$300 ticket???

[Hemi-Cuda]

Originally Posted by Jimmy Krack Korn

First of all, speaking from a personal point of view, if you get a ticket, go to court and ask for a reduction...9 times out of 10 you'll get some kind of reduction (fine, points or both). Judges, for some reason I'll never understand, are fond of giving you a speech about driving safer and then making you pay 50 - 75% of your original fine or taking some points off.

Speaking from the other side of the equation, if you get caught exceeding the speed limit (and it makes not a hill of beans worth of difference if you're doing the same speed as two other cars around you, what is the cop gonna do, pull all three of you over?), or don't come to a complete stop, or whatever, don't bitch and piss and moan to the cop...it only makes the decision easier to give you a ticket...trust me. Among cops, there's a thing called the 'SCA' or 'Stunned ***** act' (also known as 'being stupid in a no stupid zone), as soon as you verbally abuse a cop, you've crossed that line and are GOING to get a ticket.

Not all laws are seemingly right and not all laws are seemingly just, but it is the job of peace officers to enforce all laws...with some amount of discretion of course.

And hell yes there are dick-head cops out there, but there are alot that are trying to be fair and do the right thing too. It's just another cross section of society. I'm sure there are dick-heads in your line of work too.

yep. i was following a truck driving back from BC and we were both doing around 115 in a 90 zone. passed a cop, he turns around, gets between us and flags us both to pull over. if i'm speeding on the highway i now make sure to give a wide berth to whoever i'm matching my speed with

[soulchoice]

Fight the ticket. You dont necc even need to go to Points or a service such as that. Just ask for a reduction and no demerits. If the cop doesnt show up, even better.

To increase your chance of the cop not showing up, go in a day or two before your scheduled court date and postpone it. Do this once or twice and there may be a good chance they may not show up.

Dont listen to any of the advice of not fighting the ticket and accepting responsibility. I fight every ticket I get and 50 percent of the time, I get off completely and the other half, I get a reduction, no demerits. Look after yourself, dont worry bout clogging the justice system. That is for them to worry bout, not you. The only person who will look after you is yourself. Good luck

Soulchoice and to the others that talk about fight tickets,

It is your right to fight tickets based on the fact you feel their was an error- either with the law (good luck on that one) or there were circumstances beyond your control that led to the unfortunate breaking of the law. Ignorance or citing what others did or did not do (and therefore also should have gotten a ticket) simply isn't an excuse.

To suggest to others to get court dates changed, etc, etc, so that the cop doesn't show, is completely ridiculous and abusive. This is the exact reason there has to be a major overhaul of the traffic court system.

[Jayems]

Originally Posted by Bent Wookie

Soulchoice and to the others that talk about fight tickets,

It is your right to fight tickets based on the fact you feel their was an error- either with the law (good luck on that one) or there were circumstances beyond your control that led to the unfortunate breaking of the law. Ignorance or citing what others did or did not do (and therefore also should have gotten a ticket) simply isn't an excuse.

To suggest to others to get court dates changed, etc, etc, so that the cop doesn't show, is completely ridiculous and abusive. This is the exact reason there has to be a major overhaul of the traffic court system.

The only thing is that people have to go and show up to court for this... during the week. Sooner or later, the lost wages of missing work to fight the ticket, coupled with pissing off your employer, will even the playing field .

[CaramonLS]

Well, whatever you guys do, don't speed in the Playground zone on 58th Ave, beside Chinook. Always cops there, and even if someone is tailgating me the entire way down the street, you've always gotta go 30.

[Maritime Q-Scout]

Originally Posted by oilers_fan

I can't see that getting him anywhere. He was speeding, it really doesn't matter what the other cars on the road were doing. Flow of traffic means squat when compared to the legal speed limit.

Really? In Nova Scotia we're taught and told to go with the flow of traffic. It's safer to go with the flow of traffic than faster or slower. In part that's one of the reasons for having to have your hazzards on if you're going slower than 75 in a 100 zone. Cars behind you are making the assumption that you're going on par with the cars around you.

Originally Posted by Bent Wookie

I love threads like this.

I will add the obligatory, 'if you can't do the time, don't do the crime.'

Nothing like clogging the courts because 'there was no one around and therefore the law doesn't apply here' or 'i was the middle car of 3' comments.

