Got my first ticket...

[WNDSRFR]

OK
OK You all convinced me to just bend over and take it.
I guess $169 is a pretty cheap price to pay to keep the Sheriff's Department off my back. I really do like living in this County.

[5thGenOwner]

Originally Posted by WNDSRFR

I've had my FR-S for a couple years now and just got my first traffic ticket in it today. I had a "violation of a traffic control device".
Ran a stop sign.
I came up to this three way stop, stepped on the brakes, Looked to my left as I rolled through the intersection and there was a cop. I said "oh shit" and of course he started following me. I pulled into this park about 100 yards down the road when the cop turned on his blue lights. I proceeded to drive about another 50 feet to a parking space as the cop pulled in behind me. I shut off the engine and rolled down the window as the cop approached. I started to say I was sorry for not coming to a complete stop at the stop sign but the cop started yelling "when I turn on my blue lights that means stop" in a very angry manner. I told him I thought it would be better to park safely rather than stop in the middle of the road. He then demanded my license insurance and registration. I nervously fumbled through my wallet to retrieve the documents. So the cop starts to go back to his car and yells something at me. I asked "Excuse ME"? And he yells back "Stay in You vehicle". About twenty minutes later he returns to my car and says there's a problem with my registration. I ask what the problem is and he says it's expired but he checked and found that it is valid so I wouldn't get a ticket for that. But for running the stop sign the fine is $169 and so many points on your license. Then he started to explain the different options I had. By now I'm pretty pissed off because I fully expected a warning. So I replied "I know what to do" and he says "have a nice day and drives off.
This is the first ticket I've gotten in over ten years. The last ticket I got was for gong 25 MPH in a 15 MPH zone. I well known speed trap that I passed every day. One time I just wasn't paying attention.

Anyway, that's my story. I want to know what you think I should do? Should I just pay the fine and forget about it or should I take it to court?
If I take it to court and are found guilty then I have to pay the original fine PLUS the judge can add a fine of up to $500 depending on his mood. What would you do?
Here is a short clip of the scene of the crime. I'm sitting where the cop was and the car going through the intersection did pretty much exactly what I did.
By the way, I sat in this position for about fifteen minutes and not a single vehicle came to a stop.

Any chance we can get that cop to move to my neighborhood? I'm sorry, but I never see anyone pulled over for traffic violations in the city anymore. I used to have a bike cop that would sit on the sidewalk waiting for people to blow through a turn only lane (in an extremely dangerous intersection)... now nothing, just a near accident every 10 minutes. I used to see people pulled over regularly... now nothing, just people who look down at their 'smart phone' more than they do in their rearview mirrors. And the drivers are just getting worse because of it; the more they get away with it the more they disregard the law.

If it's a stop sign, you come to a complete stop... no matter what others do, you aren't a lemming. You are a human being who adheres to laws which are put in place to keep you, and those who share the road around you, safe!

[Impureclient]

By the holier-than-thou attitudes in here you'd think that the OP had committed a murder and not just rolled through a stop sign.
I don't see him asking whether we thought it was right or wrong but rather what he should do afterwards to lessen the fine.

Should I just pay the fine and forget about it or should I take it to court?

People fight tickets or arrests all the time for crimes they clearly have committed and those are thrown out in court every day, ask OJ.
I'd be curious to see how many people in here have never got a traffic ticket before because they are such angels on the road.
Something tells me other than the 16-18 year olds who just got their licenses who will soon enough get ticketd, it's every last one of us that have.

[LucidMomentum]

Originally Posted by Impureclient

I'd be curious to see how many people in here have never got a traffic ticket before because they are such angels on the road.
Something tells me other than the 16-18 year olds who just got their licenses who will soon enough get ticketd, it's every last one of us that have.

I'm 23, have had a license the minute I could get one. I have no accidents, no tickets. Maybe I have this attitude because I drive safely and follow the rules?

$200 is like half a day's pay for me. Why would I spend more than that time and possibly more money fighting it, especially if I did it?

