Red light camera fail

[Sukhoi]

Gawd cities are getting lazy/retarded. They don't even bother to take a pic of the driver and just hope that people pay the ticket not knowing any better.

 

[Vette73]

Bingo. I was driving a rental Civic. My car was at the dealer from 10am-6pm on 1/20 getting a 60k mile service, PCM flash and alignment.

As proof I have my pink carbon of my Enterprise car rental agreement with time/day stamp and my car dealer service order with date and in-out mileage difference of 19 miles and my credit card receipt for when I picked it up at 6pm.

I kind of want to go over there to complain in person, but it is around 20 miles away and tomorrow I'll be short on time - will be leaving town tomorrow evening for 2 weeks to visit my folks.

The documentation I got basically gave 4 options.
1) Pay $100 fine.
2) Claim I don't own car (that it is owned by a company or rental agency).
3) Claim it was stolen (need police report).
4) Request a hearing.

I guess my choice is #4.

How about just e-mailing/fax the ticket to the dealer and tell them to pay up.
Have you even called them yet?

 

[CupCak3]

Why don't you just call, explain the situation, and ask if you can fax or email a scanned copy of the rental agreement a dealer receipt for that day? It'll take less than 5 min and it has a decent chance of saving you a bunch of time driving there or going to court over it.

 

[SpatiallyAware]

I would be extremely annoyed at the dealer for driving my car through a red light. Far more aggravating than the ticket itself imo.


Not only is the dealer putting your vehicle in unnecessary danger, but you now have to take time off work etc to fix it.

 

[mvbighead]

I find is odd that they can use pictures to prove that someone didn't stop at a red light. If they take a picture every 0.5 seconds, maybe, but the images on the ticket just show a car that approached a stop sign. Not conclusive whether or not it did or didn't stop, IMO.

As for your situation, yuck. I'd be phoning the dealer and at least make them aware of the lost time you're going to be dealing with as a result of their traffic infraction. I'd think they'd at least do something for you to help offset the mess that they caused. (Discounted service/parts/etc.)

 

[Vette73]

I find is odd that they can use pictures to prove that someone didn't stop at a red light. If they take a picture every 0.5 seconds, maybe, but the images on the ticket just show a car that approached a stop sign. Not conclusive whether or not it did or didn't stop, IMO.

As for your situation, yuck. I'd be phoning the dealer and at least make them aware of the lost time you're going to be dealing with as a result of their traffic infraction. I'd think they'd at least do something for you to help offset the mess that they caused. (Discounted service/parts/etc.)

They use a sensor and measure your speed before and after, let alone most use video. If you are doing 30 before the sign and 30 .5seconds later then you did not stop. Even my Corvette will not get to 30mpg in 1/2 a second.

When I got one it was a video if you follow the link. So not even a picture but a video that shows the car not stoping.

 

[mvbighead]

They use a sensor and measure your speed before and after, let alone most use video. If you are doing 30 before the sign and 30 .5seconds later then you did not stop. Even my Corvette will not get to 30mpg in 1/2 a second.

When I got one it was a video if you follow the link. So not even a picture but a video that shows the car not stoping.

Yeah, that makes more sense. Just seemed odd based on the pictures provided.

 

[Vette73]

Yeah, that makes more sense. Just seemed odd based on the pictures provided.

Yea those are just snap shots from the video.
I also got one once but did stop. The problem is the camarea was not as wide view as the OP so it did not show me stopping before the line and letting someone cross.
But it was not $100 fine either. 😛

 

[angry hampster]

Why did the dealer drive your car 20 miles?

 

[Zap]

Have you even called them yet?

Nope, had to deal with waiting for AAA roadside assistance for my wife's old vehicle, the Mazda 3s. It had been sitting in the snow for 3 weeks and, er, was dead. Guy tried to sell me a battery but in the end just gave me a jump. Hopefully it is fine for the drive to California starting tonight. :whiste:

Why don't you just call, explain the situation, and ask if you can fax or email a scanned copy of the rental agreement a dealer receipt for that day? It'll take less than 5 min and it has a decent chance of saving you a bunch of time driving there or going to court over it.

Looking at the paperwork, I guess there is the option of sending in a "non-appearance hearing request." However, my documentation has to be certified mail and notarized. Place is less than 30 miles away, so easier to just go there.

you now have to take time off work etc to fix it.

I'm irked by having to deal with this, but I'm still mostly unemployed, so not like I'm doing anything useful besides waiting for replies to work applications and looking at job listings.

When I got one it was a video if you follow the link. So not even a picture but a video that shows the car not stoping.

Yeah, there is a link for the video of the vehicle not stopping I think it was clocked at 11MPH.

