Have you ever gotten a ticket of any kind?

[Pam]

I got my first one yesterday. I was doing 40 mph in a 25 mph zone but just going with the flow of traffic. Somehow I was singled out. :( This is my first ticket EVER and I am 59 years old. :( My co-workers told me today to make a court appearance and plead my case. I am not trying to get off, but just pleading for them to drop my points. Any advice?

[sammy101]

I get my drivers license in December and i'm going to try very hard not to get a ticket,especially a speeding ticket. Here they are around $200 and theres no way i would be able to pay for it. :eek: :o So no, i havent gotten a ticket yet.

[cmayer31]

I've had both kinds. A speeding ticket a few months after getting my license and a parking ticket as I was standing at the meter.

I just payed the tickets and went to traffic school for the moving violation. No points, and a waste of 8 hours.

[caseysmom]

I got a ticket once after my father had a triple bypass and I was up all night working graveyard and up all day with the surgery and turned left on a right turn only. I got a speeding a few years after that, this was when I was in my 20's.

I then went 20 years ticket free and last year got a camera ticket running a red light :o Its really not as bad as it sounds I didn't realize all the cars were coming to a stop and I got caught in an intersection. Boy am I careful about that, that was a $400 lesson.

If you can do driving school to keep it off your record its probably worth it.

[Karen]

I only get warnings for speeding, but I have gotten parking tickets in my lifetime - living in the Boston area, it's nearly inevitable.

[Vette]

I havent...

but my mom and dad has been pulled over while i was with them...
he pulled them over cause my mom wasnt waring her seatbelt properly.
she wares it,, but she sticks the strap part that goes across your chest
under her arm,, because it rubs on her neck and drives her up the wall.
and if you look at it from the outside. it looks like she doesnt have it on.

but she managed to talk the guy out of it,, saying there waas no law saying 'how' you had to ware it..

[sasvermont]

I take this poll personally.

I just got a moving violation (ahemmmm speeding) about three weeks ago.

$144 dollars and three points later, I am on the road to recovery and of course, cruise control is mandatory nowadays. :eek:

Thanks for reminding me of my lead foot. ;)

[Sirrahsim]

I got the most retarded ticket EVER. I came to a complete stop at a stop sign, but according to the MP I didn't wait for a full 3 seconds before proceeding. *3 SECONDS* That is some kind of bologna!

Seems to me when you are stopped enough to have your car roll back slightly and you look both ways you have stopped plenty :rolleyes: :rolleyes:
It was just a military police ticket so all that happened was my husband's commander told him to tell me not to do it again :rolleyes:

[BitsyNaceyDog]

I've never gotten a ticket, I was with Justin when he got one though. It was in an area we had never been in before and they had a "speed trap" set up.

[Pembroke_Corgi]

I've never gotten a speeding ticket, but I have had quite a few parking tickets. :o

[lizbud]

Yes, I have, both speeding and parking.Last ticket was going 35mph in
a school zone.I was hurrying back to work after a DR appt & honesly didn't
see the school zone sign.Forgot there was a high school in that area. :o

Although I too wasn't going any faster than anyone else, I was the one
who was pulled over. I just paid the darn thing.

[Jessika]

Nope, never. I was pulled over once for speeding in a construction zone (I was passing in the passing lane and going the normal speedlimit, wasn't even aware it was a construction zone) and he let me go with a verbal warning because I was polite. See, it pays to be polite to police officers. :)

[jenluckenbach]

Nope, and I will hold you personally responsible if this answer jinxes me. :p (LOL) ;)

[Lady's Human]

I plead the fifth! :p

Sirrahsim, I know your pain with the MP's. Thankfully, I now outrank most of the MP's who patrol. :D

[KYS]

I have had three in my life time.
(one was a bogus one for a Calif. Stop when I was 18 years old.) :(

I have gone to traffic school on all of them so I would not have
any points against my driving record.
(I have not had a ticket in 10 years so I am not sure if that has
changed.)

Good luck in court and let us know what happens.

[Logan]

I don't know about you guys, but in SC, regardless of whether the DMV drops the points, the insurance company still knows they are there and it costs a lot!

I'm knocking on wood as I say this, but I haven't had but one speeding ticket in my life. I always make sure to be no more than 5 mph over the speed limit, all because I got nailed many years ago in Charleston, SC, in a red car, going 50 in a 35. There was no way that the policeman was going to let me out, either, no matter how much I batted my eyes at him! LOL!!

