I would like to share a very negative and disturbing experience that occurred to me yesterday, and would like to hear readers opinions and views regarding this matter.
I was on the way to visit my father who is unwell and went with my 1 year old baby to cheer him up. I was on the phone on speaker phone because I know that you can’t have it against your ear while driving. A Brick Township police officer pulled me over and said he was ticketing me because I was holding the phone. I understood that and explained to him that I wasn’t aware…all would’ve been ok if it ended there. BUT…NO! Either because I was obviously orthodox Jewish looking and this officer had a personal vengeance against us or because he doesn’t realize that his job is to protect and serve us and not be out there to “get us”, he decided to find 3 more ridiculous and ludicrous reasons to ticket me!! I was flabbergasted!
1. I had a tefillas haderech hanging 3 inches below my mirror that my older daughter had made in camp, this became an obstruction of view.
2. He looked at all my tires and he claimed a bald tire which can’t be because I’m only 16 months max into my 24 month lease.
3. The rim around my license plate was covering a small part of the word “garden state” but the entire license plate number and “New Jersey” was clearly visible.
I took all four tickets respectfully. He told me as he was leaving that I shouldn’t try to ask for “breaks” as he was being a “really considerate” police officer because he was not towing my van because of the bald tire and leaving me stranded on the side of the road with my baby.
After putting some thought into it as I drove away, I realized how he was totally not there to keep us safe. He was out to get me and find reasons to ticket me. I would love to hear feedback on your thoughts.
(TLS welcomes your letters by submitting them to letters@thelakewoodscoop.com)
That’s absolutely ludicrous and insane and you must fight all the tickets (it’s definitely worth the money) to show this cop and others especially in brick that this crazieness has to end
My opinion is he’s a rotten apple but don’t look bad at all the other officers just because of one disturbing incident
Unfortunately, anti-Semitism is on the rise in the cup should be investigated for what he did.
Did you ever ask yourself why?
Go to court and talk to the Judge. He should throw out all except the phone. Not knowing the law is not an excuse. If you hire a lawyer he should get that outcome pretty easy.
Horrifying. I hope that the “higher ups” in the Brick PD will resolve this very disturbing matter. This is obviously a very “bad apple” in what is otherwise a very professional department. Please don’t take this lying down and please keep us updated as to what happens.
While it seems based on your side of the story (there are always two sides) that this was excessive and uncalled for, the proper thing to do is take this up with your local elected officials and respectfully have them intervene. Reverting to name calling, yelling or any other venom type of a reaction will lead to nothing – that is guaranteed.
Hopefully TLS will hold back from posting the comments of those just yelling and cursing out the police.
What is the name of this officer? The Brick Police Department should be deluged with calls complaining of his treatment toward you. Let them know we don’t appreciate them employing a racist on their force. Hopefully they can conduct a review of this offending officer.
1- I also had an incident where a Brick officer gave me a ticket solely out of his personal frustration (he thought I was trying to cut the line). I needed a lawyer to negotiate to a ticket without points. It was clearly what Hashem wanted me to endure.
2- Don’t try fighting this yourself bc the judge only listens to a lawyer.
3- Your lawyer might be able to prove that the officer was using bad judgment and throw out all the tickets including the phone.
Interesting, Either way try obtaining the cops dash cam from the traffic stop to see what actually went on….
speak to a lawyer if you need some help on that.
I agree with you all, but definitely don’t file a complaint with internal affairs as they are also part of this police gang, and will only find something u said to be falsified information and cause more problems.
His name should become public and should known that hes a rat.
Police officers work very hard in a very unappreciated job. He may have just come from a really bad call and been having a bad day and you fell into it as his innocent victim. Yes he was wrong and nitpicking and you should be able to get most of the tickets dismissed. No reason to make a big deal
So many accidents in Lakewood. Stay OFF the phone. If you need to answer/call, pull over and make or answer your call. How did we all manage years ago before cell phones. It’s dangerous and causing many accidents. Accidents that your one-year old could be in. Stay safe. At least you and your child were not hurt. He was protecting and serving Had nothing to do with who you were. Hope your father is feeling better. I know what that feels like.
