It’s been a rather disappointing Saturday morning for me. Driving all the way from Philadelphia to New York since 9:30 in the morning had gotten me tired. I was however, in a good mood, after all, I was picking my girlfriend up from New York to spend the weekend with me. I arrived at New York earlier than expected, around 11:00 a.m. I’m not a New Yorker as I’ve only been here a handful number of times, otherwise I’m a complete stranger to the Big Apple. As I was arriving to the toll before Lincoln Tunnel I accidentally stayed in the wrong lane, the EZ pass lane. Seeing how it was impossible to turn back to the cash-only toll gate, I had parked my car to a non-working toll gate and walked over to ask for advices. I made my way through the busy traffic and finally got to talk to one of the workers inside the toll booth. I was clearly instructed to go ahead and pass the EZ pass lane as they will somehow send me back to the cash-only gate.
I listened and did as told, I backed up my car and drove through the EZ pass gate. As soon as I’ve passed I pulled over and a young officer approached me. I told him that I did not have an EZ pass and I told to go through any way, was there anything I could do. The conversation went something like this, it is not exact and also not exaggerated:
Me: Morning officer, I don’t have an EZ pass, but I was told to go through here anyway, what can I do next?
Officer: There’s nothing you can do, they’re going to send you the fine, that’s it, nothing else you can do
Me: But I was told by a lady over there (points to the lady at the toll) that I should go ahead and go through here
Officer: Who told you? What lady?
Me: Officer, I parked my car over there prior to passing through the gate because I understand that there is no going back once you’ve passed, and I went to ask…
Officer: Park where? (looks frustrated) (raise voice)
Officer: (continues) You’re in an EZ pass lane, there’s a big sign that says EZ pass (points up at the big sign behind me as if I were stupid and did not speak any English)
Me: I know officer, I know this is the EZ pass lane and that’s the reason why I asked before proceeding, is there anything I can do to fix this?
Officer: There’s nothing you can do
Me: Well then sir, how much is the fine?
Officer: I don’t know
Me: So how will I pay for it again?
Officer: They going to send them out
Me: (nervous, stuttering on words, angered) so there is nothing I can do? Despite what I was told
Officer: (with attitude and aggression) There’s a big sign that says EZ pass (points to it again) you’re not even suppose to be in this lane, you want a ticket? Is that what you want because I can give you a ticket right now
Me: (raise my hand and waves it) No! That is not necessary
Then I rolled up my window and drove away. Now this is why I’m upset, for starter it was his attitude. He obviously wasn’t trying to understand or hear me out. Call me paranoid but I felt like he discriminated against me because I as Asian. I knew what I was doing, the whole “look up here, in English it said this, you’re suppose to go here, there’s a sign there” was really unnecessary. I would’ve been perfectly fine paying anything or receiving any ticket had one of them (the lady or the officer) told me from the get go that there was no going back and I had to pay no matter what. I felt like I was played and was bullied by the young officer. He challenged everything I said. I understand that someone with his responsibility would have a lot of stress but if I remember right, I was the car that stopped and talked to him, it didn’t look like he had any pressing issue.
This incident, and many similar to this made me realize something. Once anybody receives a certain amount of power over other people, they can be ***holes. Parents, Teachers, Officers, Reverends, all abuse their power in one way or another. Not applying this directly on myself, but this is the root of all evil. You cannot control what you’ve provoked. Rebels are born this way, criminals are born this way, angry, bitter citizens are born this way. If someone have power in their hands to influence or help someone, then by all means, do it, but do it right. I hope that lady will be more responsible when advising someone on serious law-related matters and that officer will drop his cocky attitude and show that he actually joined the force because he cared, not because he carries a badge that will add inches to his ****.
