Another ticket thread...
 

I seriously wonder how many people actually FULLY stop their cars at a stop sign while there is no traffic, roads are all clear AND isn't aware there is a cop nearby look at you like a tiger sees a sheep...

Well, I was the sheep in this case... I did slow down my z to about 10mph but once I saw there were no trafic I hit the gas and go... Should I appeal the ticket?

The officer asked me if I saw the stop sign I told him I did but I didn't see him... Lesson learnd - $150 fine for not seeing a cop:icon17:

No point in appealing. You are supposed to stop regardless of traffic conditions.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

MA cops are ********, my wife got a warning for having a dirty unreadable front license plate just last month.

lol, just pay it man. You're not getting out of that.

What would be your basis for appealing it? You broke the law, got caught. You think the judge might find you not guilty? Not much chance of that. Whether or not the cop is a **** for not letting your violation slide is a different issue, but in court the judge is going to back the cop.

^^ Hummm... if I just pay it I could save $25 court fee. But if I spend this $25 there is a chance that the cop can't make it to the court and I could slide? It's like buying a scratch ticket.:icon17:

No other reminder will be given so Please!! Refrain from such comments in the future.

Thank You.



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In CA you must stop and wait some amount of time. I know this from a ride along with a cop. He nailed everyone that night for stop sign running (in the middle of no where too). I was appalled. They all looked like stops to me.

I let my head go forward and back before continuing again.

Should have said "no comment" to his question. Getting into conversations with cops can only hurt you, it will never help.

I have some experience with Lowell, and if you have had a clean history for the last 3 years then there is a good chance of getting off or having it continued without finding.

There are a few places they regularly camp in Lowell since there are places where there perhaps should be a yield sign instead of a stop sign. The one where I see them nab people all the time is the Industrial Ave exit of the Lowell Connector.

Yeah I was thinking if the judge can give me a lighter punishment instead of a$150 fine. Like going to driving school or something...

Well, true. I talk to cops because I had some nice officers before and thought a joke might easy the tension. Well yeah, better to keep my mouth shut. And no, my name is not Clayton.

Yeeeeeeeesssssssss! That's the place! The cop was hiding under the bridge... Well, for 13 years driving I only had one speeding ticket 7 years ago, but that didn't help...

Yep, he's there at least once or twice a week. I haven't been nabbed there yet but know lots of people that have, so now I look right as well as left there out of habit and force myself to come to a stop. I've contemplated switching the sign in the dark of night but that would be wrong :)

Fight it. You'll still have to pay the court costs but will keep the points off which is what really hurts since your driving record is clean.

I use an APP on my iPhone called WAZE. It crowd-sources the location of all sorts of "road hazzards" including our fine, hard working boys in blue. It also does turn by turn nav etc.

I like knowing where they are (thanks to other WAZERs) it makes me feel safe. It also will help to sometimes remind you the importance of extra vigilance to those annoying traffic laws. Big brother is watching. Its important to watch right back.

Get WAZE you will thank me. Especially if you live near a cosmopolitan area with lots of other WAZErs

I go to court for every ticket. In my state they basically tell you if you plead no contest and have a decent driving record you will only have to pay court cost. If your driving record is not that great you may have to do an online class as well (maximum 5 lifetime). Its worth it in IMHO

When you signed your name on that line to receive your driver's license, you agreed that you understood all traffic statutes and that you'd abide by them. The common "I-didn't-know-about-that rule" is not an excuse for any traffic violation. Can't tell you how many of those I've heard.

Think about it, God forbid, you come to a stop sign and some child riding a bicycle crosses your path unexpectedly. Thank goodness you were stopped behind the stop bar because otherwise you'd be liable as you were too impatient to stop for merely two seconds.

How's the view from up there?

I got what you saying and agree with you most part. I am not here denying that I broke the law. However, as I mentioned I checked roads while applying on the brake. I swear there wasn't even a cat around thus I didn't fully stop. And it was like 10mph.

I bring this up is because I don't think a lot(or maybe most) people will fully stop in this particular situation. Is it breaking the law? Yes. But does it judging me as a dangerous driver? I disagree. It's like the speed limit says 55 but how many people actually drive 55 or below on the highway? Should cops give every one who drives 65 a ticket as well?

I think it all depends on the situation. 13 years driving I never had a single car accident and only got 1 speeding ticket, I know what I am doing. In this case, a warning is more suitable...

uuuuhhhh everyone i know does

is this even a question?

You would have to see the intersection in question, the way it is set up (separate right turn lane and all that) you would expect that it be a yield sign as it is in most other parts of the city. There is hardly any traffic, wide open, non-residential area. If anyone runs a stop sign in a residential area I would beat them silly, but this one is a silly place to have one. I think it just catches people off guard.

Even so, the bottom line is...run a stop sign, risk a ticket. If you break the law knowingly, you can't really be surprised that you'd be fined. Just have to accept the consequences.

You have never broke the law?
In this situation its revenue. Run the record and if its clean and not a completely egregious infraction why not a polite but firm warning.
None of the BS in Germany. Things are more rational and its not a gouge the driver for revenue system. I get flashed by a camera under 15kph over the limit - 10Euros and NO POINTS. Enforcement does not have to be ridiculous. I do not miss this BS in the US at all. Local gov need to ween themselves from this revenue stream and end the quota's we all know exist. Safety my a##.

OP you have EVERY right to fight this and you should. The law is not perfect and you do not deserve 150$ taken from you without a fight if you have a clean record and history of responsible motoring. Fight!

I'm just pointing out facts, not trying to stir anything up. As far as revenue goes, at least in my area, a miniscule portion of the citation actually comes back to the issuing agency body. Trust me on this, it certainly doesn't help law enforcement agencies enough to keep them afloat comfortably budget-wise.

