I'm a magnet for stupid traffic tickets

[buzz1941]

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."

[lavagal]

Re: I'm a magnet for stupid traffic tickets

I feel your pain, Buzz. I was sweating it this afternoon when I turned left from King to Piikoi to get on the freeway and head east. The light easily was green, the two vehicles in front of me moving at a good clip, and there I was stuck on top of the crosswalk right at that new 7-11 service station. I was dying that a cop wouldn't see me. I sat there a good 45 seconds before getting a chance to inch forward. There you are really, not looking to get away with something, just looking to get home.

[buzz1941]

Re: I'm a magnet for stupid traffic tickets

This almost beats the time a policeman tried to cite me for "Aiding in the commission of a crime," because it was MY car that got robbed. It seems that if my car hadn't been robbed, then there would have been no crime, ergo: I was the responsible party. Luckily, the other cop on the scene talked him out of it.

[zff]

Re: I'm a magnet for stupid traffic tickets

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.

Sorry if I sound unsympathetic or sarcastic; I don't mean to be... but isn't that what most people do? I know that's what I do.

You don't enter an intersection until you know you can make it out the other end w/o blocking traffic, right? When traffic is only crawling along, most people wait on their side of the intersection until the it's clear and the car in front has cleared the intersection by at least 1 car length, then zoom across and tuck themselves behind the car in front. That way, if the light were to suddenly change on them, at no point would they be blocking any part of the intersection or the crosswalks.

That's pretty common knowledge, so I assume that's not what you're talking about. I guess I'm just missing the point you're trying to make.

[tutusue]

Re: I'm a magnet for stupid traffic tickets

Sorry if I sound unsympathetic or sarcastic; I don't mean to be... but isn't that what most people do? I know that's what I do.

You don't enter an intersection until you know you can make it out the other end w/o blocking traffic, right?[...]

Ditto ZFF!!! However, it sounds like Burl just needed a coupla seconds to inch forward and the policewoman needed to fill a quota!

Like you, ZFF, I hang back at an intersection if there's the remotest chance I'll get caught blocking it...the horns behind me be damned! They can honk all they want! What really gets me is what happened to Burl...that is, someone cut in front of him thereby causing him to block one lane when he'd already assessed the situation and knew he could make it thru. Now, THAT'S the time to honk one's okole off...right ericncyn?!!! BTW, I thought of you when I made it thru the Piikoi and Lunalilo intersection today!

[tutusue]

Re: I'm a magnet for stupid traffic tickets

This almost beats the time a policeman tried to cite me for "Aiding in the commission of a crime," because it was MY car that got robbed. It seems that if my car hadn't been robbed, then there would have been no crime, ergo: I was the responsible party. Luckily, the other cop on the scene talked him out of it.

OMG...that's unbelievable! That's one of the very, very few examples of situations that justifies a major case of "road rage"...unlike the hissy fits being posted in the Rudest Driver thread! Ummm...were you parked on a road when you aided this crime? No road...no road rage!!!

Hopefully that cop is no longer on the force.

[buzz1941]

Re: I'm a magnet for stupid traffic tickets

Traffic was moving when I entered the intersection, but then a bus changed lanes and the guy behind the bus changed as well and I was cut off. It's not something that could have been forseen. The police person said she wouldn't have driven it any differently herself.

[cezanne]

Re: I'm a magnet for stupid traffic tickets

Traffic was moving when I entered the intersection, but then a bus changed lanes and the guy behind the bus changed as well and I was cut off. It's not something that could have been forseen. The police person said she wouldn't have driven it any differently herself.

Yeah because in those situations they just flash their lights, blurp their siren... people move out of their way... and all's good.

[craigwatanabe]

Re: I'm a magnet for stupid traffic tickets

I'm teaching my 18-year old boy to drive and one thing I remind him is that if the light turns yellow BEFORE you enter the intersection...you gotta stop, not floor the accelerator and make it thru.

Burl I think (this is just me) if you were apologetic and indicated the car that cut you off made an illegal lane change in the middle of the intersection and entered your lane where you were supposed to be when you committed yourself to crossing the intersection, she may have been more sympathetic.

No one likes a wise ass especially cops on a mission

Once I was waiting at an intersection to turn left when a cop from the other direction indicated he was turning right. When we almost collided because he decided to go straight instead, he hits the lights and orders me to pull over.

He asked me if I was insane to attempt to cut him off while going straight! I told him his right turn blinker was on (still was while he ordered me to complete the field sobriety test) and I thought he was turning right.

When I passed the sobriety test another of Honolulu's finest approaches and hears me arguing my case while pointing to his squad car. It was soooo very obvious that the officer that pulled me over was in fact the one that made the moving violation and not me. They let me go. Thank god I only had two beers that night

[joshuatree]

Re: I'm a magnet for stupid traffic tickets

Traffic was moving when I entered the intersection, but then a bus changed lanes and the guy behind the bus changed as well and I was cut off. It's not something that could have been forseen. The police person said she wouldn't have driven it any differently herself.

Would have been nice if you got that all on video. Like to see how she would defend her stance if the judge saw her saying "wouldn't have driven it any differently herself."

[lavagal]

Re: I'm a magnet for stupid traffic tickets

buzz:
Did she also inform you that you could go to court and contest it and probably get off? That happened to me once. A motorcycle cop got me crossing the solid line when turning left from Kalanianaole Hwy onto Lunalilo Home Road where there is this 20 foot solid line that every one crosses (except me) every day. The city could make a killing setting a cop right there. He told me to go to court and it would be thrown out. So why write it in the first place?

[cynsaligia]

Re: I'm a magnet for stupid traffic tickets

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."

HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONKUH!!!!

hehehe.

if i had seen what had transpired (the guy in the other lane cutting in front of you, thereby blocking your ability to move), neither i nor eric would have honked at you. if it were possible, we would have honked at the guy who cut you off.

and honestly, how stupid of the cop to give YOU a ticket. twas the other guy who caused the problem, and he caused it with an illegal move. am i not correct in that you are not to switch lanes in an intersection unless you are doing something like UNBLOCKING traffic?

grrrrr!

[tutusue]

Re: I'm a magnet for stupid traffic tickets

Ok, Burl...take this issue to court along with print outs of this thread! That'll show 'em. Justice rocks 'n rulez!

[timkona]

Re: I'm a magnet for stupid traffic tickets

I got a ticket for going 70 last year. And went in the next day and paid it with a check.

Just last week I get a letter in the mail from the court house with my check inside. Says that due to a filing error, my check was not deposited.

So I'm looking for the receipt so I can go down and PROVE that I paid the ticket. Not my fault if you didn't take it to the bank.

[LikaNui]

Re: I'm a magnet for stupid traffic tickets

It was soooo very obvious that the officer that pulled me over was in fact the one that made the moving violation and not me. They let me go. Thank god I only had two beers that night

From the similar-but-different department: I got pulled over in Kahala by a cop because... he wanted to offer me a cold beer from a cooler in his car! Turns out he recognized me from a TV appearance and wanted to give me a beer as a thanks.
We live in strange times, my friends.


Burl, sorry about your day, man. It must've been a return-of-karma deal for all those bad sheep jokes.