Speeding is a crime.
A small crime, ok, maybe an infraction.
But no matter what one calls it, speeding comes with consequences.
There are ways to fight a speeding ticket.
People often dislike doing it because the process can be accompanied by a lot of drama.
Redditor TwinJit wanted to discuss his experience and get feedback, so he naturally joined the “Am I The A**hole” (AITA) subreddit.
He asked:
“AITA for taking my G[irl]F[riend]’s dad to court?”
The Original Poster (OP) explained:
“I (19 M[ale]) have been dating my girlfriend (18 F[emale]) for about a year.”
“A couple of weeks ago, I got pulled over while driving home from her place, and just my luck, the officer who pulled me over was her dad.”
“Although very awkward, he kept it purely professional, said I was speeding, and gave me a ticket.”
“Now, if I were speeding, this would have been perfectly fine, but the problem is, I wasn’t.”
“I have a dashcam that logs GPS and speed data, and I checked it as soon as I got home.”
“It clearly shows I was going under the speed limit the entire time.”
“I told my girlfriend I’m planning to fight the ticket in court.”
“She’s really upset and says it’s going to cause a lot of tension with her family.”
“She thinks I should just pay the fine and move on, even if I wasn’t speeding.”
“From my point of view, this isn’t about her dad personally, it’s purely about not wanting any marks against my license.”
“She feels that by taking it to court, I’m basically accusing her dad of either lying or making a serious mistake, and that could put him in a really difficult position professionally and personally.”
“She’s worried this is going to cause a rift not just between me and her dad, but possibly between her dad and her as well for being associated with me.”
“I get where she’s coming from, and I don’t want to disrespect her dad or damage the relationship I’ve built with him.”
“Honestly, we’ve always gotten along well. He’s a tough guy, but I respect him a lot, and I know he’s just doing his job.”
“I’ve never had a ticket before, and I pay for my own car and insurance, so something like this could raise my rates and stick with me, especially being so young.”
“I’m not trying to be difficult, dramatic, or disrespectful, but I just don’t think it’s right to let something slide that could impact me long-term, especially when I have clear evidence that I wasn’t speeding.”
“I’m still planning on fighting the ticket.”
“I have the dashcam footage, I know I wasn’t speeding.”
“But my girlfriend is incredibly upset.”
“She’s been distant ever since I told her, and lately she’s barely talking to me.”
“I can tell she’s really hurt and stressed about the whole thing.”
“She keeps saying I’m choosing a stupid traffic ticket over her and her family which is technically true, but that ticket comes with a lot more than just a one-time fine.”
“I don’t want to take the blame for something I didn’t do so I’ve already pleaded not guilty and have the court hearing scheduled for a few weeks out.”
“I think this is the right move by putting my future first.”
The OP was left to wonder:
“So Reddit, AITA?”
Redditors shared their thoughts on this matter and weighed some options to the question AITA:
- NTA – Not The A**hole
- YTA – You’re The A**hole
- NAH – No A**holes Here
- ESH – Everyone Sucks Here
Many Redditors declared OP was NOT the a**hole.
“NAH, but your girlfriend’s being unfair as hell.”
“You didn’t go looking for a fight – her dad wrote a bogus ticket while in uniform, and you’ve got proof it’s bulls**t.”
“That’s not ‘choosing a ticket over her family,’ that’s not letting someone screw up your insurance, record, and money for no reason.”
“If her dad’s a decent cop, he’ll accept that you’re just using your right to defend yourself.”
“If he isn’t, then yeah, maybe that rift was coming either way.”
“You’re not disrespecting anyone by standing up for yourself – especially when you’ve got the receipts.”
“Tell her you’re not putting your life on pause just to avoid her dad’s feelings.”
“If that’s too much for her, that says way more about where this relationship’s headed than a damn traffic court date.” ~ SendMeYourDPics
“Do not ever admit fault if it’s not true.”
“Especially, if you can prove it.”
“If this implodes your relationship, then you dodged a bullet.”
“NTA at all.”
“If her dad is a crooked cop, then it will hopefully bite him in the @ss at some point.”
“If it happens to be you, that exposes him, and she can’t see reason, then you’re better off without her, and her corrupt cop dad baggage.” ~ Salem729606
“I would never date someone who has strong affiliations to a cop like this and feels as if others should just ‘bow down’ and accept unfairness.”
“OP SHOULD fight the ticket, he has proof, and it’s his right.”
“Why would going to court over a speeding ticket ruin relations in either manner?”
“S**t doesn’t make sense unless she’s afraid that poor daddy’s ego will get knocked down a step. lol.”
“NTA by the way…” ~ Unique_End_8089
“I don’t know why I had to scroll this far to find this.”
“OP you are absolutely NTA, but your GF is being an AH.”
“I’d be reevaluating this relationship.”
