| WeDgE |
Just received this ticket today...first one in all of my 7 years of driving... :\ Haven't been in trouble with the law, either.
I was very polite and courteous and provided him with the necessary info when he asked for it, except for my insurance which took a little longer for me to find (I was a bit flustered due to it being my first time pulled over... :\ ). Maybe the officer was having a bad day and brought it to work with him, I don't know? Or maybe it was because I had opened my door for him before he reached the driver's side door, scaring him a bit (I wasn't sure on the procedure of being pulled over, due to being a bit flustered)? After which, I apologized to him for doing so because my driver's window doesn't work.
I had absolutely no idea they were out at all because I can still see them light up when I press the brakes! I know if I take it to court they will say "you should walk around your vehicle to inspect it before proceeding", but to be honest, who really does that? Does the officer do that before he takes out his personal vehicle? Doubtful.
I was surprised when I was pulled over and he told me my brake lights were out, turned the light switch for him to show that my headlights were indeed switched on. I suggested to him it was probably a fuse blown in the fuse panel. Then he takes my driver's license and registration back to the car while I searched for my insurance (of which, I produced for him when he returned to my car). I figured he was going to his car to check out my information, come back to my car and send me on my way with a warning to have it fixed (which I will do tomorrow morning so I can tell the judge, if I fight the ticket, that it was fixed the very next day).
It's not so much the amount of money I'm upset over, just the principle of it all...a nice young man, who was polite and courteous, no tickets in 7 years of driving...and absolutely no warning whatsoever.
Jim, could you please comment on this and suggest a course of action? Much appreciated! :)
EDIT: I even have my manual cracked open as I type this, just so I can find what the fuse is called and where it is located.
Also, I would like to add that when I saw their lights go off, I turned off of the main street onto a side street. |
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| Mustard |
| how much is the ticket? |
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| WeDgE |
$57
About 50 times the cost of a small blade fuse... :\ |
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| TrevorK |
It sucks to get a ticket for such a small offense, but driving without rear lights is a danger to other drivers.
Sounds like he initially pulled you over because he suspected your brake lights didn't work (Which is a huge safety issue - ), but I assume since he had you already pulled over he gave you another ticket to go towards his quota.
I mean, let's face it. You might not have known they were gone, but you're supposed to know. No one is at fault but you.
Mark it down as a bad experience, pay it, learn from it, and move on. |
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| WeDgE |
quote:
Originally posted by TrevorK
It sucks to get a ticket for such a small offense, but driving without rear lights is a danger to other drivers.
Sounds like he initially pulled you over because he suspected your brake lights didn't work (Which is a huge safety issue - ), but I assume since he had you already pulled over he gave you another ticket to go towards his quota.
I mean, let's face it. You might not have known they were gone, but you're supposed to know. No one is at fault but you.
Mark it down as a bad experience, pay it, learn from it, and move on.
I acknowledge it's dangerous to other drivers, that's a no-brainer and I don't argue the fact. What I'm miffed about is his justification for issuing me the ticket, even after 7 years ticket/pull over free, polite and courteous, and the fact I had no idea they weren't working...why not give me a warning? I am quite anal about my car, if something is broken and I have the means to fix it, it will be done...95% of the work on the car has been completed by myself.
He was sitting behind me at a redlight (my brake pedal was depressed)...not to mention I pressed the brakes to slow and pull over.
It's sad that they work on quotas, nothing is safe from the almighty dollar, I suppose.
Question: How am I "supposed" to know if I didn't know and yet I still see my brake lights turn on when I hit the brakes? I believed that if my brake lights didn't work then my running lights wouldn't work either...but I guess they expect you to know your car top to bottom, inside and out, schematic after schematic? How can you be "at fault" or "committing an offence" if you have no idea it's being commited, even after you've made an educated observation?
Like I said in my original post, I'm not concerned with the monetary side of this, rather the principle because I feel it is the more important issue. |
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| TrevorK |
quote:
Originally posted by WeDgE
What I'm miffed about is his justification for issuing me the ticket, even after 7 years ticket/pull over free, polite and courteous, and the fact I had no idea they weren't working...why not give me a warning?
Warnings are based on the cop in question, not on the individual and their past record.
Some would see giving out warnings as not doing their job. Others would see giving out warnings as doing their job. Unfortunately you just got a cop who was doing his job to the letter, and nothing but.
quote:
Question: How am I "supposed" to know if I didn't know and yet I still see my brake lights turn on when I hit the brakes?...How can you be "at fault" or "committing an offence" if you have no idea it's being commited, even after you've made an educated observation?
You are supposed to make sure your vehicle is safe/road worthy - which you did not do.
You can not just assume things are working - if your gas mileage drops, but you notice absolutely nothing wrong with the engine, do you investigate? Of course.
And I hate to say it - but you made an uneducated observation, not an educated one.
It does not matter if "no one does it" because that is not relevant. Not everyone drives the speed limit or signals, but you can't use those as excuses... |
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| Inzane |
quote:
Originally posted by WeDgE
"you should walk around your vehicle to inspect it before proceeding", but to be honest, who really does that? Does the officer do that before he takes out his personal vehicle? Doubtful.
