Got a ticket for the stupidest thing today.

[bryan_65]

I think it should be up to the individual if he wants to wear a seat belt or not. If he dies or becomes seriously injured, he's the one who suffered, not me. When I run a red light because I was texting, slam into someone and that guy goes flying out of his windshield and his intestines splatter all over children on the sidewalk because he wasn't wearing a seat belt, but I was OK because I had my seat belt on, I was clearly the smart one and the one who did not suffer because of my smartness. It was the dumb one who chose not to wear a seat belt who died and is having his large intestine used as a jump rope by said children. Him not wearing a seat belt didn't hurt me.

All joking aside, wearing a seat belt does help keep insurance rates lower.

Seat belt or not if you run a red light while texting and kill some one, expect to be charged with manslaughter and a civil suit from the family. You better get a very good lawyer.

[Hatta]

Traffic enforcement is not about safety, but about using safety as an excuse for revenue collection. Traffic cops are highwaymen, nothing more. There's a pretty blatant conflict of interest in allowing the government to profit from law enforcement, in that it will create more and more laws to enforce in order to profit more. I think we need a constitutional amendment prohibiting any fines from going into revenue (destroy it instead, contracting the money supply, increasing the value of remaining dollars). I think you'd see a pretty dramatic realignment of law enforcement priorities if we did that.

We also need a way to hold cops who issue illegal tickets like this accountable. Dude should be guilty of a crime.

[Retrozoa]

I agree, seatbelts and crash helmets should be optional. However to counter argue with myself I can see that if I was involved in car accident and ended up watching a stranger die horribly, I can't say that I wouldn't be upset by the experience.

Seatbelts should be optional. Not for personal freedom or anything, I'm just interested in Natural selection.

[ZeroAX]

Seatbelts should be optional. Not for personal freedom or anything, I'm just interested in Natural selection.

QFT

[Opa Opa]

Seatbelts should be optional. Not for personal freedom or anything, I'm just interested in Natural selection.

This would be the best bumper sticker ever.

[fvgazi]

Seatbelts should be optional. Not for personal freedom or anything, I'm just interested in Natural selection.

This would be the best bumper sticker ever.

QOTD


I think the ticket is BS. I would fight that in court because you have clear documentation and I'm sure you're not the first person to have a classic car with this issue.

That said, I still think it's incredibly dangerous to be driving without a seatbelt on. I understand the whole classic car thing, but I suppose it's the same risk as riding a motorcycle (even with a helmet!).

Drive your Corvair with a helmet on! I'm sure you'd get tons of people looking at you.

[gtmtnbiker]

Seatbelts should be optional. Not for personal freedom or anything, I'm just interested in Natural selection.

If we could guarantee that the person is dead from an accident for not wearing their seatbelts, then it would be fine. But they could still live but be so injured to require costly care for the rest of their lives thereby increasing costs for everyone.

@Abirtern1, were you pulled over for some other reason and the cop gave you a ticket because you weren't using seatbelts? It looks like according to the wiki, shoulder belts were not mandated until 1968 so how could a cop know if you had a lap belt on or not?

Rather than going to court, I wonder if you could go to the police dept and ask to speak with the chief on the ticket? Maybe if you could show the relevant Tennessee code and your papers, he'll be able to rip up the ticket?

[Gnashvar]

I think you would be right to fight it. But I don't know if your time wasted is worth the $20.

[MrPopo]

I'd say fight it because you are in the right here. You're not trying to get off on a technicality; you're actually not violating the law.

[Hazerd]

post pics of said car, including engine bay