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$500 moving violation

#21
FingerDub said:
These were removed all across LA County years ago here. There was about an 80% increase in collisions at those intersections. City traffic engineers said photo enforcement caused more rear-end accidents because people are scared when they see a yellow light at a camera controlled intersection and slam on their brakes.

There is nothing rooted around public safety with those cameras. It is ALL about revenue.
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While I don't advocate running red lights, sometimes the safer thing to do is roll through a yellow knowing there's a possibility it may turn red when you're in the middle of the intersection. Depending on your speed and whose behind you, it's sometimes more dangerous to try stopping.

I understand enforcing the law, but $500?!?! My state has light cams (my GPS even alerts me of them). A friend and work colleague once went to court to fight one and got it dismissed. The magistrate basically told her that the state is dismissing the charge anytime someone fights it, because they don't want to have a legal battle and have them overturned for being repugnant to the state's constitution.
 
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#23
MJ5150 said:
Yep, that's why they are universally know as 'California stops'. :D
I'm sure they're glad to have the $500, but more happy you'll stop at lights now when they are red.

-Mike
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For me, until the sign was put there it wasn't running a red light, it was merging into your own lane via an individually divided by a curb from the other two lanes, lane. It's just a money grab as far as I can tell. It was a hell of a way to get my very first ticket in my life. A camera for a BS sign.
 
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#26
Gorn said:
The penalty is one thing but your insurance gets silly expensive. Or maybe not in California. I don't know.
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In California you can go to traffic school every 18 months and that keeps the point off of your license and your insurance doesn't go up. You have to pay for traffic school though. It is usually about 4 hours and I think you can do it on line now.
 
#27
slobake said:
I get it that California is not the place for you but I love it here and I don't want to live anywhere else. I know, I've tried. Not a perfect place but then I'm not perfect either. Uh-oh is my presence here keeping California away from perfection?
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You, sir, are the only redeeming quality of that place to me. :D
 
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#33
Gorn said:
The penalty is one thing but your insurance gets silly expensive. Or maybe not in California. I don't know.
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Here in WA it does too.
I was like many other young male drivers and got myself a couple tickets. I paid the fine, then the higher insurance rates followed. I had to deal with that for years, reaping what I had sown. It was my own fault. It sucked hardcore, but I brought it upon myself.
While I try not to let it bother me, it does get under my skin to see these attorneys who offer to get people out of traffic tickets over technicalities. Our son hired one of those guys once, and it worked. He got out of a ticket for some reason like the color of his car was wrong on the ticket, or something stupid like that. He was laughing and going on about it. I was embarrassed.

-Mike
 
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#35
two fingers said:
The ghost and I have a few years of exchanges to go before it rises to the level of slobakeage......a pedestal few can achieve in my book. :smug:
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I do have some experience in North Carolina. I had been working as a laborer in Dallas Texas in 1971. Lots of rednecks in the construction trade and they all called me "boy" or worse. I was headed east and I was enjoying the green countryside in North Carolina. I stopped at a gas station and this guy with hair down to his shoulders comes out and calls me "suhr." I remember thinking how much I liked Carolina compared to Texas. Of course, it could have been South Carolina, it was a long time ago and I always carried a bag of Mexican agricultural products with me. If you know what I mean, and I think you do.
 
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#36
MJ5150 said:
Here in WA it does too.
I was like many other young male drivers and got myself a couple tickets. I paid the fine, then the higher insurance rates followed. I had to deal with that for years, reaping what I had sown. It was my own fault. It sucked hardcore, but I brought it upon myself.
While I try not to let it bother me, it does get under my skin to see these attorneys who offer to get people out of traffic tickets over technicalities. Our son hired one of those guys once, and it worked. He got out of a ticket for some reason like the color of his car was wrong on the ticket, or something stupid like that. He was laughing and going on about it. I was embarrassed.

-Mike
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I have suffered through a $25 insurance increase for 3 years due to a cell phone ticket that cost $91 dollars. True cost = $1891.00 dollars. Not even a moving violation!
 
#37
slobake said:
Thanks everyone for the suggestions. Maybe I am some kind of masochist or weirdo but I can't lawyer up knowing that I really did run the light. Just me that's all I'm saying. :bag:
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Just rationalize that you were in Alabama. It's right on red after full stop unless otherwise posted. Also, does your state require that each violation be reviewed by LE before mailing the ticket? We have it here and about half the stop violations get tossed when the ticket is sent without review. The cops know it's got to be reviewed but they are short handed so they only review a small portion then send them all out and collect on those who don't know they can ask if it's been reviewed. Yeppers, it's that bad here. Thankfully we are slowly but surely cleaning them out, one city at a time, but it's uphill all the way and they drag as much as possible, but who can blame them. They are averaging around 200K per camera per month.
 
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#38
slobake said:
I do have some experience in North Carolina. I had been working as a laborer in Dallas Texas in 1971. Lots of rednecks in the construction trade and they all called me "boy" or worse. I was headed east and I was enjoying the green countryside in North Carolina. I stopped at a gas station and this guy with hair down to his shoulders comes out and calls me "suhr." I remember thinking how much I liked Carolina compared to Texas. Of course, it could have been South Carolina, it was a long time ago and I always carried a bag of Mexican agricultural products with me. If you know what I mean, and I think you do.
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Ha! 'Round here we say sir and ma'am to kids! We hold doors for everybody.

(Aaaaaaaaand I was born in '71. Just sayin'.)
 
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#40
Killed_by_Death said:
definitely hire the lawyer, because that traffic violation will mean paying more for your insurance premiums for at least another year
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Oddly enough, camera tickets don't go against your insurance or driving record here. They can't revoke your license, or issue a warrant for failure to pay. All they can do is report you to the credit bureau.
 
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