Dear law enforcement officers,                                                                                                            04Aug01

    I was downtown attending a hotel party on 03 Aug 01, and upon leaving discovered that the car I rode in had been broken into.  This is not a shock to me since it has happened to me twice before (but that's another story).  While filling out a police report one officer took it upon himself to notice that I was standing with an open container of a refreshing Heineken beer. .  This should not have been a problem since I am well over 21.  After showing proof of my age, the officer explained that I was in violation of the "open container law".  After checking to see if I had any outstanding warrants, and realizing that I am an upstanding citizen.  He decided to be nice and let me simply 'dispose' of the open container. Normally the story would end here, and I would have been driven home, however, he also noticed that I happened to have a 6 pack in the pockets of my rather baggy pants. He then made me dispose of all of the closed beer by also pouring them out.  Here is my issue:

I did it without realizing that I was not at fault.  At the time the officer approached me I was on private property and of legal age.  In addition, me being in possession of the unopened bottles was not illegal in any way, thus making it unnecessary to dispose of them.  Since in this particular case the officer made a somewhat hasty judgment call, I am requesting that he police department refund me in full for this incident.  Below you will find my bill for the cost of 7 Heineken beers.  This may seem trivial, and may not seem like much but when you consider that I am an unemployed alcoholic, you can appreciate the significance of said event.  The cost of 7 Heineken beers in a bar would run over $30.00 (assuming the average price of $6.00 is charged).  As you can see it can be quite expensive, however, in all honesty I plan on purchasing the replacement beer from a much less expensive establishment.  Your speedy reply, and forthright attitude in resolving this matter is much appreciated. 

Total cost to replace lost beer: $7.39

Sincerly,