Victimless Crimes, Real Profits

I’d like to think I’m a pretty safe driver. I mean, in 20-some years on the road, I’ve never caused an accident and only had a few tickets. But one of those tickets changed my entire view on law enforcement.

Here’s what happened:

One evening, I was leaving the pharmacy after picking up medicine for my wife post-surgery. It was dark, the street was empty, and as I pulled left out of the lot, I accidentally cut the turn too short, landing me briefly on the wrong side of the median. No one was in danger. There were zero cars around. I immediately stopped, did a full 360-degree check, and backed into the proper lane.

And then I saw the headlights, a cop, who happened to pull up right behind me.

That harmless mistake earned me a ticket for crossing the median and reckless driving. When I asked her what I could have done differently, she didn’t have an answer. “Just be more careful next time,” was all she could say.

That one incident made me realize what a ridiculous game this can be and how much of it is about money, not safety.

Let’s talk about the absurd racket that is victimless crime enforcement, aka the easiest cash grab your local government ever cooked up.

You know the ones:

• Going 7 over the limit on an empty four-lane road at 10 p.m.

• Forgetting a turn signal when you’re literally the only car at a light.

• Getting a ticket for “expired tags” when you’re still waiting on the DMV mail.

These aren’t public safety issues, they’re low-effort, high-profit fines that target ordinary people just trying to live their lives. And the worst part? There’s no victim. No damage. No harm.

Just you, a $165 fine, and maybe a nice jump in your insurance premium.

Here’s the kicker: this isn’t about safety at all — it’s about revenue. Cities count on this; some even budget for ticket income before it happens. That’s right. Your local government is literally expecting you to mess up so they can hit you with a fine. That’s less like protecting the public and more like taxing you for existing.

And sure, you might say, “Well, just follow the rules.” But when those rules are selectively enforced, disproportionately target certain neighborhoods, and punish people for harmless mistakes?That’s not justice; that’s taxation dressed up as law enforcement.

If nobody’s hurt, if nothing’s damaged, and if public safety isn’t actually at risk. What are we really policing?

Ginger Snaps,

Because I used my turn signal…and still got a ticket for a cracked license plate frame.