20 Reasons It Really Sucks To Be Poor Right Now

The last time journalist Radley Balko was fined for speeding, he had to pay just the cost of the infraction, but when a cop ticketed him in 2014, there were processing fees that inflated the $62 fine to $250.

If he’d been unable to produce insurance documents, Balko would’ve had to pay $500. Still, that was mild compared to the cost of running a red light in California - $100 for the offence, plus $449 in added fines.