Speeding Ticket

[ken0042]

Just had a look at the sunset time for Sunday, and it was 8:51pm
http://www.timeanddate.com/worldcloc...&afl=-11&day=1

So assuming this was a playground zone, and by "around 10" it was actually 9:45- I would even try to fight that. Go with the fact that it was cloudy on Sunday night, it was already pitch dark out and therefore you assumed it was already an hour after sunset.

I'm usually telling people to "man up" in these threads, but in this case it sounds like you might have an actual defense- and this is the exact reason IMHO we have the court system for tickets. Not to allow people who know they are guilty to try to get away, but for times when it is so close it isn't funny.

Another thing- I think city council might have been looking to make playground zones a defined time because of this very issue. Council meeting notes might help your case.

Originally Posted by ken0042

Just had a look at the sunset time for Sunday, and it was 8:51pm
http://www.timeanddate.com/worldcloc...&afl=-11&day=1

So assuming this was a playground zone, and by "around 10" it was actually 9:45- I would even try to fight that. Go with the fact that it was cloudy on Sunday night, it was already pitch dark out and therefore you assumed it was already an hour after sunset.

I'm usually telling people to "man up" in these threads, but in this case it sounds like you might have an actual defense- and this is the exact reason IMHO we have the court system for tickets. Not to allow people who know they are guilty to try to get away, but for times when it is so close it isn't funny.

Another thing- I think city council might have been looking to make playground zones a defined time because of this very issue. Council meeting notes might help your case.

In addition, I believe they are attempting to make p/g and school zones the same- meaning the times they are in effect will not longer be different.

[malcolmk14]

Whatever you do, don't listen to Tower.

[MJM]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

A 30 zone is a 30 zone for a reason. It could have been a kid running out from behind that bush at 10PM instead of a cop, and you could have hit that kid. One has only to look at the accident stats in this city, Edmonton, Vancouver, Toronto, etc. to know that this is not a far fetched possibility.

Sure, speeding tickets are a cash grab. But they are a cash grab because you were too stupid to obey the speed limit. That was your decision, so suck it up and take the fine like a man.

I must be too stupid to see a sign over a puny 500 metre stretch with multiple cars parked in front when it's dark out.

I'll man up and pay my ticket when CPS responds to the multiple calls myself and my neighbors in Mount Royal put in about blatant drugs deals blocks away from our property and two schools (which happened on a nightly basis with no threat of response from the police). My wife was walking to work in the morning a couple of months ago while it was still dark, some guy followed her down a side street, she noticed and turned around to go back to the main street and the guy bumped right into her and told her she " was very lucky that she made that choice ". We called the police and we were told there was nothing they could do. And get this...... If it happens again to call them back!

Maybe they should put some resources into that instead of waiting behind bushes at ten o'clock at night trying to stop the evil tax paying citizens of going 41 KM in a dark area at 10 pm at night with cars parked on both sides of the street blocking your ability to see a sign in the dark.

[Boblobla]

So was it a playground zone?

[4X4]

Originally Posted by MJM

Maybe they should put some resources into that instead of waiting behind bushes at ten o'clock at night trying to stop the evil tax paying citizens of going 41 KM in a dark area at 10 pm at night with cars parked on both sides of the street blocking your ability to see a sign in the dark.

That is what really grinds my gears. Cops hanging out in fishing holes writing tickets that do f*** all to increase public safety or even road safety instead of hanging around known criminal activity spots.

I know there's constantly drug deals going on at crack Macs. The cops do too. Why the hell aren't they hanging around there? Because they're too busy clocking guys doing 60 on 14th st.

And MJM, if your ticket really was at 10pm, you've got an iron clad case. Print off the proof and take it to the JP: http://www.timeanddate.com/worldcloc...nomy.html?n=55

[The Ditch]

nm

[guzzy]

I make a decent wage so for me to take time off work to sit in court and hope the officer doesn't show up is not worth the effort and costs me more money than i am saving.

That and the waste of taxpayer dollars for the OT they have to pay the cop to show up in court. Not worth the effort. Maybe you should just pay it and stop speeding in lpayground zones....just a thought.

[alltherage]

When I fought a ticket recently I made no bones about the fact I was definitely speeding. I was respectful and let the JP know it was out of the ordinary, on an offramp from deerfoot when I just got off work on a Friday night. He cut the fine and the demerits in half.

[REDVAN]

When I got my first ticket ever a month or so ago, I eventually just paid it.

It wasn't going to affect my insurance rates, and the only way to get it dropped was for the cop not to show, but that was unlikely. It was such a small ticket, I paid it.

I spoke with the traffic ticket guys, and they said it wasn't even worth it to fight it.

[Ducay]

Originally Posted by MJM

I'll man up and pay my ticket when CPS responds to the multiple calls myself and my neighbors in Mount Royal put in about blatant drugs deals blocks away from our property and two schools (which happened on a nightly basis with no threat of response from the police).

Mount Royal eh? Are you sure the ticket wasn't for going 41 in a 40?

[valo403]

Originally Posted by guzzy

I make more a decent wage so for me to take time off work to sit in court and hope the officer doesn't show up is not worth the effort and costs me more money than i am saving.

That and the waste of taxpayer dollars for the OT they have to pay the cop to show up in court. Not worth the effort. Maybe you should just pay it and stop speeding in lpayground zones....just a thought.

Maybe it wasn't an active playground zone he got the ticket in?

If you don't want to deal with fighting tickets that's fine, but there's nothing wrong with others doing so.

Originally Posted by MJM

I must be too stupid to see a sign over a puny 500 metre stretch with multiple cars parked in front when it's dark out.

