Ladies and gentlemen, let me tell you a tale. A tale that I never thought I’d tell in the first person.
Because you see friends, I just did a bid. I spent time in the slammer. The clink. Jail. But let’s not jump ahead.
Tuesday June 22, 6:30 PM EST
It’s time for me to leave work. I work in an office building that’s in back of a hotel. See Figure 1.
I always go very slowly, as every person leaving the hotel conveniently ignores the fact that other people are leaving the other building, and they never look to see if anyone is coming.
In this case, it was a Waltham cop. Of course, he zooms ahead of me and never looks until I put on the brakes. I wave him ahead. He waves me ahead. I wave him ahead. He shakes his head, points at me, and frantically waves me ahead. I go.
The moment I turn on to Totten Pond Road, the blue lights come on.
Hmm. Weird. I obviously did nothing wrong, so I’m wondering why I’m being pulled over. I pull over immediately, and the officer comes to the window.
Cop: License and registration.
Me: Here you go.
I hand him my license.
Cop: Don’t worry about the registration. Stay in the vehicle.
He leaves and goes back to the car. I’m really wondering why I was pulled over, and it’s taking a long time for him to come back to me. After about 10 minutes, I see another police car pull in back of him. Great. He called for backup. This is going to end well.
The cop comes up to my window.
Cop: Do you have $40?
Me: What?
Cop: I said do you have $40?
Me: No. I have no cash on me, just a debit card.
Cop: You’re going to need someone to bring you $40 to bail you out, because I’m arresting you and towing your car right now.
Me: What? Why?
Cop: Your license is suspended, so we’re towing your car and you’re going to jail. Get out of the car now.
I get out of the car completely baffled. I did nothing wrong, and I’m POSITIVE that my license isn’t suspended. I’ve only been pulled over once in my life, and that was because my plates expired on the last day of April, and it was May first. But we’ll get to that later.
I walk over to where he’s pointing and he cuffs me and takes everything out of my pockets including my keys. He then THROWS me into the back of his car. While I’m in the back of the cruiser, his partner searches my car.
I’m then driven to the police station without the cop saying a word to me other than “It says here your license is suspended. I’m only telling you that because I’m nice. I don’t need to be.”
So let’s take inventory here: I was pulled over, thrown in handcuffs, had my car searched without being asked, never was read my rights, and never explained why I was being arrested. Moving right along….
As the cop drives into the receiving area, he’s sitting in the car, reading facebook on his cell phone for at least 10 minutes before ringing the doorbell to have me taken in.
He leads me up the ramp saying “face forward and don’t turn around.”
Waltham Police Department
I’m brought to a room where there’s an officer standing behind a desk with a computer, another officer, and the guy that took me in. I’m still in cuffs that are so tight I no longer have circulation in my hands.
Cop: “Walk up to the desk and stop exactly where I tell you to stop. Do not move your hands, and face only forward.”
I do.
Intake Cop: I’m now going to take the prisoner’s information. What is your first name?
Me: Barry
Intake Cop: Last name.
Me: Freed
Intake Cop: Spell it.
Me: F-R-E-E
Intake Cop: Not until I say I’m ready.
I’m not going to go through every question he asked me, as there were a lot. One highlight, however, was when he asked if I had a “street name”. And no, I didn’t answer “Tater Salad.”
After the questions, they finally took off my handcuffs.
Intake Cop: You will have the opportunity to make two phone calls in the first hour. Do you want to make a phone call?
Me: Yes I do.
Intake Cop: Then you will be able to make a phone call when we’re ready. Now take off your shirt and your shoes.
I take off my button-down and my sneakers, and I’m then told to keep my feet on either side of a yellow line, again, never turning around. I have my mug shot taken, fingerprints, etc.
I’m then able to make a phone call, and I knew my fiancee would be sleeping (she works nights), but I tried anyway. Next, I tried to think of who is the person geographically closest to the station. I’d spend the morning with the CEO of our company doing a presentation at Harvard Business School, so his was the most recent number in my phone. I called. He answered.
