TrochoidMagic

so i'm sure everyone has gotten a undeserving ticket when officers go out for a killing beginning of the month, or end of...

so here's mine:

i got on a HOV (carpool) lane just before 4 p.m. at the bus stop/carpool entrance in downtown L.A. and was given a ticket for not having enough passengers (i entered carpool with my 2 yr old in the backseat just right before 4) after being followed in to the carpool lane by a CHP officer and have been travelling roughly 3 miles down before being stopped.

I, KNOW this is bullshit, and also dropped hints to the officer on the bad judgement this citation would be, being he had followed me and it just barely turned passed 4 p.m..

the carpool limitation turns from 2 to 3 persons per vehicle after 4 p.m.... traffic hour!

well.... in does state the time being 4:05 on the citation. and thats after being followed for 3 miles, and then stopped after it turned 4.

to make me more fed up with my own citation... i saw practically another 10 citations being handed out on a single busy intersection that night as i had dinner with my wife! on garfield and valley in alhambra...RIDICULOUS!



perhaps the officer didn't see my little girl in the backseat as i entered HOV lanes, but the "baby in car" sticker should have given it away. and even after seeing the extra passenger after being stopped and inspected... i should have been let off, with a warning at least, and not have to play the technicalities card.


I am SOOO going to try to contest this ticket. it is wrong, and it isn't fair!

who here has good experience on the proper way to fight such a ticket on such technicalities, chime in.

and if you've got similar story of tickets given on such poor judgement on the officer's behalf, post up.

sorry for the long post... just had to vent!

so BE CAREFUL!

thanx for reading, and any advice and input/story is appreciated.

laythor

unfortunately the law states that if you enter the lane before the time it doesn't mean you can stay in it after the time begins. You should have either:
a. not gone in the lane knowing how little time you had left before it was going to be illegal
b. gotten out of the lane before the time changed

Why do you think he followed you? Because he was guessing correctly that you had a toddler and could see you didnt have a front seat passenger. I know it sucks, but you did break the law and I doubt you'll get anywhere fighting it.

Krazed_Rx8

iTrader: (5)

Damn that sucks dude! Ticket like that must be pricey.
I once had a cop infront of me pullover.. waited till I passed him then proceeded to pull me over for no front plates

TrochoidMagic

^^even if its only a single lane with NO pull outs or turn arounds until after the next 10 miles?

that really sucks. because i entered before 4 p.m., so i was totally legal to begin with.

and had i only done 100 m.p.h. to the next pull out, that is where the next HOV entrance is.


at least from my understanding...it is OK to stay in the HOV lane if you did enter prior to the time change. and it also seems like the officer agrees to this. it just didn't agree with HIS wristwatch on my time on entry!

and double crossing HOV's double solid yellows would also be a heavy fine, should it be 5 miles down, or 4 pm on a proper clock.

am i wrong somewhere? or does the sick twist of the law really work this way?

nycgps

iTrader: (1)

You know why u got that ticket?

Cuz the government needs money.

Its sad, but VERY VERY DAMN TRUE.

The cop was probably like "pay up, sucker"

*sigh... u know how many BS ticket I got ...*

laythor

nope. It is illegal to be in the HOV lane without the correct number of passengers regardless of what time it was when you entered. The argument, and the one that will keep you from getting the ticket dismissed, is that you should have been aware of what time it was and how many passengers you had.

I know it sucks, but it's going to cost you.

TrochoidMagic

and this one really hurts. because rumors have it that they make an illegal U turn to proceed after you had they been travelling opposite directions.

dunno what to say here...

you shoulda pulled over first???

TrochoidMagic

hmmm... so you are implying the reason why he follwed me for so long without pulling me over. and another carpool entrance being shortly after...


so in my case, i entered legally, but shoulda done 100m.p.h. dash to the next HOV opening, exited right at 4 p.m. , and stayed legal if done in this process?

laythor

lol, no.

you should have never gone in the lane in the first place. It's not a huge stretch to say you knew it was say 5 mins to 4. you knew (or at least should have seen on the signs) that at 4 oclock the limit became 3 people. Knowing that you had 5 mins to get into and out of the carpool then you should have made the correct decision not to go into the lane at all.

