Speeding Ticket Rant

**7plymaple** · 07-29-2009, 11:44 PM

Back in April I got a ticket for doing 25 over in hamilton. The officer reduced it to 15 over. I shook his hand and said thanks for reducing it. He really seemed like a nice guy.

Went to the courthouse to pay a couple times and they said they couldnt find the ticket. I even called the hamilton courthouse number on the ticket and they couldnt find the ticket. They said the officer hadnt registered it. So I asked "What do I do now?" And was told the best thing to do was to request a trial date. I was told that way they would see the ticket was not registered and send me a notice saying it was thrown out. Or if the ticket got registered in the mean time the worst case scenario would be that it would be thrown out in court because the second time I tried to pay was 17 days after the offense. Apparently the officer has 14 days to register a ticket or it gets thrown out.

So in the mail I get a notice that my court date will be on July 29th IN HAMILTON!!! I live in Oshawa by the way. So I take the day off thinking I will go down to the courthouse and get the ticket thrown out for sure.

But when you talk to the Justice of the peace dude before your up before the judge he said hell look into it before Im up. When it was my turn to go before the judge they both told me the ticket was registered the day after the offense! And there was some error in putting it into the system. So they tell me its not getting thrown out because the officer did his part.

I said fine Ill pay thinking I was going to do that in the first place anyways. I get to the booth upstairs where you pay and it hits me. Im out by hundreds already because I missed a day of work and rode there in the rain. So I say screw it and walk back into the court room. I waited for a break and talked to the procecutor/justice of the peace dude again and at the next break he took me outside to talk to me again.

My goal was to ask for a reduction of the fine just for the principle that I had gone above and beyond trying to own up to my mistake wich was speeding in the first place. Long story short they couldnt see past he end of their turned up noses that I wasnt some punk trying to get a ticket thrown out. He said something like "You got your deal at the side of the road when the officer reduced it". I made so much effort to get treated like a punk.

During my time in the courtroom I noticed the judge looked at everyone as they left for that little bow or nod they do before they leave the room. When I went in to pick up my gear from the edge of the bench I was sitting on I looked back on my way through the door. My eyes met hers but I couldnt do that bow thing.

**zacm7** · 07-30-2009, 01:40 AM

sucks man.

worst for me was when i went to pay for 2 pointless tickets so i pay them both then 6 months later i get stopped and then he comes back to the car to tell me that im driving with a suspended DL because of 1 unpaid fine. i tell him my story that i payed them and he said something seems messed because one was paid but not the other. long story short it sucks i ended up paying twice for one fine and a reinstatement.

**bitzz** · 07-30-2009, 08:31 AM

"My goal was to ask for a reduction of the fine just for the principle that I had gone above and beyond trying to own up to my mistake wich was speeding in the first place."

Maybe you could explain what you mean here?

Seems to me you are "some punk trying to get a ticket thrown out".

**7plymaple** · 07-30-2009, 08:03 PM

Originally Posted by zacm7

sucks man.

worst for me was when i went to pay for 2 pointless tickets so i pay them both then 6 months later i get stopped and then he comes back to the car to tell me that im driving with a suspended DL because of 1 unpaid fine. i tell him my story that i payed them and he said something seems messed because one was paid but not the other. long story short it sucks i ended up paying twice for one fine and a reinstatement.

Yeah thats a very similar situation. Sometimes you straight up own up and try to pay. But they screw up and you get screwed. In my case I didnt even get a chance to pay without taking a day off and travelling just under 300km.

Frustrating.

**clutch** · 07-31-2009, 12:22 AM

So how did you prepare for your trial?

When you got your trial date, did you ask for disclosure?

**Splash** · 07-31-2009, 05:44 AM

Originally Posted by clutch

So how did you prepare for your trial?

When you got your trial date, did you ask for disclosure?

did you read the post? he just wanted to pay the ticket... that's it. He wasn't there to fight it.

**7plymaple** · 07-31-2009, 05:53 AM

^thanks man! Yeah all I wanted to do is pay from the beginning. The officer was cool and part of what bugs me also is that he probably thinks I was there to just get off his ticket after shaking his hand and saying "Thanks for reducing it, I appreciate that." The courts being disorganized just put me in a frustrating (and costly) situation. Im pretty much over it now though. Ranting over!

