizona and realized that I had to take an emergency restroom break. Noticing no available facilities or businesses in my vicinity at that time of the night, I pulled over by the shoulder of the road, against my better judgment. I was issued a citation for public urination, a misdemeanor in the state of Arizona. I plead guilty to the offense and paid the $139.60 fine. I very much regret this black mark on my otherwise clean record. Accepting full responsibility for this offense, I am confident that no such behavior will ever reoccur.

How about take out "relieved myself"? You were issued a citation for public urination, so I think the reader will figure out that you urinated in public...

Its a tough one. I would set it aside. And revisit it in a day or so. Youll get it right.

Let be honest, who hasnt done that? I personally dont think its a big deal.

If you have no other violations of any kind, you should write that as the last sentence. "I have no other traffic violations of any kind, either before or after that event." Definitely try to build it into a traffic ticket type conviction in the AdComs mind.

Urinated sounds a lot better than relieved yourself IMO. I personally think #2 in the OP is fine. I think a little explanation is important or else it will probably be assumed that it was an alcohol related incident.

Ignatius Reilly wrote:The first i assumed you were drunk.

Yeah, the first one may give them the impression you were drunk. Also, can you call it something else? You need to find a happy medium btwn the 2 statements.

On April 10, 2010 at approximately 11:30 PM., while driving from California to Arizona, I needed an emergency restroom break. Noticing no facilities open in my vicinity at that time of night, I pulled over on the side of the road, against my better judgment. I was issued a citation for public urination, a misdemeanor in the state of Arizona. I plead guilty to the offense and paid the $139.60 fine. I very much regret this black mark on my record. Accepting full responsibility for this offense, I am confident that no such behavior will ever recur.


looking better? Can't really call it anything else because I don't want this to come up as a C&F issue

dh22 wrote:On April 10, 2010 at approximately 11:30 PM., while driving from California to Arizona, I needed an emergency restroom break. Noticing no facilities open in my vicinity at that time of night, I pulled over on the side of the road, against my better judgment. I was issued a citation for public urination, a misdemeanor in the state of Arizona. I plead guilty to the offense and paid the $139.60 fine. I very much regret this black mark on my record. Accepting full responsibility for this offense, I am confident that no such behavior will ever recur.


looking better? Can't really call it anything else because I don't want this to come up as a C&F issue

I think its good to go.

BlakcMajikc wrote:

dh22 wrote:On April 10, 2010 at approximately 11:30 PM., while driving from California to Arizona, I needed an emergency restroom break. Noticing no facilities open in my vicinity at that time of night, I pulled over on the side of the road, against my better judgment. I was issued a citation for public urination, a misdemeanor in the state of Arizona. I plead guilty to the offense and paid the $139.60 fine. I very much regret this black mark on my record. Accepting full responsibility for this offense, I am confident that no such behavior will ever recur.


looking better? Can't really call it anything else because I don't want this to come up as a C&F issue

I think its good to go.

I think this probably is fine.. If anything I was thinking maybe you could make it even shorter by simply stating the citation without even explaining it, or just saying that you 'got X citation when you stopped on the side of the highway to urinate on blank date.' Maybe even one short sentence would be the ideal for this is my intuition, but like the above poster said I think you could use the above and be fine as well. I might at least leave off the last line though; this strikes me as a quite a petty offense for them to even ticket you on, so if anything I think the "full responsibility and ..make sure this will never recur" bit gives the incident more weight and scrutiny than needed. Just my .02.

dh22 wrote:On April 10, 2010 at approximately 11:30 PM., while driving from California to Arizona, I needed an emergency restroom break. Noticing no facilities open in my vicinity at that time of night, I pulled over on the side of the road, against my better judgment. I was issued a citation for public urination, a misdemeanor in the state of Arizona. I plead guilty to the offense and paid the $139.60 fine. I very much regret this mistake. Accepting full responsibility for this offense, I am confident that no such behavior will ever recur.

This could work.