Me: Hey, CEO. Are you still in the office?
CEO: Yep.
Me: Got $40?
CEO: Uh, sure. Why?
Me: Well, I kind of need you to do me a favor. A big one. Can you come down to jail and bail me out? I was pulled over for a suspended license, which is complete bullshit, and they cuffed me and put me in jail.
CEO: Are you okay?
Me: Yep
CEO: I’ll be right down
I’m then put in cell #3, with only socks on my feet. Dude. The cell was all metal, and had a toilet filled with shit and puke, along with a camera directly above it. It was roughly 109 degrees, encased in plexiglass. After about 10 minutes, a cop came by to say “your buddy just bailed you out. Now we’ll call the bail clerk. She shouldn’t take more than an hour.”
During my hour in jail, I noticed some things. I noticed the guy that would bang on his cell every minute or so and yell out “Hey! I’m not afraaaaid of yooooooou!” I noticed a very cheerful officer that brought a spanish-speaking gentleman in and had a long conversation with him in broken spanish, but when she saw me, shot me nothing but dirty looks.
I then found the biggest guy there and punched him in the face. I then converted to Islam, joined a gang, and made several license plates.
When the hour was over, the formerly cheery woman officer opened my cell and shouted “Go!” to me while pointing and looking at me with a disgusted face. I walked back to the intake desk where an old woman with a scowl said “sign all these” while pointing to three documents. She seemed genuinely annoyed that I wanted to know what I was signing, and that I took a minute to read them.
Once signed, she told me “go to court tomorrow at 8:30 am.”
Finally I asked “Can you tell me what I’m being charged for?”
She answered “The officers already explained to you that you were driving with a suspended license.”
Rather than saying “No, they didn’t. They also didn’t read me my rights, tell me why I was being arrested, or ask if they could search my car”, instead I just thanked her and asked “What do I do about my car?”
Her answer: “Your car is at a tow lot. Your license has been taken and you won’t get it back. Your plates have been turned in. When you go to court tomorrow, they’ll tell you what to do. It’s not for us to decide.”
Very pleasant.
I was free to go, and after collecting my shirt (which was thrown ontop of a rusty drinking fountain) and my belongings, I went out to meet our CEO. He gave me a ride home and I explained the entire story, and let me tell you, I was pretty damn thankful that he’s a good guy.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
The fiancee and I head to court at 8:00, as we needed to be in at 8:30. By around 8:20, everyone started lining up at the door, and the court officer came out, looked annoyingly at his watch and announced “don’t open til 8:30.”
All of the court employees sauntered in, and by 8:45, they opened the door.
I was instructed to go to the probation office, and told the guy at the desk my name. He told me to come with him.
Court Guy: Can I have your license?
Me: Sorry, cops stole that.
Court Guy: They stole it?
Me: Yes, along with my car, plates, and keys.
Court Guy: Okay. Give me your info (name, license number, etc.). Now, how much money do you make a week?
Me: Why?
Court Guy: I need to get all of this information to find out if you’re eligible for a court appointed defense attorney.
I give him all the info. I do not qualify.
Court Guy: I don’t know why you’re here. Here’s what’s going to happen. You’re going to go into the courtroom, and the prosecutor will find you. He’s going to motion for this to be dismissed, and you’ll be all set.
All right, first good news of the day. We go upstairs and find a bailiff to ask what we’re supposed to do. Nice guy. He goes inside the courtroom, talks to the prosecutor, and says “go ahead and sit down in the court. He’ll come find you and will explain everything.”
After sitting down, someone yells out my name. It’s a mustachioed police prosecutor that again, seems annoyed that I breathe the same air as him.
Prosecutor: Here’s what’s going to happen. You’re going to represent yourself, I’m going to recommend that the case be dismissed and you’ll have to pay a $200 fine. How long do you need to pay?
Me: 10 minutes.
I go back to sit down and told the fiancee that I just need $200 to get out of there. She runs to the ATM and comes back with the dough.
3 hours later, my name is finally called, and the case is dismissed. Took about 30 seconds. We pay the $200 and get out of there. This is where the fun starts.
