Just got a ticket...sort of LONG UPDATE 7-25-07
 

Driving to a job site in the new/used truck and received a nice ticket for having the wrong tag on the car.

Back story: Friday I tried to register the truck but since the PO didn't write down the mileage (which I should have filled in) I had to have the PO sign a verification letter. The tag office issued me a temp tag for 10 days which I had but forgot to put on the back.

So I get pulled over and the 2 cops walk up to the door. I immediately hand them the temp tag, title, bill of sale, proof on ins. and apologize for forgetting to swap the tag out. The smallest cop (mid 20's 150lbs soaking wet) replies "you are aware we can take you to jail for this". I play coy and explain that it was a harmless mistake and apologize. The whole time I'm thinking this guy is blowing this a tad out of proportion. They take all my info and go back to the car.

I sit there for 20 mins.

The get out and the bigger or the two cops (early 30's 180lbs) says " I have some good news and some bad news". "Good news is we are not going to take you to jail". I chuckle out loud. Neither of them crack a smile. Then he says "bad news is you are going to have to go to court to show proof of registration".

There was no $ fine just the court date which of course takes away from my work. And I assume they will hit me with court fees.

So the smaller cop says "shut of the vehicle", I'm thinking what next. He says I'll have to remove the old tag now before I leave. I ask if he has a screw driver. He walks to the back of the truck and rips of the license plate like a tough guy (It was a struggle for him). I say "that was cute". He huffs and replies "I'm keep this tag for disposal". In FL if you don't have a tag to turn in you get charged $150 for a "core" fee. So he was thinking he was sticking me, luckily I have a few more at home.:)

He asks if he can help me with anything else today. I reply, "I think you've done enough". I leave, they leave.

THE END.

So I get to waste a Thursday morning sitting next to drunk drivers and crack heads. Today has been a great day in the fight for freedom from crime. Hoooraay.

I've always thought highly of law enforcement officers, but lately, I've seen enough evidence to drop my respect a notch.

Like every other profession, there are good ones and bad ones. I just used to think that cops had a 98+% rating. That has slipped a bit.

Isn't that a quick fix-it ticket where you can just bring your current registration to a window and pay a $20 admin. fee? Shouldn't take more than 20 minutes.

What a bunch of blow hards.

I understand the attitude in some cases. It is used to provoke a fear reaction in the guilty. But after the initial meeting its useless. I think cops forget how to turn it off.

Keep in mind I'm in a nice truck and wearing dress clothes. I think the attitude was uncalled for in this situation.

The ticket says I actually have a court date and time. The cop said I will go before the judge.

I may call my lawyer and see if he can go in my place.

The guy was out of line touching your tag. If he didn't have a screwdriver, he should have said so. You shouldn't have asked him for one anyway. You should have struggled with your keys or something until they got frustrated and either helped properly or let you go. With all the drug running, people smuggling and stolen vehicles, these guys were on the ball and had every right to stop you. You can't play games when you're wrong (however so slightly) when you get stopped.

I call this one even for both sides.

I never said they shouldn't have stopped me. But to write a ticket to someone with proper docs is bull*****. The attitude was icing on the cake. I say 65% 35% my favor:D

I'm on a roll recently. I have been stopped 2 times in 9 days, 1 time in each of my cars.

Saturday before last I was being followed. I knew it was coming, I had an open 18 pack of beer in the back of my Porsche with no tint and the rear seat folded down. I preempted any delay by acting like I was trying to hide a can of beer, bam, red and blues. He asked if I knew why I was being stopped. I played dumb, "no sir". Expired inspection, it's been out for 6 months! Doh! "Officer, I just plain forgot." He runs my license, then proceeded to give me a lesson on open containers which was totally incorrect, but lets me off, no ticket.

Today I was stopped for expired tags in front of my house. Sir, do you know the reason I stopped you? "I have absolutely no idea officer (handing him my lic. and ins.)." Mind taking a look at your registration sticker. "Sure, it expires September of 2007 (with a huge smile)." Well I guess I had no reason to stop you then did I? "I guess not!" I thought it said 3 (being March) have a good day. Obviously I didn't get a ticket for that one. :rolleyes:

There is a loser in every crowd , when you present your documents at the clerks office they will dismiss for a small admin fee (used to be $7.50 in the county where I worked for 12 years).

And if the temp tag you were issued was still valid and you had insurance on the truck then you could not have went to jail , and if you had went it would be your lucky day, ie you hit the law suit lottery ....

Todd SmileWavy

I just called to see if I could pay at the clerks desk and ran into a secretary with an attitude. I can't win. She rudely said I would have to wait 10 days for it to get in the system and then they can tell me if i can skip a court appearance. Its funny because I was being extra nice.

I'll call back then and see what they will do.


