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HELP, I got a RED LIGHT CAMERA TICKET !!!!

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e85

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So being that most of us own mobile business, it means we drive 3-4 times as much as your average person. So we are bound to mess up sooner or later. My question is I was flashed because I entered the intersection too late and was given a ticket. I have had a spotless record my whole life and I am a very cautious driver. But these stupid flashing cameras are a joke. Some have illegal yellow time intervals and the best of them use the bare legal minimum. I Dont believe I was given a fair chance to stop. The yellow light was so quick, plus it was heavy traffic, plus my car is FULL of metal PDR rods, stoping abruptly would not of been a good idea in the least

Problem is at the end of the day, I still technically was in the intersection on red. And as a Mobile business owner who has NEVER had a ticket I feel like I am being cheated. Especially since studies show these cameras dont save crashes. I believe they are ways for the city to create more revenue. Please dont respond with "You run the light, you pay the fine" My intention wasnt to drive recklessly. The oregon drivers manual even states that you should proceeed through the intersection with caution if you cannot stop safely. Which is exactly what I did. What would be the best way to try to get this off my record?
 
landuse

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I have had this before. It was raining, and the light turned yellow just as I was getting to the intersection. If I had braked sharply, I would probably have slid into the intersection, so I just continued through. The camera flashed and a month later I got a $180 fine in the mail. That was not a good month.

Here, you can write to the traffic department with a reason for why you think you should not get the fine, and sometimes it is reduced by half. I should have done that, but I just went ahead and paid

I know what you mean about the cameras generating revenue. The cameras here are managed by a private company that pays a portion of the fines over to the traffic department.
 
FatCat

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I don't know any way around this but I had a red light incident a couple months ago. A little history on me. I drive a semi. I pull what's called a hopper bottom trailer used for moving grain. We're loaded about 90% of the time. When I say we're loaded I'm not talking a dry van trailer grossing 55,000. There isn't much money in moving grain so we load them down. I'm between 79,500 and 80,000 gross. I was moving along in a 55mph zone and while driving past a state police yard 3 of them pulled out right behind me. Alls going well, now I've got 1 behind me, 2 along side. as we came up to a changing light(50-75 yards out) they all slam on the brakes. I tapped mine, realized I wouldn't get it brought down, so I let off the brakes and rolled through it. There was no way I could've stopped even in the intersection, I wouldve slid all the way through it. Was smooth, no close calls, I did it by the book. One hit his lights immediately and I got pulled over. I was pissed! The other 2 cops saw me jump out of the truck so here they both came. I met him half way to ask him wtf his problem was(I knew why he stopped me) and he starts off with "don't you know that red means stop". At this point I came unglued on this idiot. If you barely stopped your 4,000lbs car how the **** am I supposed to stop 80'000 in the same distance. While lecturing this guy on having a thimble full of brains apparently his superior officer(one of the others) had apparently seen enough and told me to "go on about my business before I get something I don't want". Real cute, hopefully this Barney Fife will think before accosting someone for doing there job. Also guys if you get stopped pull out your phone and start recording. I would've loved to have got a whole bunch of "what I don't want" and wouldve liked to let him try my recipe to. Thats abuse of his position. Really not cool. You can't crack their head or they'll put you in prison over it. If there is ever a next time my phone will be recording this behavior. Any traffic stop for that matter. Then we'll see what an attorney can do with it. Maybe get that punk put where he belongs. Running the business end of a spatula at Burger King!
 
Bluethunder3320

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ive gone through a few, sometimes its just really hard to make the judgement. at least i havent got a ticket.

"dont you know that red means stop"

what an *******, of course you know red means stop, but the light was yellow, and you couldnt safely stop! if you tried to stop then it could have caused an accident

i got pulled over for going 55 in a 25 and i was polite to the cop and he let me off with a warning. im sure if i was arguing with him, he would have gave me a ticket.
 
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e85

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Thank you for all the input everyone! Do you guys suggest I try to fight in by finding or claiming a technicality? Or try to just go in there and be polite and explain the situation? Business has been rough and a $260 ticket isnt going to help anything
 
OzFab

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Fight it, no. Be polite, explain the circumstances & hope for the best yes. Did you recieve a photo? If not, request it. If so, does it show all the gear in the back? Be careful with that one though, I know someone who was in this situation & tried to use the "not safe" excuse & also copped a fine for carrying an unsafe load :ack2:
 
florida_mud_runner

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I always fight a ticket ! Here in Florida , its all about the revenue . Most of the time they will reduce the ticket and remove the points that would go on your license ! If that isnt saying that all they want is money ..... I dont know what is !

