I find it hard to believe that in 18 years in traffic stops you haven't effected one child in a negative way.
I never said I had never had such an effect on a child, but on a traffic stop? Nope.
It was just the first time they have been stopped and just like anyone else, they were nervous.
"Nervous" was not how you originally described their emotional state.
The problem is, you go back to your car and never see these kids again. We live with them. Kids ask questions based on conversations they hear and what the observe. They are still trying to figure out the world and how everything works. Sometimes they put the pieces together wrong and it is scary for them.
Yep. And the answer is, "The officer was doing his job and mommy made a mistake. We had to pay some money to drive the car on the road and we forgot. Mommy will take care of that."
If your attitude was one of anger or an expression of indignant denial, then, perhaps, it was your own anger or nervousness that the children were reflecting - particularly on that second stop. If they aw that YOU were angry or upset from the first stop, they are no going to want to see mommy upset the second time around.
I have 3 kids that you can definitely reason with and get them to understand that traffic enforcement is done to keep people safe.
My 4th is extrememly sensitive and HATES getting in trouble. He makes himself sick with nervousness.
But he wasn't in trouble.
Obviously, I cannot account for the individual reactions of your children. I just know that I have never seen such a reaction from children on a simple traffic stop. That does not mean no children react that way, only that I have never observed it so that, to me, such a reaction is unusual.
When a police officer comes to your window (He stopped in front of theirs so they got to see his gun) and tells you that you have done something wrong, they are watching and listening. They ask questions and they probe. They asked why he stopped us. I told them it was because our registration expired, it was no big deal. They asked what could happen if we didn't, were we going to jail, would they tow the car, would we have to walk home.
I assured them that everything was ok, we only had to pay a fine. I also assured them that we would take care of it as soon as we got home. They watched me do it online. (I thought I did all the right things)
The next day, my nervous one was still asking questions. It was obviously bothering him. So when we got stopped again, he started crying which in turn made the others cry.
Okay. Sounds like you did the right thing the first time around. It is still not something I have seen before, but as I said, that doesn't mean it does not happen, it just is not something I have ever witnessed.
I am not a criminal,(and I don't think being 11 days late renewing a registration should ever enter you into that category) so please stop trying to prove me guilty. I am not looking for a defense. I never once said I wan't wrong.
If you are wrong, then by defin9ition you are guilty of the offense. I am not trying to "prove" anything - the fact that you did not pay the registration is proof enough of that. Does it make you a criminal? Of course not. It makes you forgetful like so many others of us who have been late on our registration. But, we all have to pay the piper when we "oops" and forget to pay our registration. It happens.
If your registration was paid after the first stop, and you can present proof that it was paid, then you might be able to get the second citation dismissed (unless the section was for operating it without the proper tab or some such thing).
#1 - The punishment does not fit the crime
#2 - Is it possible for the average citizen to do something about it?
What should the punishment be? If no a fine, then what? Community service? Write an essay to the court?
It seems a fine is about as low as penalties can realistically go.
The average citizen can lobby for a change in the law, though I am not sure what you would be lobbying for. A "grace period"? Why? Why not just have lifetime registration?
Would you be lobbying for mandatory mailings and proof of mailings? That would be a horrendous expense for the state as some state bureaucrat would have to send proof of the certified mailing to every court where this was an issue and might have to actually show up in court to authenticate the document! That would make registration enforcement quite burdensome.
I wish I was organized enough to keep track of all that. I can't wait til the day that it becomes my responsiblilty to pay all of my bills without a monthly statement... Let the LATE fees Begin! (Or we can put our feet down and try to make a change that keeps up with busy lives)
My wife sets such things out on a big calendar in the kitchen. We buy it at the end of the year, and as dates come to mind, we put them in the calendar. I don't rely on courtesy notices for my car, I glance at the license plates because I cannot remember when the registration is due but I can tell by the year and month tab on my plates. If I have not received anything form the DMV, I then make an appointment at the DMV to take care of it at my convenience. My state enacts hefty penalties the day after registration is due, so I also cannot afford to be late.
There are ways to organize. And, I suspect that after this ordeal, you will likely never forget to check the registration any vehicle you own again, will you?
- Carl