Pam, I'm so sorry you had this happen.

Logan

[Maya & Inka's mommy]

I voted on "parking ticket", but I also got 2 speeding tickets.... .
That parking ticket: my parking time was exeeded by 2 minutes :rolleyes:

Speeding: hadn't seen the "works-sign" :o

[Randi]

Oh yes, I have! Only about a month ago I was stopped on my bicycle going around a corner on red light. It was a right turn and there was no traffic coming, but the police were behind the bushes by the lakes. :rolleyes:

However, when I got the ticket (KR. 500,-), the letter also said that if you earn below a certain amount a year, you can have it reduced to KR. 300,- So I called them to ask a few questions and then wrote them a letter. They said they would put it on hold. I've not heard from them since. :)

You can see the corner here - the yellow P is where the police was hiding.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v205/Fister/Hjemme/Serne.jpg

[Pam]

Thanks everyone for your comments. Now I don't feel so alone in this. I think this penalty carries 4 points, if I understood what I read online correctly. Hubby said if I go plead my case I might also incur court costs and who knows if they will wind dropping the points. Also sitting in court can be a long ordeal since I called the police station yesterday and they said there are 6 pages of people scheduled for that evening. :eek:

I think I will call the insurance company on Monday and see what they have to say and decide what to do after that. They will obviously find out one way or the other, and Logan, if NJ is the same as SC I wouldn't really gain anything by going. *sigh* I am going to become a speed limit sign reader for sure in the future.

Randi, I can't believe you were ticketed on a bicycle. I didn't even know bikers could be ticketed. What a sneaky man to hide behind the bushes, but they do that here too. :rolleyes:

[Cataholic]

I don't know about you guys, but in SC, regardless of whether the DMV drops the points, the insurance company still knows they are there and it costs a lot!
Logan


Sadly, that is the case. If you could get them to drop it to a non-moving violation, you would get no points, and no insurance surcharge. Just ask for the maximum on fines.

If I were you, I would call the officer ahead of time, tell him what you are requesting, and see if he would go along with it.

[CultureJunky]

I got a speeding ticket about a month ago, for going 56mph in a 40mph zone, doh! I've been driving 10 years and that's the first thing that's every happened to me, I had to pay a £60.00 fine and have 3 points on my licence.
My car insurance was charged a £35.00 aministration fee for updating my details on their database, but luckily my premium didn't change though probably will next year, grrrrrrrr.
my fault though really.

[Pam]

Sadly, that is the case. If you could get them to drop it to a non-moving violation, you would get no points, and no insurance surcharge. Just ask for the maximum on fines.

If I were you, I would call the officer ahead of time, tell him what you are requesting, and see if he would go along with it.

Johanna, if I go will there be additional court costs for taking up the court's time? I am really weighing the pros and cons of going because this occurred 50 miles from home and I hate the thoughts of driving there (have to be there at 5:00 PM) and getting tied up for several hours and making the drive home late at night. *sigh*

[caseysmom]

Pam, You could call and ask if they offer driving school, you still have to pay the fine but your record stays clean.

I once had a few points on my record and my insurance company never found out :o

[ramanth]

I'm so sorry to hear that Pam.

I've received three speeding tickets in my lifetime...all in 1997.

My worst ticket was when I was doing 70 in a 55. :eek: :o

The others were 50 in a 45 and 30 in a 25 (coasting down a hill because I didn't feel like riding the brakes). I tried to fight the latter but lost.

Since then, I've been stopped a few times (rolling a stop sign at 3 a.m. and crossing the yellow line on a highway), but was just given a warning and no ticket.

[Cincy'sMom]

I've gotten two tickets...one speeding, one parking.

The speeding tickets was doing 69 in a 55 when I was 17. Ihad left volleyball practice, was trying to run into to order our Senior Volleyball shirts, then make it home to get ready for senior night at the football game. I didn't get the shirts ordered that night....


The parking ticket was at college. I was down over the summer with my mom to get books or something for the coming year, and parked at a meter. I ut money in, but it wasn't clear which meter was for which spot, so I put it in the wrong meter. I tried to argue the ticket, but they told me there was nothing they could do with metered spots.


