YAT(icket)T

[joesmoke]

I got an "anti gridlock" ticket (22526(a) VC) a few weeks ago and would like to fight it. Half of my small car (civic) remained in the interesection when the light turned red only because somebody stopped out of the blue a few cars up to be "polite" and let somebody out of a parking spot (obstructing traffic). I tried to explain to the officer but he cut me off. This happened on a 3 lane, 1 way street in CA.

Ive tried googling it and have come up with very little (read: nothing) as far as opinons/decisions. Is there anything i can do or am i pretty much fux0rd?

 

[Bignate603]

I bet you're not going to be able to talk your way out of it. You were the last car there with your tail hanging out into the intersection. The cop and judge aren't going to care if somebody farther up stopped a car length short, they're just going to tell you that you shouldn't have pulled across until you were 100% sure there was space for you.

If you don't have anything else on your record they may be lenient and downgrade it but I bet you have almost no chance of actually arguing that you didn't deserve a ticket.

 

[Daedalus685]

You can always fight it. Though I'm not sure the fellow stopping ahead of you did anything illegal or wrong in the slightest. If folks drive there anything like they do here the chap being polite likely was forced to stop after the car that was parked darted into traffic expecting to be let in entirely oblivious to the fact that the now red light means no more cars will be coming.

You are not supposed to (technically) enter an intersection until you know for certain you can safely leave it. You will have to answer a question along the lines of: "Why did you not wait until there was at least a full car gap before entering the intersection?"

If you claim traffic was moving fast and it was logical to expect to proceed through you will be asked why you didn't just change lanes around the obstruction. If you say the traffic was very slow then you will be asked why you didn't just wait at the stop light.

That being said, a good traffic lawyer will get you out of it if only because they will know the officers. But that would likely cost a lot more than the ticket and there can't possibly be demerit points for it could there?

The outs were at the time having an overly nice officer or getting good lawyer later (money money). The lawyer is worth it if this were a speeding ticket that was about to double your insurance.

 

[olds]

I bet you're not going to be able to talk your way out of it. You were the last car there with your tail hanging out into the intersection. The cop and judge aren't going to care if somebody farther up stopped a car length short, they're just going to tell you that you shouldn't have pulled across until you were 100% sure there was space for you.

If you don't have anything else on your record they may be lenient and downgrade it but I bet you have almost no chance of actually arguing that you didn't deserve a ticket.

This

 

[joesmoke]

It wasn't a car length short, it was half a block short.

Yours was the standard net response. Thanks for taking the time to respond!

 

[Daedalus685]

It wasn't a car length short, it was half a block short.

Yours was the standard net response. Thanks for taking the time to respond!

Yeah but cars break down and get cut off all the time. There was going to be space if x didn't happen is not the same as there is currently space.

Folks shouldn't stop for no reason, but they do none the less.

That being said, there are situations where I find people letting others in is quite acceptable, and other times (such as you are the last 2 cars coming before the light behind you is red) where it is kind of silly. If he stopped to let a single car in wouldn't he have only stopped for a couple of seconds? Time enough to get out during the yellow light no?

 

[joesmoke]

Yeah but cars break down and get cut off all the time. There was going to be space if x didn't happen is not the same as there is currently space.

Folks shouldn't stop for no reason, but they do none the less.

That being said, there are situations where I find people letting others in is quite acceptable, and other times (such as you are the last 2 cars coming before the light behind you is red) where it is kind of silly. If he stopped to let a single car in wouldn't he have only stopped for a couple of seconds? Time enough to get out during the yellow light no?

I would have thought so too, but the gentleman that was being let out had to do a 3 point to get out of his spot. also, the cop was on me the second the light turned.

 

[BoomerD]

http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/vctop/d11/vc22526.htm

"22526. (a) Notwithstanding any official traffic control signal indication to proceed, a driver of a vehicle shall not enter an intersection or marked crosswalk unless there is sufficient space on the other side of the intersection or marked crosswalk to accommodate the vehicle driven without obstructing the through passage of vehicles from either side."

"e) A violation of this section is not a violation of a law relating to the safe operation of vehicles and is the following:

(1) A stopping violation when a notice to appear has been issued by a peace officer described in Section 830.1, 830.2, or 830.33 of the Penal Code.

(2) A parking violation when a notice of parking violation is issued by a person, other than a peace officer described in paragraph (1), who is authorized to enforce parking statutes and regulations.

