Written by Gregory Monte.
How many people do you know who treat red lights like stop signs?
Serious question.
Does any reader honestly know anyone who regularly stops at a red signal, looks right and left to see if anyone is coming, and then blows right through when the light is still red?
Chances are you don’t.
And yet … quite a few motorists (a majority?) have no problem:
- rolling through a stop sign if no one is near the intersection
- travelling over the speed limit when they determine it is safe to do so
- failing to use their turn signal when there is no one on the road
Think about that for a second or two.
All four of these actions are illegal, and yet, only one is actually considered totally unacceptable by most right-thinking drivers.
How on earth to explain this seeming conundrum?
Of course, its really not a “conundrum” at all. And, if I really have to explain to any reader why these four actions (although “illegal”) are not equivalent, that particular reader probably wouldn’t listen to my argument in any case. I would be wasting my time.
Anyone who isn’t able to see the qualitative difference between running a red light and those other actions is, more than likely, a Traffic Ticket Nazi – and there is nothing anyone can say to this type of person that will convince them otherwise.
What’s that? You are not familiar with a Traffic Ticket Nazi?
Traffic Ticket Nazi, noun: An individual who believes that tickets should be issued to all motorists for every minor traffic infraction.
1 mph over the limit? Ticket.
Failure to signal at a deserted intersection? Ticket.
Roll through a stop sign when no one is within 200 feet of the intersection? Ticket.
Air freshener “obstructing” the front window? Ticket.
On my Facebook page these individuals write criticisms like the following:
“If you do the crime, you do the time.”
“If you want to dance, you have to pay the fiddler.”
As I was saying, there is nothing you can say to convince these individuals until …
Until they personally experience the red and blue lights flashing in their rear view mirror one day.
THE HORROR!
Pulled over by a cop for no good reason.
“But officer, I did come to a complete stop.”
“Are you certain officer, because I was watching my speedometer and am sure I wasn’t going over the limit.”
“But, but, but ….”
When the “kindly officer” responds to their protests with a heartfelt apology …
“I am very sorry sir (ma’am), but I have to give you this ticket … but you have a nice day, you hear?”
Maybe, just maybe, they will get pissed off enough to come over and join me on the Traffic Law “Dark Side.” If so, my blog is here to help them beat these “unfair” tickets.
All are welcome – even the “Nazis.”
Traffic Ticket Defense Blog 