Late one Friday afternoon last Fall my father and I jumped into his van to get my car down at the dealership. It was a fairly decent week as far as business goes and we were happily discussing the weekend's plans and not paying very much attention when the State Trooper SUV flew by us around the Elk's club. Of course when he wheeled around and stopped us for simply not having our seat belts on, he had our undivided attention. While my Dad may be getting too old for the fight, I snarled back at the cop that " I don't believe in the law " for the reason I wasn't wearing mine. While I usually just buckle out of habit anymore, occasionally I do get stopped for forgetting. This might be due to the exponential growth of the police state in the northern part of our sleepy little county, but I still can't forgive Papa Cuomo for this horrible law. 
This upcoming week New York has once again decided to sweep its citizenry with the insidious demand that they protect themselves from the potential medical costs the state might incur if they were injured in an accident because they were not wearing a seatbelt. Last year there were over fifty nine thousand tickets during this time. If at least fifty thousand were successfully prosecuted at a hundred bucks a pop, that's a cool five million in local and state coffers. The jury's still out whether it saves any lives.
But there has never been any question that this law was one of worst rationalizations to continue the machinations of the nanny state and so many others that have followed. Is saving a single life from itself worth the cost of abandoning the principles of individual rights and self ownership ? While this is the crux of libertarian values, few recognize it as such any more. What we did to the cop that day is kind of funny.
When indignant bureaucrats howl about the percentage of traffic fatalities caused by a lack of seatbelt compliance their solution is a crack down. We will make people be safe ! When the law was first introduced many people were against it and we were promised that enforcement would not be based on the seat belt violation per se. Almost twenty five years later they are constructing road blocks and dragnets for this very purpose.
I've been in car accidents with and without seat belts and it never seemed to have made a difference either way. The one request my wife made of me our wedding morning was to wear my seatbelt knowing that I typically didn't at that time. Sure enough I was stopped that very morning without one. It always amazes me when cops seem shocked when they receive the reason why I'm not wearing one. It's like they can't believe that people still exist who exert a right not to be coerced into something with which they disagree.
Putting aside the common law right of passage and the licensing of vehicles based on admiralty law, my argument any more is strictly civil disobedience. I just outright refuse to comply with an unjust law and I am perfectly willing to go to jail over it. Most people are simply aghast over the fact that I just won't be reasonable and simply wear a seat belt. They get rather contemptuous when the prospect of going to court could mean jail time.
This last time around I wasn't budging. I was prepared to not pay the fine and refuse any other court order and see where it went. To add to the juicy irony, the justice in question was the one who married us that same day I also refused to wear a seatbelt despite my bride's request. I even had Becky Akers from LRC ready to go with the story or results in the event that I became imprisoned. I met Becky last October at the 25th Anniversary of the Mises Institute last October. The cop never showed up that night, nor did we receive supporting depositions, here's why, I think.
After he pulled us over and demanded to know why we weren't in compliance, he had to go back and fill out his paperwork. My father and I started to muse about the affect of me just abandoning the vehicle for my car about 100 yards up the road at the dealership. While we chortled at the prospect, I also conceded the possibility that in this day and age I'd be tackled or man hunted into compliance. So we decided not to do that.
While I did have my wallet and license on me, I told the cop I didn't. Well it turns out that good faith identification to officers of the law is not sufficient anymore. He indicated that I had go back to his vehicle in order to have my picture taken in case I needed to be identified in the future. Cue the Orwell strings. Of course that was the break we were looking for. As I got back to his vehicle, my father simply started the car and left. The shocked officer started doing double takes and whipped around to ask me where he was going ! I calmly stood aside the car never even looking over to acknowledge the departure.
" Am I required to answer that ? " I deadpanned.
As he muttered no, shaking his head in amazement, he just proceeded to give me my ticket explaining what had to be done next. I too nodded and just took it knowing full well the hassle and idiocy on my time and money to follow.
When Archie asked me if I had received a supporting deposition from the officer at court that night I replied, " Your honor the people's officer has indeed failed in conducting their duty in this case."
A small victory indeed, but my hope is that all the victims in the court that day were aware of the power of the state and saw someone stand up to that power. While most are left without representation or hope in those small court settings, it would be nice to see more citizens actually fight something they believe in than be spared the indignity (by simply sending in their fine) of sitting before judgment that has no moral place or balance.
I must be starting to get a reputation because I haven't been convicted of anything locally in years.
That was inspiring and amusing. I have always worn my seatbelt, but the ridiculous "laws" requiring me to do so have almost convinced me to stop.