[downest]

Yes, again.

Last night, on my way to get some ice cream from the grocery store at midnight, I got pulled over for not signalling. Since I did the wire tuck, the front right signal has been intermittent I think, as sometimes the indicator is blinking fast like I have a bulb out, but it's not consistent. I think it's the ground box not making a solid connection. Anyway, so I was in a turn-only lane, and I'm sure I signaled, I always do, so it must have been out, and after I made the turn, a police car coming from the other direction followed me into the parking lot and pulled me over.
I have to say, it was the rudest cop I have ever dealt with, and he was very intimidating to me. I had just put different pants on before I left (I was previously wearing shorts, and it's getting chilly) and didn't have my wallet, so to make it worse I didn't have a license on me. I was also told my exhaust is too loud, and there were "about 6 other things" I could be getting tickets for.
I ended up with one for failing to signal and another for driving without a license, and my friend who was with me became the first person other than me to drive the mini-me (good thing she can drive stick).

Now what I'm wondering is, is it worth it for me to fight the signalling ticket? The officer asked me to see it, so I did, and of course that time it worked. I know it doesn't work sometimes, but I also know it's my fault, I'm not sure what to do (besides of course, to fix it!). Also, I was in a turn-only lane, so I'm not sure if it's required that I signal.

 

[cbstd]

You were wrong, the cop was right. Take your punishment like a man.

Now get over it.

Scott

 

[downest]

Get over it? I'm not like crying about it here... I've had worse tickets.

What I'm saying is, if I had showed the cop my blinker and it wasn't working, I would have received a faulty equipment ticket, and no fine if I fixed it and showed it to the police within two weeks (this happened to a friend of mine on a faulty equipment ticket). The reason I'm asking is because money is tight, I'm a college student paying all my own tuition and bills, money is tight. I'm not out street racing or something trying to be a dick to police.

 

[lessonsinspeed]

What harm is there in fighting it. If you feel that it wasn't working at the time and you should be able to get a fix-it ticket instead, go to court. Who knows, if the officer doesn't show, you'll get out of both of them.

 

[downest]

But how do I prove that the blinker isn't/wasn't working? I mean, I know it's intermittent, and it's MY fault, because I should have fixed it. Do I take it to a shop or something and have them tell me what I already know, that the ground isn't solid? I don't think it would hold up well if I showed up saying my blinker sometimes doesn't work, but it's fixed now.
I've never really fought a ticket before, I always accept that I was caught breaking the law and plead guilty (or no contest in NH) and pay them, so I don't know how it works. The way I see it, usually when I get a ticket, it's for speeding or something like that. I KNOW I am speeding, and I KNOW it's against the law, so when I get caught doing it I don't mind paying (my wallet minds though). I'm honest about that and I don't see the point in lying to avoid paying the ticket, but this time I really didn't think I was doing anything wrong, for the blinker issue. Driving without my license, I will pay without argument because I should have had it, it was my mistake.

 

[sulk]

I'm guessing if you were to videotape you turning off the signal, and if you can catch it not working then thats some evidence that its acting up. Also even if you did have the mechanics word in writing that the problem can be fixed quickly it might help in court as well. Basically I just think you need evidence, whatever it may be, to be able to fight it in court. Albeit videotape, written mechanics diagnois, copy of the posts about you doing the wiretuck, anything you can get your hands on to help you, to show that it can be fixed.

-Sulk

 

[Dren]

I would fight it. Any way you can keep money out of their hands, go for it.

Take your license into court and prove to the judge you have one. Tell him your story. Also tell him you were in a turn only lane and somehow show/prove to him that the light only works some of the time. I do think you screwed yourself by getting out of the car and showing the cop.

Either way, I would show up in court and contest the charges.

 

[SETI20]

Go to a friendly shop TODAY and have them write you a receipt for serviceing or repairing your turn signal. Don't make it complicated. Just tell the judge the bulb was out.
Bring your lisence. You might get lucky.

 

[downest]

Yeah, Dren, that's what I was thinking. I didn't think I had the option to refuse to show my turn signal though. I didn't get out of the car until he searched me for ID and found nothing.

Bas, I think I will do that this afternoon, but still he saw that the signal worked sometimes.

 

[Baker]

You were wrong, the cop was right. Take your punishment like a man.

Now get over it.

Scott

Whoa!!! :rolleyes1:

Well , To make things simple, I would just tell the judge that you did not signal. Although i am unsure if you need to if you are in a "turn only" lane. As for the license, maybe see if the judge will reduce that or drop it if you provide proof of license to the court.

 

[shorte]

A TURN-ONLY LANE!? That's freaking retarded, your folowing the lines of traffic right? Why should you have to inform other drivers that your going were the road says to go? To me that's like having your blinker on when merging onto the interstate, no shat sherlock where the hell else are you gonna go.
I'd find out about that first, if you don't have to have a blinker on in that situation then that ticket should be dismissed.

