Things that you expect to find on lined notebook paper probably include class lecture notes, doodles that started out as class lecture notes and grocery lists.
Here's what you likely don't expect to be delivered in the medium of cheesy high school poems everywhere: a traffic citation issued by the Kansas City Police Department.
Stephani Bowne still can't believe what a police officer handed her at a traffic stop Wednesday morning.
"People didn't believe me that it was real they're like, 'Did you write this? this isn't legit,'" Bowne said.
On her way to work Wednesday, Bowne drove through 59th and Oak in Brookside. A KCPD officer pulled her over for failing to come to a complete stop.
"I didn't realize that I had done that, I thought I had come to a stop. He proceeded to ask for driver's license and proof of insurance, [he] took that information back to his car," Bowne said.
But inside the cruiser, the officer's printer didn't work. KCPD said the officer had to adapt and give her a piece of paper.
"I kind of laughed, which I'm sure was not the right thing to do, but I never expected to be handed a piece of notebook paper," Bowne said.
On it was ticket number, court information, the charge, along with the officer's name and badge number.
"The piece of paper is actually not a ticket," Sgt. Kari Thompson, a KCPD spokeswoman, said.
@OPDOfcBossman He said his printer was broken! pic.twitter.com/ZamTwrbZqb
— Joel'$ Biggest Fan (@ktwientzen) March 30, 2016
The tweet requested advice from Omaha Police Officer Mike Bossman, who runs a Twitter account communicating with and advising Omahans.
Bossman then tweeted at KCPD to ask whether or not the it qualified as an enforceable traffic citation.
. @kcpolice could we have some assistance with this traffic citation? Is it a real and legitimate citation? https://t.co/TQjNSkxt1K
— Ofc. Mike Bossman (@OPDOfcBossman) March 31, 2016
The department responded to the tweet saying the officer "had to adapt and overcome" the issue and the driver would receive a copy with the same information from the municipal court by mail.
@ktwientzen @OPDOfcBossman Talked to officer. Ticket is legit. Driver will receive copy w/ same info from Municipal Court by mail to (1/3)
— Kansas City Police (@kcpolice) March 31, 2016
@ktwientzen @OPDOfcBossman address on their license. Due to e-ticketing implemented 3 years ago, our policy changed to require tickets (2/3)
— Kansas City Police (@kcpolice) March 31, 2016
@ktwientzen @OPDOfcBossman be issued at scene. Officer said he had to "adapt & overcome" IT issue. & he just gave a warning for no seatbelt
— Kansas City Police (@kcpolice) March 31, 2016
KCPD said tickets went electronic three years ago. So in instances like what happened Wednesday, even though the officer couldn't print it, Bowne's $118.50 traffic ticket is in the mail.
"Knowing a similar incident happened to a co-worker before and his printer wasn't working at that time, I would think that they would try to get something fixed," Bowne said.
Thompson said this does not happen often and they have "a pretty good system working."
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Andres Gutierrez can be reached at andres.gutierrez@kshb.com.
