Decatur Area Traffic Trap (Dekalb County) (North Druid Hills, Druid Hills: middle-class, home, university)

[globalnomad]

There is a well-known, well-established traffic trap in the Decatur area where we live as you turn right off North Druid Hills onto Clairmont (heading south toward the VA Hospital and Emory University).

There is a stop sign, yet many drivers treat it as a yield sign without coming to a full stop.

I ALWAYS make sure I come to a complete stop.

If other family members are driving, I ALWAYS remind them to come a complete stop.

When I saw the police car parked at his usual spot on Clairmont, I thought nothing about it as I expect him to be there...until he turned on his flashing lights and pulled me over.

I politely told the policeman I did not roll through the stop sign, but he wrote a citation anyway (which in some ways is pretty funny as I'm an exceedingly careful, cautious, law abiding, non-speeding driver who abides by all stop signs, yellow lights, speed signs, much to the annoyance of non-law abiding drivers).

I have the utmost respect for our public service officers, but this is the first time in my life I find myself accused of something I didn't actually do (I have no problem owning up or paying up when I do make a mistake; however, in 40 years of driving, I've never received a ticket).

In the future, I will view our police with more skepticism as I have seen with my own eyes that they can abuse their power as public service officers and there's probably not much average citizens can do about it.

There are far more important issues in the world than a policeman with a daily traffic ticket quota to fulfill, but it erodes the quality of life in our community and respect for our institutions.

Global Nomad

[PKCorey]

Plead no lo...

I fear getting a ticket in Dekalb County after driving past numerous times and seeing the line at Recorders Court.....

[globalnomad]

"No lo" means "I will not contend".

I certainly understand why citizens take this route and do not fight back.

Apparently, it requires two visits to the courthouse, one to get an appointment and another to go before a judge (with the citing officer present).

Not worth the $45 traffic ticket in terms of aggravation and lost time.

We lived overseas while serving with the US military for many years and I'm familiar with corrupt police and having to pay bribes.

I suppose this is just a higher tech way of fleecing the citizenry (you pay your traffic ticket by VISA Card).

[PKCorey]

You are correct.

Atleast in Rockdale, You go to court, plead not guilty and then you're excused for a new court date to be given by the clerk.

Too much aggravation and time and money lost from work....

[RainyRainyDay]

Originally Posted by globalnomad

I have the utmost respect for our public service officers, but this is the first time in my life I find myself accused of something I didn't actually do (I have no problem owning up or paying up when I do make a mistake; however, in 40 years of driving, I've never received a ticket).

In the future, I will view our police with more skepticism as I have seen with my own eyes that they can abuse their power as public service officers and there's probably not much average citizens can do about it.

Yes. I had a similar experience when I was in my early 20s. At night in fairly busy traffic and dark conditions, I saw a nearby car similar in appearance to mine, make a conspicuous illegal manoeuvre. A police car pulled out from a nearby street, weaved through the traffic and eventually caught up and pulled me over, accusing me of having pulled the illegal stunt. The officer was hectoring and contemptuous. After much protesting on my part, he said "I'll let you off this time, but I'm not a fool. I know it was you. Let this be a warning to you. I've made a note of your tag and you won't get off with a warning next time!" It was demoralizing and disillusioning. Ever since, I've had more awareness that while we virtuous upper middle-class type folk rarely encounter police in the performance of their duties at all, there may be some truth to complaints of error and abuse, from the those sectors of the population that interact with police more often.

This is of course not to say that there aren't many fine upstanding police officers worthy of our respect and appreciation. However, police are only human and they're just not all in the right all the time.

[globalnomad]

Thank you for sharing your own awful traffic ticket experience, Rainy Rainy Day.

Something is very wrong in Dekalb County when strictly law-abiding, little (5 foot), old (over 55) ladies are targeted (and bullied) by the police.

Then again, maybe that's exactly why I was pulled over (no one could look less threatening).

Surely Dekalb County Police have more serious and important issues to attend to than someone bringing her groceries home from Kroger?

Global Nomad

[Iconographer]

That spot used to be a yield sign, and should still be. The only fathomable reason for changing it to a stop sign is to provide an easy source of income for the county by ticketing otherwise responsible drivers.
The only ticket my mother ever received in her driving career was for hesitating at a stop sign. "Well, of course I did", she told the officer, "If I hadn't hesitated, I would have gone plumb through the stop sign."

[DeaconJ]

I have had the exact opposite experience in Fulton County...I've been pulled over 3 times in the past couple of years for things that I actually DID do, and have been politely let go without a ticket each time. I don't know what I'm doing to be excused each time, but I will try to keep doing it I guess.

[johnatl]

Originally Posted by LovinDecatur

That spot used to be a yield sign, and should still be. The only fathomable reason for changing it to a stop sign is to provide an easy source of income for the county by ticketing otherwise responsible drivers.
The only ticket my mother ever received in her driving career was for hesitating at a stop sign. "Well, of course I did", she told the officer, "If I hadn't hesitated, I would have gone plumb through the stop sign."

LOL! Great story regarding your Mom.

A lot of us here (on C-D) live very near this intersection, but I have to admit I have not noticed that they changed it from a Yield sign. I guess I've been lucky so far, because I have gone through there countless times.

Thanks for posting this, globalnomad. I'm guessing that anyone that DOES stop there probably gets honked at!

[floyd242]

Yeah I don't think I've ever stopped there unless there was a car coming heh.