Silly Traffic Ticket (San Antonio, Schertz, Anton: airport, license, vehicle)

[itsawomanthing]

Originally Posted by majormadmax

Thanks for not only being part of the problem, but also for fueling all the road rage we are seeing!

Thank you I do not think I am really part of the problem, I am trying to avoid bad situations, such as getting myself killed when the people here have no courtesy, to use a blinker, know how to actually drive, understand what yield means.

Just yesterday I was driving on 410, getting ready to exit and a driver came from 3 lanes over, cut me off, proceeded to slow down right in front of me by hitting his brakes, and left me no wheres to go except riding the grass on edge of road so I would not hit him. Oh he was on his phone chatting away and fingered me when I beeped him!

Or the lady the other day who was in front of me riding her brakes, with no one in front of her, but she continued to talk on her phone, so I went to the left side to go around her and every time I tried to get in front of her, she speed up and proceeded to block me. So eventually I hit the gas way pass the speed limit and got in front of her and off I went only to run into someone just a mile down the road who was doing the same thing...

Perhaps Texas needs a no cell phone law since people cannot drive correctly when using one or maybe a law saying you can only use bluetooth or a hands free system when driving.


I try not drive when it is a time of day that I know the roads will be crowded, or at least if I have to drive at a busy time, I will take smaller side roads, because I value my life!

[majormadmax]

So, you complain about everyone else; but feel it is OK for you to break the law and drive in the left lane!?!

The first step to solving the big problem is to start obeying the law yourself. Once you are in the right, then maybe others will follow your lead; but as long as you are ignoring the law, you have no right to complain about others who are doing the same...

[Drover]

Originally Posted by Rasero

Driving downtown this afternoon (on the way to take my 3-year old daughter to kiddie park to celebrate her birthday) a cop stopped me near I-10 and Callaghan. The reason? I was in the left lane, which is for passing only. I was only going 68 mph, so it wasn't for speeding. In spite of the fact that there wasn't a lot of traffic around and I was only in that lane for a minute or so, and the cop was actually pretty nice, he actually gave me a ticket and said don't worry about it you can just take the defensive driving course (I already took one just for my insurance within the past year).

I honestly think this just a scam to get money for the city. I'm a good driver with only 1 ticket in 14 years, should I go talk to the judge and fight this to get it dismissed? My argument would be the above, and plus isn't it hypocritical to give me a ticket to move out of the left lane so that others can speed in it??? People were probably doing 80 before I got in there. What do you think my chances are of getting the ticket dismissed? I'm ticked because it was my daughter's b-day and I wanted to spend some extra money on her and a gift, now I gotta worry about this.

Sorry but I have zero tolerance for left-lane barnacles. Pass on the left/drive on the right is not just some arbitrary rule. It's essential for safety and orderly traffic flow. Learn it. Know it. Live it.

[merc11ty]

hmm..if there wasn't any other traffic, why did you need to be in the left lane?

[Deep Forest]

Originally Posted by eastontracks

update us. i see the ticket being dismissed anyway with a good enough valid excuse.

And I sure would like to hear it...then sell it to Ripley's "Believe It Or Not".

[Deep Forest]

This is starting to sound like "I know it's a law but it was so unimportant to me at the time I was doing it..."

[Rasero]

***UPDATE***

Went to court yesterday, the traffic ticket was DISMISSED. The police officer didn't show up. Actually, the judge didn't even show up for 30 min after the start time. The prosecutors waited for about one hour while trying to work out plea deals with other defendants; then about 6 of us were told our tickets were being dismissed due to the officers not showing up.

Lesson learned! I continue to steer clear of the left lane, and if I do pass someone, I immediately get over instead of waiting a little bit (which is what got me into this in the first place). Also, it was interesting to note in court how many people contested their tickets, and ended up working out plea bargains with the prosecutors to pay less than what they would have originally paid. If you think you got a bad wrap, it's worth fighting these in court, and who knows, if your officer doesn't show up, ticket will be dismissed.

[majormadmax]

Well, it looks like you got lucky on this one; but also realize that the reason the ticket was dismissed wasn't that you were innocent but instead an administrative issue. Take it as a freebie, a lesson-learned and move on (but not in the left lane! )

As for fighting tickets, where that may be an option for some; a missed day of work costs me much more than a minor speeding ticket so like many, it really isn't worth my time and effort.

However, if I were ever to find myself in a more serious situation, I would recommend going and even "lawyer-ing up" if necessary. There is a lot of room for negotiation and when it can mean the difference between a bunch f points on your license and increased insurance rates, I would most definitely give it a try. But be forewarned that going to court does not automatically mean you'll get a reduced sentence, I have experienced firsthand where that was not the case!

[Drover]

Originally Posted by Rasero

***UPDATE***

Went to court yesterday, the traffic ticket was DISMISSED. The police officer didn't show up. Actually, the judge didn't even show up for 30 min after the start time. The prosecutors waited for about one hour while trying to work out plea deals with other defendants; then about 6 of us were told our tickets were being dismissed due to the officers not showing up.

Lesson learned! I continue to steer clear of the left lane, and if I do pass someone, I immediately get over instead of waiting a little bit (which is what got me into this in the first place). Also, it was interesting to note in court how many people contested their tickets, and ended up working out plea bargains with the prosecutors to pay less than what they would have originally paid. If you think you got a bad wrap, it's worth fighting these in court, and who knows, if your officer doesn't show up, ticket will be dismissed.

Lesson learned the easy way. Everyone wins.

[Rasero]

[quote=majormadmax;9658895]Well, it looks like you got lucky on this one; but also realize that the reason the ticket was dismissed wasn't that you were innocent but instead an administrative issue. Take it as a freebie, a lesson-learned and move on (but not in the left lane! )

As for fighting tickets, where that may be an option for some; a missed day of work costs me much more than a minor speeding ticket so like many, it really isn't worth my time and effort. /quote]

Sorry, I still insist I was innocent. You are innocent until proven guilty in this country, and since it was dismissed, I am now assumed innocent in the eyes of the law. Slate wiped clean. I had 3 pages of testimony, my spotless driving record, proof I had taken a defensive driving class, etc. I was ready to go, and a friend of mine, a cop for 20 years, encouraged me to fight this one.

Also, it was 4:30 in the afternoon. I was fortunate in that I got a time slot after my work shift, I understand others might not have that luxury.

Regardless, no one even think about driving in the left lane. I still pass people in it now, as I always have done, but get over quicker. They need to state in the law the maximum amount of time allowed once you pass the other vehicle. I suggest it's once you see their headlights in your rear-view mirror, which could be shorter or longer depending on the speed you are going.