question about speeding tickets

[Flying Spaghetti Monster]

Something strange happened tonight .. a cop stopped me for speeding. Here are some things about the stop:

- He told me that the stop was being recorded
-He only took my licence, not my registration or insurance
- He didn't give me any paperwork
- I was borrowing my mother's car
- he only took three minutes to return to my car, maybe less.

I'm reading that they can mail you tickets but I've never had it happen How does this work?

 

[Robert Maxwell]

They'll mail you a ticket which specifies the fine and tells you where to mail your payment (or how to pay online, if available.)

It doesn't matter that you borrowed your mother's car. Your license tells them where to send it.

 

[Saga]

my advice to you is to start drinking heavily.

 

[Flying Spaghetti Monster]

my advice to you is to start drinking heavily.

I already started

 

[Leviathan]

...did you try a Jedi mind trick ot get out of it? That usually works.

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

...did you try a Jedi mind trick ot get out of it? That usually works.

Or a box of donuts

 

[Trekker4747]

I've only ever gotten two or three tickets, ever, and of that one of them was a speeding ticket. In each instance where I was pulled over, ticket or no, the officer asked to see my license and proof of insurance. Though in the most recent stop on my license as I suspect as the system grows more and more efficient is more connected. I didn't even have to show proof of insurance when I most recently got my car's registration renewed,

Anyway, in all instances where I've gotten a ticket or have known someone who's gotten a ticket they were immediately given one. Only time I've heard of a ticket being mailed is cases where the violation was caught by a camera (speed camera, red-light camera, whatever.)

Perhaps in more densely populated areas with a more spread-thin police force in an effort to maximize time they do the mail-in thing, but that just seems a little odd and maybe too much room for abuse on the part of the officer. Who knows what he'll put down when he makes the actual ticket?

(Though, either way, I guess you have to sign it and you contest any discrepancy in court.)

Though not needing to show registration or insurance makes sense, running the plates on the car will ensure that they are current and valid and running the license will ensure it is valid, there's insurance tied to it (or your name/address) and there's no warrants or anything on you.

But it does strike me as odd you're not immediately given a paper ticket unless the cop just let you off and didn't say anything.

 

[Flying Spaghetti Monster]

It's just odd.. the whole thing. He mentioned that he had another call...

But what was odd was that while I still live in the same place that is indicated on my license, they did some re-canvasing of my county so the number of my house as well as the street name was slight changed (from "Park" to "Road") and when the cop came back to my car he asked me if I still live at the address (pointing to my license), and I said yes yes but I told him the change in number and the street. However, he did not write either down and he just left. So either he was trying to kind of jolt me to reality by saying he was sending me a ticket in the mail when he really isn't, or he is going to send it using the old number on my license, and who knows if I am going to get it. Hell, my license could be suspended due to non-payment if I don't get any paperwork.

How long does a cop have to mail a ticket?

 

[Robert Maxwell]

I would say if you haven't gotten your ticket in the mail within 30 days, you aren't getting one.

It's entirely possible he forgot to do everything required and just isn't going to file one for you.

 

[Flying Spaghetti Monster]

Yeah thanks for that!
But I hope that if he does send one, then the mail knows to send ti to my re-canvassed address. I hope to not have a license problem because I never got it

 

[Captain Kathryn]

Eh...I've gotten lots of speeding tickets.

Not sure where you are located, but where I live (NJ/NY) they always gave me the paper ticket right there.

Anyway, depending on the severity of it you have two choices. Either pay the fine online and get the points (like I said, depends on the severity). If you were only going like 10 miles over, it's probably only 1 or 2 points so whatever if you want to pay online.

For more severe speeding tickets, you really should go to court. You have to call and tell them you are coming to court (technically a not guilty plea, but when you go there you can talk to the prosecutor and make it a guilty but less penalty). So if you go to court, just tell them you want to talk to the prosecutor. This is easier to do in less busy courts. When you see the prosecutor, he or she will try to amend the ticket to a lesser charge on the condition you plea guilty.

I've gotten 5 point tickets reduced to 0 points but with a heavier fine. But it was worth it to me.

Haven't gotten a ticket in about a year though. Now I take mainly public transportation since my new job is in NYC and heck no am I driving there, so I have been better...

 

[Captain Kathryn]

It is also possible he let you off and that's why you didn't get the ticket.

Just call the court for the town you were IN when he pulled you over and give them your name and ask if there is a ticket for you.

 

[Flying Spaghetti Monster]

Captain Kathryn thank you for all the advice. I'm not far from you, I'm in the Poconos.. not sure if there is a point system here.

 

[Captain Kathryn]

Captain Kathryn thank you for all the advice. I'm not far from you, I'm in the Poconos.. not sure if there is a point system here.

Yeah, most of the US uses a point system I think. Are you in NY state or PA? You can look up your states point and court system by going to your state's DMV site.

Anyway if you call the court and give your name they can tell you if you have a ticket or not. They might whine about why don't you know your ticket number, but they are obligated to tell you.

 

[Crusher Disciple]

Did you try showing the cop your boobs? That's always worked for me.

 

[auntiehill]

*must resist urge to make joke about small fines*


Hee hee. (I kid, I kid)


I haven't had a speeding ticket in 17 years, but hubby has. Texas cops don't mess around; you get a paper ticket right then and there. It takes a few days for them to file it but you can also look it up online.

 

[Flying Spaghetti Monster]

I wonder if I can find out online somehow.. since I wasn't yet given a ticket.. how would I do this?

I got stopped for a "ticket" early on Black Friday, the same morning the Force Awakens trailer came out. I since have gotten nothing in the mail.

 

[RoJoHen]

I wonder if I can find out online somehow.. since I wasn't yet given a ticket.. how would I do this?

You could probably just call the police station, or maybe the courthouse to see if you have any outstanding fines.

 

[Captain Kathryn]

I wonder if I can find out online somehow.. since I wasn't yet given a ticket.. how would I do this?

I got stopped for a "ticket" early on Black Friday, the same morning the Force Awakens trailer came out. I since have gotten nothing in the mail.

You think back to what town you were in when he stopped you. So if you were stopped in XXXX city, you Google the court phone number for that town/city and call them up and give your name and ask if there is a ticket in your name on record.

They are only allowed to issue you a summons in the town you were stopped in. So if I was stopped, for example, in Oak Ridge (my hometown), I could not have a summons in any other town. The officer who stopped me would have to be an Oak Ridge officer and issue me a summons for Oak Ridge.

 

[Flying Spaghetti Monster]

I went to the local court and asked them to look me up to see if there was anything outstanding.. they didn't see me for anything. Apparently he either never filed my ticket or won't file it!

Time for a beer!