If you've ever played the old Sierra Police Quest games you'd know that you have to do the walk-around inspection of your cruiser before you leave the police station parking lot, every time. Or the game ends. :p |
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| WeDgE |
quote:
Originally posted by Inzane
If you've ever played the old Sierra Police Quest games you'd know that you have to do the walk-around inspection of your cruiser before you leave the police station parking lot, every time. Or the game ends. :p
Notice that I said PERSONAL vehicle. :blink: |
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| Inzane |
quote:
Originally posted by WeDgE
Notice that I said PERSONAL vehicle. :blink:
Yeah I know... realized after I posted. Oh well. LOL |
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| WeDgE |
quote:
Originally posted by Inzane
Yeah I know... realized after I posted. Oh well. LOL
:lol: |
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| Qoo |
Cops:
do you know your tail / head light burn off?
Answer:
really ? I didn't know that.
:fingersx: WRONG
The correct answer:
Yes officer, I have call my dealership and had scheduled to fix that. But there's a long wait, have to wait until 5 days later.:bthumbup:
the second time you got caught?
good luck. |
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| WeDgE |
quote:
Originally posted by Qoo
Yes officer, I have call my dealership and had scheduled to fix that. But there's a long wait, have to wait until 5 days later.:bthumbup:
"So you know you're not supposed to be driving at night, here's your citation, have a nice night."
:( |
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| TrevorK |
quote:
Originally posted by Qoo
Cops:
do you know your tail / head light burn off?
Answer:
really ? I didn't know that.
:fingersx: WRONG
The correct answer:
Yes officer, I have call my dealership and had scheduled to fix that. But there's a long wait, have to wait until 5 days later.:bthumbup:
the second time you got caught?
good luck.
Wouldn't work with all cops.
Just because you have no brakes, you can't just keep on driving saying it'll get fixed soon. Imagine what all those fart muffler guys could get away with if they said they were getting their exhaust fixed in a couple days :lol: |
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| Qoo |
well, I admit that cops may not be let you go with this. but it increase chances of you avoiding the ticket.
about muffler, you change aftermarket muffler in the first place.
do you think cops will even believe you'd change it back?
that is just an bad example but point taken.
95% of burn lights and did not replace is due to people's careless and lazy.:fingersx: |
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| WeDgE |
| The lights aren't burnt out, I checked all the bulbs and fuses, I have a sneaking suspicion it's the daytime running light relay...like I said, I'm anal about the car. :) Car is in the shop today to be diagnosed/fixed. |
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| SilverNeonRacer |
Now what if it went like this?
Cop: "Do you know your tail lights don't work?"
Me:"Hmmm they where working when I warmed up my car earlier"
Mind you I'm anal about lights, normally lights have to be one of the easiest things to maintain. It pissed me off to see a brand new $30,000+ vehicle with a burnt out bulb |
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| scooby_dooby |
in my car if I have a burnt out taillight my blinkers blink double-time, so you know...
anyways, i'd just be glad it's only a $57 ticket, there's not many of those around nowadays, almost everything is $130 or more, so $57? That's nothin bro, you vcan hope for a warning, but you can't EXPECT it, pay da fine! |
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| WeDgE |
Ending up costing me $277 in the end with the replacement of the daytime running light module and the ticket.
Thanks for all the comments guys. :) |
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| albertarc |
quote:
Originally posted by WeDgE
Ending up costing me $277 in the end with the replacement of the daytime running light module and the ticket.
Thanks for all the comments guys. :)
You may wish to attend the "First Appearance Centre" on the Court date set on the ticket & take your work order (or parts invoice if you did the repairs yourself) w/ you from the module replacement. The Crown may be able to do something about the ticket.
Jimbo:dunno: |
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| WeDgE |
| Thanks for the suggestion Jim, but I'm just going to chalk it up to bad luck...my lights were out and I didn't know it = ticket...pretty much all there is to it. :blink: |
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| TrevorK |
quote:
Originally posted by WeDgE
Thanks for the suggestion Jim, but I'm just going to chalk it up to bad luck...my lights were out and I didn't know it = ticket...pretty much all there is to it. :blink:
I think this is the first time I've seen someone on this forum step up, admit that what they did was wrong and pay the ticket.
It's nice to see someone whos honest and responsible. |
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| WeDgE |
quote:
Originally posted by TrevorK
I think this is the first time I've seen someone on this forum step up, admit that what they did was wrong and pay the ticket.
It's nice to see someone whos honest and responsible.
I don't admit I did anything wrong, just in the eyes of the law I am. But hey, shit happens, you just have to roll with it. :)
Honest and responsible? You bet. :D |
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| albertarc |
quote:
Originally posted by WeDgE
Honest and responsible? You bet. :D
I applaud you!!
Jimbo:bowdown: |
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| chris@apex |
| The mp's i talk to say there is two kinds of tickets. Moving violation? and somthing eles, the ones the cops give out all the time. somthing to do if you cars broke, you have one chance to get it fixed??? |
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| No-Pistons |
quote:
Originally posted by SilverNeonRacer
Now what if it went like this?
Cop: "Do you know your tail lights don't work?"
Me:"Hmmm they where working when I warmed up my car earlier"
Mind you I'm anal about lights, normally lights have to be one of the easiest things to maintain. It pissed me off to see a brand new $30,000+ vehicle with a burnt out bulb
there’s a guy in my neighbourhood with an fx 45 with only one hid working lol. |
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| SilverNeonRacer |
quote:
Originally posted by chris@apex
The mp's i talk to say there is two kinds of tickets. Moving violation? and somthing eles, the ones the cops give out all the time. somthing to do if you cars broke, you have one chance to get it fixed???
I've gotten one of those before where I was told if I had it fixed the next day to swing by the RCMP station and somebody would check and if ya it was fixed they would tear up the ticket. |
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