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Reported by Alex Todorovic

Speeding tickets in Massachusetts will now be paid by purchasing Sprite.

Governor Deval Patrick has agreed to subsidize traffic violation fines with private funding from Sprite. The cash amount of the ticket will be paid to the state by parent company Coca-Cola. Citizens buy one bottle of Sprite for every dollar they would have owed. Then mail in the bar codes as proof of purchase.

South Shore resident Lilah Hannity said she looks forward to the change, saying “my son, Douglas is always getting speeding tickets and parking fines and I can get Sprite for $.89 at the store, so we should save money. Plus, we get to drink the soda.”

Sprite initiated talks with Patrick following analysis of 2006 statistics showing Sierra Mist gaining market share among Boston, Worcester and Framingham college students and the city club scenes.

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Bartender Tony Scapone has been serving drinks in Boston for eight years and doesn’t think the move will affect business. “I don’t care if the kids have to buy it, I bet they still won’t drink it.” He points at a fridge behind him, “before a busy night I pre-make a few dozen of them without ice. Stoli&Sierra is the most popular drink in this bar, that won’t change until Lil’ Wayne tells them what else to drink, not the cops.”

The measure was enacted in response to funds lost from the discontinuation of the Boston Police Department’s shuttle service for gay escorts. The state’s revenue from tickets and fines is expected to rise in proportion to money previously lost when violators defaulted on payment. The move will keep the force from laying off cops in the deficit and provide thrifty citizens with a cheaper way to pay auto fines.

For those uninterested in purchasing Sprite, cash is not an option, but police will be equipped with Sprite, Diet Sprite and Sprite Remix in their patrol cars to dispense at the scene, with the state profiting during these point of sale transactions.

If the move proves popular steps may be taken in 2010 to legislate citizens paying their state taxes and pediatric immunizations costs by purchasing Sprite.

This entry was posted on Thursday, February 19th, 2009 at 12:09 am and is filed under Headlines. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.