Watertown Registry of Motor Vehicles, 12:30 PM
Though the ticket said our wait time was approximately 14 minutes, it was actually an hour and a half. Pretty standard.
This is where the twilight zone shit starts.
Me: Hi. Just found out my license was suspended, and the cops took my car, my plates, and my license. I’d like to know why my license was suspended and what I have to do to get everything back.
RMV Woman: It says here that your license is suspended because……
Let me interrupt the story here and go back to the only time I was ever pulled over. It was May 3rd, 2009 in Revere. The cop told me that my registration was good until the last of April, so I was driving with an expired registration. He said “I’m not going to be a dick and tow your car or anything, because I know you’ll take care of this tomorrow. But, since I ran your plates, I have to give you this ticket (for $40). Now, you won’t be able to renew your registration until you pay this ticket, so make sure you pay this online tonight. Just print out the receipt and bring it to the RMV tomorrow.”
I paid it. The next day, the fiancee went (I was at work) and renewed my registration for me. Let’s get back to Wednesday.
RMV Woman:Â Â It says here that your license is suspended because you never paid a $40 ticket in Revere.
Me: Wait? Is my registration expired?
RMV Woman: No.
Me: Hold on. I would have had to pay the ticket to renew my registration, right?
RMV Woman: Yes.
Me: And my registration is renewed, right?
RMV Woman: Right.
Me: So would it not be impossible for me to have not paid the ticket?
RMV Woman: ? (says the same thing over and over)
At this thing, I see that I’m in a feedback loop of crazy. It makes no sense, I have paid the ticket, but I’m not going to get anything resolved by arguing. The fiancee is about to lose her mind at this point, but I just want to get out.
Me: Okay, fine. So what do I have to do to get my license, plates, and car back?
Her: It’ll be $255 for the license, $20 for the plates, and I won’t charge you for the license. Just fill out this form.
Now to the tow lot.
Pilgrim Towing, Waltham MA
Long story short, it’s a $144 fee. I pay it and notice that only my ignition key is in the car. I ask the woman at the tow lot if they had my keys. Nope.
I drive the car back to the police station.
Female officer: Can I help you?
Me: Yes. My car was towed last night and my keys aren’t in it.
Female officer: You should have got your keys back when you were released.
Me: I didn’t.
Female officer: Describe your keys.
Me: Three keys. 1 for a Nissan, one is my house key, the other is my work key.
Female officer: Nope, not here.
Me: Well, they’re not at the tow lot, so….
Female officer: I’m just trying to help you sir.
Me: What do you recommend?
Female officer: Well, the officer that arrested you comes in at midnight. Maybe they’re in his cruiser? You can call him then.
Me: Thanks.
That’s exactly what I did. The call at midnight:
Me: Hi. My car was towed by you the other night, and the keys aren’t in it, and they’re not at the tow lot.
Cop: If they don’t have it and we don’t have it, I can’t help you.
Me: I spoke with an officer this afternoon that said the officer might have had them in his cruiser.
Cop: We would never do that. Hold on……
5 minutes later
Cop: They’re here.
Me: So I can pick them up tomorrow?
Cop: You can get them now for all I care.
Again they try to kill me with kindness.
Summary
So, I’m out about $700, I went to jail, all for a ticket that I paid. I cannot possibly explain how truly awful the Waltham cops were. There was only one that acted somewhat like a real human being. The arresting officer is likely to be the worst person on the planet.
But hey, you can’t blame the cops, right? Just doing their job.
And that’s the big problem here. I don’t really know who to direct my anger towards. Suggestions welcome.
42 responses so far ↓
1 Steph // Jun 25, 2010 at 1:04 pm
Um, this whole thing is complete bullshit! You should absolutely not have to pay a cent of that $700. I hope you get it all back plus an apology and extra money for the douchiness of all involved!
2 Jimmy Hoffa // Jun 25, 2010 at 1:36 pm
Like I said, after reading this, I might just think very seriously about pursuing Option B.
