What's The Worst Traffic Ticket You've Ever Gotten?
There's rarely ever a pleasant time when you get pulled over by a police officer. The best-case scenario is that you get let off with a warning after an awkward conversation. The worst-case is why there's also a strong argument to eliminate most traffic stops. Even without a stop, there's always a speed camera lurking and ready to send you a disappointing surprise in the mail. Most times, you're driving away with a hefty ticket.
What's the worst traffic ticket you've ever gotten? Was the fine eye-watering or was the reasoning behind the citation completely baloney? For example, Joshua Tishman got a $60 ticket after retaliating against a driver who cut him off on the Capital Beltway back in 2022. He specifically slammed on his brakes and flashed his high beams. A Maryland State Trooper pulled him over and gave the 24-year-old a ticket for "Failure To Use Multiple-Beam Road Lighting Equipment at Level Required for Safe Driving." Tishman decided to hire a $600-per-hour national security lawyer to fight the ticket. The case was eventually dismissed after the trooper failed to appear. Thankfully for Tishman, the lawyer took $7,500 of work pro bono.
If I'd wanted to run, I'd have run.
Another example comes to mind from the Windy City. A motorcycle rider in Chicago certainly has a story to tell after a 2010 speeding ticket. An Illinois State Trooper stopped Rodney Jones while he was riding a Suzuki Hayabusa on I-294. The 39-year-old was allegedly going 182 mph in a 55-mph zone. According to the Chicago Sun-Times, the trooper said, "I asked him why he didn't run and he said, 'I wasn't in the mood to run. If I'd wanted to run, I'd have run.'" A bold statement from Jones, considering that one wrong move and he could have turned into a skidmark on the interstate. Instead, he was fined $375 and ordered to purchase high-risk insurance. At the time, it was the fastest speeding ticket ever recorded in the Chicago area.
Be sure to leave the story behind your worst traffic tickets in the comment sections below. Please don't be the guy who tried to use a Monopoly "Get Out Of Jail Free" card to get out of a ticket.