Big Dan's Corner

I’m going out for my walk and about 100 yards from my house in the parking lot of the fire house. I’m putting gum in my mouth and must of threw the wrappers on the ground without realizing it. Before I go through the whole story I’ll say this; I always put wrappers in my pocket, even when I smoke I pinch the head off, step on it (so I don’t start any fires), and put the filter in my pocket. I’m not a litter bug but one time for what ever reason it slips my mind I get Trooper Dbag on my ass.

I seen the trooper on the corner at the light. Do I really look stupid enough to litter right in front of  the cop? Well I might look stupid enough but I promise you I’m not. Just from the way the guy raced up on me, like a super Trooper I knew this wasn’t going to end well, lol.

The Trooper comes racing around the corner pulls on to shoulder stops 10 feet in front me. Jumps out like he chasing someone on the 10 most wanted list and asks “Do you have ID” to which I reply “No officer, I don’t carry ID when I walk, why are you asking for ID?” Side note: I don’t carry my wallet when I walk because I’m wearing jogging pants and stuff falls out of the pockets very easily. I know the law carrying ID is not compulsorily when walking in public areas. Further more according to NY law a police officer can demand ID but no where does it say you have to comply. That being said I’m not a jerk if a cop wants to see my ID, I’ll show him.

he says “I just seen you throw papers on the ground.”

I turned back and seen them so I says “Oh, I’m sorry I’ll go pick them up”

He’s says “You would’ve left it there if I didn’t stop you, right”

“To be honest I didn’t even realize I dropped them so yes” I replied.

Cop says “Can you go back to your house and get your ID?”

“No problem” I say and turn around and start walking towards my building.

Here’s where things get a little hairy. He pulls aside me, parks, and says “Go pick up those papers.” Now, I took issue with his tone, he wasn’t asking, but ordering me. Badge or not, I was in no way disrespectful to him, I felt his tone was a little disrespectful. However, I figured he really didn’t want to be bothered was going make me pick up the papers then go on his merry way. I walked back picked them up. He gets out his notebook. Right then and there there was a 75% I was getting a ticket. I got a little hot under the collar, I says “You’re kidding me, Right? Look all around you there’s cigarette buts, there’s a coffee cup over there and your going write me a ticket for a couple of gum wrappers that I offered to pick up?”

“That’s doesn’t make it right” he says.

“I agree but this is a nuisance infraction, I offered to correct my error — I don’t understand the problem” I said

He ignored that and started asking me my name and all. I gave him all information and offered my driver’s license ID number. Figuring if I don’t make him go through the trouble of searching for me he might be a little lenient.

“Just hang tight, I’ll be right back” says the Trooper

I’m standing at the back of the police car for a good 10 minutes this is in the middle of town and quite frankly I’m embarrassed. 4 people I know waved at me, they must be thinking “What’s he up to now?” lol

He gets out and hands me a ticket. That was it for me. I says “Your really effin’ kidding me” I took the papers I picked up out of my pocket and throw them down on the ground again. The look on the cop’s face was priceless. “What are you doing?” he says. “Well you wrote me an effin ticket for littering, I’m going to have to pay the fine, I misewell just leave it there.” The cop was dumbfounded I betcha that’s first time he’s ever gotten that.

After a couple of seconds he’s says “I’ll write you another ticket”.  He was trying to get a rise out of me so I had to be a dink right back and said “Go right ahead you can write tickets all day, doesn’t mean I’m going to pay them.”

He starts walking to his car and says you know what never mind I’m going to recommend the maximum fine and if you don’t pay it’s 5 days jail time. I couldn’t stop myself I had to go back at him and says “That’s okay I’ve been to jail it before it doesn’t scare me in the least.  Actually I need some dental work done that I really cannot afford maybe I’ll just stand on my head and sing I’m so pretty for 5 days while I get my teeth fixed courtesy of your tax dollars” he said something like “Why am I not surprised you’ve been in jail before” I says “You know what go eff yourself”

He floored the car away. LOL   I admit I was a jerk but so was he. I probably shouldn’t of pushed him but to be honest it just aggravated me so much that he even stopped me for littering THEN he makes me pick them up AND still writes me a ticket. It should have ended with me picking it up and him saying if I see you do it again I’m going to write you a ticket. That’s how any decent cop would’ve ended it. I felt he was making a fool out of me by making me pick it up and then writing me a ticket.

Now I have a ticket I have to mail in and either plead guilty or not. I’m guilty but since he said he’s recommending the max fine I’m going to plead not guilty and go to court. If it’s still the same judge, I know him pretty well and more then likely won’t get the max fine, which I believe is like $200. There’s no way on God’s green earth they’re getting $200 + court costs out of me, I’ll stand on my head in jail for 5 days before that happens.

In my defense and not for nothing I generally have the utmost respect for cops until they act like gestapos then I’m just as big of a dink to them.Just because you have a badge doesn’t give you license to be a dick.

On a positive note: I met an old teacher of mine 5 minutes after I got the ticket. He’s really an awesome dude, he’s retired now and we had a little chat. He looks like he ‘s just enjoying life. I’m happy for him, he was one of the most positives influences I had going to school.