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734K views 6K replies 680 participants last post by  LivesNearCostco 
#1 ·
Okay, I've been debating doing this for a while now. And, I'm kind of tired of the "I hate cops" threads. Have you ever wondered why a cop gave you the ticket rather than someone else? Is this mod or that mod legal? What would a cop do if he saw this or that happen on the road? As many of you know, or have been able to figure out, I'm an Officer with the California Highway Patrol (It is, therefore, my primary job to give tickets, take drunks to jail, and write-up accident reports). I've been doing the job for about three years, which doesn't make me an expert. I figure that it would be nice to allow you guys to "pick me brains" on stuff. I'd like to be able to answer questions that you guys have about certain situations, and what not.

Keep in mind that some of these answers are MY opinion, not those of the department, or even other Officers. Even if you do what I suggest, you might still get a ticket, or go to jail. There will have to be rules, though. Here they are:

Main rules are these --

1) RESPECT -- I'm not going to put on my flame suit, anyone that's going to post in this thread SHALL be respectful to me, and other Officers. Anyone who is not, won't get a reply. Call anyone with a shiny piece of metal on their chest a "Pig", and you won't get a reply.
2) HONESTY -- Be honest about what happened, and how you reacted. What you, and the Officer said.
3) BE NICE -- Not following this is the most important. Foul language SHALL be kept to a minimum! If you can't express your anger without first calming down and using adult words, then I have no room for you in my life.

Others are things along these lines --

1) Questions about Vehicle Code SHALL be in regards to California laws only! I don't work in other states, and therefore have no knowledge of their laws. If you bring up a law in another state, you have to post the law in question. Even then, I would only have limited knowledge in regards to it.
2) You can ask me what I would do in a given situation, but don't expect other Officers to do the same.
3) Other Officers can post replies to questions, but everyone SHALL follow the two primary rules.
4) I enforce the law, I don't write the law. If you have a problem with how a law is written, this isn't the place to air your concern.
5) After I turn the ticket in, I have limited knowledge on how to deal with it. My knowledge is limited to what I have encountered in my own experiences with getting tickets (yes, I do get them from time to time).

Questions about the CHP might be able to be answered on the Departments website www.chp.ca.gov

With all this in mind, let's see how this thread goes. I'll try to answer questions as best, and as quickly as I can. I don't have the ability to spend hours upon hours each day on these forums, so I might not be able to answer things right away.
 
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#1,389 ·
okay sorry if it's been asked before but it's a really long thread and the words 'fix it ticket' are used way to much.

so if the car is in somebody else's name and i'm driving it i can't get a fix-it ticket right? so if the car is in my parents name, and i have my parent's last name does that count as another person or would i still get a ticket?

thanks guys, sorry if the question has been asked. i know you guys get a lot of repost.

thanks,
-raj
 
#1,390 · (Edited)
Per vehicle code section 40001, equipment violations are the owner's responsibility. You can be issued a cite, but the registered owner is responsible for getting the fix done. In fact, technically you don't even need to sign the citation and the officer can mail it to the registered owner...
 
#1,392 ·
frobie15,
If you get pulled over for a illegal front tint (a fix-it ticket), and have the tint removed and signed by an authorized agency, how much would be fine? Are you suppose to pay the bail amount on the letter they send you? thanks!
 
#1,394 ·
Depends on how it is written. Here in L.A. County, if the citation is marked "correctable", it is a $10 administrative fee, if marked "non-correctable" you have to pay a fine in addition to the fee...
 
#1,396 ·
No, and yes...if you are in an emergency, you are required to follow the rules of the road and still pull over if directed to do so. This is why you call 911 for something like this, since (at least in the city of L.A.) fire department response times are usually about 5 minutes or less, and the Fire Dept can begin treatment immediately upon their arrival. That being said, if you have a legitimate emergency, unless you were really endangering the lives of others, I can't imagine you would be cited...
 
#1,406 ·
It doesn't really bother me...I may ask to search your car to make sure you don't have it for scandalous reasons, but I uesd to have a scanner when I was earlier and I would drive around with it, so I don't see it as being a problem.
 
#1,407 ·
Hi I was told that I should post this here,

well ok so today I got a speeding ticket for 60 in a 45 zone.... on december 23 2006 I got a speeding ticket for 61 in a 45.... Until december 23 I han't had a speeding ticket or anything since like 1998.

here is my question,

how many "points" might be taken off of my license for this new ticket I know my my insurance going up and I have no problem paying the ticket itself. Also last time I got a ticket I opted to take the class so it would not go on my insurance..... but I forgot about taking the class until it was too late....

I live in roseville california so if anyone near me knows thanks.
 
