OP says (s)he can provide 'clock in / out' documentation from work, so.. OP has both legs to stand on and officer has none.

It *should* be as simple as turning up to court, plead NOT GUILTY. Offer evidence of : I weren't no-where near the incident, 'guv", lent my car to a friend. Maybe.. politely suggest that officer left a default on the ticket, and didn't do dilgence. Judge should ask officer for corroborating evidence, for which he'll have none, and dismiss the case.

I live in Morris County and i often wonder how we’re the most densely populated state

Then I realize our state is basically one giant suburb where “in town” never actually ends and it just becomes a different town.

Other states have barren wasteland for 100-mile stretches

Gonna weigh in here and add my experience.

Don't even talk to the prosecutor. They are NOT on your side. Whatever he tries to 'bargain it down to' is NOT in your favour. If you are not guilty, plead NOT GUILTY.

If he asks you WHY you are pleading not guilty, you don't have to say anything, or give him anything. He's fishing for HIS CASE. He *knows* if he's got a case or not, and if he DOESN"T, then he'll try to knock you down to something which is 'technically' a win for him ( you pled guilty to a lesser offense). He doesn't want to plead a case he knows he can't win, but also.. he doesn't want a pile of tickets which were dismissed at court, 'cos that just looks bad for the police.

I've had a couple of 'scumbag prosecutors' try this tactic, even getting loud and offensive up in my face. Be aware that if you are confident in your case, and I think you are. You can either refuse to talk to him - and he might simply drop it before it even comes up, 'cos he KNOWS he's gonna fail, or he's gonna know something's up.

DO NOT 'settle for a parking ticket' or whatever it is you figure is okay. If you didn't do the offense, then it'll get sorted and you'll get off.

Know what you did.. what your defense is. If you're nervous, practice with a friend. Take a friend to court with you who's got experience. It's mostly just nerves.. and once you've done it once or have someone behind you with experience it's not that bad.

Experience:

I once got pulled over for 'failing to signal left on a left turn'.

I know I signalled left. I heard the clicky thing in my car. I was sat there for a good couple of minutes. The indicator was going flashy flashy!. After having provided all my documentation I discovered that I had an indicator light out at the back ( the front was fine, just the back one). Since the policeman was behind me, he couldn't see my front, only the non-working back. I demonstrated this at the time for the officer. He could *see* that when I pressed my indicator the front worked.. the back didn't. Water in the light shorted it out or something.

Now, on the ticket there's :

Failure to indicate ( 2 points, $130 fine)

Non-working indicator ( 0 points, $50 fine)

numbers are from memory and possibly wrong, but the point is - one carried points, one didn't. Officer, at the scene *COULD* have ammended his ticket to 'Non-working indicator' and I'd have just been : "Yup.. okay. " paid it via mail and been done. But since I got the 'Failure to indicate" with points attached, I HAD to turn up in court.

Did just that.. Pled 'NOT GUILTY". I wasn't guilty.. I was guilty of having a non-working indicator. But I *DID* indicate, and at the stop demonstrated exactly that.

Prosecutor asks me : Why are you pleading not guilty! You're clearly guilty.. Copper says you're guilty. Seemed offended that I would even contest it.

I'm like : Because I'm NOT GUILTY.

He gets up in my face and demand that I give him my defence! Tells me all kinds of bullshit which frankly.. should have gotten HIM in trouble like 'We can take your license. We can increase the fine if you plead not guilty and you are.. etc etc etc.'

Practically went purple in the face trying to force my defence out of me *before my appearance*. I suspect his copper didn't want to be there ( they get paid overtime for attending traffic court and if the ticket is dimissed it looks really bad for them). Maybe the copper actually wasn't there at the time, and would needed to have gotten pulled in from his shift-work or called in from home. I don't know...

Either way - prosecutor will do his best to barter you down to a lesser offense you will plead guilty to, even if you're NOT GUILTY of the offense on the ticket.

The ONLY time it's beneficial to talk to a prosecutor is when you know you're guilty, and prosecutor doesn't have his officer in court that day, doesn't want to get him in and is happy to barter you down to a lesser offense you'll capitulate to so he doesn't have to pull him in.

My case: Officer was present. I pled my case... Judge asked officer "Did the gentleman demonstrate his working indicator to you at the stop? Yes. Were you behind him and unable to see his front indicator? Yes'. Why did you not mark it as 'Non-working indicator' instead of 'Failure to signal?": I had already written the ticket.

Case dismissed.

This.. he has more ammo than he thinks. Replacing him costs. And a better work environment with a respectful employer can last longer than this deserves to.

At the end of the day, you deserve a good measure of Self Respect.