[Impureclient]

1 out of 96,641 in here, so not bad so far. May your luck continue Lucid but somehow I don't think you will make it to the end with out any infractions and/or accidents. Last time I was in the class to remove points from a ticket about maybe 15 years ago before my first radar detector purchase, there was a little old man in there that had to be 80 and got caught "speeding" a couple mph over over in a 45. It was a known speed trap and he said the cop didn't care about his prior history of zero tickets no matter how much he pleaded.
Somehow I doubt you stay under the posted limit 100% of the time but maybe I may be wrong. I have witnessed people drive in a way that they stay much under the limit but not surprisingly around them are other drivers sloppily passing and making decisions based on that slow driver impeding traffic that could cause accidents for themselves or others. Are you that guy? It's really not that hard to break the law while driving. You ever get behind somebody that gets into a turning lane and then puts on their blinker after changing lanes? Maybe they don't even turn the blinker on until they are in the middle of turning. I see it every day and wonder why they go through the effort to put the blinker on when it isn't warning others of their intentions like the law says to do. A ticket-able offense going on all day long, everywhere at every turn lane or intersection but we are so used to it, we hardly notice.
Either way, the traffic ticket monster will surely visit you someday. 8 years of driving and no issues at all is not bad but I can guarantee you it's coming. Heck I was sitting at the end of a parking lot waiting to make a turn an some lady just rammed into me as she turned down the aisle I was waiting in. Just hope that when your time comes, it's not your fault and a simple thing like that example. We all slip up no matter how safe we are. Accidents happen and that's why they are called accidents. Keep up the safe driving. I did notice you posting about interest in getting an electric SC. Kind of odd to want to go faster in this car than it is stock all the while while keeping under the posted speed limits. I guess you are like one of those Corvette Z06 drivers that have 650 HP on tap just to toodle around the streets?

Why would I spend more than that time and possibly more money fighting it, especially if I did it?

That's exactly what it comes down to. How much is your time worth? For me and my turning right through red light cameras, it is only $90 a pop to send to the lawyer and he makes it go away. I don't even have to walk out of my home. I write a check and send to him in the mail with the final 3rd notice on the ticket and bye bye. No ticket, no points, no hassle...just a couple bucks in a lawyers wallet instead of a corrupt police department and the red light camera company which makes half that ticket money by the way.

[ajaxthebetter]

23 years old and making 96k? Damn.

[drewbot]

Driving is a privilege, not a right. Accept the rules in place or don't drive.

Sent from my A0001 using Tapatalk

[ajaxthebetter]

There are rules in place to contest it...The court system is there for a reason.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by Impureclient

1 out of 96,641 in here, so not bad so far. May your luck continue Lucid but somehow I don't think you will make it to the end with out any infractions and/or accidents. Last time I was in the class to remove points from a ticket about maybe 15 years ago before my first radar detector purchase, there was a little old man in there that had to be 80 and got caught "speeding" a couple mph over over in a 45. It was a known speed trap and he said the cop didn't care about his prior history of zero tickets no matter how much he pleaded.
Somehow I doubt you stay under the posted limit 100% of the time but maybe I may be wrong. I have witnessed people drive in a way that they stay much under the limit but not surprisingly around them are other drivers sloppily passing and making decisions based on that slow driver impeding traffic that could cause accidents for themselves or others. Are you that guy? It's really not that hard to break the law while driving. You ever get behind somebody that gets into a turning lane and then puts on their blinker after changing lanes? Maybe they don't even turn the blinker on until they are in the middle of turning. I see it every day and wonder why they go through the effort to put the blinker on when it isn't warning others of their intentions like the law says to do. A ticket-able offense going on all day long, everywhere at every turn lane or intersection but we are so used to it, we hardly notice.
Either way, the traffic ticket monster will surely visit you someday. 8 years of driving and no issues at all is not bad but I can guarantee you it's coming. Heck I was sitting at the end of a parking lot waiting to make a turn an some lady just rammed into me as she turned down the aisle I was waiting in. Just hope that when your time comes, it's not your fault and a simple thing like that example. We all slip up no matter how safe we are. Accidents happen and that's why they are called accidents. Keep up the safe driving. I did notice you posting about interest in getting an electric SC. Kind of odd to want to go faster in this car than it is stock all the while while keeping under the posted speed limits. I guess you are like one of those Corvette Z06 drivers that have 650 HP on tap just to toodle around the streets?

