Embalmer

I was taking my kid to baseball practice tonight and was pulled over within 50 feet of my driveway by our 2 week new city cop for not wearing my seatbelt. Literally, I pulled out of my driveway, turned left, saw him pass me, then he turned around and pulled me over all within a block. Needless to say I'm pissed, but for a few reasons:

1. The chime that reminds you that you aren't wearing your seatbelt hadn't even gone off yet. I had no chance to be reminded that I forgot it!

2. He asked me if the address was correct on my license and I stated yes, that he'd pulled me over almost in front of my house. I also told him who I am, what I do for a living, and that my wife works for the county circuit clerk. Usually here in small town USA that makes a difference, it had for me in the past. Not this time.

3. Since my wife works for the circuit clerk, I called one of her co-workers who deals with traffic citations all day long. She told me I could go to court and try to fight it/ask for supervision but I would still have to pay court costs of $140. Doesn't make sense when the ticket is $55. So, basically the system is rigged so you would be an idiot to take a small ticket to court, even if you're innocent (not saying I am). She told me the best chance I have to fight it was to talk to the police chief (who I know pretty well) and explain what happened and see if he might be willing to ask the state's attorney to drop the charges. I'll be doing this tomorrow.

4. Talking to other people in town, they too have expressed displeasure in seeing many more people being pulled over the past couple weeks than what is normal in our little town. I think he's taking his job a bit too seriously! Probably doesn't help that his father used to be police chief in our county seat, Dixon.

ov3n

You were driving on a public road without a seatbelt. Doesn't matter if you were 50 feet or 50 miles from your driveway.

karman

Tell your friend the chief to give you a call when he gets a chance (don't make him drop his important issues). Explain what happened and ask about the officer's recent activities in a joking manner. He can get the prosecutor to file the charges without a finding if you have no previous record.
(BTW there is no seatbelt law for adults in my state.)

Sendero

Seatbelt should go on before the ignition. Every time. What would you son do without you? Oh, and don't name drop it because its a sure fire way to get a ticket.

Embalmer

I really need to say in my "defense" that I ALWAYS wear my seatbelt. I have three small kids and I'm a real seatbelt enforcer. I've seen plenty of corpses that weren't wearing seatbelts. The thing that gets me mad is yes, I forgot to buckle right when I started the car, but if I was driving another 5 or 10 seconds, I would've heard the reminder chime and then buckled. He just saw me at the worst possible time.

n8rfastback

i always wear mine

it goes on before i put the car in gear....

StangMahn

plus one, I get in, put my foot on the brake, crank it up, reach over and put on the seatbelt, then my sunglasses, and grab a piece of gum

Glenn

I usally put mine after I leave the drive way and put it on less than a block from my house. You got busted pay the 55 and move on.

kerafaith

$55.00 for not wearing a seatbelt. Dude here in TN, at least my part, it's 10 bucks. My mom got one last June. She pulled out of the bank & spotted the cop & realized she didn't have on her seatbelt. He turned around & pulled her over. He told her it was a $20 ticket & if she paid it, it wouldn't go on her record. She went to pay in the next week & the lady told her it was only $10.

I always, always, always wear mine. The only exception is when I am going 2 miles down the road to my friends house. And we live in the absolute middle of nowhere. Only 1 person has died on our road in the last 20 years. And it was because he was sleepy & ran off the road.

Either way I know it sucks for you. Sorry about that.