I was on my way back from Ohio today on the PA turnpike....traffic was annoying as people just would not move over and let you pass. Well, lo and behold, I was behind a Dodge RAM, a Saturn and a Camry and I was just getting annoyed with the RAM because he was just cruising. First chance I got, I took....I drop to 4th and strongly merged in the right lane. I gunned it up to 90 and then shift to 5th as I pass the 2 cars and the RAM and merged left to pass a car that was on the right. I must have hit 97 as I merged right again as I moved up a hill....

*ZAP*

I was dead and I knew it. He quickly dropped his radar gun and came out after me. In the end, he got me at 91 in a 65.....26 mph over the speed limit...that equals 5 points and $183 fine. It was stupid and I should not have been that obnoxious.

I've been a licensed driver for 13 years now and this is my first ticket....ever. What should I do? Should try to fight it to get the points lowered?

 

take the class and get the points taken off and it wont be on your records and pay the ticket, thats what i would do, not sure if all states offer that class though

 

Daaaaamn...Speeding ticket in PA suck
Lost my license for 165 days cuz of the PA cops
Take it to court...if its your first one in 13 years...
i am sure you can get it lowered and some of your money back if not all of it
See all the stupid crap you have to pay for when you get a ticket it PA its rediculous

 

No...actually...you lost your license because of YOU, not the cops.

Blkmax005spd...I hope they have traffic school in PA. Some times you can eliminate a 1st ticket. Go in and try to talk to the court and/or the cop that gave you the ticket to see what your options are. Your kind of honesty can "sometimes" go a long way. It's cool to hear someone honestly admit they screwed up rather than blame everyone else. I wish you the best!!

Tony

 

ouch man! Sorry to hear; try and fight the ticket or just take the class (if offered).

Similar thing happened to me in my F150, I was coming up a hill at 80mph and it was a 45mph zone, and as I got over, bam! state trooper zapped! Then I remebered to turn on my strobes and light bar (I am a Volunteer Firefighter). He escorted me to the 3 alarm fire.

 

badabing, that really sucks! Was it a state trooper? If so, all that you may get is a fine... you don't even have to go to court. if it was a local PA cop, then you probably will get points as well. Basically, the cop probably has radar reading so it would be tough to defend. In any case, since this is your first ticket, the judge will consider reducing it to a moving violation and order you to go to school.

Also, if you don't live in PA or don't plan on living there in the next 3 years, just pay the fine... and forget about it. most of the times the points you get in other states like in PA doesn't count if you have your license in a different state like in NY.

 

Well, if the system is anything like CA, you can send in a payment for your ticket say $20 over. Then they send you a refund check in the amount. Don't cash it! If you do and then it clears with their account, they post the points/fine. If you don't, they can't close the account meaning it never gets on your record.
A college professor told me that in a class and some other guy got a ticket, did what he said, and his record is clear...and he did it twice!
Hope this helps!
Roland

 

Yeah, I was really stupid. Don't know what I was thinking. I was bound to get caught sooner or later.

Roland, I heard this overpayment think is My good friend who is no stranger to state troopers heard the same thing and tried it...no dice. And 5 points is too much to risk....I'll have to fight this.

 

Yeah, that overpay thing is definitely

Urben Legends Reference

 

Ugh, kaizenro...please do some research before you go offering "help" like this. Someone else already posted the link to snopes.com which shoots down this entire theory. But just use some common sense...do you really think our entire driver licensing system would come crashing down due to overpaying a ticket by say $1? And it's the year 2003...I'm pretty sure if there ever was a flaw in the system like this they could fix it pretty quickly. It wouldn't just go on and on and on. End of rant.

 

This used to work in Florida, but they have wised up to it. In Florida though, you can take a class to eliminate all points for the ticket, if its your 1st in the last 6 months or a year, not sure which. Anyways, I did that and took an online class which they make you take 4 hours to take, just like the real driving classes. They even discount the ticket if you do so.

 

Where do I find out about this class? Who would I contact?

I'm afraid to get in my car now - feels like I have a big red target on it. I must get rid of those points...

 

IMO I'd suck it up..you knew you were speeding and you took a chance, except you got caught...

consider it a lessen well learnt...

