Giving money to people who appear homeless is typically considered a rewarding act, but, for one Canadian man, it got him a $175 ticket.
Twenty-five-year-old Dane Rusk told ABC News that he saw a man holding a cardboard sign and "instantly felt sorry for him."
According to the Huffington Post, Rusk claims to have taken off his seatbelt to get some money for the seemingly needy stranger, but soon after he drove off, a police car pulled him over and cited him for not wearing the mandatory belt.
He soon learned that the chain of events was not a coincidence; authorities in the town of Regina have had officers appearing as panhandlers stand at intersections to look for violations, such as improper cell phone or seatbelt use, in stopped cars.
Insp. Evan Bray said the method was implemented because "a marked car in many ways makes it very tough to spot infractions, or at least tougher."
The approach appears to be successful, with a 75-minute period reportedly resulting in 40 violations, notes CJME News.
However, Rusk argues that the ticket constitutes entrapment and plans to contest the violation.
The police, on the other hand, maintain that they would not have ticketed him for such a temporary breach.
Just a friendly reminder. Cops are sneaky.... This is a cop watching for cell phone use, smoking with kids in the car, drinking and driving as well as all distracted driving! 