Posted: 1/18/2005 7:13:17 AM EDT
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Guys, I need advice on a traffic ticket - I've never, ever had one before. I got trapped, and I'm not kidding, supposedly going 36 mph in a 25 mph 'construction zone'. I came over a ridge and a office was standing in the middle of the road and lasered me. The normally posted speed limit here was 35. I was zapped going 36. I saw no construction signs or anything until AFTER I was pulled over, and it was maybe 300 yards in front of me, ie: I never crossed construction while getting zapped. Anyways, while this is BOGUS - I need advice. What are my chances of fighting it? If I don't fight it, and just pay it - what happens to my record? Will one ticket screw up insurance rates? What about traffic school, can I take that? If I do, do I have t pay the ticket too? Looks like there are online traffic schools.... This cop was being very rude, and both people in my car were perplexed about what I had done wrong. None of us saw anything posted....maybe we were all blind. The good news: He didn't seem to care about my ccw, which I of course mentioned and showed my permit. This guy was pulling over other people while I was pulled over, he was being a pull-over people machine. Oh, btw: This was in Pima county, in Sauharita... |
...the same place that tried to ban ccw in parks. What's your time worth? If not a whole lot, go ahead and fight. If your time is worth something, traffic school. Paying the fine will have a negative effect upon your record. Mike |
| If it is a true setup situation, there could be hundreds of people interested in having them thrown out of court. This happened a couple times in San Diego with red light cameras, and with Poway using an unmarked Celica for traffic, which is illegal in CA. Take pictures of the situation before they correct it, and then contact a news crew/anchor. They would love a sensational video of this on the 6 O'Clock news. |
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While it sucks to do so, I just signed up for the traffic school route. $105, no penalty fee and no 'points'. It is, however, the lame way out - I should be fighting it, however I also have a job. They pretty much have you over a barrel on some of these things. Thanks for the advice. |
I always go to court. Usually at least you can get the charge reduced, and North Carolina has this cool thing called "Prayer for Judgement", it's a Get out of a Traffic Ticket Free Card you can burn once every 3 years  But you have evidence, you didn't see the construction zone, get a vid camera and tape the drive this time going 25 mph and use it as evidence in court. |
Don't do it on line. From what I hear, it is full of bugs and will waste any time you spend on it, and still have to take the normal traffic school waste of time. |
I do almost every day. I also think it is a load of crap when they slow traffic to a crawl and then 2 miles down the road you finally see somebody ETA: Have fun in school. |
I understand your sentiment - however, I was going 35 in a posted 35 and road construction was not visible from the side of the ridge I was on. If I was going 35 in a posted 25mph zone, I wouldn't complain. |
| Back in 1991 I was nailed for doing 55 in a 50 on US 20 between Lee, MA and Springfield, MA. It was on a long hill descent where there was some construction going on. I should note that there was no "constuction zone" speed limit. When I drove back that way I noticed a 50 MPH sign at the top of the hill that was obscured both by the construction and some vegetation. Funny thing was the climb up the hill was 55 and then changed to 50 for the descent. Luckily the officer wrote me up a warning instead of a summons. Kind of odd considering I was an out of stater. I started taking the Mass Pike after that. |
I've been a truck driver and a construction worker (buildings, not roads but sometimes our work took us into the street with the signs and shit) and this stop sounds like BS to me. |
I lived in Nuevo Mexico for 7 years doesn't that count for anything?  I'll try standing in a work zone as soon as I see someone doing some work in one....
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In areas of "high traffic", traffic control must be started early. It's hard to explain, and I doubt you were a "victim", but carry on. If there was no sign, they must acquit..... |