why me? im usally a good driver and i don't really **** around when driving, and then this happens. i need to vent so i will tell my story.

so i am driving to work today all happy because i just installed my new frankencar intake, and it has been such a long time since i had a car with an intake. (since my last 95 maxima) so i am sitting at a redlight at a 4 way intersection and it finally turns green. so when i get to the light it was yellow and i didn't feel like waiting (it is a very long light) so i floored it. so my engine goes GRRRRRRR and off i go! so i am just crusing down the road doing 40 with my system blaringand i see this grey car up on my a$$. i could't really see because the bass was making my rear view mirror move down. so i turned down the bass and i see this guy with a funny hat. i think to myself: "hahahaha, who wears hats like that? then i say wait a sec, so i adjust my mirror and i see lights on the top. so i say OOOO ****!!!

i get to the next redlight (200 feet down) and as soon as it turns green he pulls me over. he walks over to me and says: i hope where ever you are going merits you driving so reclessly. "im sorry officer" sorry doesn't cut it son, your lucky i didn't catch you on radar, this is a 30mph street. i see you have no seatbelt on, thats $75, you ran a redlight thats another $75, "but sir it was yellow" no it was green for me when you flew by... so it was red for you. and you have no front license plate, thats $75, and you have a illegal tinted rear licence plate cover in the rear... and thats $50. license and registration please.

so i walks to his car, and comes back with a ticket for only running a redlight. so i was happy, but at the same time i know i didn't run a red light. and he also gave me a notice on demand order for me to fix my plates. ahhh i am soo mad! now my insurance is going to go up, and i am already paying $3000 a year for just liablity! dam!

sorry it was so long, but i really need to vent. do you think i can get off on the 3 year clean driving rule? i had one accident 2 years ago and they gave me a ticket for improper turning, but it was dismissed. i heard people say that it does not count, but others say i am screewed. any thoughts? thanks

Chris

 

Figth the red light in court.

If your front tires cross the line before it hits red, you are legal.

 

yeah, but how i can i prove that my tires were over the line? it is just my word aganist his, and i think that they will take is side over some 19 year old. also if i fight for it and lose, i have to pay a $75 court fine, and the ticket

 

his whole story about being green for him seems like bs...did he have a camera on board his po po mobile?

 

i am not sure, i didn't look back at him, nor did he state that he did or not.

 

its not worth the time in court...like you said its his word against yours. I had an accident which resulted in a failure to yield. I felt the accident was caused by a road hazard/obstruction of view...so I tried to fight the ticket. I was 18 at the time and I even brought in pictures of the road and the obstruction but the judge didnt give a s@*t and I ended up paying the fine.

 

3000 for liability? how many tickets do you have? if you dont have any tickets or accidents(that arent your fault) you need to find a new insurance company(or at least one that will lube up before they pound you in the a**.)

 

i have one accident... it happened a week after i got my first car. (83 chevy cleberty ) rates have been doubled ever since

 

too bad you didnt live in CT...you walk in court and the cops never show up. The prosecutor asks i see you ran the red light...you tell him your story and they let you go on a reduced fine to a charity. I dont know how it is in RI though.

 

Actually, in Louisiana, a person's entire car must clear the intersection before it turns red. Think of an intersection as a square. Even if your rear bumper is in the square when your light turns red, you ran it. State laws vary, but most will be very similar.
As for fighting it, who will a judge believe? If you think about it in the judge's perspective, it's easy. The driver of a car running a red light can't really see when the light turns red (roof overhead, etc...). Even if he can see it, then apparently he's in the intersection at the time, and guilty of running it. A cop sitting 90 degrees off who gets his green light has a very good view.
I think your lucky you didn't get the other tickets. Some states (Louisiana) have a general speed law. Cop thinks you're going too fast for conditions and you can get a ticket (w/o radar, laser, etc). Also, if your mirror was vibrating from your bass, you may want to think about having music that loud. A lot of cops hate loud music, as it's used to advertise certain illegal substances for sale in some places (not saying you do, but look from the cops perspective).
As for your insurance, when you go to court, see if you can get it knocked down to a non-moving violation (like seatbelt) with the DA. A lot will do that. If not, check in to a driver improvement course to negate any points. But most of the time you can only use that once every so many years.
$3000 a year for liability? Really check in to the non-moving violation or driver improvement course. Dammmnnn! Good luck.

Dave

 

wear your seatbelt stupido

 

First of all I am in the same situation and I was talking to a cop at my work yesterday, these are the things that are going to **** you up. First of all, you speed up at the intersection that means you were trying to beat the light, that is how they are going to interpid it. Second you had your radio blarring, which means you were not able to drive effictivly, you even said you cannot see out your rear-view mirror. Your not wearing a seatbelt which is just plain stupid. I would just pay it. That is what I am going to do, and I have a better case than you, I did not adjust my speed and I was watchign the road. If you do go to court ask for a jury trial. You have a better chance then but they are going to ask those kind of questions, how fast were you going, and did you have your stero loud. So I would say your screw, but just giving you my 2 cents.

 

Damn Chris! I think someone's trying to tell you not to own a maxima. You have the worst luck with that car! Sorry to hear the news.

 

Chris, check with the state agency that controls insurance regulations in RI. You may have the ability to question your rates you are paying. Saved me lots.

 

While I was driving home in a hurry because I needed to use the water closet, I clearly blew a red light yesterday. Right when I got to the intersection the light turned red and by the time I was underneath the traffic light the other side turned green. Guess who was on the other side? A police car! As I was going underneath the traffic light I saw the cops on my passenger side window. My reaction was "Oh sh*t! I'm f*cked! As I went by and looked on my rear view mirror they kept going. So I got lucky even though I deserved a ticket and I made it to the water closet!