 

try this trick it might work

when it gets like 2 or 3 days before your courtdate...call the ocurthouse and extend your court date as far back as possible, then do the same thing for the second time...chances are when you extend it the thrid time the cop wont even show up, and you will get out with no fine points or ticket

you'd be surprised how many times this has worked

 

been there, I am a bit younger then you, but I learned my lesson well. This lesson was, to be evasive and cautious until I determine I can drive like a ****, if I chose. Also, I have a secret weapon against tickets, which I won't really brag about on here. If you thought about it enough, you'd probably figure out what that was : ]

 

I'll gladly suck up the fine...but no way I can suck up the points, bro.

No question I deserved to get caught. But even one questionable moving violation with cop having a bad day that needs to fill a quota and I'll lose my driving priveleges.

No one can afford that...

 

thats easy then dude......most courts these days are just hungry for the cash, they could give two ***** bout ur driving record...

with that said, on the court date explain to the judge that you were merely trying to keep with the flow of traffic and you were just trying to pass an erratic driver....

admit to the judge you were wrong and are willing to accept the cost of the ticket, but would like the points taken off..

I don't see any probs with that...

 

Ummmmm.. big boobies?

 

maybe chocolate glazed donuts???

 

heherheheheh wtf? no.


i guess I can't get away with being cryptic. it helps to know the enemy.

 

No matter what happens in the courtroom- You'll pay in the long run-
you'll have the points in your insurance for the next 5 years-
I almost got a ticket Sun July5 doing 62 on a 45- luckily my wife
kissed *** and as two ricers (SI's- there was import races in Englinshtown, NJ this weekend) flew by, he gave me my papers back
and chased them- those ricers where probably runnin' 16's in the 95
degree day

 

Just don't ask for a supporting deposition that just causes more work for the cop, and eliminates any chance you have of getting the ticket reduced.

Good Luck badabing.

 

I used to do tech support for the PD, and was a reserve auxilary officer; Got me out of tickets, Now im just Vol FF, that helps but Im real careful, usually I'll get pulled over by an officer that knows me. Im still taking classes for Certifed Law ENF Sheriff's department,. So I wave my student ID.

 

Good luck man. PA cops are harsh.

 

I tried that shi** and it dont work.Yea heard of the incomplete transaction thing but it's b/s

 

Please elaborate. I want to know the worst of what to expect. You are talking about local cops or state troopers?

I'm sure these judges have heard it all before, but I think NT2SHBBY's "excuse" is the best one yet.

 

http://idrivesafely.com/

This is the one I used. If you want to do it, you go to pay the ticket first and tell them you are taking driving school. Then they will give you a certain time period to complete the class. They will reduce the ticket somewhat also, but you have to pay for the class which is like 30 bucks. After completed they will mail the certificate for you to your county clerk and they make sure the points will not be assesed and your insurance will never know.

 

Some cops are flatout d*icks. Suprisingly, depending on where I am (which would determine what I am doing, usually) If for some reason I was caught, I tend to make a good case for myself, relate to the guy, and sometimes I even end up joking about it. I do get the 0h sh)t feeling as always when i see those lights behind me. The momment I keep my cool, as they say those who act guilty, are guilty. Also, the trick of the trade, once the cop starts writing the ticket, you are already screwed... say something!

pba cards do not hurt.

 

a radar detector wouldnt hurt either...unless the cop is pacing you.

 

Yeah PBA cards help; also, when you act cool and calm and relate to the officer it really does sometimes mean the difference between a ticket or warning or neither.. its "officer's discretion", so alot of the people who are b1tchy with the officer first theyre' getting it for sure.... When I used to ride along for training, I hear alot of "I PAY YOUR SALARY!", and they'll get a reply like, (sir-maam) This pays my salary... then writes em up a ticket. The cool calm ones with feasible explaniations are usually given warnings, but are slapped harder if caught again. But on laser trap sites, nobody goes free, not even grandma with her grandchildren doing 51 on a 35mph zone, i felt bad, they but had to do it.

 

PBA cards are God-sends.....a good PBA card coupled with a good excuse can get you off anything short of murder...

 

In FL PBA members get License plates and certified law enforcement members get gold badges on their license plates also so some dont even get stopped.

 

What is a PBA card?

 

Most cops realize PBA cards or stickers can be purchased by anyone and everyone. It's kind of like a drug dealer driving around with a DARE bumper sticker!!!