I did the 4x10 for a time.. my boss liked that in the summer.... It was different, but I Gained nothing. All my errands got crammed into one day and they felt like A Job.

I had one job.... They had a time clock that recorded the minute (many do 1/10 hour or similar, not here)

At the end of the week, they'd have a supervisor sit with a pile of cards and look at everyone's punch in time.... 3 minutes late in one day.. or 3 minutes late for the entire week, they'd dock you for 3 minutes. Nevermind getting there early, no credit. Nor for leaving 3 minutes late, nor shortening your lunch....

And this one poor guy doing the asshat's work spent 3 hours.... At double the pay that they were "saving."

This was long ago, when classified ads were printed every day. We finally started posting the ads, daily... Next to the time clock. (And nobody took them down)

C. O. Johnson Park in Byram

[deleted]

Hi... I may have experience [with this kind of thing] :)

I'll just say that in my 20 year or so living in NJ, I've gotten in the region of 14 tickets. Most of those were in the first 4 years, but the most recent was perhaps 4 years ago.

I've 'gotten off' every single one. Some were *actual* infringements ( speeding down the parkway, driving with busted tail light). Some were bullshit tickets ( failed to indicate left when turning, erratic behaviour ie: Driving wi' long hair) and so on.

My advice is : Don't be intimidated. Don't be scared. Goto court...

Traffic court in NJ is *your friend*. Honest to god. They're open after hours, meaning you can go after work. The judges are almost universally on YOUR side, not the coppers. And if you present a cogent and compelling argument will always either 'let you off' or negiotiate with the copper for a lesser sentence.

Even if you turn up and are just like : yeah, 'guv.. I was speeding. I was [late for concert / worried about my Mom / trying to pass the a**hole from PA who was sittin' in the left lane doing the speed limit] - they'll often knock it down to something that has no points and a reduced fine.

"Getting off" in this case can simply be getting your ticket knocked down to something that doesn't involve points. If you have no points on your license. They *know* that it's the first lot o' points which get you.. and will often work with you to prevent it.

That said? YOUR case sounds like a slam dunk. Turn up, declare 'Not guilty'. DON'T fold to the jerk of a DA who'll try to get you to capitulate to a lesser ticket, since you ARE not guilty, and they are gonna have a hell of a time proving it.

Take your turn at the podium, declare 'Not Guilty, your honour' when asked. Present your case "I were at my girlfriend's at the time, guv. Copper ain't got a leg to stand on. Demand evidence... Demand cam footage, or whatever. Bring an alibi if you have one.

Judge will ask copper for corroborating evidence ( if he even turns up, if he doesn't - which has happened to me in like 4 cases it's just summarily dismissed). If he can't provide it, it's a 'your word against his word' and contrary to regular court, traffic court ( in my experience) tends towards the victim, not the officer.

You'd be surprised what *just turning up* can do for you too. I've turned up, pled GUILTY to the actual offense, offered mitigating circumstances and 'gotten off'. Example :

Dead of winter, it was raining / sleet and I was driving (safely) down an incline at 3AM with a set of traffic lights halfway down the hill with no traffic in sight anywhere for miles except for a truck behind me. Truck did NOT appear to be slowing.. I was slowing for the light.. truck still barrelling down the road behind me. Given weather conditions, the speed of the truck, and the closing distance, I opted to run the red light - for fear of being mashed by said truck.

Copper parked in the strip mall opposite pulls me over for 'running red light'. Technically true, but "I had reasons". Turned up in court, pled my case, looks at ticket - see's 3AM on ticket, see's road, see's date of ticket (mid-winter), confirms with copper. Let me off. Scott free.. nothing.. nada.

Soo.. REALLY LONG story is basically: Goto court. Don't be scared. Maybe bring someone with you who's familiar with the process, but you don't need to be spending $500 on lawyers.
I have been to court wi' several neices as a 'helping hand' and every time I've done that they've also gotten off or a reduced sentence.

G'luck!

I asked my delivery driver about this recently. And also if they get entire tip, any of the service fees, if tipping cash was better for her. She said if ppl tip nothing or minimum - many times yer food sits there until somone FINALLY decides to take he order. And they aren't as inclined to give a crap about the extras, lol... straws, utensils, napkins, sauce u wanted, ect. Also that you will be the last person they drive to if taking a few orders at once.

Although they DO get the whole tip she explained.... Doordarsh takes almost all of the money u see besides the tip. So those other "fees" and the inflated prices for stuff...... almost all goes to the company

Me as a person- I would never drive 3 miles to a restaurant, park, go inside to get food, gather the things needed and THEN drive another 3-5miles to somones house for $ 4 - 5 ya know.

Longer the instance and more effort the job TAKES the more a person SHOULD tip.

