In our modern 'tax free' era, one popular program to raise state revenue has been handing out tickets like candy.
An example from my home town: the meter maids are rapacious vultures who will catch the scent of a decaying meter from thousands of yards away...and it's illegal to feed a meter that isn't your own (I believe they have a similar ordinance in Santa Cruz).
Traffic tickets are another way for the state to raise money without seeming to; IMHO the enthusiasm for traffic light cameras has more to do with creating a new revenue stream than safeguarding public well-being.
Well, these dudes are doing something about it.
For $25 you get a shareware program that directs you step-by-step in fighting your ticket sans court appearance, complete with all the forms you'll need to stick it to The Man. The guy at Boing Boing had a happy experience nullfiying a questionable ticket, lending a note of authenticity to their own page of customer testimonials.
For all of its flaws, dangers and potential pitfalls for the unwary, the internet really has followed through on its early promise to put power in the hands of motivated individuals.
It's a medium through which similarly inclined folks can effortlessly mesh their needs, heedless of potential barriers raised by location, culture, race, gender or any of the myriad other hurdles the 'real world' can be expected to throw up as reliably as a seasoned teenage bulemic.
Hats off to the Ticket Assassin crew.
I'm halfway hoping I get a bogus ticket just so I can throw a few bucks their way...
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