So.. I was driving down a old county hwy. and this mini van pulls out in front of me, to avoid getting hit I gunned my engine and made my left turn cutting her off (I had the right away) she tailed me about 11 miles and pulled into the church parking I was attending behind me. I really didn't think anything of it and went inside the church while she sat in her van. About 15 minutes later a city police officer came inside the church to find me. He escorted me outside and made me follow his flashlight with my eyes and walk a straght line all in front of my friends and the lady in the van. He then told me that the woman in the van had called 911 and stated that I was driving like a mad man and went off the road a few times, I mentioned to the officer about her cutting me off and riding my bumper and he said I would have to have the hwy. patrol come out and take my complaint I declined as I did not want to make more of a seen in the parking lot. After she filed the complaint I was issued a tickett for breaking a city ordinance for crossing the white line. The officer informed me that if I get a plate number off a car in a parking lot I can call it in and get them a tickett on my word.. anyone have any advice? Should I fight it or just pay the fine?
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Traffic Tickett
- Thread starter Spock
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
I don't think they give people the right of way in terms of having to cut someone off.
Your final statement seems out of place. Are you saying that you can call the police about any car and claim something happened and they'll get it a ticket? How does that correlate to your story?
It seems to me that there's more here than you're saying, but if this is indeed the truth then the lady cut you off, you likely reacted in a docuhey manner by gunning it around here when you should have stopped, and she reacted in an equally douchey way, her way is going to cost you money.
Her word against yours and now there's a record of it, I'd pay it. I'd be pissed, but I would pay it.
Your final statement seems out of place. Are you saying that you can call the police about any car and claim something happened and they'll get it a ticket? How does that correlate to your story?
It seems to me that there's more here than you're saying, but if this is indeed the truth then the lady cut you off, you likely reacted in a docuhey manner by gunning it around here when you should have stopped, and she reacted in an equally douchey way, her way is going to cost you money.
Her word against yours and now there's a record of it, I'd pay it. I'd be pissed, but I would pay it.
You should have pled the 5th.Then you would've had a fighting chance at getting out of a ticket if the cop didn't see you do it and you never admitted to it. Now I think you're stuck paying it.
I was in a hurry on my lunch break when I typed my original post, I was making a left turn and in the middle of my turn she tried to turn at the same time. Had I stopped she would have t-boned me. I did not admit to doing anything, the tickett was issued on her word. I asked the officer about that and he said that if a person were to get your plate number and turn you in for speeding or anything else they will issue a tickett. She was mad that I made her wait to turn and she was mad that I drove the speed limit. And I was not driving crazy.
very true. You did not have to say a word. You admitted to the violation, without that, he would have had nothing on you.
And that is simply weird. I've never heard of that, you must have some crazy laws on Vulcan. As long as cops are hearing stories why didn't you just give the cop her plate number and say she shot at you or something?
The concerned citizen probably called the DUI tip line which is one among a number of abused public services like CPS and Homeland Security You don't like how someone raises their kids? Call CPS anonymously--some jerk cuts you off in traffic? call the DUI tip line--think someone is a terrorist because they weed whacked your tulips? Call in the feds.
I really do miss the old days when you could just deal with the problem yourself beat someone with a stick and leave it at that.
I really do miss the old days when you could just deal with the problem yourself beat someone with a stick and leave it at that.
In canada, you could take that to court and easily win. First of all, she would have to show up at court as well as the cop (unlikely she shows up, very unlikely they both make it), then you just have to create reasonable doubt. You could start along the lines of were any other cars in the area when you pulled out, how far away was I when you pulled out, etc. It should be pretty easy to show that she was paying very little attention to her surroundings and is not a credible witness. You are not required to take the stand, just make sure you say something along the lines of narrowly missed as opposed to 'to avoid getting hit I gunned my engine and made my left turn cutting her off'.
Good luck. Obviously you are not in Canada, so your mileage may vary in court.
Good luck. Obviously you are not in Canada, so your mileage may vary in court.
No a douche like manner would be to have slammed into the back of her. She cut him off. This happens to me a lot on old farm roads here. I can easily tell someone from out of state that moved here by them cutting me off. The locals know that when it's 65mph in the country, don't pull out in front of someone because everyone is most likely driving 80+... they pull out onto the shoulder and if they want to drive slow they drive on the shoulder. Police and everyone else accept this. Even when I was 15 getting my license they taught us to flow with traffic and local ways of driving, not posted speed limits or lines in the road. Sounds stupid but it works. People actually get ticketed here more for driving too slow then they do too fast. What he did was right. He avoided running over an idiot.