I've been pulled over a few other times...once for pushing a yellow light in a small town (Cedarville, Ohio). I think it was the closest thing the cop would see to action in a months time. Once because it sounded like my muffler had a hole (ironically, Memorial Day weekend AND graduation weekend my senior year. I think the cop saw 4 teenage girls in a car and was checking to see if we were drinking). The other time I had gone to Findlay to play softball, then stopped by my parents. As I was leaving to head back to Toledo, I got stopped for turning off their street too wide?!? The cop was asking me why I was in town and where I was headed...he sorta let me go pretty quick when he saw the engagement ring...hmmmmm....no tickets from any of those.

[Cinder & Smoke]

http://petoftheday.com/i/our_smilies/eek.gif

Phunnie you should mention this (NOT)! http://petoftheday.com/i/our_smilies/frown.gif

Been 30 years since I got a Speeding Ticket - on Day 1 of new job -
first time in the Company Car
(that had over-sized snow tires making speedometer read WAY low) ...
WITH the New Boss on board. Trooper said 70-some in a 55 zone.
Boss later had the neve to say "Thought we were goin a little fast!"

Since then - a combination of Good Luck, quick reflexes when I spot a copper-car,
having a Fire Light on the dash, carrying a FireFighter badge in my wallet,
and "knowing" a lotta coppers from working at accidents with them ...
has keep me out of Traffic Court. Few close calls - but I *smile* a lot and
having a Friendly Dawg or two or three on board helps.
And I try to never be First in Line!

Yesterday I had all FOUR Good-Luck Charms on board (we're Dawg-Sittin Cali for the weekend) -
but I was First in Line. http://petoftheday.com/i/our_smilies/frown.gif
Saw the Sheriff too late - he was just pulling into his hidey-spot - lights came on
just as I passed him. NUTZ!

We were on a high-traffic 2-lane rural road - with butchered up speed zones -
35 mph to 45 - back to 35 - up to 45 again, back to 35 - 4 changes in about 6 miles!
How fast? 52 in one of the 35 zones! http://petoftheday.com/i/our_smilies/eek.gif

LUCKY for me- he was on "Special Detail" - paid by the Feds to do traffic enforcement
on over-time. They want maximum exposure - so they "Stop & Warn" when possibe -
write a real Ticket if it's really bad.
I got the "Written Warning". (No fine, No points, but the 'puter knows I was a Bad Boy!)

MEMO to Self: Do NOT be First in Line!!
---------------------------------------

Parking Tickies? ... Yup - a couple over the years.
Most were "fixed" with the Fast-Pay method of $2-$5 cash in the lil red box
found every 10 meters or so in town.

Had a lil problem with one, though.
Got it in the Ole Company Car - on the YSU Campus - delivering radios to the
University Police Office.
There WAS no place to park - their old office was on the first floor of a dorm tower -
surrounded by NO Parking / Tow Away city streets.
I pulled up behind an UN-occupied Campus PD Car, did an imitation UPS 4-way flashers on park job, and trotted into the office.

In less than 3 minutes ....
* I passed the Campus Copper returning to and driving off in HIS car
* Exchanged radios in the Campus PD Office
* Returned to the Corporate Limo to spot the TICKET and the departing CITY Police car. http://petoftheday.com/i/our_smilies/mad.gif

I figured - what they Hey - pay the dang $2 and forget it.
Read the fine print - http://petoftheday.com/i/our_smilies/eek.gif
The "Quick Fix" was $25.00 - I parked (legally) and walked 2 blocks back to the
University PD Office ... "Weren't you just here?"

I showed the Sargent my "souvenir" and asked WHY the City was writing tickets on the University?
"We 'share' the semi-city streets ... don't sweat it - I'll get it 'voided'."

MONTHS later - the cards & letters began arriving from Corporate ... seems the LEASING Company
had been issued "papers" that read like an arrest warrant - for Failure to Appear in
Youngstown City Traffic Court!

<gasp>

Fines, fees, penalties, and Bad Boy surcharges had pushed it up to about $200.00 -
with the threat of ARREST tacked on for effect.
It took a meeting with the Assistant Chief of the University Police, a lil help
from the Chief himself - and I was assured it would all just "go away".

So far ... they've never "come to get me!"

Maybe I should "walk" more! http://petoftheday.com/i/our_smilies/biggrin.gif

[Rachel]

Pam, You could call and ask if they offer driving school, you still have to pay the fine but your record stays clean.

