Stupidest ticket I've ever gotten...

[Merzbow]

SOOOO every Wednesday there is a car show in downtown Mt CLemens. I went today with Nick in his 350z and my friend Janine. We parked along main street next to eachother. It was cloudy all day and rainy so there were hardly any cars. We were sitting there for atleast 35-40 minutes waiting for our friend Kevin and Amanda to get off work so we could meet them for dinner.While we were sitting there we watched this cop drive around and block off all the parking lots with construction saw horses. He drove by us atleast 5 or 6 times and then finally pulled into the parking lot behind us and sat there for about 10 minutes. Nick and I decided to go and wait for Kevin and Amanda at the resturaunt since there were no cars there. We started our cars and we revved our engines a tiny bit back and forth and then were about to leave when I look in the mirror and the cop like punched it into drive and blasted in front of us blocking us from going anywhere. I was like....ok this time I KNOW we didn't do anything wrong, we were just sitting here for the last 40 minutes. He points at me and tells me to get out of the car and come over to him. i give him my liscense and look away. I look back and he's writing me a ticket! I say "are you writing me a ticket?!?!?!?" He says "yes". "for what?!??!". "impropper parking". I was like "How the hell am I impropperly parked?". You cannot back into parking spaces". I just about fell over in laughter and shock. Then I sayed "since when cant you back into parking spaces??????". "The sign over there says you can't". So I ran over there to l ook and sure enough it says no backing into arking spots. So at this point I was beyond frustrated and furious I said "I thought it was alright since there is a car show every Wednesday down here and I allwyas see people backing into spots!". The smart-@$$ cop says "show me a sign anywhere in this city that says there is an official car show today" in a really b*tchy voice. "Why did you wait until we were leaving to pull us over, I saw you drive by us like 7 times. Or you could have just asked us to turn our cars around or we could have even left!" He responds "It's not up for discussion". Then gave me a ticket and Nick one as well. I was about to pull out a newspaper and slap him.Now...I'm going into law enforcement myself and I am totally up for cops giving out speeding tickets and stop sign tickets and the like because they endanger lives, but a ticket for backing in to a parking spot? GIVE ME A FLIPPIN BREAK! Especially since he saw us sitting there for almost the full 40 mintues we were there.

[BlueCrush]

That has to be the stupiest ticket ever. Unfortunately, the cop was right with the sign stating so. I would fight that one in court saying that had you seen the sign you would have pulled in properly and had the cop asked you would have also done so or even left. Maybe you can get it reduced to a warning or better yet maybe the cop won't show up and it will be dismissed.

[northvibe]

sounds like a big excuse because you rev'd your engines but...a sign in the lot said no backing in?! WOW that is amazingly bogus, really cant fight it because the sign for the lot said that but...man (removed) for sure.i dont think ive seen a lot that said that before :s

[NascarXprt]

fell better now Merz finaly got to rant bout some thin besides a vibe that didnt wnat to race

[Merzbow]

Well, I got a loitering ticket in a similar situation except that cop was really nice about it and not a complete @$$ like this one. In both cases though the signs were nearly impossible to read. The loitering one was about 50-70 feet of fhte ground on a light post at night and it was inbetween both light bulbs so ther ewas a shadow on it.The no backing in sign was dark green with faded white lettering and there are trees lining main street. There is no way to read it unless you are behind the tree. There was only one sign on one side of the street too. I had to get right underneath it to read it.Either way I can't believe I got two tickets within 5 days...(removed), yeah I feel a little better, also that I finally have a legitimate reason to p*ss and moan without getting flamed for being a stupid kid Although that comment right there is probably goign to raise hell (removed)!

[drunkenmaxx]

i feel ya man, i just paid $75 yesterday to get my license back because my stereo is too loud.

[zionzr2]

At least its not a moving violation

[Raven]

I was staying at a condo in Boca Raton, Fl. a few years back and when I parked the car one night the super came running over to tell me to turn it around. There were signs and apparently it was to keep the exhaust fumes from damaging the shrubs lining the parking area. I didn't buy it but turned the car around anyways just to keep the peace.

[jake75]

As I have said many times, Sadaam's government had its ways of torturing its citizens, and our government(s) have their ways.Was that a public parking lot owned by the city? If a private lot I don't see how the law would apply.

[NascarXprt]

Quote, originally posted by drunkenvibe »i feel ya man, i just paid $75 yesterday to get my license back because my stereo is too loud.what???? they to your license away for your stereo being too loud and not being drunk j/k how loud do you have your stereo to get you license removed?

[ToolGuy]

End of the month easy for him to write ticket bro! Sucks but I have been there too...

[Mavrik]

take a pic of the sign and its lack of visibility from were you were parked and take all that to the judge.

[Toasted7]

That is completely stupid, but there was a sign that said that. Guess they don't have anything else to spend their money on in Michigan, but stupid road signs... then again, they can afford it with all the stupid tickets they issue.

[drunkenmaxx]

Quote, originally posted by NascarXprt »what???? they to your license away for your stereo being too loud and not being drunk j/k how loud do you have your stereo to get you license removed? i didn't lose my driving privliges. in IL they take your license hostage when you get a ticket and you get it back when you pay it. the ticket serves as your license for the time being.

[Raven]

Wow! That's harsh treatment. I guess nobody pays their fines in IL.

[NascarXprt]

ohh wow thats diff.

[AKLGT]

wow. that is the DUMBEST ticket i've ever heard.... close to: loud exhaust cops like to give those out like candy to the subie guys up here... but then ignore the extremely obnoxious red neck truck exhausts!

[Jahntassa]

I'd take a picture of the sign, it's placement and it's current condition, and bring that with you to court. Try not to launch into a 'the guy was an (removed)' argument, if he even shows. I'd just be like, "Sir, I couldn't see the sign, if I had been aware of it, I would've parked front first."You may be able to bring up the fact that you weren't even given a warning, and also how many times the cop drove past you. Either way, the whole thing is incredibly stupid.

[Merzbow]

LOL....thanks for the support. This is what happened with the loitering ticket. Five of us got the same loitering ticket in a parking lot once. Yet somehow my frien'ds got reduced to $40 and mine was reduced to $60...i may have gotten more tickets than him but he has certainly gotten more MOVING violations than me so that's a little odd. I was planning on taking pics of the sign in THAT parking lot but I didn't know whether or not I was allowed to bring evidence into a normal traffic hearing. I thought I would have to schedule a separate date and pay money to do so.Anyways, I have to call the court about my speeding ticket soon and then this darn thing. These are the first two tickets I have ever gottten outsid eof Roseville. (about 6 or 7). For those that don't know Roseville, just to explain to you what a bunch of strict police and nosey tattle-tail residents reside there, they are the ONLY city that will not participate in the Gratiot cruises along Gratiot. There is one from 8 mile road to 10 mile road. Then it skips over Roseville and goes frmo 14 mile to 16 mile. Then theres another one from 21 mile to 23 mile at the end of the year....These are big cruises too bringing a descent amount of profit to the cities due to the amount of people taht go to them. The reason I mentioned this is because all the tickets I've gotten in Roseville automatically have a court date scheduled for you like 3 months away and you don't have to worry about it but the speeding ticket and this ticket require me to call the court within ten days and go from there...kinda weird.