Tickets and reality
Well, when you speed or otherwise break the traffic laws, you always risk getting bagged by some constipated cop who'll mess with you, especially if you're a younger guy. That's just a given and I've been a 'victim' of that kind of legal harassment too.
The fact that this particular cop made a big deal about your car being modified shows the mindset; he would love to control exactly what he thinks everyone should drive.
The urge to control other people is a powerful one for those in authority and why we value our freedoms and rights, but that doesn't mean that a local Barney Fife with a grudge against you can't make your life hell.
Most traffic tickets are simply revenue-enhancers for the towns and cities and probably only a fraction are given for truly dangerous driving, like DUI and triple-digit speeds. That's been true forever and probably won't ever really change. Part of driving.
Sorry for your troubles; I hope things cool down soon and this cop is off your case. Meanwhile, watch it and don't give him more reasons to nail you because, fair or not, the cop has all the power in these situations and as you've found out, the courts back him up, 99 times out of a hundred. Sad but true.
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