Got a ticket yesterday for failure to display front license plate. It was the first time I got a ticket. I have been warned twice before, and both times I told the cop that the front license plate bracket was broken, and a new one was on order, and they were satisfied. But not the ass-clown yesterday, he wrote me a ticket for $109. I am going to dispute the ticket based on the fact that I told the cop the bracket was broken the night before, and a new one had already been ordered from Honda. Without the bracket, there wasn't a feasible was to attach the front plate to the bumper, and that the new bracket would be in in a matter of a couple of days. He replied that in that case I should just park my car, and not drive it until the new bracket arrived. Not a very practical solution if you ask me. This guy was just looking to be a dick, and create a cash-grab ticket.

So, I went to the courthouse to dispute the ticket, and they gave me a form to fill out. It had the option of booking a court date, or just filling in a response for a judge to read without having to make a court appearance.

My question is, what would give me a better chance?... Voicing my opinion in person to a judge during a court date, or Filling in the complaint section and skip having to go to court and take time off work

 

Honestly, I don't see you coming out of this dispust on top. I do not seeing you winning this case. You have been pulled over twice for the same thing in the past, and used the same excuse each time. Did they issue you a warning the previous times? If they did, then there is probably paper work stating that a warning had been issued and so forth.

The reality of this is, and I am not trying to be a jerk when I say this, but you have been driving around with no front plate on knowing that it is illegal in B.C. to do so....you were pulled over two times previous for this and gave some excuse each time, but still, after that you neglected to put it back on. What did you think was going to happen? Of course you were eventually going to get busted and issued a ticket. Why not just put your front plate on, pay your ticket and be done with it, rather than waste the courts time? Cause that's what they are going to say to you, that you are wasting their time...and trust me, you don't want to have a judge on hand that is pissed off at you for disputing a ticket that you were clearly in the wrong for.

Be a man, admit you messed up and just pay the ticket. I really don't understand why people make such a big deal about having a front plate? sure it looks better without, but come on, what's the big deal really. Just put it on and leave it on.

We all know and willingly take the risk when we modify our cars that there are consequences that we may have to pay with doing so.

Sorry if you think that I came off as a jerk, but I am just telling you the way that it is and the way I see. I tend to be very blunt and to the point. I'm sorry if you don't agree with me on this one, but that's the reality of it. Honestly, what is there really to dispute? Nothing in my mind.

Good luck and let us know what you decide to do.

 

We live in a province were some police officers are jerks, what can we do? I'm sure people have wanted to tell the cops not to be jealous, racist, or a hater etc, but that's part of the law and in B.C the law owns us. Modify your car, go to jail that's how it use to be. Well if you dispute it, I hope you win, if not just pay it and get on with life. Goodluck.

 

I totally agree with you...some police officers are power trippin' jerks, but unfortunately there is nothing that we can do about it.

 

No, I don't think you guys are jerks for your honest responses

The thing of it is, I have never been pulled over for the "no front plate". The first incedent was when I got pulled over for speeding, the cop said "where's you plate?", I told him the story, he said okay. The second time, I was at ICBC getting my photo taken for my new license, and the cop said "where's you front plate?", I told him the story, he said okay. This time the cop pulled me to the side as I was going through a random "cash-generating" road check... they were pulling over every 5th car. I told him the story, and he gave me a ticket for $109. Yes, I know the story is a lie, but what if it were true? If your front bracket holding your plate broke the evening before, you had a new bracket on order from Honda, and were just waiting for it to arrive, would you park your car for the next week, not be able to go to work, not be able to go to the gym, not be able to go grocery shopping, etc.? No, of course not, you would continue driving because it is not a "crime". It may be against a by-law, but it sure as hell isn't a crime, and doesn't constitute a $109 fine, plus points.

I realize that I will most likely lose, but there is no harm in trying. The reason I'm trying is because the cop was obviously a jerk after I gave him a reasonable reason as to the no front plate. And I plan on letting the powers-that-be know how I feel about this incident. Kelowna is over-run with drug dealers and the Hells Angels, and yet the cops don't do a thing about it. There are unsolved murders, among other perverse crimes that are unsolved and uninvestigated, yet the city spends their police resources issuing traffic violations. I guess busting the H.A. and stopping the drug trade doesn't pay as much as issuing a few dozen tickets, each constituting $100+.

In response to the quote "some police officers are power trippin' jerks, but unfortunately there is nothing that we can do about it", this mentality really frustrates me. If citizens keep rolling over and taking it up the ass without standing up for ourselves, the cops and the law-making will just keep screwing us. We need to voice our frustration with the system. And yes, it does work. Photo Radar was removed from our streets was it not?

I fully intent to "waste" the court's time on this case, because to me it's not a waste of time. If I have to pay the ticket anyways, at least I can look at it as paying $109 for a court session to voice my frustration with the system and the corrupt / jerk / power-tripping officers.