Just got another one. A "moving violation" although I wasn't moving. Basically, while going through the overly jammed intersection at King and Alapai, the car next to me zoomed ahead and cut in front of me just as the light changed. I was stuck just at the crosswalk, blocking one lane of traffic on King. Happens all the time. Given a few seconds, everyone would have crept forward and I'd be out of the intersection. That area is really bad right now.
Not this time. Immediately, there's a police person banging on my hood, telling to pull over into the next lane -- thereby blocking two lanes -- and ticketing me for blocking an intersection. It was a you-gotta-be-freakin'-kidding-me moment.
The police person explained that the police department has no responsibility whatsoever for managing traffic in such situations -- which explains a lot -- and their sole job is to issue tickets when such instances occur.
So when I said, "Then it's OK for you to block two lanes for several minutes to write a ticket on a person who's blocking one lane for a few seconds?" the police person failed to get the irony. Her response, "Well, yes, because we have the power to do so!" was a bit unsatisifying.
How not to get a ticket in such a circumstance? She said that when a light turns green, even if traffic is moving, you should wait until all traffic has cleared from the intersection and beyond. It would be interesting to test that theory if there was a police cruiser behind you and you refused to move when the light turned green, because of the remote possibility of getting stuck.
I said, then you could stand here all day and give out a hundred tickets because you're not managing the traffic jam and everybody gets caught short, despite their best intentions and even though they're driving safely?
Her response: "Yes."
Not this time. Immediately, there's a police person banging on my hood, telling to pull over into the next lane -- thereby blocking two lanes -- and ticketing me for blocking an intersection. It was a you-gotta-be-freakin'-kidding-me moment.
The police person explained that the police department has no responsibility whatsoever for managing traffic in such situations -- which explains a lot -- and their sole job is to issue tickets when such instances occur.
So when I said, "Then it's OK for you to block two lanes for several minutes to write a ticket on a person who's blocking one lane for a few seconds?" the police person failed to get the irony. Her response, "Well, yes, because we have the power to do so!" was a bit unsatisifying.
How not to get a ticket in such a circumstance? She said that when a light turns green, even if traffic is moving, you should wait until all traffic has cleared from the intersection and beyond. It would be interesting to test that theory if there was a police cruiser behind you and you refused to move when the light turned green, because of the remote possibility of getting stuck.
I said, then you could stand here all day and give out a hundred tickets because you're not managing the traffic jam and everybody gets caught short, despite their best intentions and even though they're driving safely?
Her response: "Yes."
Comment