3 Randi // Jun 25, 2010 at 4:54 pm
You left out the $75 that we spent on wine and booze to calm me down so I didn’t wind up bashing someone’s head in.
The RMV woman, who was about 208 years old, said that your license was actually suspended for “non-renewal of registration.” Remember, we kinda had to deduce that they thought the ticket wasn’t paid. She just kept repeating that your registration is expired, and it’s valid until May of 2011. That was the most cyclical discussion I think I’ve ever had. She also told us about all those notices that the police totally *never* sent us…you know, all of those notices that demanded payment for the ticket that you already paid, and that threatened that you’d have a warrant put out for your arrest, that we just ignored, you know, ’cause we like danger? (If you can’t tell there’s sarcasm there, let me point it out. Last statement=sarcasm.)
The thing that totally boggles my mind, besides the whole effing thing, is a. that when I asked why they took your plates, the woman at the RMV said, because they can (which is TOTAL b.s.) and b. the fact that we know of 4 other people that this same thing has happened to in varying degrees.
I feel safe knowing that there is a system in place out there to catch “criminals” like you, while killers, rapists, and pedophiles walk around amongst us because they aren’t caught or are released on a technicality. Protect and serve, bitches.
4 Eric Jay // Jun 26, 2010 at 1:29 am
Wow, what a crazy, awful, ordeal.
Several years ago, I paid a ticket on the RMV’s website. I had an e-mail receipt indicating that the ticket had been paid, but the registry didn’t process the transaction until the next business day, which happened to be the day AFTER the due date. Therefore, I incurred a late fee, which I was never informed of. This turned into a license suspension, which I was also never informed of. I drove around with a suspended license for months until I went to renew my registration and found out. Thank goodness I hadn’t been pulled over in that time!
Even though just about every agency you dealt with treated you terribly, I think it’s clear where your anger should be directed: The Registry of Motor Vehicles.
I recommend you send a written letter documenting your ordeal to Rachel Kaprielian, Registrar of Motor Vehicles and CC Jeffrey Mullan, Secretary of Transportation. In your letter, ask what the process is for being reimbursed for your out-of-pocket expenses, time, and trouble that resulted from the RMV’s clerical error.
http://www.mass.gov/rmv/info/mail.htm
http://www.massdot.state.ma.us/main/MassDOTContactUs.aspx
5 Barry Freed // Jun 26, 2010 at 8:46 am
Thanks Eric.
I agree, that’s really where this all started: The RMV. Sure, the police were completely horrible, but they wouldn’t have had the opportunity to treat me like they did if the RMV didn’t screw me.
6 Eric // Jun 28, 2010 at 7:28 am
You should strongly consider talking to a lawyer about suing the police department. There’s a fairly good chance that you’ll get your money and court costs back, and unless mistreated citizens pursue litigation, the police department is generally pretty unmotivated to improve its behavior.
My brother was once arrested for “scalping” Red Sox tickets, even though the police would later admit that he had been selling the tickets at face value (which, they admitted, is not illegal). A lawyer we later talked to about an unrelated issue advised us that it would have been worth our while to take the police to court over that. Your case sounds at least as compelling to me.
7 PJ // Jun 28, 2010 at 7:45 am
What probably happened is that you paid the Revere fee but you need Revere to send you a release to the registry to show them that you actually paid the ticket. I’ve never heard of a $40 ticket (there are none for moving violations in Mass) so you may have been issued a Revere parking ticket which could have also resulted in your license being suspended.
But never ever wait to the last day (or after like you did) to get stuff like registry renewals done. Stuff like this will happen.
8 skott daltonic // Jun 28, 2010 at 8:27 am
i believe NWA said it best.
that story sucks.
yet as annoying and lame as all that is, is anyone at all surprised that cops are dicks? really?
in 2010?
how many people - of any race, or backround - have good stories about police?
i’ve had about 10 interactions w/ police in my life - maybe 12 - for traffic violations, my house getting broken into, etc etc.
and for me, i’ve had one - 1 - good experience.
i would imagine other people’s are higher, but not a whole hell of a lot. and certainly not over half.
