BAWC Forums

I'm really not all that upset about it, but the story goes as such...

I was crusing down a street going to give my sick girlfriend some food, traffic was pretty tight as well. I was going ~40 mph, when I saw the light turn yellow, I tried to stop for a bit (not a great idea, should have went forward) but noticed I couldn't see the headlights of the car behind me. I looked real quick to see if there was any traffic in the on coming left hand turn lane, and there wasn't so I just motored on through.

The guy next to me did the same thing, and he was about a Stealth length behind me. As I crossed the light, it turned red. Before I know it, I saw a Wayne Co. police car coming up on my rear really really quick. The way he attempts to stop us is a little scary as he came up on my left (I was in the left lane of a 4 lane road), and swerved into me in an attempt to get me to pull over. Well I freaked out and swerved right, but the other guy didn't get the picture and wouldn't let me over.

The cop saw this and pulled ahead of both of us and cut off traffic to pull both of us over. I was thinking to my self, aw darnit

So as I was sitting there he goes to the guy ahead of me first and it looks like they were having words, so I decided to not attempt to piss him off any further. I gave him my registration and licence when he asked, he snatched them from me and said do you know why I pulled you over, to which I replied "I didn't want to create an accident."

He mockingly replied, "Funny, that was the other driver's excuse too."

So he gave me a ticket, told me it would benefit me to show up in court and that was that. He also added, "There is a huge problem when I have two people running the same light."

I thought to myself, don't you think it would be justifiable if TWO people ran the light? I justified my decision based on the fact it was night, and the roads conditions, and I didn't wanna get rear ended.

I know that Michigan is undergoing some really hard budget times, they had to shut down for a while back in Oct or Nov, and I know police dept's. everywhere are expereiencing budget problems... so in turn I'm pretty sure they're going to give out more tickets.

But when he says, "It would benefit if you have a good record to show up in court," all that says to me is, "If you show up in court we'll just ask for your money and not give you points." I mean, even when I called the court system today (like he said to do... but they're not open), they have a 1-800 number to stream line paying them. So while I don't mind the forced donation, it just seems like the whole system is pretty focused on getting my 100 or so dollars into their pocket.

I just hope I don't get points!

[quote=""Chris95RT""]...it just seems like the whole system is pretty focused on getting my 100 or so dollars into their pocket.[/quote]Money first, public safety later.

[quote=""Caffinated Soap""]Money first, public safety later.[/quote]

x 1000

its all about the benjamins

The thing that pisses me off the most about traffic tickets isn't the fine. It's paying YEARS of increased insurance premiums for a minor infraction like going 10 mph over the speed limit on the highway for instance.

Insurance companies fill me with a blinding red rage

You are an angry man of late Jeff.

Sorry to hear Chris. Traffic fines are a pain in the ass, especially when you really are trying to work with the rules.

Scotty

[quote=""GTO Assassin""]You are an angry man of late Jeff.

Sorry to hear Chris. Traffic fines are a pain in the ass, especially when you really are trying to work with the rules.

Scotty[/quote]
He has a good right to be angry, with the way Michigan's No-Fault policy works when you get in an accident you get really really worked over for years to come.

I hope I can just escape this without points. But quite honestly, I'd do the same thing over again.

[quote=""TajMan""]its all about the Benjamin's[/quote]
Don't get me wrong, Police have a job to do, and I for one wouldn't want to do what they do. You're pretty much universally hated, and probably get so much shit from so many different people for so many different reasons. For instance, the Dearborn police department has been investigated multiple times for civil rights abuses.

I just wish it wouldn't be so focused around money, but everyone's gotta get paid somehow.

Gotta love the fact that the two of you both ran the light for the same reason, and the cop feels that instead of "these guys had a good reason" it was "both these guys are evil and must grease the system!" It's always the one asshole cop that gives them all a bad name.

And I agree with Jeff, too. Something you are legally forced to have shouldn't be a for-profit setup. Insurance companies need to be regulated or just completely taken over by the gov't since they are the ones requiring us to have the stuff in the first place.

Insurance companies need to be regulated or just completely taken over by the gov't since they are the ones requiring us to have the stuff in the first place.

I don't think we really want the government handling this one

Good point...

Make them non-profit? I would love to see the executive mgmt squirm under that thought.

Where in Michigan do you live, I'm near Grand Rapids and the cops don't really give a shit around here really.

I live in Dearborn Heights/Dearborn/Southfield Michigan.

I would show up to court and tell them the same thing you posted here and see what the Judge has to say about the cops driving trying to cause an accident. I laugh at cops that go by crap being spewed to them about stuff. They always are around when there is no one around and you make that one muck up but when there are morons that are doing crap that could cause a really bad accident they are never around.

Or my favorite thing being a firefighter having to deal with state cops when there is an accident on the highway and you have to block a lane of traffic. I've been threatened to be hauled off in handcuffs if I didn't move the ambulance and others have been too. F them. I didn't move it. I didn't get taken to jail either or a ticket. I hate bossy people

The last time I got a ticket I wrote a letter to the court explaining the situation. I did have to pay a fine(5 over in a construction zone) but I received no points.

Given how young you look that might be a good option.

lame.....Sorry to hear that. Good luck in court