I once had a few points on my record and my insurance company never found out :o


Pam, although I'm certainly not speaking from any personal knowledge, just my gut reaction. I'd put my bet on the chance the insurance company may not find out (glut of papers - too few employees) rather than calling them and hoping for some consideration to be given. You'll feel worse if you are the one who called it to their attention.

[Rachel]

If I were you, I would call the officer ahead of time, tell him what you are requesting, and see if he would go along with it.

Yeah, Pam, you could say, *Remember me!* :p ;)

Joanna, I'm negating the idea here, it's just that this guy was less than cordial with our Ms Pam.

[Pam]

Wow! According to the poll, we have lots of lead foots here! :p Sallyanne, did you ever consider getting one of your attorneys to go to bat for you?

Gosh, when our #1 Fireman has been at odds with the law, we must all be going you know where in a handbasket! LOL! *sigh*

Rachel, I wondered just like you if, based on what Casey'smom said, I should keep my lips sealed and just hope they don't find out. :) I still don't know what I am going to do. I may just wind up flipping a coin. :rolleyes: :confused:

[vinjashira]

I was caught contravening a red light in 2005. I was behind a lorry in a roundabout. I wasn't even aware there were traffic lights there until it was too late to stop. My first time in that area and I wasn't used to roundabouts having traffic lights (no roundabouts with traffic lights in my area).

Anyway, I had to pay a fine £60 and I got 3 penalty points on my license.
I think by law you are required to tell your insurance company. I had to renew my insurance anyway that time and when I entered my details for a quotation I realised that the difference between having 3 penalty points on my license cost me £20 extra but guess what.. because I used a new insurance company and therefore becoming their new customer, I got £17 discount so it wasn't too bad.

After 3 years my "crime" will have been spent meaning I will have 0 points again on my license although I will have to keep the record on my license for another year.

I am not familiar with how things are in the US but in the UK, unless the incident was not your fault (e.g in my case if there was a car really close behind me at the traffic light when the light just changed and by stopping immidiately I would have caused an accident), you would not try to challenge your case in court because you will end up paying a greater fine (plus court and lawyer fee) and the same penalty points given to you.

I have regretted my offence (ignorance is not an excuse, I should've realised there were traffic lights there) and for what it is worth I think I have become a better driver since :D a more careful one anyway.

[wolf_Q]

No I have never gotten a ticket. *knock on wood*

[Cataholic]

Johanna, if I go will there be additional court costs for taking up the court's time? I am really weighing the pros and cons of going because this occurred 50 miles from home and I hate the thoughts of driving there (have to be there at 5:00 PM) and getting tied up for several hours and making the drive home late at night. *sigh*


Pam,
This is how it works where I prosecute. If the person had NOT talked to the officer and gotten an agreement to a lesser charge- no deal. And, at least the officers I know are decent, and hardworking. They are just doing their job. It isn't personal (well, most of the time). In the courts that I am familiar with- there isn't any additonal fine imposed for having a trial, so, explain away. I am not sure what the explanation is on a speeding ticket....unless it is a broken speedometer, being chased by the mob, or a medical emergency. I would imagine the officer will testify that he is qualified to operater the laser, that it was in working condition, and that he was certain he had your car in view. So, IMO, tough to 'beat' a speeding charge. And, usually, you would only be arraigned that night (must be a mayor's court you are appearing in, since it is at night, and from my experience, they are much easier to deal than a county court), and your case would be continued for trial- when the officer could be there.

So, MY advice? Pay it and move on. One ticket isn't going to set you back that far. And, I wouldn't tell the insurance company voluntarily, but, they might ask it as part of a yearly renewal. Then, of course, you would have to tell them.

Any more Qs, just pm me, okay?
Johanna

[Cataholic]

I was caught contravening a red light in 2005. I was behind a lorry in a roundabout. I wasn't even aware there were traffic lights there until it was too late to stop. My first time in that area and I wasn't used to roundabouts having traffic lights (no roundabouts with traffic lights in my area).


Is there any other American scratching their head at this, or, is it just me? :D


I am ONLY teasing you, but, I had to stop and think what this really meant..he he he....lorries, and roundabouts and contravening red lights.