(f) This section shall be known and may be cited as the Anti-Gridlock Act of 1987. "

 

[zerocool84]

If you have the time and don't mind being at the court all day, even just showing up will most likely get your ticket price reduced. I got a $700 ticket reduced to $300 just for showing up in court. They'll usually say that price is only good for that day.

 

[Daedalus685]

I would have thought so too, but the gentleman that was being let out had to do a 3 point to get out of his spot. also, the cop was on me the second the light turned.

Quota time i suppose..

I don't think there is anything you can do to get out of it without a lawyer, you technically deserve the ticket, just like folks going 10 over the limit 'technically' deserve one in right after being passed by some dude gong 25 over...

I can't see what should be a slightly above average parking ticket affect insurance and the like so probably not worth the effort.

 

[Bignate603]

It wasn't a car length short, it was half a block short.

Yours was the standard net response. Thanks for taking the time to respond!

It doesn't really change anything if it was a car length or a block, I completely understand why you got stuck with your tail hanging out there and it's likely I would have gotten stuck in the same thing. That doesn't change the fact that the law says you shouldn't pull across until you're sure you have room. While the cop was being stupid about enforcing it like he did there's not much you can do about it. The law says you can't pull across until you can do so without blocking the other lane, without regard to what's going on down the road in front of you. Without a lawyer the judge is either going to just side with the cop and tell you to beat it or if you're lucky give you some lesser thing so you'll go away and take less their time.

 

[JulesMaximus]

That's a common ticket and one that cops have been targeting motorists for for a long time now because once you stop in the intersection you are now blocking traffic coming the other way.

You won't beat that ticket. Fact is, you should never enter an intersection unless you're sure you can make it all the way through the intersection. It is not the responsibility of the driver in front of you to make sure you have enough room, it is your responsibility.

Be glad he didn't cite you for a red light violation...that one is far worse.

 

[Daedalus685]

That's a common ticket and one that cops have been targeting motorists for for a long time now because once you stop in the intersection you are now blocking traffic coming the other way.

You won't beat that ticket. Fact is, you should never enter an intersection unless you're sure you can make it all the way through the intersection. It is not the responsibility of the driver in front of you to make sure you have enough room, it is your responsibility.

Be glad he didn't cite you for a red light violation...that one is far worse.

Actually the red light violation is a good point. In Ontario a traffic ticket will be accompanied by an R on it for reduced (at least they can be). If you fight a ticket that was reduced you will be fighting the full ticket. As in you could try to fight and end up being convicted of the more serious charge.

So be careful you don't end up with something like running a red light. A ticket that most certainly will affect insurance. Mind you I'm not sure on the laws of the land.. Being on line for a more serious charge may not be the way of thing everywhere... just something to be safe about.

 

[holden j caufield]

That being said, a good traffic lawyer will get you out of it if only because they will know the officers. But that would likely cost a lot more than the ticket and there can't possibly be demerit points for it could there?

.

wait are you inferring that the money you use to pay the lawyer, he in turn some how "pays" the cop? So you're bribing the cop?

 

[Daedalus685]

wait are you inferring that the money you use to pay the lawyer, he in turn some how "pays" the cop? So you're bribing the cop?

Every single (ok, most) traffic ticket service in Ontario is run by former police officers. I'm sure it is just a coincidence that the officers don't show up to the court cases when you hire these fellows.. I've never used one myself but they advertise to death..

http://www.xcopper.com/
http://www.pointts.com/profile.html

to name the biggest two.

 

[joesmoke]

Resolution: Showed up at court, watched for an hour as people with charges such as driving without a license, driving without insurance, cell phone usage and speeding all got their fines reduced by half... only to get my turn and find my ticket was on the sacred list of fines that cannot be reduced. all i got was the option to pay 100 instead of 300 and work 20 hours of community service, which i politely declined.

the system, once again, fighting the good fight for those that deserve it most!

 

[joesmoke]

Every single (ok, most) traffic ticket service in Ontario is run by former police officers. I'm sure it is just a coincidence that the officers don't show up to the court cases when you hire these fellows.. I've never used one myself but they advertise to death..

http://www.xcopper.com/
http://www.pointts.com/profile.html

to name the biggest two.

it would make sense that someone whos former job had conflicts of interest would try to find similar work whilst receiving a pension.

 

[Corporate Thug]

anti GL tickets suck...my roommate got one. Expect something in the range of $350 if you can believe that.