That's exactly what it comes down to. How much is your time worth? For me and my turning right through red light cameras, it is only $90 a pop to send to the lawyer and he makes it go away. I don't even have to walk out of my home. I write a check and send to him in the mail with the final 3rd notice on the ticket and bye bye. No ticket, no points, no hassle...just a couple bucks in a lawyers wallet instead of a corrupt police department and the red light camera company which makes half that ticket money by the way.

40 years driving. At least 100 stops with warnings. One ticket that was never registered through the system so clean record. No accidents. Completely confess to speeding 98% of the time but do obey all other signs and signals. Just have incredible luck I guess.

[Impureclient]

Not bad. I only have been on the road half that time and I've been hit once sitting in a parking lot. Another leaving a parking lot. T-boned by a drunk driver going through a red light. Old couple pulled out in front of me and I t-boned them. Maybe 4 speeding tickets(before radar detector) and a slew of warnings. The rolling a stop sign one and of course the turning at red light ones that went away. Maybe that friendly Canadian attitude and the below video is what has saved you all these years?
[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36cB3myMh7w"]Funny Police Chase - YouTube[/ame]

[WNDSRFR]

It's nice to see we have so many Saints on this forum. Never broke the law. Never done anything wrong. To have NEVER exceeded the speed limit. Use your direction indicators everytime you have ever changed lanes or made a turn and ALWAYS come to a complete stop at every stop sign you have ever encountered. And always doing these things even when there's no one around to witness your goodness.


WOW I salute you.

[LucidMomentum]

Originally Posted by WNDSRFR

WOW I salute you.

I'm not saying I've never sped, but I've never gotten a ticket for it. If I did I wouldn't fight it, I'd pay it. That's what I suggested to OP. Doesn't mean I'm a saint, but it's hard to see what the point of fighting a fine this small is. If I was still in college and more time than money maybe I'd fight it, but even then it seems like a long shot without any sort of investment.

Originally Posted by ajaxthebetter

23 years old and making 96k? Damn.

Yes, although I really didn't have much free time throughout high school and college. I worked almost all the time and was fortunate to land an Instrumentation, Controls and Electrical Engineering position out of college. Granted I only see 45% of it each paycheck due to taxes and retirement funds, but I've started looking at things in terms of time = money now that I find my off time much more valuable to me.

[ajaxthebetter]

Don't know how it goes in other states but in Washington you can request a day in court. When you receive the court date they send you another option: contest via mail. You just write down what happened and your thoughts and send that in. Requires little effort. No time off work, and the results can be the same as showing up. My dad has had tickets completely dismissed via this method.

If you do get a ticket, I'd contest it, at least via thw method I described. It's not about the value of this ticket, but insurance and the ineveitability of the next one and so on. Whenever you can, fight it, so that the next may not be as severe. Insurance money. Etc.

Good for your man. My college education (25 now) is yet to have paid for itself, save for people find me somewhat interesting and somewhat well read, haha. You shoulda purchased a Cayman!

[ntron1]

Originally Posted by Impureclient

By the holier-than-thou attitudes in here you'd think that the OP had committed a murder and not just rolled through a stop sign.
I don't see him asking whether we thought it was right or wrong but rather what he should do afterwards to lessen the fine.

People fight tickets or arrests all the time for crimes they clearly have committed and those are thrown out in court every day, ask OJ.
I'd be curious to see how many people in here have never got a traffic ticket before because they are such angels on the road.
Something tells me other than the 16-18 year olds who just got their licenses who will soon enough get ticketd, it's every last one of us that have.

Been driving for 33 years 1 month and 16 days. NEVER been stopped. No warnings, no tickets. You do not average 35.5 mpg over 32,000 miles in a BRZ by breaking the law. Maybe I am the exception, but your assertion that I am holier than thou is correct. I AM!

BTW, I have driven hundreds of miles @ 120 mph on the highway, on the Autobahn, where it is legal.