I just got another notice that I'm called to jury duty. I average about one every two years. I've only ever served on one actual jury, but twice I've had to go in and waste a whole morning, and one time a day and a half before being told that I wasn't needed and could go back home/to work.
The one time I was actually on a jury, it was at the courthouse here in town, which isn't too bad, since there is plenty of parking and it doesn't take long to get there. All of the other times it was for the courthouse in Oakland. It's impossible to find parking near that courthouse unless you go in three hours before you're supposed to be there. The one time I had to go back the second day I rode a motorcycle in and was able to squeeze it into one of the parking garages, just barely. Normally you have to take a BART train in, then walk four blocks to the courthouse. That's extra fun on a rainy day, which one of them was.
Since others that I work with get called to jury duty fairly regularly too, we often discuss what a bother it is. The last time we discussed it, only a few months ago, I was asking the rhetorical question of why we couldn't at least get called for jury duty at the local courthouse instead of the pain-in-the-butt courthouse in Oakland. I can walk between the local courthouse and my work in five minutes, so I might be able to get something useful done during the long lunches that they give when they're doing jury selection.
Well, it looks like my wish was granted, this time I'll be at the local courthouse. At least if I have to go in, it won't be nearly the hassle as going to Oakland.
And if I'm lucky, I'll call the number the night before and be told that my group isn't needed. That happens at least half of the time, which lets you worry about it for several days before finally being relieved that you're safe for another year.
The one time I was actually on a jury, it was at the courthouse here in town, which isn't too bad, since there is plenty of parking and it doesn't take long to get there. All of the other times it was for the courthouse in Oakland. It's impossible to find parking near that courthouse unless you go in three hours before you're supposed to be there. The one time I had to go back the second day I rode a motorcycle in and was able to squeeze it into one of the parking garages, just barely. Normally you have to take a BART train in, then walk four blocks to the courthouse. That's extra fun on a rainy day, which one of them was.
Since others that I work with get called to jury duty fairly regularly too, we often discuss what a bother it is. The last time we discussed it, only a few months ago, I was asking the rhetorical question of why we couldn't at least get called for jury duty at the local courthouse instead of the pain-in-the-butt courthouse in Oakland. I can walk between the local courthouse and my work in five minutes, so I might be able to get something useful done during the long lunches that they give when they're doing jury selection.
Well, it looks like my wish was granted, this time I'll be at the local courthouse. At least if I have to go in, it won't be nearly the hassle as going to Oakland.
And if I'm lucky, I'll call the number the night before and be told that my group isn't needed. That happens at least half of the time, which lets you worry about it for several days before finally being relieved that you're safe for another year.
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