I Was Mugged Today

I was mugged today.

This is the $65 fine I was ticketed today for boating without a life jacket. I received warnings for carrying an expired fire extinguisher and a dirty mirror and not carrying a whistle or a "boating license." As a minor, I am required to carry proof that I have passed a "boating safety course," which entails filling out a short form and mailing it to Tallahassee with $20.

I was "let off easy," the officer said, as if he had the right to dictate how I conduct myself with my own personal property, to the possible detriment of no one but myself, and as if his actions weren't morally reprehensible. No, I was robbed, stolen from. The next 14 hours of my labor belong to the state.