An expensive cup of coffee - part 2

I decided to try to battle the violation for turning left before 9am.

I went to the "Violations and something or other" office in downtown Minneapolis Friday morning. I had planned on getting down there early in the day but because of meetings and problems with work, I didn't make it until almost 12:30.

The waiting room was pretty full. The count down counter was at 15. I asked for the next number which was 44!

After about 15-20 minutes they started calling out numbers and it looked like it was going pretty fast. Most people were only in the inner offices for a few minutes. I really had no idea where or what was happening on the other side of the door.

When the number got to 42, it stayed there for quite a while, of course. Finally my number was called. I was prepared to argue my case as an extreme violation given that it occurred at 8:50am - only 10 mins under the wire.

The gentleman who called my name was in jeans and short-sleeved shirt. I figured I would be taken to a hearing room or such. Nope. Went to his little office with a desk, his chair and one other chair.

Before I could even say anything he said, "so you want to get this off your record?" I said I did. He said, "okay, but you have to pay the fine of $125.00." I said yes and then asked if I could get the fine reduced.

"No," he said, "it is one or the other. Off your record or reduced fine."

I agreed to the off the record option and signed the release. I have to have a clean record for a year for it really to be off. What it really means is the prosecution is suspended for a year. I paid the fine at another window.

On closer reading of the form, I noticed that the fine is actually also removed and becomes a prosecution fee which goes directly to the precinct that issued the violation. That just reeks of quota system. The violation dollars don't go toward a general police or road or safety fund but to the precinct. Obviously there is an incentive for each precinct to maximize their violations and if there is budget to be considered, then a quota has to be involved.