GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - After a man from Roseville, Michigan was slapped with a $128 ticket for warming up his car, police are now reminding residents that a similar ordinance applies in the city of Grand Rapids.
Last week, Taylor Trupiano was given the ticket after warming up his car in his own driveway.
"I thought it was some kind of joke at first, and then I was thrown back by it. I was really surprised," Trupiano said. "I was in and out [of my home] in about 7-8 minutes. So in that amount of time he [the officer] ran up here, gave me the ticket and by the time I got out he was nowhere to be seen."
Police say it's not a joke. Depending on where you live, police can enforce this law due to public safety issues, even if it's in your own driveway. In Grand Rapids, it's called the Key Removal Ordinance.
"If you'd like to avoid the city's $140 ticket, a person in charge of a car cannot leave it parked without turning off the engine, locking the ignition, and removing the key," said Sgt. Terry Dixon with Grand Rapids Police.
"It’s a public safety issue, we're trying to prevent motor vehicle theft," Sgt. Dixon said. "But it is a law that is on the books, so it's one [a ticket] that could be written."
However, if you have a key-less start or push-button ignition, you're in the clear. Sgt. Dixon said if you're going to leave your car running idle, make sure to do so with your doors locked.
"We don’t typically write for it. But the reason why it was written is for public safety purposes," said Sgt. Dixon.
