Please help......

[millersangel]

There's an alternative to worrying about getting a ticket. Obey the laws.

I have gotten one ticket in the past 40 years. It was for a rolling stop in Bluefield. In which, I pulled out in front of a police car. Because I was in a rush and not paying attention.

Anyway, I was in scrubs and figured I'd get a warning. I got a ticket. I was late for my next patient so didn't look at it til later.

It was three points!!

I went to the police station at the change of the shift and found the policeman who gave me the ticket and asked if I could have a word with him. He said "What's your story?"

So I told him that I worked in home health and could NOT afford a hike in my insurance and that I had a clean driving record, etc. He took my ticket and wrote WARNING on it and said "I'll take care of this but this is your one and only warning."

The interesting thing is that afterwards I noticed when driving in residential neighborhoods with little traffic and four way stops, I almost always never completely braked. Now I do. So, it turned out to be lesson learned for me.

[GottaHerdOn]

Originally Posted by imbobbbb

ive never heard of 'having to waive' your right to appear.did you get a returned cancelled check.?if they are satisfied with the money you likely wont hear from them.did they tack on a zillion extra fees like they do in berkeley county?my wife got a speeding ticket with a $40. fine but by the time they added on for the court costs,crime victims compensation fund,widows of troopers fund,jail renovation fund,etc it was like $150.

I've had two tickets in the last two years... One in Clarksburg in Harrison County on Emily Drive (She told me since she was a city cop it wouldn't count as points, THAT WAS A BIG LIE!) and in Morgan county in the eastern panhandle. The one in Clarksburg was about $150.00 the one in Morgan County was $180.00!!! I also was pulled over in Ohio County on I-70 where it goes from 70 mph to 55 near Tridelphia. I was going 69 in a 55, he was sitting right at the sign! But I contested it and it was dropped. It's a rip off, something needs to be done about this.

[GottaHerdOn]

Originally Posted by David Kennedy

This forum is needed and important:

One of the new money makers is the ruse of court costs. Each offense is separated and charged accordingly....
hypothecial example: Stopped for moving violation, not stopping completely at a stop sign. fine $65 + court costs. Officer sees that your seatbelt is not fastened, additional $100 + court costs...in checking your paperwork, your insurance card is the old expired certificate and the new one is at home on the dining room table. (No proof of insurance) $350 + court costs...lets add it up. $550 fines + $300 court costs.
Smoking inside a vehicle with a minor present...WAIT! That law hasn't been passed yet....And the list can go on and on...not bad..State gets a hefty % and the county/city gets the rest...
Set up a speed trap and watch the revenue stream flow.

Hundreds of thousands to Summersville...and the major revenue source for that town. All that new development was outside the city limits unless they have annexed.

Where are the speed traps: Rt 50 between Parkersburg and Salem. Rt 119 at Summersville. I-79 at Saltwell. (Spotter is on the overpass and signals to buddy in the medium.) I-68 before Lavelle, Md. I-68 in the low valley between Grantsville and Frostburg, Md. Pennsylvania doesn't seem regular with speed traps on 1-79.
All the small towns in West Virginia! Most have only $800 budgeted monthly for part-time police and that revenue must come from fines...
Belington used to have a reputation...years ago.

I'm sure others will add personal incidents to your list. All of this was taught to these cities/towns in the past 10 years by our legislative representatives. They waved the ideas of these greenbacks in front of those greedy public servants and made their mouths water. No other way for revenue? How about creating jobs throughout the entire state? Particularly the depressed areas. Another travesty of legislative ignorance that West Virginia will endure...mumble, but endure. democratis taxitorium un oblivionis

I was a victim of the Saltwell Scenario you posted above... I was only 17 at the time and it was game day at WVU... I was the leader of a pack going about... 90-ish... GOT NABBED! The rest ALL got away My dad luckily had some connections so I didn't lose my license or get fined or anything. However, I don't think its democrats tax policies that are causing our police to become oppressive and our courts to tack on pointless fees and costs. Sounds kind of the other way, but I don't think either party is too involved. It's just simple abuse of those in power of our county and city governments.

[confusedTee]

I have to agree with Millersangel ..I know it's not just WV speed traps..There are many areas i have found while driving..Fayette County is extremely tight with their warnings..if they ever give a warning boy it's rare........When those signs say 45 u better go 45...I know for a fact my nephew just came off medical leave and is aiming hard in those construction zones..It won't matter if u are WV or out of state plates..I could sit there and argure till i am blue in the face with him and other family members about the reasonings.....it's still posted and they don't care..This area they are DEAD serious about those speeding tickets.......I won't even try and go 2mph over them..

I tease them and say that's how we get our tax dollars for around our area since our crime rate is so low.....and they want to keep sharp on their skills.......Be full warn the Bridge Day is coming up and they WILL BE out full force............

Bottom line is i follow the rules and hopefully keep my mind in focus to what the road rules are.........so yep when it says 45 i go 45 or less when it says 25 u bet i do..Safe driving to all........

[citybilly]

I've had 2 tickets in 30 years, both while driving in places I've never been. In the area of Ca. where I am, you are expected to drive with the flow of traffic, which usually is way over the posted limits. But It's always a big advantage to be familiar with the local area. My last ticket was in '94, my first day in Santa Barbara, when I whipped around a VW Bus which was loaded down with bicycles and hardly able to pick up any speed after stopping at an intersection. It seemed like a perfectly good idea at the time, until I discovered halfway through it that I had entered a school zone and it was staked out by a cruiser. Even at 6 AM, I got a ticket. It was aggravating but I didn't whine about it. You just have to be prepared to make your contribution to the coffers every once in a while.