 

[SETI20]

Bas, I think I will do that this afternoon, but still he saw that the signal worked sometimes.

Classic sign of a bulb going out, moisture in the fitting, or corrupted wiring.

Fact is, all of these are mechanical faults, that are intermittent.
Yes, you should have solved them. Still means you got cited for the wrong thing.

 

[Baker]

A TURN-ONLY LANE!? That's freaking retarded, your folowing the lines of traffic right? Why should you have to inform other drivers that your going were the road says to go? To me that's like having your blinker on when merging onto the interstate, no shat sherlock where the hell else are you gonna go.

You still need to use a blinker when merging.
If i am reading the NYS V&T law correctly, it states;
"No person shall turn a vehicle at an intersection unless the vehicle is in proper position upon the roadway as required in section eleven hundred sixty, or turn a vehicle to enter a private road or driveway, or otherwise turn a vehicle from a direct course or move right or left upon a roadway unless and until such movement can be made with reasonable safety. No person shall so turn any vehicle without giving an appropriate signal in the manner hereinafter provided."

Essentially, no movement can be made without signaling.
So a "turn only" lane may fall into this.
When i am in a turn only lane, i myself use the signal, just out of habit.

 

[downest]

I didn't think I had the option to refuse to show my turn signal though. I didn't get out of the car until he searched me for ID and found nothing.

Maybe, maybe not. You might possibly been within your rights under VT law to have refused to show him your signal, simply stating that it's broken. And he could have sat in the parking lot and waited for you to leave without signalling and wrote you another ticket...and another and another all the way home.

I doubt it, though. It's part of "the investigation" and as such he'd had the right to inspect your vehicle. I'm sure VT code has a section that says cops can inspect vehicles.

I'm in NY (this time), though I'm sure it's the same.

Obviously, there's more to this story than we're getting here. I'm confused about the "searched you for ID" part. I don't search someone unless I think they are lying to me about their name or something (like when people hesitate when giving me their DOB or say things like "What's my name?" when I ask what their name is).

I was also confused. He asked me to get out of the car, and checked only my rear pockets of my pants, which had $3 in cash. I had a lighter, my cell phone, and my keys to my apartment in my front pockets, which he asked me to remove and show him. Really it wasn't much of a search. After that I repeated to him my driver's license number, lucky I knew it I guess. He was trying to search based on my name, address and DOB (all information that I gave, verified on my registration) and said he wasn't finding anything. I think he was hesitant because I didn't have ANY ID on me. I didn't lie to him, and I was very polite (learned my lesson a while back on that!), despite the officer interrupting me constantly and talking to me in a very demeaning tone.

Or, perhaps, you just got the one of those [butt-head] cops I keep telling everyone about. It's why better people should become cops. And, to a large extent, we are becoming more and more professional.

I was telling a friend of mine about this today, and it turns out he was pulled over by the same cop last fall! We checked the tickets to verify the badge number and name. My friend is 19, and he still has his original Kansas license from when he was 16, which as you might imagine looks completely different... and to top it off it doesn't scan right in NY for some reason. He got pulled over fooling around in THE SAME parking lot I was pulled over in. When he gave him his license, the cop thought it was fake, since it didn't look like him, and wouldn't scan into the computer. Good thing nobody tries to fake an under-21 ID! So anyway, at first I was telling him about the cop being rude to me, etc, and he thought it was just me being me again. I'm known to be argumentative, and also I've been pulled over a lot, I think the campus police know exactly where the black CRX is at all times (but it pays to be the president of the Autoshop!). Then when we checked if it was the same guy, he believed the whole thing. So maybe it was "one of those butt-head cops."

 

[rex2nr]

Mark, I am assuming Tom got pulled over near school, which would be in NY.

As fas as I know, you should still signal, even if in a turn lane.

Go to a shop, find someone who can tell you you have a loose connection, in writing, and head to court. Get to court early and discuss the situation with the district attorney too.

 

[Dodo]

Going to court early does nothing, ask me, i know. Last time i went was for driving an unreg car. Got there nice and early, 9 o clock on the dot. Got in there, signed in and started talking to some people also waiting. I didnt get out of there intill 12:45. I was not happy. Lucky for me, i didnt work at the time so i didnt lose any money out of it, but still, its the hole point of the thing.

The judge tells you, "You have the right to a speedy trail." I laugh at this every time because there is nothing slower (expect the DMV) then court.

 

[rex2nr]

Going to court early does nothing, ask me, i know. Last time i went was for driving an unreg car. Got there nice and early, 9 o clock on the dot. Got in there, signed in and started talking to some people also waiting. I didnt get out of there intill 12:45. I was not happy. Lucky for me, i didnt work at the time so i didnt lose any money out of it, but still, its the hole point of the thing.

The judge tells you, "You have the right to a speedy trail." I laugh at this every time because there is nothing slower (expect the DMV) then court.

Going to court early only allows you to speak to the District Attorney for advice about your case. I never said you would get out of there any earlier, lol.