Wow. Nutty story. The first thing you should do, though, is have someone take a video of you taking a pic of all ur tires. That can buy used as proof ur tires are fine. Then call a lawyer. Then go to DB electronics and get urself a Bluetooth​. I’m shocked ur leased car doesn’t have Bluetooth. Hatzlucheh Rabbah.
While it does seem like this officer was over zealous and that is somewhat concerning, never the less, these are legitimate infractions.
1. Cell phone use is a major distraction and a serious danger. Did you really think it is only a problem when holding the phone to your ear? Having it on speaker and holding it your hand is no less dangerous. Think about that. “Hands free” is what you want.
2. The sentimental emotion of your daughter’s Tefillas Haderech card not withstanding, though that has nothing to with anything, that IS an obstruction. It did not “become” an obstruction because the officer looked at it. It’s just a plain fact.
3. Tires can and do go bald in less than 16 months. But then again, check them out for yourself at a local shop. If, truly, they are not bald you can fight that ticket. No need to calculate the length of your lease.
4. This one does seem like nit picking. Never the less, it is an infraction.
It seems that although the officer could have used his discretion and let you off with some warning on the license plate issue and perhaps exercised a kinder attitude, bottom line these are legitimate infractions. Other than possibly a bad attitude, you don’t have any claim. You can’t always hope to get a “kind” officer. Knowledge is the best prevention.
In my personal experience, having gotten to know many individuals in law enforcement and emergency services, I can say that the overwhelming majority are concerned with “serving and protecting” the public.
I had a similar experience with a Brick PD officer. I was PARKED in the Costco parking lot and he blocked me in to give me a ticket for “obstruction” of my liscence plate. Although he is in the realms of NJ law, I clearly singled out of the many cars with the plate frames. Which subsequently my leasing company reimbursed me for the ticket.
Even the Goyim in Brick get picked on by the extremely over zealous brick police officers.
He should be fired, Hes a real danger to society.
For a police officer to say they will leave a lady with her baby on the side of the road?!???
Yup, he will be protect by higher ups and this craziness will continue. If an EMT has a “bad day” and is careless and doesn’t administer proper care, should we just say he had a bad day? Our public officials, especially those who we treat with our safety need to be held to a higher standard than for example a gas station attendant. We trusted them with a higher cause, and they need to be held accountable. It’s time we be able to sue and get the bad ones removed for malpractice.
You know there is a good deal of negative news out there these days about Lakewood unfortunately. Maybe this officer sees a lot of that, and it affects his view. I think the anti-semitism card gets played too often and it puts our community in a negative light.
If you live in the USA you really should know that no knowing the law is not an excuse on the road. That’s on you.
As far as how he spoke, I don’t think an officer is allowed to tow a vehicle and leave a person, man woman or child or any combination of those ‘stranded’. That may be an ethics violation on his part. Perhaps you can make a case that he was using his authority to make baseless threats and get some legal ground there.
But as far as the mirror things and the license plate… if it’s the law, a cop can ticket you for it.. Just how it is.
There has been talk in the past I believe about the types of force both our local and regional police forces are allowed to use….
Better to be respectful to officers and try to handle it in court. You can get very hurt the other way.
I can assure you he wasn’t targeting you simply because of your religion.Im Hispanic and this happens to me me on a daily basis.Were in Lakewood they don’t care much for the air freshener in the rear view,or a frame around the license plate,but I can’t remeber how many times I’ve been pulled over in towns were I’m the minority.They use these thing just as an excuse to pull you over,and once they do you can bet they’ll ticket you for any other thing they can find.
thank you for posting this
i understand there laws but there are cops that over step them.
i know next time i get pulled over in any odd area i will video the cop when he come to the window
new jersey is a one-party consent states ,just tell the cop your recording him and there is no issue.
if someone thinks this not the law please tell me
One party consent means you dont have to tell the other party as long as you (one party) know your being recorded its ok to record
Please Keep us posted & let us know the Outcome
Hatzlocha Raba
Brick officers are known to be habitual offenders, you’re religion has nothing to do with this, they don’t discriminate they are equal haters. I’ve worked in brick for a short time and everyone complained about how the majority of officers there are more focused on their power-trips than serving and protecting. Let’s start by saying in general I have the upmost respect for law enforcement, yet some departments have this culture that is hard to shake (Howell actually worked hard to change their ways and are way better now). Community policing actually helps the community and the officers, it’s designed to be a friendship not a gotcha game.