Yea those are just snap shots from the video.
I also got one once but did stop. The problem is the camarea was not as wide view as the OP so it did not show me stopping before the line and letting someone cross.
But it was not $100 fine either. 😛

I once got a picture snapped (late at night, saw the flash) but never got anything in the mail because I actually stopped. I think it snapped because I didn't stop until the last moment.

Why did the dealer drive your car 20 miles?

Good question. I was told they were going to do a road test to check on some of the issues. I don't know if the 19 miles falls within the norm.

 

[Pantoot]

Well the first order of business is don't reply to the stupid ticket. They can't prove you ever received it in the mail until they send you a letter through registered mail. It's not uncommon for that process to take long enough that by the time you get the registered mail it's already past the ticket expiration and it's tossed out.

Also don't visit any of the websites that show the picture, as that can be used as proof that you received the letter.

 

[Zap]

Quick update. Just got off the phone with the dealer and they immediately offered restitution for the amount of the fine. I just have to bring my "notice of violation" to them.

 

[skyking]

somebody at that dealership is going to look like the bunny on the left.
http://www.indiaonrent.com/view/c/chocolate-bunny-joke-image.html

 

[Lotheron]

Quick update. Just got off the phone with the dealer and they immediately offered restitution for the amount of the fine. I just have to bring my "notice of violation" to them.

About as good as you could hope for. Props to them for owning up.

 

[43st]

More accurately.. Red light camera win, dealer fail.

 

[Lotheron]

More accurately.. Red light camera win, dealer fail.

The point of the OP was that the ticket was sent automatically to the owner of the car rather than the driver. The OP is pointing out that these are not always the same people and it's up to him to prove hes innocent. Guilty until proven innocent..

 

[CVSiN]

How about just e-mailing/fax the ticket to the dealer and tell them to pay up.
Have you even called them yet?

this..

 

[Vette73]

The point of the OP was that the ticket was sent automatically to the owner of the car rather than the driver. The OP is pointing out that these are not always the same people and it's up to him to prove hes innocent. Guilty until proven innocent..

Thats why most states treat these type of tickets like a parking ticket. That way the ticket it for the car, not the person. Also no points or insurance jump.

 

[simonizor]

Thats why most states treat these type of tickets like a parking ticket. That way the ticket it for the car, not the person. Also no points or insurance jump.

It's still going against one of the main principles of our justice system; just as the other guy said, it's pretty much guilty until proven innocent here. The court doesn't have to do anything to prove that it was you driving the car, but you have to prove that it wasn't if you want to get out of the ticket? I'm sorry, but that's not the way our justice system is supposed to work.

 

[Zap]

this..

No. This.

Quick update. Just got off the phone with the dealer and they immediately offered restitution for the amount of the fine. I just have to bring my "notice of violation" to them.

 

[darom]

I would still let the courts know that it was the dealer who drove the car. Let the courts delete the record. If not, and you get caught in the future, the fine will double (at least that's how it works here in CA) since the courts already have your car's license plate in the database.

 

[Throckmorton]

Even if the dealer pays it's on your record unless you fight it

 

[jlee]

It's still going against one of the main principles of our justice system; just as the other guy said, it's pretty much guilty until proven innocent here. The court doesn't have to do anything to prove that it was you driving the car, but you have to prove that it wasn't if you want to get out of the ticket? I'm sorry, but that's not the way our justice system is supposed to work.

Agreed.., it's bullshit. It should be the prosecution's burden to prove who was driving, not the other way around.

Thats why most states treat these type of tickets like a parking ticket. That way the ticket it for the car, not the person. Also no points or insurance jump.

The problem is that it gets mailed to the registered owner, who may or may not be the one driving. For a parking ticket, it gets stuck on the vehicle so the driver gets it upon return.

 

[Eli]

Bingo. I was driving a rental Civic. My car was at the dealer from 10am-6pm on 1/20 getting a 60k mile service, PCM flash and alignment.

As proof I have my pink carbon of my Enterprise car rental agreement with time/day stamp and my car dealer service order with date and in-out mileage difference of 19 miles and my credit card receipt for when I picked it up at 6pm.

I kind of want to go over there to complain in person, but it is around 20 miles away and tomorrow I'll be short on time - will be leaving town tomorrow evening for 2 weeks to visit my folks.

The documentation I got basically gave 4 options.
1) Pay $100 fine.
2) Claim I don't own car (that it is owned by a company or rental agency).
3) Claim it was stolen (need police report).
4) Request a hearing.

I guess my choice is #4.

Hahaha. Epic.

You should go in there and demand free oil changes for the rest of your life or something. 😀

 

[LTC8K6]

It doesn't go on his record. It's just a fine. It's not like a traffic ticket. It's strictly to collect revenue.

http://www.gurnee.il.us/node/15567