I can't believe I'm the first to call B*LL SH*T on this. If you get a ticket it's your right to fight it. You're not clogging the courts at all, if anything it would be the police officer.

If I get a ticket I have a RIGHT to my day in court over the infraction
If I get a ticket I have a RIGHT to face my accusor in a court of law
If I get a ticket I have a RIGHT to defend myself against what I feel was wrong

To argue that you're wasting the courts time is foolish. If you feel the court has more important things to do, then the police officer should NOT be handing out these tickets, and focusing on the crimes that the court has time for.

'if you can't do the time, don't do the crime.'
'if the court's too busy, don't give the ticket.' (doesn't quite sound as rhymey though)

Originally Posted by Maritime Q-Scout

Really? In Nova Scotia we're taught and told to go with the flow of traffic. It's safer to go with the flow of traffic than faster or slower. In part that's one of the reasons for having to have your hazzards on if you're going slower than 75 in a 100 zone. Cars behind you are making the assumption that you're going on par with the cars around you.



I can't believe I'm the first to call B*LL SH*T on this. If you get a ticket it's your right to fight it. You're not clogging the courts at all, if anything it would be the police officer.

If I get a ticket I have a RIGHT to my day in court over the infraction
If I get a ticket I have a RIGHT to face my accusor in a court of law
If I get a ticket I have a RIGHT to defend myself against what I feel was wrong

To argue that you're wasting the courts time is foolish. If you feel the court has more important things to do, then the police officer should NOT be handing out these tickets, and focusing on the crimes that the court has time for.

'if you can't do the time, don't do the crime.'
'if the court's too busy, don't give the ticket.' (doesn't quite sound as rhymey though)

That is where you are wrong. You have the RIGHT to plead not guilty based on an error in the law, an error in the way the ticket was written, an error in the signage or if there was a legitmate accuse for breaking it. Not because you feel the other cars should have been pulled over and certainly not because you simply didn't know. But that's that attitude that people have- it is my RIGHT to plead not guilty, despite having no legitmate reason. Maybe I will change the court date and generally make a nuissance of myself. How is that not abusing the system?

As far as the Nova Scotia thing and being 'taught' to go the speed of traffic. I find that hard to believe. Just to confirm though, if the speed limit is 50 and everyone is doing 80 or even 100, thats totally fine? Or is there some maximum? And if so, what would it be? What would be the line where the speed of traffic is simply to fast and too dangerous for the public good? And who decides? You? Me? You see where I am going with this?

[Ford Prefect]

Originally Posted by Jimmy Krack Korn

And hell yes there are dick-head cops out there, but there are alot that are trying to be fair and do the right thing too. It's just another cross section of society. I'm sure there are dick-heads in your line of work too.

I take it that was meant for me since I'm the one who mentioned dick-head cops. If you read my post, I didn't say all cops are dick heads, only some, which is inevitable because they are human. Like you said, they're just another cross-section of society and therefore prone to having jerks in their population. That's also what I was saying. I also cautioned that I wasn't on an anti-cop rant and that I know many good cops personally. Perhaps I'm reading your post wrong, but it seems you're lashing out at me for saying pretty much the same thing you said. And yes, of course, there are dick-heads in my line of work. More than you know ... I work in the media.

[STAMPEDRED]

What doesn't make sense to me is the amount of the fines for stupid things like not coming to a complete stop at a stop sign, yet for speeding close to 20 over the fine is less.

I got a ticket in december for not having my plates renewed (I wasn't ignorant of the fact, it is a long story as to why). $240 I believe. Was I ticked, YES! You know why I was ticked? Because it is cheaper for me to speed and possibly kill someone as everyone else does every day. And cheaper by a good $100 or so!

Maybe the overhaul that bent wookie talks about would be better suited to the amount of traffic tickets for speeding and not having the ones with no registration, failing to come to a complete stop being the fines that are out of the realm of reality... amongst others.

The court systems get flooded for stupid things, but if they didn't have tickets at outrageous prices then I'm sure that alone would reduce the amount of backlog in the courts.