**dankyyz** · 07-31-2009, 07:29 AM

Totally blows man. sorry to hear. I had a similar situation and was equally frustrated. Admin glitches are a fact of life, and popo is no exception. Riding in the rain blows. But at least you got to go for a ride....???

Thanks for not posting a "i got a ticket for going 25 over, and the cop GAVE ME A TICKET..." rants. LOL. No shortage of them here.

Luck.

Originally Posted by 7plymaple

^thanks man! Yeah all I wanted to do is pay from the beginning. The officer was cool and part of what bugs me also is that he probably thinks I was there to just get off his ticket after shaking his hand and saying "Thanks for reducing it, I appreciate that." The courts being disorganized just put me in a frustrating (and costly) situation. Im pretty much over it now though. Ranting over!

**caboose483** · 07-31-2009, 07:30 AM

Originally Posted by bitzz

"My goal was to ask for a reduction of the fine just for the principle that I had gone above and beyond trying to own up to my mistake wich was speeding in the first place."

Maybe you could explain what you mean here?

Seems to me you are "some punk trying to get a ticket thrown out".

It makes sense to me.

Dude gets a ticket for 15 over, probably worth $90-$100. He tried to pay it at the court house... twice.. but they can't find it. By now he's out time, gas and the pain in the butt of two trips to the court house. I know where the one in Hamilton is too so he probably had to pay for parking.

Then a 3rd trip from Oshawa to Hamilton for the court date. Considering he never wanted to fight it in the first place, his $100 ticket has probably tripled in value due to time off work and gas alone. I would have asked for the same thing.

Listen, i've made three trips to this courthouse and taken a day off work. I'm already out ~$250 just to pay a $100 i never intended to contest. The error with the ticket was not my fault, i tried to pay it on time. Now that error has wasted a day and a half of my time and two trips from Oshawa. I'm ok with having the ticket on my record, but i don't think its fair for me to still be on the hook for this fine because all the running around i've had to do was not my fault.

Or something to that effect.

**caboose483** · 07-31-2009, 07:36 AM

I got a ticket on the 401 near Woodstock about a year and a half ago.

I was test riding a customer's Triumph 675 seeing if it would throw a fault code. Coming back to the shop on the 401 i saw a few cruisers with people pulled over so I was just cruising with the flow of traffic. How much would it suck to get pulled over on a customers bike right????? So i was sticking to 120km/hr going between the middle and left lane with some cars passing me. I rode by another cruiser on the side of the highway, checked my speed, still 120.. all good. 30 seconds later it's behind me with the lights ablaze. I got clocked at 122 and got a ticket for 19 over.

I don't really know why she reduced it to 19 over, all that does is reduce the fine amount by $10 or so.

Anyhow. i went to go pay the ticket a week later but i had lost the ticket. I gave them my D/L but they couldnt pull up the ticket. The cashier told me to take another look and call if i could find the ticket. ahaha yah right!!!! I renewed my plates a few months later with no problems.. and again this spring with no problems.. nothing ever came of it.

**7plymaple** · 07-31-2009, 04:51 PM

Originally Posted by caboose483

Anyhow. i went to go pay the ticket a week later but i had lost the ticket. I gave them my D/L but they couldnt pull up the ticket. The cashier told me to take another look and call if i could find the ticket. ahaha yah right!!!! I renewed my plates a few months later with no problems.. and again this spring with no problems.. nothing ever came of it.

If I ever get in a mess like this again Ill try something like that. Maybe call in a month or so afterwards to see if they have it in the system yet.

Originally Posted by dankyyz

Totally blows man. sorry to hear. I had a similar situation and was equally frustrated. Admin glitches are a fact of life, and popo is no exception. Riding in the rain blows. But at least you got to go for a ride....???

Thanks for not posting a "i got a ticket for going 25 over, and the cop GAVE ME A TICKET..." rants. LOL. No shortage of them here.

Luck.

Actualy the ride was pretty sweet. The ride home was during rush hour so I treated myself to a ride on the 407. I was too ****** to deal with the 401. The 407 is pretty sweet for relaxed cruisin! Its in great condition.

Anyways thanks guys. Its nice to hear from others who can relate when your ******.