The New York Roadster Tax [rant]

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BlueMoon, everyone can see it's upset you today so I wouldn't post on this thread any more and then reflect on it again tomorrow when you'll probably feel a bit better about it :thumbsup:

We've all been there.
 
Mike, you're right. I'm peeved. Just didn't appreciate that dude's two cents, while bringing me down. I'd challenge him to a duel if banjos were still legal.


Wondermike said:
BlueMoon, everyone can see it's upset you today so I wouldn't post on this thread any more and then reflect on it again tomorrow when you'll probably feel a bit better about it :thumbsup:

We've all been there.
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Wondermike said:
BlueMoon, everyone can see it's upset you today so I wouldn't post on this thread any more and then reflect on it again tomorrow when you'll probably feel a bit better about it :thumbsup:

We've all been there.
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x2 - sound advice. I disagree with speed limits on limited access highways - but I do agree with speed limits in town though....

Hope it works out for the best BlueMoon.
 
BlueMoon please do not scold me, for trying to help your situation. This is just meant to be friendly advise as I am probably old enough to be your father if not grandfather. Before retirement I worked with Law Enforcement for 27 years so I have a little experience here.

First off you will not be the first person coming into the court room claiming unfair harassment by a cop. He or she hears it all day long every day. Secondly, if it is a municipal or traffic court, the judge will probably know the cop by his first name. Thirdly, you will be looked upon as a young kid in an expensive powerful near race car. A real menace to society. If you are getting the picture that you are being setup, well you are.

I do not know who your lawyer is, but he is either very inexperienced or just wants your money. Anyone who can read the law would be able to tell you that if the speed limit was 30 MPH it does not matter if the lane was occupied, there was not another soul around or anything else. When you hit 31 MPH you were technically breaking the law. The officer has the right at that time if he so chooses to put handcuffs on you put you in his car and take you to jail where you will either have to wait for your court date or get bail. Your signing of the ticket says you personally guarantee your appearance in court or payment of the fine. The cop gave you bail on the side of the road in other words. I am sure there must be other layers on the forum who will say the same thing. Like it or not, fare or not, that is the way it is.

My advice if you were my client is to be humble and polite at all times. Admit your guilt and say something like “ as soon as I realized I had slightly gone over the speed limit, I was doing my best to slow down when the officer here brought my excessive spend to my attention before I could have hurt myself or someone else. I will pay more attention in the future I can assure you of that.” You may also say something like I am a young person with other financial responsibilities and a large fine would put undue burdens on myself and my young family at this time. Tears may help as well. :(

Ok there you have it. I offer this in a friendly un-accusatory manner. I hope you read this and consider it. Please let us know how you did. If nothing else it may be a growing experience and hopefully for you not too painful.
 
BlueMoon, I think you need to chill out. Ducks is one of the good guys. You've had a bad day, but you don't need to take it out on people who have nothing to do with it. For what it's worth, I think you can forget about a riot in the court room -- you'll wind up getting even more heavily put upon. :|
 
Like tec243 said, sometime you are just in the wrong place at the wrong time. A few years back, I got nabbed for doing something like 45 in a 35 zone (in my wife's mini-van no less). Last week, I blew by a cop in my Z4 going somewhere between 55 and 60 in a 45 zone. I thought for sure I was in for it, but the gods were smiling (or the cop was snoozing) and no ticket. Somtimes you win sometimes you lose.
 
WaZ, thanks for the note. With all due respect, you sound like I have a gun in my hand and ready to shoot my hostage :wink: I guess I'm considered the WMD in the forum now for my rather surly attitude toward whatshisface. But I assure you, it was provoked.

I agree, if you go over the speed limit (even for one second), you are technically breaking the law. No gray area there. But I have an issue of "Selective Enforcement to meet revenue needs," in other words, if I'm a cop going to a donut shop and hungry as heck, I will forgo stopping the guy I just saw going 10mph over the limit so I can get some donuts. "It's the middle of the month so I don't need to worry about my ticket quota right now."

Instead... it's "We're on speed detail and catching everyone who's going over the speed limit between the hours of 5pm - 7pm." But for good measure, "I'll add a few miles on the overage just to screw with the guy and I can meet my ticket quota and work on my promotion. It's OK, because it's his word against mine in court." Sure, the cop could be doing other things... like speeding to 911 incidents, patrolling school yards, etc. Nope, "today, we'll be revenue generators!"

I appreciate your advice and do understand it... but there's a time and place to be humble about things, IMHO. Like when you were working overseas and you forgot to call your mom and wish her a happy birthday. Or when you apologized to your boss for not giving 100% on a project he counted on you for (and you didn't come through)... I've been through both.

But having to miss a day of work to go to a courtroom, beg and plead for clemency to a stranger... for an unnecessary charge... it's ridiculous. Drive 30mph and then accelerate to 51 and tell me the real difference :idunno: My point is there is no difference. Was I swurving around the roads? No. Did I endanger the public in any way? No.

Sure, I became a statistic - shaken down for money. That the real intent was not to stop me from endangering the public with my vehicle (because no accident happened), but rather for other things - not driving related.

So I hired a lawyer to take care of it... so I don't choke the judge or the police officer, at least before they both can get a shot off from their guns. I would only imagine a heated shouting match in the courtroom, where I really don't have a chance to say anything - nor would it help my cause any to plead to the better angels of their nature. Sure, I can probably negotiate to get a "no point" penalty, but THEY WANT MONEY.