I tip like I went to a restaurant. 20% plus a little extra. IF THEY SCREW UP yr order, don't bring ANYTHING u need, or deliver to WRONG house blocks away (happened to me last week hahaha 🤦‍♀️) U can always adjust tip after.

Here are a few maps that might help you.

And one that most agree with.

My one who got away was from Budd Lake. :’) happy memories.

I've done it many times, lol.....sometimes if u are at work and get hungry/thirsty/tired at around 2 pm, ITS WORTH the $6 tip to get a blueberry muffin and a grande white chocolate mocha delivered from 1.5 miles away. 😂🤷‍♀️😂

I know this is a splurge for some ppl. Really depends on how much $$ u MAKE at work for it to make sense.

BUT if u have the money & don't mind, screw it. 😛 And if u really think about it, those who need (or choose) to work as delivery drivers.... the ones who order (AND TIP HOW THEY SHOULD) are how they make THEIR money by giving them busines 🖤

2 dollar tip for even 2 coffees from Starbucks is NOT OK. !!! Never would i tip an Uber eats/Dooddash driver less than $5. But 13 coffees = if each person tipped AROUND $1.50, driver could easily make about $19 - $22 for that 1 delivery..

If ppl can't afford it, they shouldnt order. 🤷‍♀️

If I EVER order coffee from work for multiple ppl - EVERY PERSON is chipping in for a tip...or they don't oder.

I personally never delivered food before but I DID waitress for many years in my 20s.... so have always been a OVER TIPPER because of that.

Probably unpopular opinion, LoL but - Every American should HAVE to work a job in food service or customer service w tips.... for at least a year growing up. Only THEN should u be APPROVED to go out to eat OR order delivery. 😂 That's the only way everyone would truly understand JUST how hard ppl in the industry work (and the bullshit!t they endure.)

Vice versa too !!😛.... even if they tipped the COST to get into NYC via bridge/tunnel AND I had a mannequin as a fake passenger to take the "good lane" to deliver something...N O P E. Not worth the TIME, traffic, 40 red lights, ppl not using blinkers to cut u off, ect.

My DUMBASS did something SUPER freaking dumb once when I was 22 years old. (As an adult I'm EMBARASSED about how stupid this is )
10pm on New Years Eve my bf & I thought it would be a GENIUS idea to watch the ball fall in NYC. 🥳 🤷‍♀️🍷 🎉 🤦‍♀️ 🍸 Sooooo drove from my house in NNJ... Just to spend New Years stuck in the tunnel for 2 hours in bumper to bumper traffic. 😂😂 Soon as we got out the tunnel we turned around and went home.

Granted we still had radio signal so celebrated w the other jackasses stuck in tunnel..... but def NOT one of my brightest moments. 😛😂

No problem! Yeah MBA spreadsheet ninja types I’m sure. Best of luck to you, if you’re looking to make a move the best time to find a new job is while you have one.

Sorry I actually meant Rahway, lol! But I can’t imagine linden being much different.

Yeh both of these jovs were salary so it didn't matter anyway. One was in person and my current is hybrid. But mostly remote.

quite honestly i DD in the same area as OP and i was making SIGNIFICANTLY more in tips in my college town than i am now that i’m back home

people will say you live by the shore but its called the beach. literally no one who grew up by the beach calls it the shore.

Ugh that’s honestly ridiculous. They should know u can get stuff done if you’ve been there for 7 years. I’m so scared bc they just fired a girl the day after she came back from vacation. It was so sudden. They said it was bc “she wasn’t always growing”. So corporate 😂 Like are we not allowed to use our vacation? I’m scared to even leave an hour or two early for a dr appt lol. I’m in marketing/design agency so similar field

Right?!? Sunday afternoon is my only free time to run errands/catch up on stuff. If I tell my boss I need to leave for an hour to go to a doctors appointment, he acts like the sky is falling. I work for a large national company, make great money, benefits etc. I’ve been working here for 7 years and if I request ONE day off they consider it a catastrophe. It’s like I’m asking the mean teacher in high school to use the bathroom,

but also do you consider the driver that has to carry your 10 coffees? bc i’ve gotten deliveries where i was juggling 13 coffees for an order (almost spilled one ngl) to only get tipped $2

THIS!!!! i can’t tell you how low my acceptance rate has gone down bc i refuse to do these stupid short drives….. like go WALK and pick it up yourself!

So true. My coworker said she wants to live in nyc n I was like ahaaaa ya sure. Its sooo romanticized. But ya I’m jealous I wish I was even in a different time zone to wake earlier and end earlier. My coworker in CA ends at 3. That means he can see his doctor. What an honor for a human being to be able to see his doctor 🙄