Thursday, December 30, 2004

$40? Ridiculous.

I'm in Dickinson, driving my 2001 Honda Civic to the little mall they've there to pick up Amber. Nine Inch Nail's "Last" blares from my speakers as I put on my right blinker, and come to the 4-way stop. I check all the directions, and there is not a single soul commandeering a car through. I haven't come to a complete stop, but I turn.

I'm driving, then I look in my rearview mirror and see the flashing sirens owned by the cop car. I don't pull over for a while. First I turn down my music, and in my head I curse myself, and this cop.

I pull over to the side of the street - I put on my blinker, I don't want to get another offense for not putting on my blinker as I pulled to the side.

I open my window. The cop walks over, tells me I did not stop at the stop sign. I would like to tell him more specifically, I did start to stop at said stop sign, it just wasn't a complete stop. But I say nothing.

He asks for my license and registration, which I already had prepared before he came to my car. I hand them to him, saying, "Here you are, sir."

He walks off and goes in his car. I see him from my rearview window. He's a shadow, bent over, writing with a pen.

It takes the cop forever. It was at least 15 minutes that I sat there, waiting. The whole time I was thinking how unfair the entire thing was.

I'd say far more than half of drivers do not always come to a complete stop at stop signs. If there is not a car to stop for, then you do a "California stop" - you come to an incomplete stop, and are on your way.

I'm wondering why this cop's picking on me. Isn't there big fish to fry? Something more important than some inane, minor offense like the one I did?

After sitting there and waiting too long for the cop just to fill out the form, he finally comes over, hands me it, and tells me to stop at all stop signs. I give him a "Yessir," and then he tells me to have a nice day. I give another "Yessir," and it's finally over.

I close my window, turn on the light in my car and dredge through the form, looking for how much I owe. I find it. It says I owe $40. 40 bucks for doing something every one else does, for something I've done countless times in Bismarck and never been pulled over for.

I think everyone should have to pay this forty bucks. It's totally unfair that I have to pay it, but of course, life isn't fair. It's far from it.

This cop could've at least gone off after a rich man. Because I'm certainly not one. I've got about $900 in the bank, and it's all going towards my car payments each month, my full coverage insurance, and college.

I don't even think cops themselves come to a complete stop at stop signs all the time. I doubt it. I guess there's another hypocrisy to add to the teeming pile of hypocrisies.

I was bitter about having to pay this, and I still am. Whenever I see anyone driving and they don't come to a complete stop at a stop sign, I want a cop to just be there, all furtive and hiding, ready to pull their ass over. It's what they deserve since I had to go through with it. I think not coming to a complete stop at a stop sign is a sect of law enforcement that needs to be busted on religiously, just because I was pulled over.

I mean, I didn't even do anything wrong. I didn't get in a wreck. I didn't endanger somebody's life. I wasn't speeding. I just didn't come to a complete stop at a stop sign, and as if anyone does anyway.

I was hoping the cop would've given me a warning. I was thinking he would. But I guess it was not so.
Comments (3)