This morning I had my first court date about my traffic ticket. I found out it is considered a moving violation. It carries 4 points on my driving record and 2 points on my insurance record. This is only 1 point below the highest rated moving violations, which include passing a stopped school bus and speeding in excess of 20+ mph over the speed limit.

So I get to court and there are about 100 other people there for traffic court. This DA stands up and says that we can either try to get driving school, try to get it reduced to "Improper Equipment" or get a court date. He also says that only about 3 people out of the group will actually ask to go to court.

So, when it's my turn to talk to the DA he asks me what I want to do about the ticket. I tell him I want to dispute the ticket. He says that he can drop it to "Improper Equipment" with a nonmoving violation fine of $100. I said, well, if I had improper equipment, I would agree to that, but since I didn't, I don't think I will agree to that. So he set me a court date for August 30.

I have come to the major realization that the traffic court system was designed completely to create revenue for the government, not to actually deal with traffic violation. I find this as another great example of why we need the Fair Tax. With the Fair Tax, the government wouldn't need to rely on "fines" so they could restructure the "fine" system to suit the crimes better.

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in wayne county mi. i was late for a court appointment and had my wife pull over in the front of the court house long enough to kiss her and jump out and before she could pull away the meter lady came running in a mad dash to stop her and give her a ticket for parking in front of a fire hydrant. ok our mistake, but wait..the ticket is 20 bucks, the same price as the parking garage two city blocks away. the meter lady said "i gave you a ticket so you dont have to move now" i was like ya right ill come out and my car will be towed. she assured me that it wouldnt and that as long as ive been issued a ticket i may as well stay parked here becouse she cant give me another ticket. the ticket has no points and i have 10 days to pay it. so for 20 bucks i got the best parking spot and didnt have to walk to a mile thru the sickning streets of detroits worst! as long as the city made a buck off of me everyone is happy right? well except the parking garage that didnt make 20 bucks that day. ive used this system 12 times now and have only been issued 2 tickets. what a system!!