The yellow light scenario in Florida and I believe is suppose to be a standard similar in every state is : If the speed limit is 55 MPH , the yellow is SUPPOSE to be on for 5.5 seconds . I dont believe this to be true at all !

I am with FatCat on this , I drove semi for 14 1/2 years all over the country . its bad driving a car but driving a semi is just a serious source of income for the local gov. your driving through at that point and time ! That is one of the reasons why I no longer drive ! Its a dog eat dog world anymore in the heavy hauling industry anymore . Not to mention it doesnt pay worth a crap anymore !
 
FatCat

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florida_mud_runner said:
I am with FatCat on this , I drove semi for 14 1/2 years all over the country . its bad driving a car but driving a semi is just a serious source of income for the local gov. your driving through at that point and time ! That is one of the reasons why I no longer drive ! Its a dog eat dog world anymore in the heavy hauling industry anymore . Not to mention it doesnt pay worth a crap anymore !
Click to expand...

Your spot on with this. Tax collectors. I guess you'd never understand unless you've had them do it to you. Your also right with the money thing. A lot of my family are drivers/owner ops and they'll tell you they made just as much in the early 80's as they do today. Being an owner operator is no longer worth the hassle. This is why I'm a company driver. Screw driving all week to spend all day Sunday getting the truck ready for next week. For this they bring home $100-$200 more per week than I do driving 5 with 2 off. Lot less headaches, no huge financial risks with equipment, no fighting the mexicans for loads. This is the biggest challenge in our industry at the moment. The mexicans, the Polish, and the turbine heads have flooded the industry. They'll work for absolute starve wages so they can send the money back to there homeland. They'll live like animals to do this. One worker here in the USA can support several family members very well in another country. This is all good and well and it's wonderful that they will sacrifice themselves to better their families but it really screws those of us trying to live a descent life here. I lucked out and I've found a descent paying gig but I'm not getting rich. That's for sure. But it's secure and the grain will always be right here in the heartland of America. They can't send this soil overseas. Until I find a better career..... A jamming gears we go. I hope things start looking up for the trucking industry. I really enjoy my job even with the negatives out here. Something new every day.
 
Doc Sprocket

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In exchange for a picture of your car, send them a picture of your money. LOL

Just kidding. Plead your case in traffic court, IF taking the time off work will cost you less than the ticket. The system is based on the odds that you're just going to shut up and pay up. At least you have a chance to get off in court.
 
FatCat

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Did we get infiltrated by a spammer? I started reading the link bit couldnt go any further. My bull**** meter is pegged. So it throes a bright light across the plate. Let me tell you the problem with that. At least with IL plates for sure. The white backing is a glitter like(for lack of a better word) finish. When a red light camera hits you it's light causes reflection off the white background on the plate. What's left shaded is your license plate number. So basically you would be paying to assist them. LMAO

Hmmm," Dandrow went on to say that the device is perfectly legal — at least for now — because it does not physically block the license plate number."

What's he's really saying is. "It's legal because it doesn't work!"
He's fishing for suckers. And god knows he'll thrive as the world is full of people who fall for this stuff. He throws some big words in his text to put off the illusion that he knows what he's talking about and people will eat it up. It's amazing how gullible people are.
 
landuse

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FatCat said:
Did we get infiltrated by a spammer? I started reading the link bit couldnt go any further. My bull**** meter is pegged. So it throes a bright light across the plate. Let me tell you the problem with that. At least with IL plates for sure. The white backing is a glitter like(for lack of a better word) finish. When a red light camera hits you it's light causes reflection off the white background on the plate. What's left shaded is your license plate number. So basically you would be paying to assist them. LMAO

Hmmm," Dandrow went on to say that the device is perfectly legal — at least for now — because it does not physically block the license plate number."

What's he's really saying is. "It's legal because it doesn't work!"
He's fishing for suckers. And god knows he'll thrive as the world is full of people who fall for this stuff. He throws some big words in his text to put off the illusion that he knows what he's talking about and people will eat it up. It's amazing how gullible people are.
Click to expand...

Don't worry, we are monitoring nicoletB closely. As soon as they really step out of line......:2guns:
 
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From my experience in NYC, the tickets from the camera have no real weight. It's a 50 dollar fine and no points. Idk what the legal structure is out there but if its more then that go to court and talk to the prosecutor and hell knock it down for a fee.
 
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