I'll man up and pay my ticket when CPS responds to the multiple calls myself and my neighbors in Mount Royal put in about blatant drugs deals blocks away from our property and two schools (which happened on a nightly basis with no threat of response from the police). My wife was walking to work in the morning a couple of months ago while it was still dark, some guy followed her down a side street, she noticed and turned around to go back to the main street and the guy bumped right into her and told her she " was very lucky that she made that choice ". We called the police and we were told there was nothing they could do. And get this...... If it happens again to call them back!

Maybe they should put some resources into that instead of waiting behind bushes at ten o'clock at night trying to stop the evil tax paying citizens of going 41 KM in a dark area at 10 pm at night with cars parked on both sides of the street blocking your ability to see a sign in the dark.

So a drug deal takes place. You witness it. Now what? What exactly SHOULD the police do in your opinion?
Have you point them out? Good. Now you can say you saw those guys in what appears to be a drug deal. You get on the stand. The defense asks you what kind of experience you have in either a) investigating drug offenses or b) dealing drugs. I know it sounds silly but that's how things work. What gave the police the grounds in the first place.
The police stop them based on either you pointing them out or a description. Can they detain them? Yep. Can they search them for drugs? Nope. You have Section 8 of the CCRF to thank for that.

The guy followed her. Great. He's gone. What to do now? Knock on every door in the area until you find him? Do you actually know what steps the police took? What would you suggest?

If you are suggesting a stronger police presence to deter it, maybe that would help. Except the citizens of Calgary have deemed traffic and traffic offenses in Calgary a priority. There are limited resources to go around, again,what would you suggest?

To say I am not paying a ticket, forcing a cop off the street to attend court kinda, in my opinion compounds the problem don't you think?

[Boblobla]

Originally Posted by guzzy

I make more a decent wage so for me to take time off work to sit in court and hope the officer doesn't show up is not worth the effort and costs me more money than i am saving.

That and the waste of taxpayer dollars for the OT they have to pay the cop to show up in court. Not worth the effort. Maybe you should just pay it and stop speeding in lpayground zones....just a thought.

You need to learn to read tbqh. He isnt fighting the ticket. He is getting it reduced. He was asking if it was worth it and what other peoples experiences are. To do that you talk to a first appearance prosectuor. He isn't wasting your precious tax dollars making the cop go to court, he is just getting his fine reduced. Take your cookie-cutter, high horse, d-bag responses to where they are relevant. Also, good for you for making lots of money, we are all happy for you.

[MJM]

Originally Posted by Bent Wookie

So a drug deal takes place. You witness it. Now what? What exactly SHOULD the police do in your opinion?
Have you point them out? Good. Now you can say you saw those guys in what appears to be a drug deal. You get on the stand. The defense asks you what kind of experience you have in either a) investigating drug offenses or b) dealing drugs. I know it sounds silly but that's how things work. What gave the police the grounds in the first place.
The police stop them based on either you pointing them out or a description. Can they detain them? Yep. Can they search them for drugs? Nope. You have Section 8 of the CCRF to thank for that.

The guy followed her. Great. He's gone. What to do now? Knock on every door in the area until you find him? Do you actually know what steps the police took? What would you suggest?

If you are suggesting a stronger police presence to deter it, maybe that would help. Except the citizens of Calgary have deemed traffic and traffic offenses in Calgary a priority. There are limited resources to go around, again,what would you suggest?

To say I am not paying a ticket, forcing a cop off the street to attend court kinda, in my opinion compounds the problem don't you think?

Where did you get that in retaliation I was going to fight the ticket to force the cop to come in? I said I had no intentions of that. I said I intended on pleading guilty but if there was some mechanism to reduce the ticket through the justice of the peace (not bringing the officer in) I would based on my belief that having a cop hiding in the bushes was a waste of resouce (never once blamed the cop becuase they are just following their superiors orders).

In regards to what I expect the cops to do in regards to your scenarios, I see it like this. The same drug deals go on night after night in the same location. Why aren't the cops lurking around in the shadows there trying to catch someone rather than lurking in the bushes in the deep south catching peoe accidentally going 40 km/h.


Ps I fully support cops setting up radar. People need to adhere to the speed for their safety and the safety of other. What fires me up about this one was it was fully designed to be a cash grab and had little to do with safety in my opinion.

[albertGQ]

Originally Posted by guzzy

I make more a decent wage so for me to take time off work to sit in court and hope the officer doesn't show up is not worth the effort and costs me more money than i am saving.

That and the waste of taxpayer dollars for the OT they have to pay the cop to show up in court. Not worth the effort. Maybe you should just pay it and stop speeding in lpayground zones....just a thought.

Did you post this just to broadcast that you're well paid and since you make so much money it's not worth your time to go downtown that others shouldnt too?

[malcolmk14]

Originally Posted by MJM

In regards to what I expect the cops to do in regards to your scenarios, I see it like this. The same drug deals go on night after night in the same location. Why aren't the cops lurking around in the shadows there trying to catch someone rather than lurking in the bushes in the deep south catching peoe accidentally going 40 km/h.

No drug cop would set up a radar gun and write speeding tickets, why would a traffic cop investigate a drug case?

[Rhettzky]

Originally Posted by Boblobla

So was it a playground zone?

This.

[valo403]

Originally Posted by malcolmk14

No drug cop would set up a radar gun and write speeding tickets, why would a traffic cop investigate a drug case?

I guess maybe his point is that there should be more of the former and less of the latter.

Traffic cops certainly have their place, but at times it gets a little ridiculous. Guys lurking in bushes at night trying to catch people on the last few minutes of a playground zone is a bit much IMO.

[malcolmk14]

I get his point, I'm just stirring up trouble.