9 Barry Freed // Jun 28, 2010 at 8:52 am
PJ- I had to have the ticket cleared BEFORE I was able to renew my registration.
And you’re right…..I’m definitely mindful of expiration dates now!
10 Barry Freed // Jun 28, 2010 at 9:09 am
PJ- Also, the ticket I was given was not for a moving violation.
11 Dan Farnkoff // Jun 28, 2010 at 9:15 am
Wow- very well handled. Think about how many opportunities you had to get angry and then get busted for disturbing the peace or something on top of it. I probably wouldn’t have been able to exercise such restraint. Sorta Kafka-esque, right? Thanks for relaying the story.
One question: are you going to have a “record” now, because of the arrest?
12 Barry Freed // Jun 28, 2010 at 9:30 am
Dan- You know, that’s a good question? I don’t know if I have a “record”, but since I had a mugshot taken and fingerprints taken, I know I’m in their “system”….so that’s probably just as good. PJ- you’re a cop…..do you know the answer?
13 Federico // Jun 28, 2010 at 2:38 pm
Barry,
How about contacting the local media? A lawsuit is fine and dandy, but lawyer fees are not free. I doubt all the involved actors here will enjoy having this published.
14 Barry Freed // Jun 28, 2010 at 2:42 pm
Thanks, Federico, but I doubt it’s worth it. Originally I thought about doing something with local media, but I think that would be just about the same as putting a giant bullseye on myself and begging to get pulled over daily.
The one takeaway from this: you can be pulled over at any time, be treated like a criminal and there’s nothing you can do about it.
15 PJ // Jun 28, 2010 at 3:30 pm
Barry, You will have an entry on your BOP (board of Probation) record, that says you were charged with operating after a suspended license on that date and that the case was dismissed. I am curious though, what was the fine for?
16 PJ // Jun 28, 2010 at 3:35 pm
And Barry, if you got the ticket on May 3rd, you would have been able to renew your registration before having to pay the actual ticket (sice the ticket has to phyically get turned in by the officer and then physically brought to the registry and then entered into their database) That is going to take a minimum of 3 days and at most a month.
17 Barr Freed // Jun 28, 2010 at 3:36 pm
The fine? Are you referring to the $200 court cost?
Thanks for your answer, BTW.
18 Barr Freed // Jun 28, 2010 at 3:39 pm
PJ- I’m still a little confused. I paid the ticket (I am certain of this) in May 2009. I don’t understand why:
1) My license would have been suspended
2) I never received anything from the RMV even when I moved to Waltham and changed my address.
19 PJ // Jun 28, 2010 at 4:16 pm
I was asking what the original ticket was for in 2009? (an unregistered motor vehicle is $100).
And I was confused, I thought you got the ticket in May of this year. My mistake. The registry does send you a letter notifiying you that your license gets suspended. (or should send one)
20 Barry Freed // Jun 28, 2010 at 4:19 pm
PJ- The 2009 ticket was just a $40 ticket the statie gave me for having expired tags. It wasn’t a moving violation and that’s the ticket I both paid and was told I did not pay.
It’s the only ticket I’ve ever had.
21 Marc // Jun 28, 2010 at 4:25 pm
Hi Barry, thanks for putting up this story. I would think that you should talk to a lawyer and take steps to make sure that this “driving with suspended license” arrest is expunged from your record at a minimum. Otherwise, in the future it could be interpreted as “they didn’t have enough evidence to get him then - but clearly he has a history of bad behavior”.
22 PJ // Jun 28, 2010 at 4:43 pm
Ok. It was probably $40. If you have a receipt of payment, you might have a shot of getting some money back.
23 Frank Risso // Jun 28, 2010 at 8:26 pm
Hey Jerky! You should sue the Ass Nipples off those wacky cops.