To the OP: You should of just pled the 5th honestly. I mean her word against yours? I'd be a little weary of someone following you for so long and yanking you out of church. Interesting that no one else called 911 if you were such a threat for 11 miles.
I'm assuming she was older. Most likely bored and this was the highlight of her week.I'd never heard of getting a ticket based on another driver's word. What state do you live in?
What he said. If that were true, you can follow that women or anybody you don't like, call 911 and "give" them a ticket.
Depending on what state you live in the law differs. Here it is not allowed on word of mouth. Do you have a court date set? If not call the city PD and ask for one. Then at the trial first ask for proof of the incident and if it cannot be proven other than word of mouth even by a cop then it will/should be thrown out. Make sure to talk to a lawyer first and take one with you. I say you murdered 14 people so you should be sentenced to the death penalty.
He says she cut him off. A cop issued a ticket on her word alone.
Confidence level of this story being fully explained: low.
Well most likely (from the white line statement) they got into a discussion and the OP mentioned passing her because she cut him off on a certain road, most likely admitting to crossing a solid line and incarcerating himself.
I'm pretty sure the cop has to witness the violation in order to write a citation. Go to court, plead the fifth and let the cop try to explain to the judge how he wrote the ticket based on hearsay.
Take it to court and should get thrown out.
At the very least it will inconvenience the lady because it would force her to come to court for basically calling the cops because you annoyed her.
You might of done the wrong thing by cutting her off but it is not the end of the world. Lets face it we all have done it at some point in our lives cutting people off, forcing people to make emergency moves and we have had people do it to us. Mistakes happen.
Hell I have left skids marks on the high way because one guy did not see the lanes moved over and almost force me into a concrete wall. I know it was an honest mistake and the lanes were hard to see and i know it scared the crap out of the guy as well. I know I have force people to hit the brakes hard more than once. I have had to use a horn to keep some one from hitting me because I was in their blind spot just as it has been done to me. It happens to all of us.
Now when a some one makes a dumb ass move around me I normally say a few choice words in my car like "that F****** d******....ect" and that is the end of it. I willing to bet most people deal with it that way.
At the very least it will inconvenience the lady because it would force her to come to court for basically calling the cops because you annoyed her.
You might of done the wrong thing by cutting her off but it is not the end of the world. Lets face it we all have done it at some point in our lives cutting people off, forcing people to make emergency moves and we have had people do it to us. Mistakes happen.
Hell I have left skids marks on the high way because one guy did not see the lanes moved over and almost force me into a concrete wall. I know it was an honest mistake and the lanes were hard to see and i know it scared the crap out of the guy as well. I know I have force people to hit the brakes hard more than once. I have had to use a horn to keep some one from hitting me because I was in their blind spot just as it has been done to me. It happens to all of us.
Now when a some one makes a dumb ass move around me I normally say a few choice words in my car like "that F****** d******....ect" and that is the end of it. I willing to bet most people deal with it that way.
I did not pass her, I made a legal left turn in front of her. I'm going to see an attorney. I did have a court date and I pleaded not guilty and now it's going to trial unless my attorney can talk to the DA and get me out of it.
If you described the situation as well to the officer as you have here, then you might very well have confused him into thinking you admitted to something you didn't do.
What city/state is this in? Unless it is posted IE running a red light and they take your picture a police officer can't cite you if he didn't witness the infraction. Another exception is if you were involved in a auto accident and given the evidence and witness statements you can be cited for the infraction that lead up to and or caused the accident. But I have never heard of someone being cited on the word of another citizen. I would fight the hell out of this.
I agree with this here. If I called every time I see somebody doing something boneheaded on the road they'd probably put my phone on black list by now. There is no way they can issue citations based strictly on hearsay. Fight it tooth and nail. By the way, if he did make a citation like that I would check the state laws on it and maybe even go after the officer if he is in violation. This was intentional on his side and you have the paper to prove it.
Not so, cops don't witness accidents either and write the tickets based on statements, witness's and vehicle damage.......The other driver is the one who testifies...No hearsay at all..There is no pleading the fifth, its a civil infraction not criminal...Most dont wanna hear the lies anyway !!
The other driver signs a complaint you get the ticket..(Citizens Arrest)...Also by pleading not guilty you waive your right to the standard fine (72.00) and could be fined the max in your state..(500.00)..for wasting everyones time...Im not an attorney, but I watch the Peoples Court alot....Umm, that is what "Violation of Right of Way" is...There is also a Statute that is called "Vehicle Turning Left" might wanna look it up and save yourself some scratch !! Too late, about incriminating yourself too !!!