The state extortion machine, hard at work (I)
News, Political ·Thursday May 31, 2012 @ 14:37 EDT (link)
Honey writes:
I was pulled over on my way to the doctor; here are the events as they happened: I left my apartment at approximately 9:05 a.m. to get to my doctor's appointment at 9:30 a.m. I drove down Gandy/Park Blvd. on my way to 66th St. where the office is located. I stayed in the right hand lane on the way down Park Blvd. because my turn on 66th St. was a right turn. The traffic light at 66th St. was red when I approached it. There was a vehicle in front of me and I was on Park Blvd. in front of the Kentucky Fried Chicken. I saw several police vehicles at this intersection. I made my right hand turn after the light turned green and the vehicle in front of me had cleared my path. I also noticed a pedestrian crossing at the crosswalk, so I waited until the crosswalk was clear to make my right turn onto 66th St.
After I turned onto 66th St. I wondered what was going on; there were at least 5 or 6 police officers with lights on that had pulled people over. I had only been to this doctor's office one time, so I was looking to the right side of the road to see the numbers to know which building was mine. Right before the next traffic light I noticed a black police vehicle with its light on behind me. I had no idea why he/she would be stopping me, so I slowed down and put my right turn signal on so that if the officer was pulling me over he/she would know that I was looking for a safe place to pull over (out of the way of traffic). I turned right at the next traffic light and then put my left turn signal on to let the officer know that I was turning into the place of business that was on the left side of the road. I stopped my car, put it in park, then I put my car window down, turned the ignition off and adjusted my seat belt so that I could reach my proof of insurance. I've never been pulled over before and knew that I hadn't done anything that was against the law, so I put my proof of insurance down on the passenger seat next to me and waited for the officer to come to me.
When he approached my vehicle he asked for my driver's license and he also asked me why I had not had my seat belt on. I said "Sir, I've had my seat belt on the entire time". He then asked me why it was that he and another officer had seen me without my seat belt on. I said "Sir, I've had my seat belt on the entire time", he told me that my seat belt was a different color than my shirt and that he saw me put my seat belt on after I had been stopped. After I told him again that I had had my seat belt on the whole time, he shook his head and then went back to his vehicle with my driver's license. He was in his vehicle for a few minutes, then came back up to my car and gave me my license as well as a ticket. He said something about me having 30 days to pay it and I said "Sir, can I explain what you thought you saw (because he had said he saw me put my seat belt on after I had been pulled over). He told me to proceed and I said "Sir, I had to reach over to my glove box to get my proof of insurance and I had to adjust my seat belt to do that. He said, "That doesn't explain why I didn't see you wearing it earlier." I proceeded to tell him that I had had my seat belt on the entire time I was driving and even after I'd been stopped. He said he didn't believe me and then walked away to his vehicle and left. It was almost time for my doctor appointment, so I went down to the next block and went to the doctor, while I was there they doctor's office staff told me that the police had been pulling people over all morning.
The reason that I had to adjust my seat belt is that I am very short (4'10") and I can't reach the glove box without pulling my seat belt away from my chest to give myself room to reach the glove box. Also this officer doesn't know that I have to reach all the way behind me to reach my seat belt while I'm sitting in the car (I have to do this because my seat has to be almost all the way forward for me to reach the pedals). There would be no mistaking me reaching for my seat belt if that's what I had done. At no time while I was pulled over did I reach around to get my seat belt, it had been clicked into place the entire time.
Continued in part 2, court.
Books finished: Academ's Fury, Cursor's Fury, Captain's Fury.