[I_H8_Crawford]

I had a lucky/awesome experience with a cop...
Was on my way to Edmonton, just got out of Calgary, so I usually set the cruise to 130 and book it up to Edmonton... I missed the construction sign saying 80, when I noticed it, slow down to 80, but too late... ghost car right behind me.
I pull over, have all my info out, officer comes up to my door and says:
"So tell me, sign says 80 ahead, then says 80 Max, and you are doing 130... why?"
Me: "I'm a moron"
Him: "Chuckle. Give me your info."
Cop checks it out, sees I have a clean driving record, comes back, informs me that at 50 over it is automatic arrest, car towed and license suspension for 6 months... OR he can give me a ticket for 49 over which is $475 doubled b/c of construction zone...
Instead he gives me warning... tells me that I better not get caught speeding up on my way to Edmonton, or he's coming back for me... so I drove all the way up the QE2 under the speed limit... most stressfree drive I have had up to the hellhole.
So I was completely in the wrong, but the cop was nice and let me off, and I no longer speed... anywhere.
So on the off chance the cop is reading this... thanks!

With the introduction of the Traffic Safety Act in 2003, Alberta increased fines substantially on non-moving violations (on all violations actually) simply because the orginal fines were too low and not a deterant.

Speeding is expensive. It just depends on how much you are over. 40 over is close to $300. I am all for increasing the fines for speeding as well if the end result would cause people to slow down.

Originally Posted by I_H8_Crawford

Cop checks it out, sees I have a clean driving record, comes back, informs me that at 50 over it is automatic arrest, car towed and license suspension for 6 months... OR he can give me a ticket for 49 over which is $475 doubled b/c of construction zone...

Good story.

However, 50 over is not an arrest unless he decided to do it for criminal dangerous driving. Your car wouldn't get towed and you wouldnt get suspened. You actually get a summons that compels you to court. If you don't show up, a warrant will be issued for you arrest. Yes, a warrant for speeding.

[bigtmac19]

Originally Posted by flameswin

It's all about the minivans. I'm still pretty young, but when I had a sports car, I would get pulled over all the time for nothing, and I'd have to sit there while the cop would try to find something wrong.Then I bought a minivan, and I can do no wrong now. Minivans are the sh** when it comes to avoiding tickets. Unfortunitly, they're not the s*** for anything else.

Have to agree, got the mini-van because I had a small car and the kids were getting older and it wasn't practical. My car was a 5 speed, loved driving a stick! I feel like such an old lady in the mini van.

[I_H8_Crawford]

Originally Posted by Bent Wookie

Good story.

However, 50 over is not an arrest unless he decided to do it for criminal dangerous driving. Your car wouldn't get towed and you wouldnt get suspened. You actually get a summons that compels you to court. If you don't show up, a warrant will be issued for you arrest. Yes, a warrant for speeding.

Hehe, he told me 50 over is automatic dangerous driving charge... scared straight... lol it worked for me!

[FireFly]

I wonder if the 50 over while in a construction zone is what would've caused the arrest?

[bigtmac19]

I think its the construction zone aspect. Had a highway worker killed in my area by someone speeding through a construction zone. They have really really toughened up the laws regarding speed limits in these areas.

[psicodude]

Just go down to the traffic court some morning and talk to the Crown Prosecutor. They are actually very nice people and very understanding. Tell him exactly what happened and don't lie. Tell him about the cars being parked there and that you couldn't see. Chances are very high you will only be paying half of that ticket.

[JohnnyB]

I have respect for the difficulty and strain of a police job, but I do absolutely hate the way that traffic violations are enforced in Calgary, and I have no respect for that side of the Calgary police force. It's as if the mob is running the traffic policing in Calgary, using their authority to wrench cash out of people's hands.

Originally Posted by JohnnyB

I have respect for the difficulty and strain of a police job, but I do absolutely hate the way that traffic violations are enforced in Calgary, and I have no respect for that side of the Calgary police force. It's as if the mob is running the traffic policing in Calgary, using their authority to wrench cash out of people's hands.

Can u explain your stance? In your opinion, how should they be enforced? Mob? I'm not following. Wrench money out of peoples hands? Do you think the CPS or the cop actually gets that money?

[soulchoice]

Whether others feel its right or wrong for me to fight a ticket is really not a concern of mine. I fight every ticket I have, error or not. I am sure those advocates out here may call it abusive, but honestly, I dont really care. As mentioned, I look out for myself, not the system.

On the topic of speeding, the only place I dont speed is in construction and playground/school zones. So I understand any ticket given in those areas.