A Roseville, Michigan man was fined for heating his car up in his own driveway before heading out for the day.
Taylor Trupiano started up his vehicle and then wen back inside his home for a few minutes while the car was warming up. When he returned, there was a $128 dollar ticket.
“I thought it was some kind of joke at first, and then I was thrown back by it,” he told WXYZ. “I was really surprised.”
Trupiano’s ticket was for leaving the keys in the ignition with the motor running and with no one around. He said he was only doing what countless others do to fight the cold winter temps.
“I was in and out in probably about 7-8 minutes,” he added. “So in that amount of time he ran up here, gave me a ticket and by the time I got out he was nowhere to be seen.”
After Trupiano posted the ticket to Facebook the story went viral.
Roseville Police Chief James Berlin commented that he encourages his officers to enforce the ordinance adding that, “We have five to ten cars stolen this way every winter. It’s dangerous, and of course it drives everyone’s insurance rates up. It drives our crime rates up.”
WXYZ noted that though there is no state law against leaving your car turned on and unattended, dozens of cities across Michigan have local ordinances.
Local news footage below, including an interview with the police chief: