I came across this site today that has a very interesting essay on traffic tickets and the whole ticket-fine system:

http://www.motorists.org/fightticket...-big-business/

In the end they suggest that all fines go to the state so that local municipalities can not profit from handing out tickets, and making laws, traps, cameras designed to make violators out of otherwise law abiding citizens. It would be very interesting to see what happened if all the profit incentive was removed from writing viloations. There is also a good sidebar on getting a ticket, and if you join the organization some good help.

 

Interesting.

Another interesting read albeit from another perspective

 

Two completely different perspectives obviously. I have to say that the first link had some good information for fighting unjust tickets...and just ones too. I personally have never been given a ticket that was not justified.
Fact of the matter is, if you speed (and I do) you are making a concious decision to break the law. Same as robbing a liquor store, except obviously less severe. When you do so, you have to be ready to accept the concequences, there really is no gray area there.
Of course there is always the idea that they are handing out tickets to make money, but I have only ever seen one ticket in my lifetime I thought was unjust. I guess maybe I'm sheltered, but I drive a lot (over 20,000 miles a year).

~ Derek

 

The first article has a reasonable bit of information about how the city (or whatever) makes a profit from the conviction.

On the other hand ...

They make claims like local towns "hide" the money? What is their reference?

Parking tickets are a scam? Maybe there is a reason cities have parking meters? Dunno.

 

I mean, it is obviously for revenue. You have to maintain various aspects of the cities and towns, so to have a revenue to do so is reasonable. Even though we already pay too much in taxes for those things...

I dont think anything you aren't force to do can be called a scam. No one forces you to park there, park elsewhere where you cannot get a ticket.

~ Derek

 

As I drive a few thousand miles a week I would have to agree with the second article. Americas roads are unsafe because not enough tickets are written. Most people know they won't get stopped so they don't bother trying. I see people doing dangerous and foolish things every day.

 

I'm from PA, and if the state police wanted to control the speed of traffic it would be a simple matter of clocking your ticket when you get off the turnpike, if you got from one toll booth to another too quickly, then here's your ticket!
Most would not speed, only if you stopped for a reststop, would you be able to speed, but 90% of the other traffic would be going the speed limit. Speeders would be obvious. Insted of this system the police prefeer 90% speeding and collecting fines. Public saftey, BS.

 

jabell2r, I have to agree with you, and you defintely have me beat on the mileage. I drive a lot and I see some of the most rediculous things happening out on the roads. And people do it because they know the cops wont bother them. Heck, I know that in a white 93 Buick I can exceed the speed limit on the east/west PA turnpike and the cops wont blink an eye.

I have to completely disagree with you djmarra. I drive the east west every weekend during the school year and I believe that clocking everyones ticket is going way too far. I am also against automated radar set ups. To catch someone speeding, you should have to have a trooper to clock you so there is no question of mechanical or electrical malfunction and also the human judgement is present. I am personally against more restrictive things where it feels like big brother is in one way constantly watching you...and clocking turnpike tickets is one of them. One of the reasons I like PA is they actually make the police work harder to get people in violation of the law, so when they are caught, that are actually ticketed. Only Staties on State roads may use Rader and Laser, everyone else has to use VASCAR or other methods.

~ Derek

 

The guy behind the NMA link in the first post goes by "snek" on MINI2. He's gotten 3 tickets this year and has not been able to fight them even using his own formulas . He went to another member of the same forum who has "connections" and got the first one eliminated, the old fashioned way, he got it fixed. The other 2 he'll not be as lucky with, as the favors are used up. Another ticket this year and he'll lose his license for 90 days(automatic application of the law) . His name is Ivan, and he seems to have a problem IMHO . Sorry Ivan.

For myself, It is just so easy to justify going over the speed limit in these cars.They just handle so well and I have way over a million miles driven, not that that means anything I just make sure I am NEVER the fastest one in my immediate group, and if alone .............4-5 over MAX! (and no weaving ever)

 

holden, I am not who you claim me to be. I am not even a member at Mini2. I came across this web site posted above when I followed another link from NAM that was about how to adjust your mirrors to eliminate blind spots:

http://www.motorists.org/other/home/...-your-mirrors/

Curious I clicked some links on the page and found the essay on traffic tickets. I thought it was interesting, and I decided to post it because every so often I see the issue come up here.

I don't know who the person from Mini2 is, but I make no attempt to be anonymous. Click my profile, go to my website, call me on the telephone. People who create multiple personalities on message boards don't want you to know who they are. I use the same id - lava, or my full name lavardera in every message board I join. I think all message boards would be more pleasant if everybody did the same.

Mistaken identity - no hard feelings. Peace.

 

I think he means the author of the link, not you.

 

no,I'm talking about the guy behind the NMA organization, not (you) the guy who posted the link. Sorry for the confusion.

 

exactly! thanks Chris.

 

Ohh! You mean the person who wrote that has a Mini?!

 

and then contrast that with this...

I can't count the times I've been nearly struck by Police vehicles passing me on the shoulder at over 100mph WITHOUT lights/sirens...freaks the ***** out of me and damn pisses me off...

 

"I dont think anything you aren't force to do can be called a scam. No one forces you to park there, park elsewhere where you cannot get a ticket."

Dude, ever try to park in Miami Beach on a w/e? Either valet (which I dun't) or drive around for hours praying to the parking fairies.

When we moved recently into a new village, my wife (who drives much better than I do) received her first ticket ever in her 25+ years of driving by a local cop for going 3 mph over the limit in a 30mph zone. If that isn't just $$ for the locals, what is?

 

I think maybe some areas are now having to make decisions on whether to pursue a high speed chase or not. Yes, that was tragic. I think I saw that pic in the local newspaper

 

yep.............a very fast one

 

Very interesting thread...lots of drama. ..lots of different points of view...whew!!!

 

if you find this interesting, you might also find this interesting too:
http://www.mini2.com/forum/new-york-...ave-lidar.html

note that Snek posts often here and links directly to the NMA from his sig.

 

I haven't read the link, but I have to say that I do not think it would really matter whether it was the the state or the city profiting, in either case they need cash for their coffers and speeding tickets are a sure bet and have a high value. I just wish they payed attention to the other types that are actually just as dangerous (or moreso given that some cases of speeding a little over or when all alone on a road) - I never see anyone pulled over for busted lights, running lights or signs, gridlocking, tailgating, cutting someone off, driving erraticallly and under the speed limit (all of which happens a lot with older drivers), etc.

 

Which means it will be locked... after my post.

Rule #1, obey the laws, duh.

Prescott Valley recently installed Red Flex red-light cameras at 2 intersections (one at the high school entrance, to get our youth used to that). It's allegedly "revenue neutral" which means only enough to cover the Common Court style (guilty til proven innocent is not in the Contstitution) administrative costs, the profits go to the camera company (buy stock now, it's a wide open market). I could elaborate...

Remember, it's for public safety, to "educate" the public about not running the red light. Sure it's helped, at those intersections. Everywhere else, the locals are blatantly running red lights, and speeding by some is stupid fast without turnsignals, etc. So I guess that means every stinking traffic light and a radar camera on every block is what it will take to keep everyone from killing themselves.

Oh wait... one day this week several people got killed (several sites) when they went off the remote dirt roads they on. Now what are we gonna do?

I'm glad to see all sides presented here.