I'll be the first one to say it, have I broken the law? Of course! But these are civil infractions--not crimes. OP, elect to show up to the hearing, and the presiding magistrate will likely withhold adjudication (no points, just the fine). Don't waste money on a traffic attorney that will basically do exactly what you would do in your place. :tup:

I guess if your time spent fighting it is worth less than $150, go for it. IMHO 10mph doesn't even classify as what we call a "rolling stop.". You just got unlucky

Watch that whole "taking responsibility" idea; not a very popular concept these days.

That's not a shot at the OP because he's accepted the fact he broke the law.

And it's not a hoiler than thou attitude either as some have intimated.

To answer the OP's original question - yes, I fully stop for stop signs. I got pulled over way back when I first started driving and the warning from the cop stuck.

Also, I've seen a child struck on his bicycle by a Suburban-driving soccer mom who rolled through stop signs on a regular basis in my old neighborhood. The cop who responded to the call practically had to put her in the back of his car out of fears that someone was going to beat the sh#t out of her.

Thanks for the inputs guys! I will try to bring the damage to the minimal as possible. $150 is a big of a deal for me now as I just got laid off. But meanwhile, lesson learned. For people who read this thread, I hope you guys do follow the rules for your own sake as well as the whole community.:tiphat:

I've developed a way to be lazy while driving a manual... I roll through stops at speeds that don't even register on the speedometer. I roll for three seconds, very slowly.

Part of the reason why I do that is because I can stay in gear... but otherwise it's not the brightest decision.

OP since you are laid off, a 150 dollar ticket is worth fighting. Every dollar counts when you don't make money.

It seems like you are trying to blame the cop for doing his job? The whole point of a STOP sign is to STOP, regardless of where it was placed. If you are so concerned about fighting it because you lost your job, than you should have thought about the consequences before you did it. If you can afford a Nismo 370z, you can afford a $150 ticket. If you do fight it and win, don't let any of us know please. You broke the law so deal with it. I'm sorry but i have no sympathy for you, and I'm sure others feel the same.

best thing you can do is to lawyer up and or request a prayer for judgement. its basically admitting guilt but requesting to have the penalty delayed and removed (if you can make it 3 years without another pjc) atleast thats the way it works here in nc. i used mine though for a 91 in a 65mph w/careless & reckless...

Believe it or not the past couple of weeks I got honked for making a complete stop:
1) Before making a right turn on red. Car behind me honks when I made the full stop, and continues honking as I got the car moving.
2) Before making a left turn after oncoming traffic was clear during lunch. Some lady kept tailgating me on the left lane a couple of blocks before I turned. As I proceeded to turn she quickly cuts to the right lane and honks at me.

As easy as it sounds, it's definitely worth making the complete stop. I've had a few close calls. It cracks me up when people either tailgate me or honk at me for making the complete stop.

Glass houses, and stones, throwing come to mind....
Let us know when you are a Saint, I'll buy the medal and piss on it. Jeez.

Where did i say i was a saint? For whatever ticket i have ever gotten, i have never tried to fight them i just pay it and move on. If i brought it upon myself, i expect myself to deal with my own actions. I have seen first hand a kid get hit by a car that decided to blow by a stop sign. Maybe some of you guys need to witness something like i did so you can stop thinking its ok to run a stop sign.

I'm not sure about MA but here in NY often times police officers get time and a half for court appearances, so they have an economic incentive to appear in court against you. Many police officers I know significantly supplement their base salaries with court overtime. Don't count on him/her not showing up.

IMO the ticket is worth fighting, however, since often times (again based upon what happens in NY) the local prosecutor is willing to reduce the moving violation (= points on your license) down to a non-moving violation (= no points). The town benefits because they get to keep all of the revenue generated from non-moving violations (whereas they get to keep only a fraction of the fines associated with moving violations and thus have an economic incentive to offer the plea) except for a mandatory surcharge which goes to the state. The police officer gets time and a half for appearing in court. You pay a fine but no points are assessed against your license and your insurance premiums don't go up by an amount which would greatly exceed the fine. Everybody "wins".

YMMV in MA. Good luck.

Traffic court is fun, its a big soap opera full of crying whiny people....here in Md if you show up and don't be a **** most times you plead guilty and get no points and reduced fine with court costs (doughnut fees). Buttttt....if you plead not guilty and pay a lawyer a few bills to "represent" you....you still get full points, a full fine, your out legal fees, you lost vacation time....when in the end you can pay and move on. Speed violations can be tricky....you can ask for the radar lidar, vascar equipment calibration papers, officer training papers, past history....BUT YOU STILL LOSE.
Only way you win....officer does not show up or he forgets his ticket book. Have seen this happen many times too...Roll the dice on that. Note, the forget ticket book was call-in favor (not to me).....I was in court for speeding one day...a Caps player was charged with 130 mph ticket (this happened years ago) and when his time came up to talk, he pleaded not guilty....the judge needed to have the original ticket with the officer in court.....who for some reason that day "forgot" his ticket book at home. Case was thrown out....the judge was pissed! All cases for that officer were thrown out by the judge at that point.

Stop and be safe... a few seconds saved is not worth the risk of tickets or accidents. :twocents:

Here in the frozen north, they are talking about installing stop sign cameras, that automatically take your picture if you roll thru a stop and mail you the ticket...! Think of how many stop signs there are in a city and how much money they would make! yeeeesh. Oh, and that's zero tolerance.... 2 mph roll is not a stop.... laser sensor measures speed and snaps your pic if you do not have a full and complete stop.

That's why you plead no contest...