travel to a strange city and get a 34 in 30 ticket... fine is $235... ripoff?
I was travelling to a strange city... it's one of those smaller towns in the
suburbs in the middle of the country. I will admit that the ticket was probably correct. 34mph in 30mph zone. (well, the officer also showed me the handheld radar which did read 34mph... and I was the only car on the deserted road at the time) What I can't understand is why the fine is so high. $235.(which includes a questions $45 fee named "Misc fees") I thought I read the back of the ticket wrong, so I called them directly. Yup, no mistake... 4mph over the speed limit and the fine was $235. $235 plus 49-cent stamp, to be exact, since they only accept checks and money orders. Should I waste 25k miles to fly 3 hours(6 hours roundtrip) to fight this ticket on the court date? Does anybody ever use FF miles to fly somewhere to fight a ticket? Or should I just give up and pay the $235. Is it worth it to defend my spotless clean driving record(haven't had so much as a parking ticket since President Reagan was still in office) |
If you think you were going the speed indicated on the ticket, why would you try to fight it?
|
Originally Posted by nux
(Post 24533594)
If you think you were going the speed indicated on the ticket, why would you try to fight it?
simple possession of marijuana is a $215 ticket payable by mail. That's $20 cheaper than my ticket for going 4mph above the speed limit. :( guess I'll just pay it.... the lady on the phone told me that even if my ticket is dismissed in court, they will still charge me $93 for administrative and dismissal fees. (wait, what? I still have to pay even if I'm found not guilty?) |
What state was this?
In MA, you can only get ticketed if you are going 5 mph over the limit. IMO, any ticket for 34 in a 30 is absurd. |
Gee- let me guess. Did you have an out-of-state license plate on your car? Sounds like revenue enhancement for the town.
|
Originally Posted by Djlawman
(Post 24533729)
Gee- let me guess. Did you have an out-of-state license plate on your car? Sounds like revenue enhancement for the town.
wait a second... are you spying on my house or are you psychic? how could you have possibly known that I had an out-of-state license plate on my car when I got the ticket? :confused:
Originally Posted by will2288
(Post 24533677)
What state was this?
In MA, you can only get ticketed if you are going 5 mph over the limit. IMO, any ticket for 34 in a 30 is absurd. when I got stopped, which is why I asked the officer to show me the radar(turned out he was using laser). He took it off his motorcycle and showed it to me... the screen said 34mph. I signed it and went on my way. It was only when I got back to my hotel that I started reading the back of ticket for fines. $235. Oh well.... :( I guess I can also blame my parents?(for me not being a hot girl, which may have gotten me out of the ticket... absolutely true... as many of my hot female friends can testify) |
Unfortunately, many small towns in this country probably use that as a revenue source. Cops there purposely look for out of state plates so they know you'll just pay the fine. I agree $235 is outrageous, and usually 5 over or under is no big deal, but you were technically speeding.
|
Fines in the US are almost like a regressive tax.
If you were a billionaire in Finland you would have been much worse off. Fines are calculated on a sliding scale based on the income of the driver. Up to $100,000+ for speeding http://www.theatlantic.com/business/...ticket/387484/ On the other hand - the poor in Finland pay very little. |
This, my friend, is called a Speed Trap and is a major source of revenue for many small towns. A famous one in Florida (Waldo) was recently shut down by the state when the town was dis-incorporated.
There's actually a Speedtrap web site, is your town on it? http://www.speedtrap.org/ |
travel to a strange city and get a 34 in 30 ticket... fine is $235... ripoff?
34 in a 30 is quite absurd...I don't bother moving my patrol car for anything less then 15 miles over, nothing less.
Even at that, most walk away with a warning. Only the people who talk themselves into it walk away with my autograph. My favorite is when a hot female tries the flirting game and when I hand them my autograph, the mood changes. I'm not swayed by looks what so ever. |
Originally Posted by Djlawman
(Post 24533729)
Gee- let me guess. Did you have an out-of-state license plate on your car? Sounds like revenue enhancement for the town.
|
Originally Posted by airplanegod
(Post 24533843)
Unfortunately, many small towns in this country probably use that as a revenue source. Cops there purposely look for out of state plates so they know you'll just pay the fine. I agree $235 is outrageous, and usually 5 over or under is no big deal, but you were technically speeding.
|
Can you fight it by mail? In many states you can.
|
travel to a strange city and get a 34 in 30 ticket... fine is $235... ripoff?
If you drive the speed limit you won't have this problem. Slow down and you will be ok. Speeding motorists are a one of my most despised folks. [Edited by Moderator.]
|
Originally Posted by centxwx
(Post 24535141)
If you drive the speed limit you won't have this problem. Slow down and you will be ok. Speeding motorists are a one of my most despised folks. [Edited by moderator]
God help you if you ever drive on the highways in the Chicago suburbs. The speed limit is 55MPH, yet everyone goes 65-70. If you go 55, you become a hazard. |
All times are GMT -6. The time now is 6:13 pm. |
This site is owned, operated, and maintained by MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Designated trademarks are the property of their respective owners.