Your argument that you should have done 100mph to make it in time is silly and i'm sure born of frustration over getting a ticket. yes it suck, yes it's stupid, but it's pretty simple to tell the time and count your passengers.

TrochoidMagic

sigh... i know, i know. too many, i bet?

did you get off with any of them?

because its so crazy that i saw 10+ tickets handed out in a single intersection that very night.

the over patrolling and excessive non-sense citations are just becoming VERY noticeable to me.

makes me nervous of driving now =(
like i'll get pulled over just for blinking my eyes too long!

laythor

it'll only drive me crazy when i get a ticket for really doing nothing wrong. every ticket i've ever gotten has made me upset, has made me grit my teeth at how petty it was... but every single time I was doing something technically illegal.

TrochoidMagic

no, i hear you man.

i see how technical they "actually" are about using the lanes.

this one just sux, and it'll stick.

TrochoidMagic

ok, so this made total sense of why the *** in the prius cut me off, then did 40 mile per hour in front of me, with no traffic ahead.

and the comment from the CHP... i'd let you off if you were down another 2 miles...

because thats near where HOV access opens again...




just sad!


and the officer made no attempt to pull over the prius for cutting me off, in a NO PASSING zone.

just sad. i've been had, twice...

laythor

it reminds me of a story i heard about a traffic cop.. not even sure if it's true

A man is speeding down the highway with 7 other cars. They're all doing 80 mph. A cop pulls up behind and gets behind the man and tells him to pull over.

When the cop walks up to his window the man asks "Officer, why did you only pull me over?"

To which the officer replies.. "Son, you ever go fishing? You ever catch all the fish?"

TrochoidMagic

^^thats pretty funny stuff.

well...this one is still lame in my book.

guess i have to learn this one the hard way.

know where i can look up on the rules for this one, in case something comes up in a gray area where i have a chance to beat it?

i doubt i can only start off on a good basis on the fact the citation states i was in a rx-6 instead of an rx-8... i need something concrete.

TrochoidMagic

thanks for all the comments guys.

in a light of all things... i do NOT know what the price is for this citation, BUT, he did state its ONLY a fine, and not a recorded moving violation.

kinda like a parking ticket...

but i'm not gonna get started on that one tonight! arrrgghh!

laythor

http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/vctop/vc/vc.htm

seidita84t

mmmm... The Hat.... ? just a guess. Man, really though, they're starting to give people way too much **** for nothing. I dont even want to start with all the problems Alhambra/pasadena/arcadia PD have given me with my 8... good luck with the ticket.

setsuwa

I actually had a similiar experience. Last Thanksgiving my 8 was in the body shop, and I was driving my uncle's clunker mpv. Every one was going 80 on 60fwy, I was going 75 and got pulled over for speeding.

Ruined my thanksgiving! I mean..come on, I haven't even gotten a speeding in my 8..but in a 92 mpv??

Detrich

Sorry to hear about the tix Trochoid... Ur best bet is prolly to contest by written statement. It draws out the citation process & more than likely in 2 months the officer that issued the tix would've long forgotten about it, much less write up a detailed rebuttal...

c0ldf1ame

iTrader: (5)

That sucks man, yeah your best bet would be to ask for court extension once, when that is up, ask for a 2nd extension in person, when that is up ask for trial by declaration. This should give you about 4-5months of time, in which hopefully the officer will either forget what the case is about or not bother to reply in letter to your contest in court. You have the most chance of case being dismissed here

supergoat

This is why I avoid HOV lanes altogether.

otakurx

ya I tend to avoid HOV lanes, but I know what you mean. Out here the cops will often pull you over before they even have a full reason. I once had an officer say he saw what appeared to be a cigarette butt come out my window at 11:30pm then gave me a run around before going around my RX-7 looking for anything he could cite me on since I was only going 64 in a 65.

Jedi54

iTrader: (7)

this thread is BS.
you entered the HOA lane a few minutes before you would no longer be able to stay in that lane legally. (you should have known better)

after 4:00 an officer observed you in violation of the 3 passenger rule and you were given a ticket.
I see nothing wrong with this, suck it up, learn from it, and don't do it again.

CyberPitz

Agreed with this. I didn't wanna say anything in fear of being an *******, but...he hit the nail on the head.