A Montreal driver says his passionate rendition of a cheesy 1990s pop hit has netted him a $149 fine.
On Sept. 27, Taoufik Moalla was on his way to buy a bottle of water, happily singing along to C+C Music Factoryâs 1990 song âGonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)â when he says he heard a police siren blaring behind him.
âI was thinking they wanted to pass, but they called on the speaker, âPlease go to the right side,ââ Moalla told CTV Montreal. âI stopped and four police came, two on each side, and checked the inside of the car. Then they asked me if I screamed. I said, âNo, I was just singing.ââ
Moalla said police checked his licence and registration and then came back with a $149 dollar surprise: a ticket for screaming in public. According to a Montreal bylaw, âto cause disorder by screamingâ violates âpeace and tranquilityâ and can be punishable by a fine of $50 to $1,000 for a first offence and $100 to $2,000 for subsequent infractions.
âI donât know if my voice was very bad and thatâs why I got the ticket, but I was very shocked,â Moalla said. âI understand if they are doing their job, they are allowed to check if everythingâs okay, if I kidnapped someone or if thereâs danger inside but I would never expect they would give me a ticket for that.â
Moalla said his singing wasnât particularly loud: âjust if you are happy and you like this song.â And while he thought the situation was more than a little crazy, he said he managed to keep his calm.
âI said, âOkay, thank you,â because I know I can contest the ticket,â he said. âThey were doing their job.â
Moalla says he has done just that and is now waiting for a court date, which could come in as much as a year. Once in front of a judge, Moalla simply plans to recount how he got the ticket.
âImagine if the Canadiens won a game,â he said. âAll the fans are going to scream out of their cars. Theyâre going to sing. Are you going to give them all tickets?â
Moallaâs wife, however, said she wasnât surprised that her husbandâs vocals netted him a fine.
âShe told me, if it was for singing, Iâd have given you a ticket for $300,â he said.
With a report from CTV Montrealâs Adam Kovac