Texas police shake down drivers, lawsuit claim

I was thinking the other day how the current economic downturn is going to impact the society. One of the things that I couldn't stop myself worrying about was the crime factor. More people are out of job, more people are homeless, more people are struggling to make their ends meet. Will this translate to more petty crimes, more thefts, more burglary? Do we need to start worrying about our safety now? Do we need to be careful while walking down the roads? Will the law enforcement authorities be able to cope with the increased law-breaking calls now? Are they well equipped for the tough times?

Although my concerns are valid, I missed out an important factor. It never occurred to me that the law-enforcement authority themselves could pose a threat to the society. It is very disturbing but true that "police" who are there to protect the public are themselves becoming part of the problem. Now who do we go for help?

In California roads, we are seeing more and more cases where the Highway police is ticketing drivers for minor violations. It is scary to spot a cop in the highway, because you could be ticketed for anything that you do or not do. The enforcement of using hands free on mobile phone has given the police a free pass to stop tons of people for talking over the phone while driving. Yes, it is against law now to talk and drive. But if I understand the law correctly, it is okay to talk over the phone using speaker phone or car kits. But couple of my friends were ticketed for talking over the speaker-phone. Should I carry the rule book with me and be prepared to argue with the cop? It doesn't seem like a wise thing to do.

I got ticketed for talking over the phone using both my headphones (using iPhone headset). I thought it was ridiculous to give me tickets for speaking with headphones. But then today I heard of the case where my friend's friend got a ticket for wearing headphones on both ears and riding a bike. A bicycle!!! Makes me wonder, if I will get a ticket next for wearing headphones and walking in the streets.

Like everyone else, police department is going through budget crisis. They want to raise money. Traffic tickets generate instant money with just a little effort. It is definitely much easier than raising taxes to meet the budget. People are definitely going to drive and are definitely going to make some mistake while driving. Catch them... penalize them... ask them to pay huge amount. Make them pay to save your job is the motto of the police department. So they are ready on the roads with their radar guns to catch you if you even drive 5 mphs over the speed limit. They are ready to go behind you if you cross the bold white at a junction or an exit. And of course they will catch you if they spot you not coming to a complete stop while turning right on a red or on a stop sign. Small mistakes are not ignored, they are made big by making the amount you pay big. The headphone offense pinches your pocket by $200. The speeding ticket cuts your pocket $800 or so. And if you do valid big violation like carpool violation, be prepared to shell out $1200 or more if caught.

The only thing I can say is drive carefully and stay out of sight of policeman because he is out there to get your money.