Views and Reactions

This whole thing seemed like a bizarre mistake. Had anyone else received one of these? What did they do?

$490 seemed awful steep for that infraction that is as common as breathing around here and seems to not be known for causing accidents or scaring pedestrians.

The confusing 26mph marking seemed just plain wrong if it had anything to do with my vehicle at the time of the infraction. It must have something to do with this infraction, otherwise why would it be on my ticket? Doesn't each piece of data on the ticket have to be correct, hang together, tell the same story? What if some of it is incorrect?

I asked around. I talked with anyone who would talk about it. I spoke with friends, acquaintances, police officers in coffee shops, officers at various police stations, people waiting for court to open who had a similar ticket.

Some were sure that if I had broken the law, then I should pay, fee unquestioned.  What if the fee had been $1000? $5000? $1,000,000? Did they even care about the fee? Was it even to be questioned?

Some thought, yeah, that sounds like an infraction but the price seemed steep.

Some thought the system was unchangeable so don't even try. Or the system is rigged and too hard to fight.

Some called it a racket.

Some thought they just needed to be safe as they drove. But being safe has nothing to do with it, as my experience should show.

Some thought the cameras aren't always "on" and capturing offenders. Or somehow we each only get one per lifetime. Quite a few were sure it was all about getting more funds. "If we'd all pay more taxes ...".

I spoke with a number of police officers from different local jurisdictions. One even admitted that they commit this same infraction while driving off duty. None admitted to doing it while on duty although they wouldn't have to and I didn't put them on the spot. I could set up my own little sting operation and prove it way too easily if they denied it.

I did learn that in some precincts if an officer in a marked car was caught by a camera committing an infraction, then they would receive a harsh talking to the first time. The second time they would get a day off without pay. But for intersections without cameras ... well, I can only guess that those aren't treated in the same way because I see them often enough without even looking for them, which I think is fine, by the way. Just stop giving tickets for this. I don't think anyone is interested in being held to a different standard for an innocuous behavior. I am surely not.


One officer told me it's still not a done deal that using camera data in court is legal without an officer who witnessed the infraction. So, if it turns out it's illegal, we'll all get our money back plus compensation for the hassle, right?

What do others do now that they've heard my incessant fumings or have received a similar ticket of their own?

Some avoid the intersection where they got the ticket.

Some look around more for cameras and police.

One person started making complete stops at a camera-ed intersection that he uses frequently.

No one I know of has across the board stopped doing rolling stops though I sit in some of their cars while they drive and I just say "four hundred and ninety dollars" every time they commit this infraction.

None have been involved in an accident involving such either, as was true for them before I received my ticket.

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