Thanks WaZ, I get what you're saying, but their idea of law enforcement is crooked.
 
rhetorical question: "What's that supposed to mean?"

This formerly NYC Hell's Kitchenite isn't going to get into a diddy with you either.

Let's consider the matter done with. Thanks.

20ducks said:
This formerly SoutSide Chicagoan isn't going to get into a debate with you. Cya
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geez... moderator, can we quit with the fraternity gang here? Read what he posted to me. I've chilled out now. I've had a bad day, but I'm not going to sit down and take unprovoked insults from a total stranger who says he's from the south side of Chicago.

We've kissed and made up. It's finished. Thanks.

spokey said:
BlueMoon, I think you need to chill out. Ducks is one of the good guys. You've had a bad day, but you don't need to take it out on people who have nothing to do with it. For what it's worth, I think you can forget about a riot in the court room -- you'll wind up getting even more heavily put upon. :|
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20ducks said:
Riot in the courtroom? Ya gotta be kidding, right? Don't ever think you are unique when you go in front of a traffic court judge, you aren't. Pay the $ and pay more attention to what you are doing in the Z4. Remember, to become a judge, one has to be a lawyer....do the math.
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X2..51 in a 30, nuff said..
 
BlueMoon, fight every ticket. That is my motto. I always hire someone to go to court for me. There are 2 reasons - one is that the traffic lawyer/consultant usually knows the officers, crown attorney (aka the guy trying to have the judge throw the book at you) etc. The second reason is that it is MUCH cheaper for me to hire someone than take the day off.

I have a completely clean record and it isn't because I haven't gotten speeding tickets :D
 
Amen, Enfield.

enfield said:
BlueMoon, fight every ticket. That is my motto. I always hire someone to go to court for me. There are 2 reasons - one is that the traffic lawyer/consultant usually knows the officers, crown attorney (aka the guy trying to have the judge throw the book at you) etc. The second reason is that it is MUCH cheaper for me to hire someone than take the day off.

I have a completely clean record and it isn't because I haven't gotten speeding tickets :D
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Brother, I'm glad you trust everything "they" tell you. That's ALLEGEDLY 51mph. We will never know exactly.

Ski said:
20ducks said:
Riot in the courtroom? Ya gotta be kidding, right? Don't ever think you are unique when you go in front of a traffic court judge, you aren't. Pay the $ and pay more attention to what you are doing in the Z4. Remember, to become a judge, one has to be a lawyer....do the math.
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X2..51 in a 30, nuff said..
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BlueMoon said:
Brother, I'm glad you trust everything "they" tell you. That's ALLEGEDLY 51mph. We will never know exactly.

Ski said:
20ducks said:
Riot in the courtroom? Ya gotta be kidding, right? Don't ever think you are unique when you go in front of a traffic court judge, you aren't. Pay the $ and pay more attention to what you are doing in the Z4. Remember, to become a judge, one has to be a lawyer....do the math.
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X2..51 in a 30, nuff said..
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Give me a break..you tellin' me you weren't over the speed limit at all?? There's a comfort zone and then some..
 
Well Bluemoon buddy, I am another New Yorker who just caught himself a nice ticket for 90 in a 65. Sure, I wasn't endangering myself or anything else (empty thruway) but I have an empathetic understanding to how the law works. The guys are just doing their job, and they caught me red handed. If you got caught you got caught, just grin and bear it - arm yourself with the proper defense (which I see youve already done) and move on, no grief required. Its a whole other story if you werent speeding, but even you admit you were.

Theres no point in complaining about what the law actually is, as you or I most likely have no power to change that, unreasonable as it is. If youre outside the city limits, with a lawyer a plea bargain will bring you down to some hefty parking tickets and no points. The reason the officer told you to plead not guilty, while giving you the ticket anyway, is plain and simple. The man is doing his job - he may have even told you to say not guilty because he knows he might not show up in court - automatically dismissing the ticket. It was revenue time and you were one of the chosen ones, have a beer and laugh it off. :poke: :rofl:

Im actually interested in what county you were in...just for my reference (still fighting my own ticket) and if you know what you were caught by (laser, radar, speed match).

Cheers
 
Noooooo Ski, I never said I wasn't over the speed limit, in fact, I probably was... because 30mph is nothing on the road I was pulled over from. I can bet you that average speed of every car that rolls through that road is 40 - 50mph. But now you're totally missing my point of the rant and instead of insulting your intelligence, I'll simply ignore you.

:shutup:

Ski said:
Give me a break..you tellin' me you weren't over the speed limit at all?? There's a comfort zone and then some..
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Ts, your situation is your situation. If you think handing out tickets is part of their job, I'd hate to live in your county, brother. In addition, it's not the officer's job to be my lawyer as well, so telling me to plead "Not Guilty" [from him] is saying, "Just pay up. The city needs money."

I'm sorry I don't share the same "let me just drink it off and forget about it" attitude, but I don't blame you for it if that's how you see it. It's a case where you don't see my point. But whatever.

I was pulled over in Yonkers - going down Central Avenue South, just after the entry ways for Cross County Parkway East and West - toward the stop light. The ticket states that it was "laser."
 
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