BS Traffic Ticket

[Trekker4747]

Before anyone even mentions it:

Yes, a few months ago following minor brain surgery I was instructed by my doctor not to drive pending a six-month waiting period to ensure I'd have no more seizures (I had a severe seizure coming out of the anesthesia, a seizure a-typical of the kind I'd been having prompting the surgery.)

Per the laws in my state I appealed this and regained permission to drive given that the seizures occured under extreme circumstances (surgery, drugs, etc.) and they were not the type of seizure typical of what I''ve been experienceing and they're under control by medication. In short, I can legally drive following this stuff under the permission of my state and doctor.

Now....

So, this morning I'm driving to work and I come up to a traffic light, red, and come to a stop. There's no other traffic, no cross traffic, nothing. The cross street, a major arterial avenue, had a green-light for all Westbound Lanes (including a arrowed left-turn lane) my intent is to continue forward. I wait at this light for a couple of minutes and nothing happens, the lights do not change for any of the lanes there are no other cars around the intersection.

I back up, drive forward again, hoping to trip the sensor thinking I missed it the first time around. Nothing happens. After a period of I'd say close to five minutes nothing at all has changed, the lights have remained the same. I check the cross traffic and only notice a car coming from my right a good distance away. I run the light.

Well, turned out that car was a police car and, of course, he pulls me over. I tried expalining what happened but the cop doesn't seem to believe me and gives me the ticket anyway.

So what do you guys think? Did I deserve this ticket? I mean, yeah, I did run the light but at the same time there was no dangerous traffic conditions where my running it would cause an accident, the approaching car was a good distance away, just coming over the hill probaby a 1/4 mile away or so and the light was obviouisly malfunctioning. Five minutes is a long time for a light to not change especially when there's no traffic in the "green" lanes, traffic waiting in the red lanes, and the light is under a sensor. I also use this light everyday on my way into work and it's usally very, very responsive to my approach and doesn't favor a lane for more than a couple minutes.

Driving home today the light seemed to be functioning properly and there seemed to be a man working on the control-box for it nearby so any attempt to "record" the light acting up isn't possible for when I fight this ticket. What sucks is something similar to this happened to be before where I had to run a light because it was acting up and I got caught. That ticket I didn't fight and just paid double on it to keep it off the record.

This one I'm going to fight.

 

[JonathonWally]

Go to town hall and ask if the light was being repaired and ask for documentation, bring that to traffic court. Hope for a sympathetic Judge.

 

[Robert Maxwell]

This has happened to me a couple times in the past, usually late at night when there is no other traffic. I would fight it and say that you saw the intersection was clear and the light was obviously not changing. I think it's reasonable to run a red light if you have a clear view of all intersecting roadways and the light hasn't changed for several minutes. Hopefully a judge will agree.

 

[Trekker4747]

This has happened to me a couple times in the past, usually late at night when there is no other traffic. I would fight it and say that you saw the intersection was clear and the light was obviously not changing. I think it's reasonable to run a red light if you have a clear view of all intersecting roadways and the light hasn't changed for several minutes. Hopefully a judge will agree.

That's what I'm hoping, I tried explaing to the cop I had been there for a few minutes and nothing had happened with the light whatsoever (even when trying to trip it by backing over the strip, flashing my lights at the sensor on the pole, etc) the entire time. Cop wasn't having it. Probably caught him at the end of his shift or something and he was being an ass for the sake of it. (He "followed me" the rest of the way to work which is a short distance (a matter of blocks) from the city police station.)

 

[auntiehill]

The cop was just doing his job.

Go to court and fight it. The police rarely have time to show up to traffic court and judge will most likely dismiss it.

 

[Lord Garth]

I hate when that happens.

There's a trick around an unchanging light if there isn't a sign that says "No turn on Red". I take a right turn, keep going, then find a spot to turn around.

 

[Colonel Green]

I've had this problem in the past. If it was the middle of the night, I'd run it. During the day, I'd make a right turn and turn into the next driveway on the left side of the road.

 

[Trekker4747]

This was very early this morning on my way into work it was barely dawn.

 

[JonathonWally]

This was very early this morning on my way into work it was barely dawn.

During the day when that happens to me, even if there's no cars are pedestrians around, I ride my horn and blink my hazards and my highbeams to make myself noticed, just in case.

 

[Finn]

^I once contested a parking violation. The cops at the courthouse claimed they could see the sign saying only vehicles with a certain permit could park there, were visible in the big picture I printed out. There weren't any signs.

 

[Tom Hendricks]

Unfortunately this is not a BS ticket. Regardless of how long you sat there, your not allowed to proceeded through a red light. If you are allowed to make a right turn on red, then make a legal U-turn that would have been the way to go. With that said, I too agree that you should fight the ticket. I would approach the prosecutor before court actually starts and plead your case. He will most likely reduce the ticket. However if he doesn't you have to come with physical proof that there was something wrong with the traffic light. Other wise you will be found guilty and have to pay court fees on top of the ticket cost.

 

[T'Baio]

Yeah, it's not bullshit. How is the cop supposed to know you're telling the truth?

Fight it, you'll get off and all will be good. But the cop was just doing his job.

 

[Captain Ice]

How can the ticket be bullshit when you openly admit that you did it?

You should have made a right (presuming right on red is legal in Kansas) and then made a simple U-turn. Simple, easy, and perfectly legal.

That said, your next step is to get to city hall and obtain documentation that that signal was repaired that day. Then go to court.

 

[RoJoHen]

You should have made a right (presuming right on red is legal in Kansas) and then made a simple U-turn. Simple, easy, and perfectly legal.

Right on Red is fine, but U-Turns are illegal here!

Of course, I'm not in Kansas, so I don't know what he can do.

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

The legality of U-Turns is usually down to a town's discretion. At least here in Illinois.

And then, usually only in certain areas of a town.

Same with right turn on red.

That said, I've done both things at stubborn lights. Go thorough after waiting and waiting, and turning then making a U-Turn.

 

[Flying Spaghetti Monster]

Technically, you did something illegal. That said, I have a pet peeve with crappy lights. I agree you should challenge it.

 

[Roger Wilco]

So what do you guys think?

I think that you can't expect the cops to let you off the hook if you do something like that right under their nose. If they had had a chance to look the other way, maybe they would have, but come on, how can't they give you a ticket in that situation?

 

[Maestro]

I would have made a right turn, assuming that it was legal to do so.

 

[Electric Coleslaw]

How did you not notice that it was a cop car coming? They have those red and blue thingies on top.

 

[T'Baio]

Thank God the legend of the unmarked has been proven a fallacy.

*Phew*