 

meow honestly, meow fast you were going?

 

Blkmax95c I would just pay the ticket and be more careful. Could have been worse so consider yourself fortunate.

 

That happens to me all the time...it's kind of hazardous because it makes you look at your mirror longer than usual to make out the things you see in it.

Anyway, why would you pay court fines? I live in MA and have gotten 2 speeding tickets (I deserved both of them) and chose to argue them and got off on both accounts. I was 16 at the time, had pretty good stories, and they happened within 3 months of each other but i still got off. I'd say fight it becuase you have nothing to lose. How did he know you were bumpin and couldnt see and your case is definitely arguable. In MA you have a right to argue any moving violation and i think it's free but if you lose and still dont agree to paying the fine then you go in front of a judge and have to pay fees...the process should be similar wherever you live...someone correct me if Im wrong.

 

erty67:

yea i know man, it is horriable! it is just one thing after the next! hopefully no more accident though... hey i am off of work tomorrow, wanna catch up and grab a coffee or something? let me know.

everyone else:

thanks for your opinions... granted that they were not exactly what i wanted to hear, but they are valued. i am 50/50 on if i should take it to court or not. i mean 2 years of no fines should mean something right? plus if i dress up in a suit and tie, maybe they will think i am a nice kid? i just want to be sure that i have somewhat of a chance because i would have to miss a days worth of work, and pay a fee if i go and lose. i hate being a kid with a lowered car with rims and a intake. the cop even said... " you attract way to much attention to yourself, you should learn how to drive defensively not offensivly." o, this stinks.

thanks for the help everyone.

Chris

 

dude you need to fight it, cause it being a state trooper he might be to busy to show up in court, and if he doesn't then you would win and only end up with a fine. what else to you have to lose, with your insurance being as high as it is i would do anything i could not to have another ticket show up on my record. thats just my two cents.
Good luck Mike

 

Hey, the same sort of thing happened to me yesterday(Saturday @ 2:30pm). I was heading home from work when i turned down a road that turned to an 80 (KPH, here in Ontario) but was 60 when it began. It will only take a matter of seconds to get from 10kph(turing a corner) to 83KPH in a 60 in a 95' GLE. He got me because he was sitting behind a bush. DAMN HIM. He gave me 2 choice because I am only 18, first was lower the ticket from 23 over to 15 over and only pay a $60.00 fine, no points, but it will be on my record and insurance will go up. Or write the ticket for 23 Over and take a test to get it ripped up and taken off your record. The ticket is for $110.00 and no points at 23 over, but the test costs $135.00. I took the test option because it's only 10 questions T or F and it will be taken off my record. I can do nothing but laugh at the situation because i was doing something wrong, and got caught. ANyway, that's my contribution to this thread

 

I watched that movie again a few days ago, that part never gets old..

 

ALWAYS fight tickets in court. If the cop doesn't show up, there is no witness against you, and the whole thing is dismissed. Sometimes even if the cop does show up, if the court is real busy they will let you off on something less, usually with no points and just a fine + surcharge. I have gotten many tickets in NY, and a couple in FL. Cops show 50% of the time or less. There is nobody in the world who LIKES going to court, this includes cops. That is why we pay lawyers so much money . Go to court every time!!

For the record, I have gotten all of these tickets either dismissed, or reduced to next to nothing (if I hadn't gone to court, I wouldn't have a license.):

Reckless Driving
Reckless Driving (again)
Red Light
Stop Sign
Avoiding Intersection
Seatbelt
Speeding (49 in 30 zone)
Speeding (90 in 30 zone) (

No I don't drive like a maniac, I just have bad luck with the NYPD.

 

"Meow? Rabbit bet him to see how many times he could say Meow? I bet you 20 Bucks i can get away with calling these guys chickenfockers"

(pause)

"How's it goin......chickenfockers"

 

such a weird, funny movie lol

 

what movie is that from?

 

super troopers rather funny, mainly because i'v run in with the cops they are describing, enough times.

 

hey... i didn't want to read every post on here... but let me give you some advice. if you can afford $200, get a lawyer. a couple of months ago i got pulled for running a red (which is total BS). the cop was a quarter mile down the road and still pulled me. anyway, i called a lawyer, she said that you can't fight a ticket like that. its your word against the cops... and the judge will always favor the cop. so anyway, my ticket was dropped so i have no points or anything. just a suggestion for ya.

 

I would not get a lawyer for this type of case. The lawyer can't realyl do much here and will probably just say two words and you owe em another 200 dollars. Wear a suite and a tie, come in and using your best english explain to the judge the situation and hope for the best. I've got out of a unsafe starting ticket and got a reckless driving ticket reduced to 0 points!.

On a side note, invest some NYPD cops are cool. I've had a cop pull up and tell me to put on the seat belt. I ran a clear red light and behind me was a nypd cruiser. He of course turned on his lights and I started to pull over but he just shot right past me. Phew!! Good luck.

 

granted, you may not NEED a lawyer. but from what learned from previous tickets, courts like to see you spend $$ when you mess up. and the fact is, courtrooms are crouded and busy... and if they can get your case done as quickly as possible, they are going to like that. and if your lawyer has been around for a while, they'll know the D.A. and most likely will be able to work out something good for you. but not to say that going in there nicely dressed and on your best behavior won't get you out of the ticket... i just think it might be worth your time and $$ to get someone to represent you. and in most cases, you don't even have to appear in court. your lawyer will just send you a letter. just something to think about... but in any case... good luck.