Did My DU Sticker Help Me Get Out Of A Ticket?

[K8-EEE]

Last week I got pulled over by a lovely CHiPs officer here in L.A. -- I completely did it (turned right on a red light that had a "no right turns on red" signal THERE WASN'T A CAR AROUND FOR MILES THOUGH!!)

I confessed, batted eyelashes, profusely apologized, threw myself on his mercy, you know the usual...

So the guy takes all my stuff, license & registration and all that and goes to the car and I was DEF bummed out at the prospect of an effin' moving violation as I got a speeding ticket in Aug 2004 so I can't go to traffic school til Feb 2006.

But no he comes back out & says, I'll let you off with a warning this time WHEW WHEW WHEW but the funny thing is that when I looked in my rearview mirror watch him pulling out in front of me he looked at the back of my car and gave a thumbs up sign & wink before he left...!

Either he's a DU-er or Basque (my other bumpersticker!) Just in case he's the former and comes across this, THANKS THANKS THANKS OFFICER AND REALLY HONESTLY I WILL NEVER EVER DO THAT AGAIN NO MATTER HOW LIGHT THE TRAFFIC IS!!

[Democracy White]

1. Haven't got a ticket yet, thank God!!!

But I'm really glad that the officer didn't give you one.

Dee

[Pirate Smile]

2. That is great. Whew!

[Deep13]

3. May have been a pretext stop for DUI.

Happens to me sometimes. It is 3am or I am far from my home county and a cop pulls me over for some technical violation and does not write a ticket. A lot of times they are looking for DUIs or drug runners.

[K8-EEE]

4. I'm Lucky He Wasn't Some Freeper Ass Cop Though

Cuz I DID turn right on a red!! He def coulda ticketed me...I've been pulled over for "driving too slow" and that kind of nonsense after the bars close but since I don't drive drunk I don't worry too much. I'm like, "I'm driving slow because I know you guys are out at 2:00 a.m pulling everybody over!" They can't do anything to you for driving 20 in a 35 mile zone, hey I was eating a burrito at the time, LOL!!

[Hell Hath No Fury]

5. The very same thing happened to me...

up in Vacaville a fe months ago -- stopped by a Chippie for a right turn on red at a no-turn intersection. I had a DemocraticUnderground bumpersticker on the car. But I did get a ticket.

LA -- Vacaville -- a world of difference. ;)

[K8-EEE]

8. Awwww....

Sorry HHNF! OMG I hate tickets!!! I feel like they have gotten a lot more aggressive for fiscal reasons, these automatic red light cameras are the WORST my poor hub got one and he was going under 10 mph totally stuck in the intersection the whole time -- it makes people afaid to even GO in the intersection because then if traffic stops for 2 or 3 minutes you're NAILED on the damn camera -- $300!!!!

Careful Westside DUers, Bev Hills & West Hollywood automatic redlight tickets are a NIGHTMARE! You don't even know you have the ticket until it comes in the mail a week later, grrr. Major day wrecker for the hub!

[Hell Hath No Fury]

10. I have noticed that too...

I run between SF and Tahoe to visit my Mom often and I have seen a very serious increase in Chippie presence and ticket writing. I actually got written up three times in just a few months, including when I was on a city street! The right turn on red ticket was appropriate, but the other two were bullshit tickets.

When I appeared in traffic court for one ticket, the place was packed and the judge told us, "It looks like the CHP have been busy again." The way he said it made it clear he was making a it of a statemetn about what he thought of the "busy bees". He ended up dismissing many of the tickets and sharply reducing fines on others. It was a very educational day. It seems the Chippies were prone to picking problem driving areas they knew they could get drivers ticketed at, and then staked out those areas. The judge himself mentioned that he had been hit -- it seems there was an entry to the freeway on which it was very easy to get confused about the lanes and end up in the carpool lane by accident. Chippies would hang out right by that onramp and nail confused drivers for a $250 ticket. When I got my right turn ticket the guy had stopped three other cars at the same time for the same thing! It was clear to me the Chippies are trying to wrack up some bucks.

[K8-EEE]

12. Wow!

I fought a ticket once years ago & there was nobody in there -- it was a BS ticket "not coming to a complete stop" he was like "your wheels didn't stop all the way" at 2:00AM, groan...

Anyhow...he wrote the ticket wrong I realized later, cuz he said I was attempting an impossible right in the wrong direction, it was just a tech error but the judge just dismissed it right off!

[wryter2000]

6. Fantastic!

Way to go, officer! :yourock:

[mongo]

7. Your honesty probably played a part

Cops are used to people getting defensive and making up BS excuses for their behavior. You were most likely a breath of fresh air to him.

But really the no turn on right was likely a pretext to check for signs of DUI - and the fact that you were honest and friendly got you the warning instead of a ticket.

[K8-EEE]

9. Yeah I Coulda Been Like GWB & Said I Don't MAKE Mistakes

LOL but actually there is a good reason for the sign -- since two opposite streets can have left arrows there simultaneously like?? Hard to explain but I shouldn't have turned.

[Catherine Vincent]

11. I don't think that was it.

He let you off because you must be fine. You go girl! :-)

[uppityperson]

13. You just never know, could be.

Thanks officer for being a decent human.