Ontario licence plates targeted by police, couple claims

A Quebec couple is crying foul after being ticketed twice, and pulled over a third time — all in the same day.

Caroline Guy and Joey Menscik say they feel they were targeted for having an Ontario licence plate.

The two were driving east on Hochelaga Street Thursday when they suddenly saw the flashing lights of an unmarked police car.

“He gives me this ticket for $162. So I say ‘Why is that?’ and he says in Quebec we're not allowed tinted windows,” said Menscik, adding that he told the officer he was from Ontario.

The couple has homes in both Ontario and Quebec.

Guy was pulled over a few years ago for the same reason — with a Quebec plate on her car — and said the officer was more understanding.

“I was given a warning to have the tint removed, that I'd have to go back to the station to prove that I'd had it removed, which I did and I had no issues with that,” Guy said.

They wonder why they weren’t given a warning this time.

Montreal police officials say an officer may use discretionary power, but the highway code is clear.

“Seventy per cent of the light must pass through the windows that are both to the left and to the right of the driver. That is applicable to all vehicles that pass through the province,” said Sgt. Laurent Gingras of the Montreal police department.

Gingras says when drivers take their vehicle into another jurisdiction, they should be aware of the rules and regulations and are expected to conform to them.

Stopped twice in 10 minutes

After Menscik’s $162-fine for the tinted windows, the couple was stopped again a few blocks away, near the Olympic Stadium, by another officer in another cruiser.

“He says to me, 'You coasted through a stop sign,'” Menscik said.

They were slapped with a second $162-ticket.

Then, as they were about to enter the stadium's parking garage, the same officer intercepted them again for allegedly going through another stop sign.

Menscik and Guy insist they respected the traffic signs and they don't think the tickets are coincidences.

“I think it went [further] than that, at that point, because of the Ontario plates,” said Menscik, adding that they will contest the fines.