[Pam]

Thanks Johanna. My thoughts are right now to just pay it. I was getting so many suggestions from my co-workers on how to avoid the points (tell the judge that I have been driving for decades and this is my first ticket and also that I was on an unfamiliar road and did not see the speed limit sign.....). All of these things are true, but I really don't have it in me to fight. I was doing wrong and that is that. :(

[zoey]

Yes. I got a speeding ticket awhile ago. There's a highway that the speed limit goes from 50 to 30 mph. in a distance of about 1/4 of a mile. :rolleyes:
The area where it turns to 30 mph is at least a mile & 1/2 before the red light. And, in my opinion, no reason for it to be so slow there - no schools or much of anything but highway. But I wasn't watching my signs. So I opted for a 6 months expongement, my county offers. Since i didn't receive any citations or infractions for 6 months after the speeding ticket, the ticket is stricken from my record.

[AllAmericanPUP]

i've had 3 speeding tickets, 1 no insurance ticket and i got about 3 parking tickets when i was in school

[finn's mom]

I've gotten speeding tickets, a parking ticket and tickets for my registration being expired. I've never had points taken off. I've always just paid and moved on from there. :)

[areias]

Never had a speeding ticket, had 1 moving violation from an accident I was involved in, and had three parking tickets.

From the accident, I was going around a corner, saw some really pretty motorcycles and got distracted for a second, looked back at the road and only had enough time to say "Oh s&#!" before I hit a truck that was stopped to turn onto another road. They gave me a ticket for 'following too closely'...yeah no kidding buddy! I wasn't following him, I just turned the corner and hit him.

The three parking tickets I could have fought I suppose. One, I was at a parade at the club strip in Tampa, and I parked in a parallel parking space in front of a house. The other side of the road said No Parking, but...this side didn't. There went $30.

Another, I was at college, and I had taken my parking hanger off for some reason...and forgot. I got two warnings because I didn't come back to my car that day at all, and I guess they saw it twice? :confused: So when I left, came back, parked again...and forgot to put it up there again. I got a ticket that time. And then again at college, I had moved out but still had my parking hanger and I was visiting a friend, I didn't even think about it and came back and I had another ticket. Geesh.

[davidpizzica]

I've had one parking ticket for parking beside a yellow line and not in a parking space, and I was pulled over for speeding and warned and not ticketed ( I had my dad's old '83 ciera which couldn't go over 40 on a good day!). My dad got an unusual warning. He had just gotten a new windshield and they cut out the inspection sticker part off of the old one and put on the dash. He was pulled over for not having the stickers stuck on the new windshield! He somehow got them sticking on the new one.

[signorelli21]

well after reading all of your replies i think it best not to divulge too much info on my driving history, but i will say that i have had quite a few tickets ( 30+) but now i save the drag racing for the track and try to be more carefull around the police, lol.

anyway, take my advise and get a lawyer, they will just reduce it to a faulty equipment and pay a fine, no points or traffic school.

at one point i was getting so many tickets that i stopped going to my lawyers office and just mailed them to him with a check and he would take care of them, i still don;t have any points on my license.

[CathyBogart]

I was pulled over once. The day I got my license. I was driving my ex's car and the registration tag was expired. I was :mad: .

No tickets yet *knock wood* but there have certainly been times where I've deserved one!

[Maresche]

1 speeding ticket in my whole driving career of 12+ years. It was about a month before I graduated from college. I was doing 43 in a 35 and the police officer said she'd normally let it go but there had been a fatal accident there a few months earlier and she couldn't do it anymore. :confused:

Anyway, I had to pay a fine and borrow money from my mom so I could make it to graduation (I had everything budgeted to the last penny before the ticket). It was the first time I had to borrow $ from them while in college and they'll never let me forget it was because I got a speeding ticket.

[Edwina's Secretary]

I got the most retarded ticket EVER. I came to a complete stop at a stop sign, but according to the MP I didn't wait for a full 3 seconds before proceeding. *3 SECONDS* That is some kind of bologna!

Seems to me when you are stopped enough to have your car roll back slightly and you look both ways you have stopped plenty :rolleyes: :rolleyes:
It was just a military police ticket so all that happened was my husband's commander told him to tell me not to do it again :rolleyes:


I had one of these tickets. It is a big money maker for the Chicago police. I was driving a stick shift so HAD to stop.

But the law is complete stop look right, look left, look right again. (Even though it was a T intersection.)

I took the class. That was many, many years ago.....