Does the punishment match the crime?

**Tubbsy** · 6th May 2009, 15:53

Originally Posted by Tank

Treating people in a professional nice manner will get you a hell of a lot further than being rude and ignorant.

I was exceptionally courteous, without even so much as an eye roll. Didn't get me anywhere.

There was a thing on T.V recently about this kid down south somewhere that got pinged $700 for riding his skateboard on the pavement. That speaks volumes right there FWIW. He said quite rightly that it was ridiculous and refused to pay, cops backed down once the media got a whiff.

I used to be a strong advocate for the thin blue line, but after the whole police PC porn scandal a few years back, the utter incompetence they handled my home burglary with, and then the subsequent car burglary no show, followed by this exorbitant fine for nothing other than being forgetful, it's massiveley soured my opinion of them.

They are, as far as I'm concerned now, laughable.
Lady here at work had all her security cameras stolen sometime last night, they called the cops, who advised that it was probably "burglars getting ready to rob the place"!! Brilliant farkin deduction....I see Sherlock has moved from Baker street to NZ.

**Tubbsy** · 6th May 2009, 15:55

Originally Posted by FROSTY

Id say the punishment fits the crime. That is to say the (hopefully) real punishment. Youv'e been inconvenienced and reminded in a pretty solid way to get stuff up to date.
You will now have the inconvenience of having to wright into them with a letter of explaination and proof you've got the rego and RUC up to date.
If you've done it pretty darn smartly id say 95% chance you'll get let off with a warning.

I did it within hours, and wrote to them over 20 days ago with no hint of a reply.

Consider this, if you think the punishment fits the crime, another post on here from the Chicago tribune says a woman got a ticket for reckless driving after killing a femaling motorcyclist whilst applying make-up. She got a fine. Do you reckon my 'offense' was in the same league as hitting and killing someone?

**jaymzw** · 6th May 2009, 15:57

Originally Posted by FROSTY

Id say the punishment fits the crime. That is to say the (hopefully) real punishment. Youv'e been inconvenienced and reminded in a pretty solid way to get stuff up to date.
You will now have the inconvenience of having to wright into them with a letter of explaination and proof you've got the rego and RUC up to date.
If you've done it pretty darn smartly id say 95% chance you'll get let off with a warning.

Does the punishment fit the crime?

Maybe not, but it fits with the costs of every other fine in NZ.

Do you get demerits with RUC or Rego? That is what i would be worrying about personally.

I'd say the thing that sucks is that after you pay the fines(if you dont get off) you will still have to get you RUC and rego or whatever up to date.

**Tubbsy** · 6th May 2009, 16:02

Originally Posted by jaymzw

Does the punishment fit the crime?

Maybe not, but it fits with the costs of every other fine in NZ.

Do you get demerits with RUC or Rego? That is what i would be worrying about personally.

No demerit points as far as I know, at least I wasn't advised of that, and yeh, same dayI got it I bought about 15,000 RUC to make sure I don't get pinged again.

I know this is a sensitive subject and opinions will vary, it's always good to have healthy debate though.

**imdying** · 6th May 2009, 16:04

Mmmmm tax evasion... don't try and steal from the government, they don't like the competition.

**FROSTY:Me** · 6th May 2009, 16:35

Originally Posted by jaymzw

Does the punishment fit the crime?

Maybe not, but it fits with the costs of every other fine in NZ.

Do you get demerits with RUC or Rego? That is what i would be worrying about personally.

I'd say the thing that sucks is that after you pay the fines(if you dont get off) you will still have to get you RUC and rego or whatever up to date.

Dude CAREFULLY read my post. My point is that the REAL punishments most likely gonna be a load of paperwork on his part.
Personally I've been advocating that diesel like petrol should be taxed at pump. I know it wouldn't be popular with truckies but to me it makes more sense for the truckies,trains,boats, be able to claim back the deisel tax rather than all the hassles with hubometers and diesel tax.
One less bit of work for the cops and the gubbinment.

**Tubbsy** · 6th May 2009, 16:38

Originally Posted by FROSTY

Personally I've been advocating that diesel like petrol should be taxed at pump.

Agreed, thing is, that'd ensure no-one ever gets pinged for overdue RUC like I did, thereby cutting off a revenue stream.

Glass half empty comment I know.

**SlashWylde** · 6th May 2009, 16:50

Originally Posted by Tubbsy

It feels like it's just revenue gouging now. I kinda feel like $750 is in the same league as serious offenses, which being forgetful really isn't.

Putting aside the fact that 'the law says so and it must be obeyed', what do you guys reckon?

That last point aside, I would tend to agree with the general sentiment of your post regarding the WOF.

Case in point: a few years ago my car was hit diagonally in the right front quarter by another car driver coming from the opposite direction who wasn't paying attention and drifted over to my side of the road. both of us traveling at approx 50kph in opposite directions down the same stretch of road.