...and yes I had a valid temp tag and insurance.

Bull*****. They were acting like morons. I have no problem with the stop, but a big problem with the 'tude. Ripping the tag off your truck? In truth he deserves an ass whipping.

On the few occasions that officers have behaved unprofessionally with me I always say. "I don't appreciate your attitude. Let's go talk to your watch commander about this. I'm in no hurry. I'll follow you to the station." The discourse generally becomes more civil after that.

Terry

That sounds about right, the guy will have to turn in his citation to his supervisor , who then turns it in to his dept admin wienie then it is put on a transmittal form and dropped off with a whole pile of other's at the clerks office then the P.O.S. admin person enters each one in the puter, and then finally you can walk up to the window show your proof along with your YELLOW copy and pay your admin fee ( and you wonder why it is $7.50 ) and poof it's gone and your on your way, either way you got 30 days so ya got plenty of time.

Todd SmileWavy

PS... good luck , and if you have not figured it out the younger guy was either in training or a reserve , the older guy was his FTO, to my knowledge there are no two man units city, county or state where you live.

societies new bullies,COPS

are you sure those were real cops and not some THUGS "pretending" to be cops?

FL cops are the worst. One reason I'll never move back there ever again - they're the absolute bottom-of-the-barrel in my experiences. In fairness to them, I suppose they're dealing with the worst cross-section of society imaginable (think about it - FL is saturated with not only a-hole NYC transplants but a bunch of hillbilly redneck schitheads (usually the ones that drive around shirtless in their pickups with the "NATIVE" stickers on the back superimposed on the FL silhouette).

These jokers are typical FL "police state" cops on an ego trip. Not surprised in the least by what you had to suffer through.

i wonder if their front-mounted camera was recording everything? in little rock, our cops have cameras in the front with screens inside as big as computer monitors.

I would send copies of your post to your local paper, and to the local police chief and mayor etc, and anyone else you can think of who might be in a position to put those two clowns in their place.

I final update on this whole mess:

7-11-07

I called the clerk of courts after the tickets had entered the system. I asked if I was able to take care of this administratively. The clerk said she didn't know and would have to ask her supervisor (WTF!). So I sit on hold for 20 mins and she comes back on and says "yes you can sir but its $240". Pretty sporty if you ask me so I declined and decided to go to court and fight it.

7-24-07

I show up at court nice and early (8:00am) and go through the whole rigmarole of find the court room. I go to one court room, they say its been moved. I finally figure that all out and get a nice front seat.

I have to mention the bailiff. He was every bit of 75 years old. Surly as it gets. A young black kid walked in and had forgotten his ticket and the old man proceed to beraid him in front of 100 plus people. He actually said the words "I'll never understand YOU PEOPLE". I was pretty shocked.

They divide the court room into spanish speaking and english speaking persons. So its like a prison cafeteria with one race on one side and one on the other.

Anyway, 8 am rolls around and the bailiff starts to complain to the translator that the clerks & judge are late. One clerk shows up about 5 mins later and says the other 2 aren't coming and they will have to find replacements. The replacements show up 10 mins after that and are obliviously not happy to be there. Oh yeah, and the judge isn't coming at all!!!!

Luckily its 1st come 1st serve so they line us up at the podium and tell us to plead no guilty or no contest. A not guilty plea will get you another court date and a no contest will get you a sweet $240 fine (Now I'm pissed that I should have just paid the clerk downstairs). I'm thinking I will plead not guilty until the young woman in front of me ask the clerk what might happen at the later court date. The clerk states that 99% of the time you will still have to pay $240 + $150 court fees. So I bail on that idea considering how *****ty this whole show has run so far.

Its my turn and I plead no contest. The replacement clerk is about to have a breakdown due to the 1 page form he has to fill out. He's not sure whether to charge me $217 or $240. Its a joke. If my office ran like this I would fire everyone. Anyway, as I sign the no contest plea and agree to pay $240. Purely out of revenge I ask another clerk if I could have paid this administratively and she says OF COURSE. I knew the other 90 people behind me would hear it. And they did. They start yelling at the clerks as I'm walking out the. Good stuff.

To sum up, complete waste of time and money. I'm really considering moving to Italy so at least I could have paid the cops off at the stop. This is a good inside indication of how the state and government is run.

Anyone out there still think this whole thing isn't about the money?

(crickets chirping)

I'm speaking to the brainwashed LE jarhead posse here. ANYONE?!?!

(crickets chirping)



Well, there ya' go.

Sorry to hear of your ordeal, but not the least bit surprised.

lol

A few years ago I was driving through Maine, headed to Logan Airprort to drop off my 350lb internet girlfriend (thanks sparkmatch.com!) I got pulled over for doing 61 in a 55, and got the convenient "cash option, no receit ". That really topped off a great weekend.