24 Devil's Advocate // Jun 29, 2010 at 5:21 am
I want to back you up on this, but until I see more than “I am certain of this,” like “I have a copy of the cancelled check” or something pointing to the fact that the money for the violation was actually received and credited… well, this is how things get set in motion (the next thing I’m doing is checking the status of a recent “paid” parking ticket). I don’t know you or your bookkeeping habits, but sending out $40 is one thing and having it credited is another. That you’ve kept your wits about you after all this bureaucratic pinball hopefully earns you some good karma down the road.
25 jj // Jun 29, 2010 at 10:20 am
You might try contacting your local state representative since it’s an RMV issue. I agree the cops were dicks, but were just doing their job. I’m sure they’d rather be chasing bank robbers than arresting people for “not paying” a $40 ticket.
26 Really // Jun 29, 2010 at 2:04 pm
So we all agree the cops were dicks because Barry said they were. Wow, such blind faith in a society that questions everything. First, there is no such thing as a forty dollar unregistered motor vehicle violation (Trust me, I have had many tickets and that is not the fine amount). And sounds exactly like a cost of an unpaid parking ticket (Also had plenty of). Why would they read you the Miranda warnings? This is the real world and they only read you Miranda if they are questioning you about a crime they already have probable cause. Also, the police go off of what the registry tells them, not the other way around. So if the registry says you are suspended, they go off that. You complained that the cop almost cut you off, but then insisted he go first, hmm sounds like somebody had a clue their status might be in question and I bet any good cop would wonder why somebody would insist so much that the cop go first since most people in this state would not stop for their own mothers (When I let my inspections lapse at times, I become very aware of every cop driving by and prefer them in front of me! Two hundred dollars at court is a deal compared to what I had to pay for similar thing (I am a horrible driver and not proud of it). Jail not fun, wow new concept, I guess your sensitive little sensibilities were in for a shock. They are only required to give you one phone call and allowed you to make more, I guess if they were really out targeting poor little innocent you, they could have kept you there all night. Cop not friendly, wow, with your sarcastic tone here I bet you were a peach too them. Now what I might agree with you on. If the registry did somehow screw up, go after them, it might be their fault. For example: Though much as I hooted and hollered about not getting parking tickets and I should not be suspended, I was proven to be a jackass too when they showed me the four parking tickets my sister got while attending college. I bet you are more likely going to find same thing out or something similar. But, I know in today’s society, it is always somebody else’s fault for everything we do. Now that I pointed out the farce of a rant here, I await the keyboard commandos to attack me with insults and not facts.
27 Barry Freed // Jun 29, 2010 at 2:20 pm
Really- Thanks for the comment. Here’s what I think:
“First, there is no such thing as a forty dollar unregistered motor vehicle violation (Trust me, I have had many tickets and that is not the fine amount). And sounds exactly like a cost of an unpaid parking ticket (Also had plenty of)- ”
That was the cost of the ticket as verified by the RMV. Randi- correct me if I’m wrong: it was $40, right?
Why would they read me my rights? Well, I thought they had to do that before arresting someone. They did not. They put me in cuffs and in a cruiser. Perhaps I’m wrong that you have to be read your rights when arrested? I never was.
“Also, the police go off of what the registry tells them, not the other way around. So if the registry says you are suspended, they go off that. ”
I totally agree with that statement.
“You complained that the cop almost cut you off, but then insisted he go first, hmm sounds like somebody had a clue their status might be in question and I bet any good cop would wonder why somebody would insist so much that the cop go first since most people in this state would not stop for their own mothers (When I let my inspections lapse at times, I become very aware of every cop driving by and prefer them in front of me! Two hundred dollars at court is a deal compared to what I had to pay for similar thing (I am a horrible driver and not proud of it).”
So your argument is that if you drive like a human being and let someone out in front of you that is a sign of guilt? I would just rather let someone go that is already ahead of me than be a dick and go ahead.
Plus, I always let cops go. Why? Well, when they’re in a hurry trying to get by, I assume they’re going somewhere to deal with actual criminals.
“They are only required to give you one phone call and allowed you to make more, I guess if they were really out targeting poor little innocent you, they could have kept you there all night. Cop not friendly, wow, with your sarcastic tone here I bet you were a peach too them. ”
I was more than a peach. I was a gentleman. I didn’t say anything other than “yes, sir”, “no, sir”.
