Doing 110 MPH on the highway during rush hour, blatantly running a red light or deciding to skip a toll by sailing through the E-ZPass lane without a tag are all good reasons to be pulled over and issued a summons. If you make a stupid mistake, you should have to pay for it. However, small town New Jersey police sometimes decide to push that envelope as far as they possibly can.

There's no doubt the police force in Newark have vastly different priorities than the police force in Manalapan. One is a city and one is a small town. One has a worse crime rate than the other. Small town police in New Jersey do not have nearly as much to worry about. Because of that, sometimes you or me doing the slightest thing wrong behind the wheel could lead to a fine. There isn't much else the police have to worry about there so why not try to fine every single driver on the road? After all, it leads to more revenue for the town.

I have two instances in the last few years that I could point to that fit this description. I was issued a ticket with a hefty fine after a police officer realized my registration was expired by a whole thirty minutes. Most recently, I got a ticket over the weekend for having a taillight out. No heads up, no warning, just a fine. Revenue.

If it sounds like I'm complaining, you're right, I am. But I know that my complaining won't put a stop to it. It's just something we will have to continue to have to deal with.


What is the worst ticket you have ever been issued? Share your story in the comment section below.

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