Rant mode ON

Last night I got home to find a notice of infraction from the great state of confusion that our Capitol City has become.  DC claims that I was doing 11-15 miles over the speed limit in August. They include photos of some vehicle with similar plates as mine.   There are several problems with this:

1.  I have not been to DC for about a year.
2.  I was at home in SW Virginia during the alledged time.
3.  The model of the vehicle is not correct (SUV vs. my AVALANCHE)
4. The color of the vehicle is not right (Grey/Bronze vs. my white)
4.  The text of the liscense plate is the same but the state is not.  I live in Virginia not Texas.
5.  I was never awarded the Purple Heart!

I read the back and find that if I protest the ticket by mail, I waive my right to a hearing.  Bullshit, I will never waive my right to a fair trial.  How can they do that?  If I protest and they disagree can I not appeal?

I knew that photo enforcement was a problem but never thought I would get hit by it.  Now it has proven to me how incompetent the people running these systems are.  

I called the customer service line this morning and spoke with a lady there.  I asked her to bring up the photo and tell me what state was shown.  She knew there was a problem and asked me if I was claiming the tag was not mine.  I said yes, as I count 5 letters in the state T E X A S and I am from Virginia and I do not have a PURPLE HEART.  

Her response was  "I will make a note of this and send it to an investigator, please call back in 48 hours."

I am going to have some fun with this.  I have taken photos of my truck, enhanced the ticket photos,  and gotten examples of Texas plates to compare.  I plan on preparing a defense just in case they decide to press the issue.

Anyone else have similar experiences?

Doc

Quoted: Rant mode ON Last night I got home to find a notice of infraction from the great state of confusion that our Capitol City has become.  DC claims that I was doing 11-15 miles over the speed limit in August. They include photos of some vehicle with similar plates as mine.   There are several problems with this: 1.  I have not been to DC for about a year. 2.  I was at home in SW Virginia during the alledged time. 3.  The model of the vehicle is not correct (SUV vs. my AVALANCHE) 4. The color of the vehicle is not right (Grey/Bronze vs. my white) 4.  The text of the liscense plate is the same but the state is not.  I live in Virginia not Texas. 5.  I was never awarded the Purple Heart! I read the back and find that if I protest the ticket by mail, I waive my right to a hearing.  Bullshit, I will never waive my right to a fair trial.  How can they do that?  If I protest and they disagree can I not appeal? I knew that photo enforcement was a problem but never thought I would get hit by it.  Now it has proven to me how incompetent the people running these systems are.   I called the customer service line this morning and spoke with a lady there.  I asked her to bring up the photo and tell me what state was shown.  She knew there was a problem and asked me if I was claiming the tag was not mine.  I said yes, as I count 5 letters in the state T E X A S and I am from Virginia and I do not have a PURPLE HEART.   Her response was  "I will make a note of this and send it to an investigator, please call back in 48 hours." I am going to have some fun with this.  I have taken photos of my truck, enhanced the ticket photos,  and gotten examples of Texas plates to compare.  I plan on preparing a defense just in case they decide to press the issue. Anyone else have similar experiences? Doc

Good luck fighting it! I tried once. Now I just always drive around with a really dirty license plate. There is nooooo way on earth it can be read.

p.s. DC is a joke.  

These programs are run by civilian contractors and are paid a % of the proceeds. Ergo they will hit up anybody they can, much like the notorious 'bill collectors'.

nope.

good luck  

[apologist] Well if you don't want the ticket just don't speed/run red lights!! <huff> [/apologist]














Kick their ass, Seabass!

One of the local jurisdictions tried to hit me up around here for a redlight ticket around April/May. Only problem was I soitenly don't remember driving through that intersection that day.

IIRC, basically they told me I could either admit guilt and pay the fine or contest it. They didn't tell me about the other option which is that since they didn't serve me with a process server I could just ignore it. So I did. And they never served me. And now it's too late for them to do anything about it.

Lately some of the local news outlets have been doing investigative journalism exposés about how the contractors are changing the timing of the traffic lights and shortening the length of the yellow light. But remember, it's aaaaaall about public safety.

I agree about not speeding or running red lights.  I try very hard not to do it.  It is actually less of a problem for me as I try to always leave early to places I need to be so that I don't need to speed.

I am very close to calling the local news to see if they are interested in doing a story on this.  It could happen to anyone.  I am also making a list of people that I might send a copy of my documentation to.  So far I can think of a few.

My state representatives
VA congressmen
the DC mayors office
the local paper
the local tv news
the DC Police Chief
possibly members of the DC city council?

I have been doing some research on the net and it appears that these cameras primarily look at the text of the tag and ignore the state.  This is a fundamental flaw in the process.  I am sure that there are probably 25 or more tags in the US with the same combination of letters as what I have on my personalized plate.

I know that this is a Don Quiote situation but I enjoy the fight sometimes.

Doc

Quoted: ... 5.  I was never awarded the Purple Heart!

John Kerry??

Good luck with that.

I just moved to the area and hopefully won't experience the same. I wish you all the best.

I wonder if governmental immunity extends to the Unfair Debt Collection Practices Act?

Quoted: These programs are run by civilian contractors and are paid a % of the proceeds. Ergo they will hit up anybody they can, much like the notorious 'bill collectors'.

Don't forget kickbacks to the politicians and other civic officials who are in on the looting of the motorist.

If you contest by mail you give up your right to a hearing?

Cross that section out and initial beside it.

You do not agree to it.  Simple as that.

Any a-hole can post a sign or write fine print.  Does not mean you have to abide by it.

I was thinking the same thing about putting a line through the waiver.

I called the PIO office this morning.  I spoke with a really nice lady there.  She immediately asked me if I had just called her.  I had not.  It appears that some other people are complaining as well.  She got me a number of the PIO for the camera program.  I plan on requesting information on how the system works and how they handle QA issues.  I want to make sure that someone gets educated in plate identification.

These crook jurisdictions feel they can get away with it by making your route of redress so difficult that you either pay it or they have your own state act as enforcers for their extortion.  I would suggest to you and all who experience ticket fraud to write YOUR OWN States' attorneys-general to protest automatic reciprocity.  You will not necessarily get results as an individual but, if it happens to enough people who then protest, the States may act to end their automatic pass through of points and convictions.