So, sorry to disappoint you here, as I don’t have any insults for you. Just facts.
28 Really // Jun 29, 2010 at 2:36 pm
Not disappointed, and the fine for unregistered motor vehicle is $100 I just looked it up(BTW Boston issues parking tickets for $40 to parked and unregistered vehicles). . And I know they do it on TV, but it is not true that the police read everyone Miranda before they get arrested. I grew up in a projects environment and witnessed a lot of arrests and only witnesses the police read Miranda if they started questioning the guy about what they already arrested him for (Tons of case law on this in Mass). You said he barely said anything to you outside of your license being suspended after he arrested you, it does not sound like you were questioned. I, much like you would have been annoyed to go through the process, but come on man; you tried to make to police the bad guys. It was either your fault or the registry). Can you imagine what it would be like if we didn’t have cops fro even one day, this country would burn (Just look at what we do when we win a world series or something). I know you later wrote another post in which you lessoned your anger towards the police and that takes a lot to have done. So thumbs up for you for that. Lastly, I hated the police growing up, blamed them for everything I did. But when my father was murdered while working and I saw how much the police work so hard to help the innocent and victims, it all changed for me
29 a friend of Barrys // Jun 29, 2010 at 2:48 pm
Dear “Really”,
too bad it was your father who was murdered.
the end.
30 Really // Jun 29, 2010 at 3:55 pm
If I met you friend of barry, I would very much doubt your gutless putrid self wouldhave the fucking balls to say that to my face. You are a fucking coward piece of shit. You are a scumbag piece of garbage
31 Really // Jun 29, 2010 at 3:58 pm
I net “Friend of Barry” you are a desk jockey coawrad who uses the internet to get back at the world for your failures as a human being. I am the kind of person a scumbag loser like you would call the very same police you despise to save your fucking ass from someone like me that you had said something like that to my face. I know you would not though, you are a coward and use the internet to be a bog mouth on.
32 Really // Jun 29, 2010 at 3:58 pm
Barry great friend you have there,
33 Barry Freed // Jun 29, 2010 at 5:42 pm
Really- Like I said before- The ticket I got was NOT for a moving violation. And it was $40. And I paid it.
I’m not saying the police were bad guys. They weren’t the nicest people in the world to me, but hey, that’s not what you expect.
You’re right, as I said, that they wouldn’t have been likely to pull me over if not for the registry fuckup. So I get that.
And again, like I said, I really do believe that the majority of police officers are good people that are looking out for the best interests of society. They do want to help innocent people.
I’d be a complete asshole (and an idiot) to believe that just because a few cops weren’t the greatest to me that all cops everywhere are bad. That would truly be stupid.
34 Holly // Jun 29, 2010 at 7:14 pm
This story is horrible. Please look into suing someone, at the least the police department for arresting you without reading you your rights. That’s a BIG deal.
35 Randi // Jun 30, 2010 at 5:09 am
Okay. I’m sure that I’m not gonna make people believe that Barry and I are saints here, because no one is, and with the anonymity of the internet, no one should be presumed to be so. But I do want to add a few things.
So, let’s just pretend Barry forgot to pay the ticket, or it never posted or whatever…fine. However, the fact is that we lived together at the time. We both get the mail. Neither one of us saw any notice from the police(town or state) or RMV come to our house, and we’re generally pretty good about addressing important letters that come to us. (For example, something came to Barry today from the town we live in, and I asked him to make sure he saw it and asked him what it was.) We were told at the RMV that we should have received SEVERAL notices about the ticket and subsequent suspended license. We received nothing. Okay, you want to say that we should have been diligent and paid the ticket when he got it and not relied on another entity to remind us. Fine. I’m sure it was paid, but let’s say it wasn’t and we didn’t get any notices because they shouldn’t have to remind us to be responsible. Fine.
