National Seat Belt Week --long rant!

[Steinbru@vnet.ibm.com]

I just got back from court --plead Not Guilty to violating NY
seat belt law.  Oh yech!

As a "welcome back to f'in NY" --and I'm not even near NYC, the
first day back to work after MH99, I was ticketed for not wearing
a belt.  Well, I hope to tell you, the REO informed me that it
was NSBW, and he had been instructed to write up as many as he
could.  Maybe only in my mind, but I heard "welcome back to f'in
NY."

How did he determine I was not belted?

By pacing me for several seconds and peering in the window --at
60mph in fairly heavy traffic.  Since I was not breaking any law,
nor was my vehicle deficient in any way that I was aware of, when
he veered close to me,
I slowed down.
He slowed down.
I speeded up.
He speeded up.

Finally I guess he thought he saw what he wanted to see, so he
got behind me and pulled me over.  It's not my custom, but since
I was driving the still crashed '88 5kcsq (obligatory Audi
content) I got out and inspected my (working) flashers to see if
he pulled me over for that.  Point is, at no time did he see me
not wearing a seat belt.  He said "get back in the vehicle sir."
I did and left the door open.  He asked if I knew why he pulled
me over.  "No" I said, "everything seems to be in working order
--even if somewhat (there's an understatement) bent."  He asked
if I always wore my seat belt.  I answered "yes, in fact I was
recently saved by this very one."  He then proceeded to tell me
it was National Seat Belt Week and he was pulling over as many as
he could.  I said (maybe a little sarcastically) "Oh great," but
he continued that he saw that I was not wearing my safety belt,
and could he see my license and registration please.  I got my
papers out.

I suppose I should have just said "I had my belt on," but instead
I told him that "just because you couldn't see it is no reason to
give me a ticket."  The post-vacation optimist in me still
expected some kind of stupid warning.  But no, it's a real
ticket.

I have been told they are up to $75 these days --I don't know if
that's before or after the obligatory "welcome to f'in NY" $30
state surcharge (the previous governor alternated between raising
taxes and raising fees --while proclaiming in alternate
campaigns "no tax increase" or "no new fees").  We now pay
two year registrations, and after thirteen months you can't get
anything back if you cancel your plates.  And you still have to
pay $5 to turn them in I think.

So now that my rant has subsided --for the moment, do any of you
have any advice, good council, or sympathetic stories?  I'm
committed to take this to trial or get it dismissed out of hand.
It would gall me to pay any fine, and it would really suck to get
stuck with the stupid surcharge on a rip like this.
I also hate thinking about spending more hours
sitting in traffic court watching the endless
throngs of section 1180 contributors to the
local coffers.
--Gary



Oh, and did any of you happen to clip the newspaper article back
when they passed the law, wherein some official was quoted as
saying "don't worry, there's no intent to stop people solely for
not wearing a seat belt --it's just to encourage folks to do the
right thing for their own good...?"  Oh retch, just another
Revenue Enhancement Opportunity!