I didn't suffer any lacerations or broken bones, but I was off work for most of a week as I couldn't move due to muscular stiffness. Also I had to find a new car as mine was a write-off.

He was fined $500 for careless use of a motor vehicle.... can you believe that?

**Tank** · 6th May 2009, 16:51

Originally Posted by Spyke

Tank stop stalking DB on these kind of posts

btw I'm saying this cause it's sad to do that.

not a personal attack on you or anything though lol.

Yeah - I know its not a personal attack - and to be honest Im not 'stalking DB' on this type of post - you can actually see I have said it many, many, many times to many, many people.

It really fucks me off when I see people (Cops) being called pigs, and having shit thrown at them simply because of the job they are doing.

Part of the job that they are made to do is traffic - they dont make the rules, they simply enforce them.

These guys are the ones who have to attend fatal accidents, tell parents that their kids arnt coming home, and a whole lot of other shit that the majority of us couldn't do (well I know I couldn't).

I believe a HUGE part of the problems we have in society today stem from a lack of respect, and whilst I agree that respect needs to be earnt, not given as a right - I think it worse that the default attitude is "fuck the cunt pigs" that prevails in a lot of post - generally from people who have done something wrong and got caught.

I know a number of cops and to be told some of the stuff that is said to them on a weekly basis is disgusting - yet they have to remain as professional as possible and do what needs to be done.

When they keep getting called pigs, spat on etc it dosnt really help keep them in a good mood.

Yep - its one of my buttons and I'm on my soapbox.

**pete376403** · 6th May 2009, 20:20

Chicken and egg thing - maybe if the cops were a bit less zealous in enforcing the minor issues that have less to do with safety and more to do with revenue (they DO have discretion, but seem disinclined to use it) while at the same time being a little stronger on the crime enforcement (ie actually bothering to turn up when a burglary is reported) maybe the publics perception may change a little in their favour. Maybe.

F'rinstance I was billed for failing to indicate at a roundabout. 11 oclock at night, no other vehicles in sight (apart from a Commodore parked at the roadside. Which happened to be a mufti. Wasn't the least bit interested in discussing the fact there was nothing for me to indicate my intentions to.
So now if I saw that particular guy having a 1 on 5 with the local MM boys, I'd probably put my own safety first, and wait till the MMs were good and finished, before calling 111. Which is a pity, as I was bought up to respect the Police.

**peasea** · 6th May 2009, 20:32

Originally Posted by Tubbsy

I have just been to pay a $750 fine. It stung a lot. But probably what stings more, is I don't think the magnitude of the fine is justified.

I was a good chunk over on my road user charges, and less than a month over on my rego. So yes, I deserved to get pinged, but I really don't think in this case, as a first "offense", that the punishment matched the crime.
I did nothing dangerous, no speeding, car is warranted and safe, all I got slammed for, was being overly forgetful (hand on heart).

It feels like it's just revenue gouging now. I kinda feel like $750 is in the same league as serious offenses, which being forgetful really isn't.

Putting aside the fact that 'the law says so and it must be obeyed', what do you guys reckon?

Those of you who have had a fine or fines, what's the amount and the transgression been?

Even the cop who ticketed me said I should write in and request it waived because it would be a big fine. Incidentally, they never bothered to reply to me.

Left a bad taste in my mouth about the police, especially as they never even bothered to come out when my car was broken into.

It's all because they're more interested in emptying your wallet than road safety or anything else.

The cops don't reply coz they don't give a shit.

That bad taste in your mouth is a 'taste' of things to come. get used to it bucko, the police are scum and it's all about the money. Good policing went out with the ark. Oh, and if you object to anything they say or do you'll be tagged a 'vexacious litigant' and they'll discredit you at every opportunity. If you're going to fight them get a second mortgage and a lawyer who can lie with the best! (Rickards springs to mind....)

**FJRider** · 6th May 2009, 20:33

Perhaps remove the RUC fee's ... and double the price of Diesel at the pumps. Commercial firms may a lot more for breach of RUC laws... you got off lightly.
Just think of it as "inspiration" to keep up to date with mileage fee's due.

The next time won't be as light...

**Tank** · 6th May 2009, 20:38

Originally Posted by pete376403

So now if I saw that particular guy having a 1 on 5 with the local MM boys, I'd probably put my own safety first, and wait till the MMs were good and finished, before calling 111. Which is a pity, as I was bought up to respect the Police.

So - you changed how you would behave if you saw that particular copper getting a kicking by a group of mob members simply because he gave you a ticket?

That probably says more about you than anything.

Funnily enough you (and others on this forum) would expect him to risk his own life and run to help you if he saw you getting attacked by the mob members - even after referring to him as a pig as others on here have.

**peasea** · 6th May 2009, 20:47

Originally Posted by Tank

So - you changed how you would behave if you saw that particular copper getting a kicking by a group of mob members simply because he gave you a ticket?
.

Good job too, kick the fuck outta the scumbag pig!