is it worth flying 1100 miles to fight red light camera ticket for right turn on red?
I was driving a rental car in _______.(don't want to name the city because they may be able to identify me after I've made many phone calls to them)
Three week later, the rental car company forwarded a red light camera ticket to my office. Yes, I admit that I was the person driving at the time the ticket was issued.
However, I was making a right on red at the time, but it still triggered the red light camera to take two pictures showing me crossing the white line after the light had turned red. As I always have my dashcam with me, even when I travel and use rental cars, I took the MicroSD card and found the footage. It clearly showed that I had come to a complete stop before the white line and waited almost 2.5 seconds before crossing the white line and making the right turn. The dashcam actually picked up the reflection from the flashes of the red light camera. There were two other cars at the intersection.
I called their local police department and confirmed that right turn on red was allowed at that intersection.
However, when I contacted the clerk for the department that mail out these tickets, she said that I had to present the evidence in person to have the matter dismissed. When I pressed on and asked if it was a malfunction for the camera to take pictures and send out tickets to anyone making legal right turn on reds, I was told that the cameras take pictures of *all* cars crossing the white line when the light is red, even when the driver is making a legal right turn on red. It's up to the officer who review the photos to make a determination. Quote: "for local residents, they can just come in and request the administrative judge to review the photo and have the matter dismissed..." They would NOT accept anything sent using regular mail or email to fight the ticket, so I can't just send them my dashcam videos. I have to physically be there in person.
The ticket is only $125. The cheapest flight to that city before the ticket deadline is about $323. I guess I should just suck it up and pay it, since the plane ticket will cost more? Is it just my imagination or are they counting on this profit from out-of-town drivers who are unjustly sent these tickets?