@the organizers – I don’t care if he came from a bad call, it is totally inexcusable. Even if I have a bad day, I don’t take it out on my customers.
Regarding the bald tire, it should last more than 16 months, but that is something that you can check yourself, and see if it only has a small amount of tread left or not. Assuming you’re correct, and it’s not balding, you can probably use that in court as proof. Not sure how you’re going to walk into the court room with a tire 🙂 but you get the point.
Christians have gotten tickets for hanging rosary beads from the rearview mirror. So it’s not just a Jewish thing. And yeah, Judges have been known to throw out the ticket as ludicrous.
Just make sure not to read the card to say tefilas haderech!
I am a gentile and I had an almost exact experience. I was driving without the top portion of my seatbelt on. I was pulled over because driving without your seatbelt is against the law. I got a ticket for no seatbelt and also for having items hanging from my rear view mirror in addition to a ticket for a broken taillight. The police had every reason to pull me over because I was breaking the law and as far as the other tickets, I did not feel like I was being targeted I knew the cop was probably sick and tired of people not wearing their seat belts and being scraped off the road or being thrown from a car and killing someone else in this day with texting and talking while driving contributing to crashes as much as DUI I suggest you hang up and drive. I’m sure if someone was talking and driving and hit you you’d DEMAND the police ticket them. This is not a religious issue, it’s about breaking the law while putting yourself, your passengers and other drivers at risk.
#imwithher ^ habibi…
I feel for you very much and I feel for the person Who was talking to you on the phoneI hope at least you got some frustration out by writing this article. May we only have good things in the future.
What an outrage!!! People think when someone’s wearing a police uniform he’s automatically following the law and has clear & unbiased moral clarity and judgement, but change that uniform for his off duty street clothes and he may actually be the one sneering at you gleefully watching you, “Jewish looking” driver getting pulled over. Set up a Gofundme page and I would donate, as I’m sure many others would, to hire a lawyer and “shame the shameless” in court! I’m extremely respectful and grateful to all law enforcement but do NOT extend the same common courtesy to the power tripping, ego driven, (bigoted?) law “breakers” like this rotten apple!
While this officer was clearly out of line, you do bring up something that I have noticed way too much around town. What is this business of holding the phone while on speaker a few days niches from your face? The laws were meant so you have your hands to drive and react!!! Why don’t think it makes a difference if it is touching your ear or not????
The cop was simply doing his job. You were endangering yourself and others when using your phone and it is a good thing you were pulled over. The tefillas haderech could have blocked your line of sight and caused you to hit a small child in the road. He did you a massive favor with bald tires because that could cause a car accident and potentially kill your family. Tires can easily go bald in 16 months. The first set of tires on my van went bald in only 18,000 miles. The license plate is a bit nitpicky but who wants to advertise on their car? I certainly don’t!
I can’t believe you are all taking the side of someone who is clearly in the wrong. Once an officer pulls you over for something ILLEGAL, he can continue to issue tickets. To say you didn’t know you couldn’t hold the phone is ridiculous….ignorance of the law is no excuse, but I find it hard to believe you didn’t already know that. Every ticket you received was deserved so take responsibility and thank the officer for pointing out your bald tire; it could save your life.
We had the same thing a few months ago! Late at night driving home motzei yt with sleeping children in back we got ticketed for all those mentioned with comment that he could’ve left us stranded with car towed. Terrible! We didn’t fight the tickets just paid them but they were so wrong! This was on the 9 in manalapan area.
I agree with phone ticket, I disagree with plate ticket, I agree with obstruction ticket based solely on the way the law is written but I doubt it was truly blocking any view. I don’t know what the tire looks like you did not post a pic and time of lease does not mean that you have not had an issue causing it to go bald or drove enough mileage to wear it bald. Mileage is the key here not time,
Sorry about your experience, but holding the phone a few inches from your cheek, is something I see 100 times a day in lkwd. Why do people think that that’s better than holding the phone to your ear??
You should’ve asked for a supervisor on the spot. That’s what I would’ve done.
The officer should definitely be reprimanded. !!! Shame on him.
or maybe he’s just sick of handling accidents were people die because of illegal phone use while driving
When you break the law you deal with the consequences, no matter who you are.