I am a 50 year old resident of Plainsboro, NJ and my rights have been violated in a manner that causes tears to rush to my eyes. This is my complaint- please help me.
I am an Inventor- 1 patent, another patent pending, a College of New Jersey graduate with a BSc. degree in Business Management and 3.2 GPA. I worked full time while going to school. I have worked hard for every little thing I ever had. I later spent a good part of 15 years of my life recovering from injuries as a result of a flat bed truck smashing into my small car. I have always lived a boring life- no drinking smoking, etc. I try to live a productive and peaceful life.
However something happened to me in Hillsborough that saddend me and makes me want to cry. A public servant I was supposed to trust violated my trust and tried to smash my rights.
At 10pm on Sunday July 11th I was travelling on Route 206 South in New Jersey after standing on my feet working for over 10 hours straight (the accident left me with a foot condition that seeps blood into my ankles causing pain, but this is the only job available to me), when a police officer at a road block at or near Hillsborough waived his arm toward the right or East of RT 206. However once I turned right, I realized that it could be any one of two roads. There were no signs on any of those two roads. This was very confusing.
One road was a very dark road that had no detour sign on it that separated two gas stations from each other. The other road was behind the second gas station where the road block continued.
It was immediately obvious that I/the cares ahead of me and 2 or three cars behind me, were not given accurate assistance.
There were several cars turning around in the gas station, some went onto the closed road, while others were spinning their wheels in confusion- going in one direction, then another the next. I decided to stay put with my hazard lights on so that a police officer would see that I was in distress, and hopefully help me and the other drivers onto the right road.
Unfortunately, that did not happen.
A police officer did come close to my car about 5 minutes later, but he was rude and obnoxious. He shouted at me: "Hay!" and waved me onto the closed road- Route 206 South. I complied. I then rolled down my window and expressed my need for assistance, not knowing the area well enough to know which back road to take. He ignored me and did not answer my question, but asked for my license and registration. I though that was odd, but I complied again. He made me wait on that closed road approximately 30 to 40 minutes with about 3 cars ahead of me. I saw him return documents to 2 of the cars ahead of me. When he got to my car he produced a ticket. I was in shock and disbelief.
No courtesy, no "I'll help you to get back on the right road", no "you should stay on that dark road you should see a sign half a mile down the road to confirm you are on the right road". This must be some cruel joke.
I told the police officer that I expected assistance to get onto the right road and instead he issued me a ticket for something he had asked me to do. I asked him why he would do such a thing. When I told him that clearly the direction in which he waived his arm was confusing not just to me, but a whole lot of cars ahead and in back of my car, he said we were the only group of cars that did not take the right road. When I told him that there was no clear direction, and it would have helped to have a detour sign on the right road he said he called his captain who said he had to write tickets.
In my experience police officers did everything they could to make sure to direct drivers in a specific direction- they protect and serve. I admired them. I am an upstanding member of my community. Instead I am being treated like a criminal by hook or crook.
None of the cars ahead of me got a ticket. The first two cars ahead of me actually got their license and registration returned to them as I was waiting!
On this particular day, I had decided to wear my decorative but very ethnic African garb blouse, and my long kinky hair was in jumbo braids. Regardless of my appearance, I am an Inventor with a patent, as well as another patent pending technique that uses strands of hair to camouflage bald spots.
I am still in shock. A travesty has happened that should have not been allowed to happen. Can we go back to the scene of the crime- this is so wrong- to waive a driver onto a road simply to bait them into a situation, then issuing a ticket. Please let me know if you can help asap, as something has to be done asap.
My family in the UK is beside themselves wondering why this is still happening in America.
On Tuesday August 31 I have been ordered to appear at the Hillsborough Township Violations Bureau,
379 South Brand Road
Hillsborough NJ 08844
Their Phone number is {908}369-3532
Their alternate phone number is (908)369-4313 Ext. 131
I called the court to complain earlier. I have since been back from the UK where I attended my Sister's wedding. August 31st is the rescheduled date.
Please help me- this ticket should have never been issued at all. I still believe that I can reasonably expect, as an upstanding and productive member of society, to be treated fairly by Hillsborough police as well as members in official capacity.
Will I travel on a lonely dark road going through Hillsborough on Route 206? Maybe some time in the future but not yet, as right now I have been traumatised by this experienced.
As a suggestion next time there is a road block, it would be nice to have an additional police officer man the detour road- that lone police officer seemed overwhelmed. Officers arrived after the road block on Route 206 South was cleared, and they seemed quite affable, but the damage to me had already been done. All I want is an apology or favorable resolution of this matter on its merits. Thank you so much for your time, and God bless you for your assistance.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Division on Civil Rights at (609) 292-4605, and Hillsborough Court at (908)369-3532, or (908)369-4313 Ext. 131, Also Hillsborough police Chief Paul A. Kaminsky, or e-mail him at chiefkaminsky@hillsboroughpolice.org
