A Florida driver shared a strange but positive encounter with local law enforcement on Reddit. They said they were speeding to outrun an incoming storm on their Harley-Davidson when a motorcycle cop pulled them over. The stop felt relaxed. The officer even wrote the ticket for a lower speed than they had actually been doing.

During the conversation, the rider asked about paying the ticket and attending traffic school. The police officer’s response surprised and confused them:

“I asked, “I can just pay the ticket and do the school then”? He repeated to me multiple times in conversation that I should take him to court on it. Told me that it’s easy, and done by Zoom and made it seem like that’s what I should do. Then we just talked about bikes for a bit and he said it once more and we left like old friends.

What am I missing? I never get pulled over so I’m confused as all hell. Why would I want to take him to court?”

It seems the driver well understands that speeding on a bike is, you know, super-dee-duper dangerous. The financial and legal repercussions are in place to combat the often devastating effects of the misbehavior. Since he’s never been pulled over, I can understand why the driver felt confused at the cop possibly trying to “let him off easy.”

The rider left bewildered and turned to Reddit for answers. Other users stepped in with explanations.

Several Floridians said this is actually a common strategy. They explained that drivers who fight citations in court can sometimes get better outcomes 

One possibility is getting “adjudication withheld,” meaning no points on the license. Others said judges may amend the charge to a non-moving violation, which carries fewer long-term consequences.

Another theory was that the officer might not plan to show up to court at all. If that happens, the case could get dismissed entirely. Some users also mentioned that certain departments require officers to issue tickets, even when they personally disagree.

In other words, by encouraging drivers to fight them in court, officers give folks a chance to avoid full penalties.

It might seem odd, but it’s just the cop helping locals navigate their legal options, despite their duty to issue citations.

Some (not all) drivers might take a citation seriously enough as a sort of verbal-ish slap on the wrist. They won’t do it again after a smaller fine or bit of community service. These alternatives might prevent the ticket from going on their license record and increasing their insurance premiums, for instance.

As for whether this is allowed in Florida, there’s nothing illegal about it

Officers cannot guarantee dismissal, but they can explain legal options. In Florida and many other states, traffic citations are civil infractions. Drivers always have the right to contest them. 

The officer’s advice might seem odd, but it stays within the rules as long as it does not involve deception or coercion.

Still, the approach creates a gray area. Some drivers may misread it as a trick or test. Others might feel unsure whether to take the suggestion seriously.

The safest path is to treat the court option as real and show up prepared.

I’m sure some drivers might take the interaction as “unfair,” since plenty of motorists get speeding tickets without friendly suggestions on how to reduce or manage them. In any case, here’s hoping the OP knows better than to speed again.