I pointed out way back about 30 comments ago, it seems inappropriate that the police can take your car and revoke your plates. I asked at the Registry if Barry had been driving my car, would they have taken my car and plates. Answer: YES. Why? Answer (given by the RMV woman): because they CAN. Licensure, plates, and registration are all seperate entities. If Barry could have gotten someone to walk down to where he was pulled over and drive his car home, why is that not acceptable? It was his license, not his registration that was expired after all. His registration was current. It had lapsed in May 2009, but had since been renewed. That seems pretty bogus that they can tow your car and take your plates if you can get a registered driver at the scene in minutes to take care of the car. For example, it was right outside his work. Perhaps a coworker would have been able to walk down and get his car. Maybe even leaving it in the work parking lot? Seems easier and more timely than having the thing towed. I know, g’head, say it, cops don’t give special treatment to anyone, and this seems like it would be special treatment…but is it really? I mean, shouldn’t he have been asked if he had anyone that could come pick up his car? If I had been in the car as a passenger, they probably would have let me drive the car away, even if they still arrested him? Right? Why should it be different if you’re alone?
I won’t even go into the police situation, because I myself didn’t deal with the police, so I’m not going to say anything about his treatment. However, I will say that knowing Barry, he was the most respectful and pleasant that he could have possibly been…and of this I’m sure.
It seems that this whole situation was pretty much a gigantic snowballing clusterfuck. To all of you who don’t know us, we are both good, responsible, and very respectful people. Again, you can choose to believe this or not. But, I think when things like this happen, without any warning, it feels like a bit of a slap in the face, when we’re just trying to be the best people we can be. I think to most people who follow the rules and don’t tend to do much of anything wrong, this would be a jarring shock, and it was to us. This is just a warning to most people out there like us that shit like this can happen to ANYONE. That’s pretty much it.
36 a friend of Barrys // Jun 30, 2010 at 8:42 am
Dear Really,
I’m only doing exactly what you are…hiding behind anonymity on the internet. Why not stop trolling around and get a life.
37 a friend of Barrys // Jun 30, 2010 at 2:35 pm
Dear Really,
Whaaaahhhhhhh!
38 Frank Risso // Jul 1, 2010 at 1:00 am
Hey Barry ya Butt Nut! You should use my attorney, Brett Weir. He saved my fruity ass when I got locked up for steppin on Piss Clams. He’ll have those silly cops up to their ass necks in lawsuits. Ya hear what I’m sayin there Jelly Fins?
39 Dave Amirault // Jul 6, 2010 at 2:52 pm
After reading this ordeal it makes me sick to my stomach that I agreed to move 2,000+ miles back to this side of the country. People are miserable here.
40 Eric Jay // Jul 6, 2010 at 11:23 pm
Wow, is this comment thread still going on? I’ll drop in once more with a follow-up to Randi’s comments about lack of notice from the RMV. When I had my license suspended over the late fee (see comment above), I too received no notice at all from the RMV. No late fee letter. No past due notice. No warning about suspension. No suspension notification. Nada. I had NO idea that anything was amiss until I tried to renew my registration MANY months later.
41 in the know // Dec 5, 2010 at 5:26 pm
Dear Barry. Miranda warning only has to be read by law, if you are arrested for commiting a felony and are going to be questioned. Hope that helps. Also, you are incorrect/ it the fine ammount read $40.00 for an unregistered vehicle. The fine is indeed $100.oo . the “old lady with the scowl”, happens to be an amazing human being by the way.
42 Jeshurun // Jan 26, 2012 at 9:48 pm
Don’t feel like the only one, I’ve had my own opportunity to deal with the jackbooted thugs known as local law enforcement - while minding my own business and repairing my mother’s roof for Tornado Damage.
It was my misfortune to witness a public disturbance; and not come down off of my mother’s roof to answer questions fast enough to suit one of them! Being 35 feet above the ground, and in the midst of rolling out and securing rolled roofing, doesn’t seem to be a valid excuse for 1 extra minute of waiting….
The fact, that the officer in question had: violated my own property rights by willfully trespassing, demanded my own immediate presence without probable cause, etc… - didn’t even seem bother the judge, the next day.
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