“I would never assume guilt for something that I have proof that I didn’t do.” ~ TimeBomb666
“It’s also possible that he didn’t write a bogus ticket on purpose.”
“People make mistakes.”
“He might have read it wrong or something on the sensor messed up.”
“Cops definitely write pointless tickets, but sometimes it’s hard to tell if it’s because they made a mistake or because they want to meet quota/exercise authority.”
“It’s not such a rare or huge instance that it’ll ruin his career.”
“He’ll just hear about it.” ~ reluctantseal
“NTA. A couple of things can happen in traffic court.”
“If the officer doesn’t come to court, the case will be dismissed.”
“This would be a gracious out for Dad.”
“The second thing, it will be your GPS and dash cam against his radar.”
“I am not sure how accurate your evidence will be but radar needs to be calibrated every so often.”
“You could challenge the radar accuracy if the officer does not know when it was last checked.”
“Another thought, there is probably a YouTube video explaining how to fight a traffic ticket.” ~ redditavenger2019
“I work in law enforcement.”
“We make mistakes.”
“However, that doesn’t excuse the mistake when it’s found.”
“Go and have those marks removed from your license and take it to court.”
“NTA. Your GF, however?”
“An AH.” ~ Jjazmin167
“NTA, you should fight this.”
“And your girlfriend needs to consider why she’d rather you get a mark on your license instead of telling the truth.” ~ Just_River_7502
“NTA. Your girlfriend, being 18 and still very young, doesn’t seem to fully understand the gravity of the situation.”
“She’s focusing on the interpersonal relationships you three have.”
“It shouldn’t matter that the cop that stopped you is her father.”
“The cop that fined you did it wrongly, and you shouldn’t have to face the consequences for it.” ~ scarletxkurapika
“NTA. Be polite, but fight the ticket.”
“Her father, the cop, could have just given you a warning.”
“But, he chose to write a ticket.”
“So, this relationship ‘issue’ is just as much on him.”
“Personally, I think there is something else going on here–more than just catching a ‘speeder.'”
“Dad is asserting his authority to prove some point.”
“Maybe, don’t date my daughter or something similar.”
“Or will he stand up for my daughter when necessary… let’s see if he stands up for himself.”
“Anyway, you could choose to roll over, but you don’t have to (and shouldn’t).”
“You are thinking correctly.”
“Tickets cost more than just the fine.”
“Go to court and maintain your innocence.”
“The cop has to show how you were speeding–radar gun, pacing you, timing marks, etc.”
“You would counter by saying you weren’t speeding and you have your dash cam and GPS data that says that.”
“Then, it’s up to the judge.”
“If you win, don’t gloat.”
“If you lose, pay the fine.” ~ Irishfan1717
“First off, NTA.”
“Secondly, she’s seriously misunderstanding the importance of a cop’s ticket getting fought in court.”
“You’re not ‘Taking him to court,’ you’re fighting an incorrect ticket.”
“It’s not that big of a deal typically, outside of it being falsification, for whatever reason he had to do it.”
“In my opinion, if you don’t fight it, this guy is going to keep f**king with you because he sees you’ll take it.”
“I don’t think there’s great odds for your relationship if you fight it because you’re going against her wishes, but this is beyond the pale of something to just let die down.” ~ HistoricalQuail
“NTA – and this isn’t a big deal.”
“You don’t want points on your license, and it’s expensive!”
“Usually cops don’t attend court, the ticket gets thrown out, that’s that.”
“He might not even be notified.”
“It’s not like he’s going to be dramatically reprimanded or something.”
“Speed guns are often not calibrated correctly, and lots of cops don’t know how to maintain their equipment.”
“It’s entirely possible it was just a mistake on his part.”
“That’s why you can contest it in court, they are sometimes wrong.”
“I mean, unless he asked for a bribe or something, how this is a big deal to his family is questionable.” ~ TodayIAmMostlyEating
“NTA and I wonder why he gave you a ticket if you weren’t speeding?”
“He knew you and had to know that you weren’t speeding.”
“What else is going on here?”
“Absolutely fight it.”
“Do not let that go on your driving record when you have the proof otherwise.”
“It is time to break up and start dating again.” ~ jaimechandra
“NTA, but it sounds like a potential deal breaker for your girlfriend might be standing up for yourself, and I’d look into that if I were you.” ~ jintana
“NTA. This has nothing to do with her dad.”
“It might just be the equipment he was using.”
“If you have evidence you weren’t speeding, then fight it.”
“This is about you and a ticket that shouldn’t have been issued.”
“Your GF is making it personal and needs to remove herself emotionally and look at it objectively.” ~ Lex-imo
Reddit is with you, OP.
If you have evidence to clear your name, then you must use it.
Your GF’s Dad will live.
If she is not on your side, you may want to rethink a few things about this relationship.