Tony

 

Why the hate? Mommy and Daddy didn't teach someone how to exist in civilization huh? Tell Mom to quit dragging her knuckles. It's ruining the dirt carpet.
My classmate used this overpay method twice and it worked. It was in 2001 but hey, I thought I'd try to help. Also, it was in Car and Driver last year.
Just plead for 6 months probation or the like and play it cool (if that's an option!) and pay the ticket and probably not get the points added in the long run.

 

TOny, i'm sorry, you have absolutely no idea what the hell you are talking about. If my PBA card is signed by the commisioner of police, it was not bought. Do you have any PBA cards, do you know anyone in the police administration, attorneys, or have cops in the family? Then no, I don't know of any "pba market" where you can buy pba cards. Most the 'good' ones, have respect around here for good people. Where do you buy your knockoff pba cards anyways?

 

Well, I've thought long and hard as to whether or not I would reply to your rather rude post, Mr. MJG. In an effort to correctly educate this thread's readers and to defend my org reputation, here is my response: Don't bother responding back unless it is to apologize to me personally or to the other org members for ruining an otherwise informative thread.

PBA stands for Police Benevolent Association (or Patrolman's Benevolent Assn). Several states across the nation have such organizations, under the PBA name (NYCPBA for example…New York City Police Benevolent Assn). Or other states, like here in Washington State, have a similar organization called the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP).

These organizations provide law enforcement officers many services (for a membership fee) such as legal representation (from lawsuits to internal investigations), primary or supplemental medical or life insurance, and other benefits.

An active member in such an organization can get a card (or a bumper sticker, or a window decal) that identifies the person as such. Additionally, any person can make a charitable donation to such an organization and receive a card, sticker, etc. that either closely resembles or is identical to an active members card depending on the particular association (this is especially true for stickers and decals). Yes, an actual police officer may carry an official PBA membership card that would only be used to claim the aforementioned benefits (like an insurance card).

The understanding that I'm getting from some of this thread's posters is that they carry PBA cards. Any police officer that is pulled over certainly isn't going to pull out their "PBA" card to get out of a ticket…they'll pull out their respective departmental police identification card and/or badge (I'm not saying all cops use their color of authority to get out of tickets, just illustrating a specific point about the cards).

I wasn't suggesting, nor did I say that the cards or stickers I was referring to were knockoffs. Any "auxiliary" member (a family member of a law enforcement officer, or a person making a donation) may possess such a card or sticker…to some degree of variation depending on the locale. These are valid cards, possibly signed by a police commissioner, chief, sheriff, etc.

One of the reasons why hoards of people contribute to such organizations is that they receive such a card or sticker. These cards or stickers then somehow appear on the person's vehicle, oddly enough usually on the rear driver-side window where the approaching officer can see it. This may be an attempt to get the officers attention and sway his/her decision on whether or not to issue a ticket. Both law enforcement agencies and PBA organizations are aware of this tactic, but they know that 99% of cops don't give a hoot if you have a card in your window….heck…it probably belonged to the car's previous owner anyway! A PBA card (or it's like) is in no way an actual form of police identification. (It should be noted that there are many people that genuinely support the law enforcement community and have no ulterior motives about making a donation and/or carrying a PBA card)

I hope I clarified my position in a civil manner.

Tony

 

Nicely put! That is pretty much true. Very civil answer to that question.

Also about the decals on the windows, I dont personally have one, only a PBA license place and tag seal signifying me as a "Honorary Member", which does mean a "donating member", and participating in awareness events etc. I would like to say also, Most officers who see that or similar decals on a car while the person is speeding or being reckless assume, MOST of the time , a real officer wouldnt drive like that and sometimes makes it worse when they find out that person isnt a law enforcement officer.

back to topic....

I would like to say again, TRY HARD to fight that ticket, at least get the points removed, I hope they're classes that you can take that will remove the points so your insurance (raise in premium) and driving record wont be affected by it.

 

My wife got let off with a warning on Sunday doing 57 in a 35. It was nice that it won't cost me anything but when I get a ticket she says "good maybe you'll slow down" man that ****es me off.

The reason she got let off is because she has a perfect driving record and it was a cop from the city we live in. They tend to let residents get away with a little.