NC seat belt ticket

[Ga_Man]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? North Carolina

Me and wife got seat belt tickets yesterday in NC from this really pissy state trooper. Anyways. She never asked either of us to sign the tickets she just kind of tossed them at me and left. Are they legally binding since we didn't sign them? Also for some reason the state of NC loves robbing people so even though I had no intention of going to court to pay the ticket I have to pay 135$ a piece in court fees! WTF? Is there any way to fight this? If so should I hire a lawyer? Would it cost less than the 322$ I am gonna be out because the femi**** trooper gave me a stupid ticket.

 

[TheGeekess]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? North Carolina

Me and wife got seat belt tickets yesterday in NC from this really pissy state trooper. Anyways. She never asked either of us to sign the tickets she just kind of tossed them at me and left. Are they legally binding since we didn't sign them? Also for some reason the state of NC loves robbing people so even though I had no intention of going to court to pay the ticket I have to pay 135$ a piece in court fees! WTF? Is there any way to fight this? If so should I hire a lawyer? Would it cost less than the 322$ I am gonna be out because the femi**** trooper gave me a stupid ticket.

Pay the ticket. And wear your seat belt, no matter where you're driving. It's the law.

 

[Ga_Man]

Yeah thinking its gonna cost more to hire a lawyer than the ticket is worth and their is no guarantee he can get it lowered...also I am to big for the seat belt to fit around me the cop said in NC I have to have a dr excuse for that! I am not even a resident of NC I live in Ga....so what can I do? If I get a dr excuse saying I am to big think I could get the one ticket dropped?

 

[TheGeekess]

Yeah thinking its gonna cost more to hire a lawyer than the ticket is worth and their is no guarantee he can get it lowered...also I am to big for the seat belt to fit around me the cop said in NC I have to have a dr excuse for that! I am not even a resident of NC I live in Ga....so what can I do? If I get a dr excuse saying I am to big think I could get the one ticket dropped?

They make seat belt extenders. And it doesn't matter where you live, you broke the law in NC. The Boyfriend (not a small fellow) doesn't like to wear seatbelts, either. And he has to pay the ticket when he gets one.

https://www.google.com/search?q=seat+belt+extender

 

[Zigner]

Yeah thinking its gonna cost more to hire a lawyer than the ticket is worth and their is no guarantee he can get it lowered...also I am to big for the seat belt to fit around me the cop said in NC I have to have a dr excuse for that! I am not even a resident of NC I live in Ga....so what can I do? If I get a dr excuse saying I am to big think I could get the one ticket dropped?

They make seatbelt extenders...


ETA: TheGeekess beat me to it.

 

[sandyclaus]

As I stated in my reply to this very same question posted on one of the OTHER boards last night:

Of course you have to pay the tickets. I'll bet the officer didn't attempt to obtain a signature from you to acknowledge the violation because you were yelling so much about getting the ticket in the first place. (Not the officer's fault, but your own.)

If you are too big to fit with the seatbelt on, then you need to install longer belts or use a seat belt extender (which can be purchased at most auto parts stores for around $20 or so). Otherwise, as this "Stormtrooper" states, you would need evidence of a viable medical excuse for NOT wearing one.

Just because you don't agree with the law is no excuse for breaking it. If you don't like the law, take it up with the lawmakers. Otherwise, you need to take the necessary steps to comply with the law - or face receiving more of these "no seatbelt" tickets in the future. And if you decide NOT to pay the ones you received, the tickets will end up costing you far more than the $300 you are looking at now in "failure to appear" tickets and added fines and court costs for failing to pay them.

Of course, on the other board, the officer was referred to as the "Stormtrooper Cop". No difference in the answers here, you see.

And great to see that everyone else here seems to agree with the response.