Well that was an expensive night...

[fishtail8]

Went out for a cruise last night, wound the Poncho up on an off ramp onto the emtpy highway, and low and behold.... cops at the other end of the underpass. Tagged me for 61km/h over... ack. Took 3 yrs to get my first ticket in this crate, might as well make it a good one!

He asked what was up with the driving and I told him just wringing out the week's frustrations, I was polite and cool about it and so was he. The other cops were on the radio mentioning loud exhaust, tint and a few other things. He only came back with the one, but it's got a court date.

Could have been alot worse, now to debate about showing up to court myself, or hiring an outfit to take care of it. Ahhhhhh well, it was bound to happen eventually...

[xx_ED_xx]

Dont know how it works in canada, but if it is anything like here I would hire someone. All the tickets I got If i would of I would be a lot better off right now.

[class67]

Can't you just go to traffic school?

[Kenova]

You're lucky you're not in Ontario. You would be talking impound, automatic fine, and license suspension for anything 50kph (30mph) over the limit.
The sooner this draconian law is struck down the better.

Ken

[surlyjoe]

Wow, nice ticket. I don't even want to know what that would cost here in mb. Definitely get a suit. Sometimes ends up being cheaper than paying the ticket.

[Mathius]

I don't know how they do this in Canada either, but around here, you more or less expect to pay $55 in court costs the moment you walk in the door, and then whatever you're fined. They usually lessen the fine if it isn't your first offense. Sometimes the prosecutor will cut you a deal to get the points off your license and lessen the fine as well.

If it's some kind of traffic violation and you get a fair judge you can usually get off with the "his word against yours" if you have a reasonable case.

I had a cop give me a ticket for supposedly not coming to a complete stop at a red light before making a left. He more or less refused to talk to me when he pulled me over to even try to argue with him. Fortunately there are 2 things that need to happen for you to make a right hand turn on red. You have to come to a complete stop and there needs to be no obstructions. By the cops own omission it was a clear day and there were no other cars anywhere near me except the one behind me, and neither of us could prove whether I came to a stop or not, so the judge threw it out.

But here's the catch... I had to show up in court twice. Once to get my court date, and once to actually see the judge. I would have missed out of about 8 hours of work. But my boss was cool and covered for me and paid me both times because I'm a good worker for him, so I didn't miss out.

So think about that. Court costs, a fine, and missing hours of work. Is it going to be less than the ticket? Or do you REALLY need those points off your license? I doubt it if it's been 3 years since your last ticket.

Mathius

[dadto2jays]

Here in Miami pay 65.00 and let the attorney handle it....

[fishtail8]

Well talked to a "traffic tickets specialist" today. For his $800 charge he goes to court for you so you never have to set foot in, gets the find dropped to $1000, you don't get your license suspended, but you still get 6 demerits. I'm going to phone around and see if it's the going rate. I'm sure they're all in cahoots with each other anyways.

[fantasygoat]

Man, X-Coppers is, max, $300 here in Ontario. $800?!?! That's insane.

[TonyHuntimer]

When I had to hire a suit for a exhibition of speed ticket (burnout/launch) it cost me $1200 in California. Going rate at the time (1998). It was better than the cost of ticket + insurance rate increase + points on record.

Never set foot in court. On court date, I was in Nevada testing for a high-speed open road race where we were clocked at 161mph in a '69 Camaro.

Tony Huntimer
RaceHome.com

[6'9"Witha69]

When I had to hire a suit for a exhibition of speed ticket (burnout/launch) it cost me $1200 in California. Going rate at the time (1998). It was better than the cost of ticket + insurance rate increase + points on record.

Never set foot in court. On court date, I was in Nevada testing for a high-speed open road race where we were clocked at 161mph in a '69 Camaro.

Tony Huntimer
RaceHome.com

I paid $55 for exhibition in 1997. Did a burnout so big and long I was pulled over 2 miles up the road b/c the officer had to wait for the smoke to clear before he could proceed safely. I met the ADA and plead it down to speeding 5 mph over the limit. I went to a criminal court judge who had no idea what to fine for 5mph speeding, so he asked the clerk. She said $40. an additional $15 in court fees later I was off.

[TonyHuntimer]

Lucky! I thought mine was a ticket I could go pay at the courthouse early. The clerk informed me that I could not pay, I had to go to court since Exhibition of Speed is a misdemeanor...a much bigger deal than I thought. I couldn't cancel the race in Nevada, so I had to hire a suit to be there for me. It all worked out. The "speeding" ticket it was knocked down to was not too expensive and I got to go racing.

Tony Huntimer
RaceHome.com

[6'9"Witha69]

Oh, I can't tell you the sweaty palms I had going into that meeting. And then I was heard between motion filings for a murder case and an assult case.

[Mathius]

Well talked to a "traffic tickets specialist" today. For his $800 charge he goes to court for you so you never have to set foot in, gets the find dropped to $1000, you don't get your license suspended, but you still get 6 demerits. I'm going to phone around and see if it's the going rate. I'm sure they're all in cahoots with each other anyways.

Wow, am I reading this right? Your fine gets DROPPED to $1000.00 and you have to pay the specialist $800 on top of that?

And I used to complain about $100 speeding tickets here. But then I never got clocked at 37mph over.

Mathius

[Motown 454]

I worked construction in Rhode Island. One morning one of my laborers told me to look at this guy flying down the road. He was passing people like they were going backwards 50' behind him a RI state trooper . He pulled the guy over and yelled at him. Then he let him go???? He ended up being my detail cop. I asked him why he let him go . He said he was doing 100 mph I had a hard time keeping up with. Anybody that can drive like that deserves a break.
If it were me I would be cuffed and beaten before going to jail.

[fishtail8]

Alright, some closure to this issue from last summer. The ticket specialist went to court for me, I never had to set foot in or take any time off work. I paid him $800 for his services, the fine reduced to $600, 2 demerits, and no suspension of drivers licence. To down to 2 demerits I spent a day in a traffic course for $100.

All in all, I feel it was worth me sending him to handle the situation for me. An expensive lesson that's for sure. Keep your eyes open next time you open em up!

[shortrack]

If it was me I would have let you off......if that makes you feel any better

[Evil Stu]

Sometimes I think there is no rhyme or reason.

Get this: Two years ago I got a 70kph in a 50kph zone ticket, while in FULL UNIFORM with MEDALS!, on REMEMBRANCE DAY!!!!

Cost $354 and a 1 week suspension (mandatory here for any speeding ticket).

Either they really needed the dough that year or he really didn't like the car.

Oh well, my ass healed,

Stu

[fishtail8]

That sucks Stu! You think he'd have seen things a bit different given the circumstances. Or he thought you would have known better.

[Kybosh]

You're lucky you're not in Ontario. You would be talking impound, automatic fine, and license suspension for anything 50kph (30mph) over the limit.
The sooner this draconian law is struck down the better.

Ken

That was the first thing I thought too. Minimum fine of $5000 fine, car impounded for 30 days (at your cost), licensed suspended, insurance rate doubles by law and the list goes on and on for a 50 km/h over offense. A buddy of mine got nailed doing 55 km/h over and it ended up costing him just under $25,000 after a year of dealing with it. Now he is still paying $300 a month insurance. The penalty for driving 50+ is almost more severe then driving drunk.