Police and Tickets

I'm a big fan of The Adam Carolla Show that is on 97.1 Free FM here in Southern California. He is also syndicated all over the country. So, for example, last week when I was in the Central Valley, I was still able to listen to Adam Carolla, Teresa Strasser and Bald Brian.

If you have never heard the show, I will tell you that Adam rants about everything. He can find a reason to complain about everything and I find it hilarious. One of the things that he rants about is "cops giving out chicken "s" tickets." He has talked about this subject so many times, but it finally got me thinking... it's true. I know that there are great police officers out there that really try to save us from crime, but how come there are so many that spend their time trying to give out tickets?

Here's an example. I live on a street that gets a lot of people driving down it, with a speed limit of 30 mph. Just a few houses down there is a small cross street with a 4-way stop. Almost every day a cop hangs out in different locations giving out tickets to people that don't stop long enough. I've been lucky and have not been given a ticket here, mainly because I know this is a place cops like to give out tickets. My parents have been witness to this too when a cop parked behind their car while visiting and that's where he was hiding to catch people. Maverick and I were walking my parents out saying our good byes and we see the cop parked behind their car with the air conditioner on. All of a sudden he peels out, does a u-turn and starts going something like 50 mph to catch up to a car that didn't stop long enough at the stop sign! That cop was so much more dangerous than someone not stopping long enough!

I'm complaining or ranting about this because when I come home from work every day, I see at least 3 Sheriff or Highway Patrol Cars "hiding" so that they can give out stupid tickets. I see these police officers just in the short time it takes me to get off the freeway and drive home (less than 5 miles). Is it because I live in a nice neighborhood that doesn't see much crime, so this is what they have to do? Giving out tickets to the good people driving home from work or the mom's picking up their kids from school?

I've experienced this "stupid ticket" phenomenon last year and it infuriated me. I turned at a right light, and there was a small sign that said "No Turn On Red" that I never saw. The car in front of me turned on the red light first, but I got a ticket. Was it because I was nice looking and the Sheriff woman knew that I wouldn't fight her or give her a hard time? The guy that turned before me looked like a gangster... did she not pull him over because he looked "scary." That was a $391 ticket! Luckily I took it to court and won the fight and got my money back!

It just really irritates me that so many police officers have to sit around giving out tickets for stupid reasons like this. If you're going to waste your time hiding to give out tickets, why can you sit on the freeways and catch the people that are going 90+ mph weaving in and out of traffic. I see so many of these people everyday on my way to and from work and I have never seen a CHP. I just know that every day when I see these people driving dangerously, I ask, "Where is a cop when you need them?"

Okay, that's my rant of the day =D