#1,408 ·
:excited: My turn, my turn...

Jason,

Your 1st ticket earned you one point. The fact that you signed up for traffic school but never attended or turned in a certificate only means you just paid the court some extra money (the traffic school fee)… Your conviction still stands and is recorded as a point on your record.

Your 2nd ticket will earn you another point UNLESS you post bail, pay the additional traffic school fee, sign up for & attend a class and more importantly, TURN IN A CERTICATE OF COMPLETION on or BEFORE THE DUE DATE.

You are allowed 4 pts in 1 yr (12/23/06 thru 12/22/07 in your case), 6 pts in 2 yrs or 8 pts in 3 yrs… any of those situations will earn you the title of a “Habitual Offender” (by DMV terminology) which means a 6 month suspension + 1 year of probation (during which you must not receive any citations or be involved in any accidents where you are found at fault).

Incidentally, your 2nd ticket should be a little cheaper (around $100 or around $130 with the Traffic School Fee) than your 1st since s/he wrote you up for 15mph over instead of 16mph over like the 1st one.

Cliff notes:
You now have 2 points unless you turn in a Traffic school Certificate of Completion for your second ticket.

Total cost, about $130 plus what you'll have to pay for the class.

Not being sarcastic but at the rate you're going, you will earn your 4th point by mid November/07 & lose your licence for 6 months.
 
#1,411 ·
Hey thanks for all the information! I really appreciate it!

Update... the information I gave was wrong the last speeding ticket wasn't dec 23 2006 it was dec 23 2005... don't know if that makes a difference or not, but I will try for the traffic school this time and if I can take it I will and actually complete it this time around!

Another interesting thing is I was looking at the ticket it's self today and noticed that the officer had checked "lidar" as the means of detection! I didn't know they used that around here?

Again thanks for all the information.
 
#1,414 ·
Hey thanks for all the information! I really appreciate it!

Update... the information I gave was wrong the last speeding ticket wasn't dec 23 2006 it was dec 23 2005... don't know if that makes a difference or not, but I will try for the traffic school this time and if I can take it I will and actually complete it this time around!

Another interesting thing is I was looking at the ticket it's self today and noticed that the officer had checked "lidar" as the means of detection! I didn't know they used that around here?

Again thanks for all the information.
You're welcome... and as far as the date of your first ticket, and since you never actually took advantage of traffic school the first time, it has no affect on your eligibility for traffic school for your second citation. What I'm trying to say is you should still be able to take traffic school for this citation. Do one of the online courses (you can actuall finish it in less than 8 hours :shhh:).
 
#1,420 ·
Believe it or not, they are actually pretty cool. When you go to class to learn how to drive them, you really push them to the limit, and they handle way, way better then you would imagine. I have actually pushed the Ford harder than my M3 and had great results.
 
#1,424 ·
perhaps a stupid question, 3 in the morning.. no cars.. im on a bridge, not windy and calm weather.. straight away for the entire length of bridge.. 4-5 miles
i floor it and hit 140... if i get pulled over and i have full insurance clean record
polite and all, what would probably happen? thanks.
 
#1,427 ·
perhaps a stupid question, 3 in the morning.. no cars.. im on a bridge, not windy and calm weather.. straight away for the entire length of bridge.. 4-5 miles i floor it and hit 140... if i get pulled over and i have full insurance clean record polite and all, what would probably happen? thanks.
Full insurance, clean record, polite.... should not make any difference if you're crazy enough to get caught doing 140 anywhere besides a track.

Just a few bits of info from the California Vehicle Code:
California Vehicle Code section 23103. (a) Any person who drives any vehicle upon a highway in willful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property is guilty of reckless driving.
....
(c) Persons convicted of the offense of reckless driving shall be punished by imprisonment in a county jail for not less than five days nor more than 90 days or by a fine of not less than one hundred forty-five dollars ($145) nor more than one thousand dollars ($1,000), or by both that fine and imprisonment...

PS: the base fine of $145 to $1000 actually translates into $600 -$4100 fine not including the speeding violation. (See bail amount below...)
Reckless driving is a Misdemeanor, not an infraction. My guess is that you'll get arrested, your bail is $5000, and you are required to appear before a judge.

Cliff notes

:hitit: (<-- that's you in the front)

You wanna do 140... Go to the track. :rolleyes:
 
#1,429 ·
are tinted lights illegal?
I have mine tinted.
& i've gotten pulled over w/ a warning not cause of my lights but for speeding.
& they didn't say anything. but i'm not sure.
 
#1,431 ·
:yikes: Dang... I would say those are pretty dark (your tail lights I mean) :p
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Scan back a couple of pages. That same question was just answered...

Well, here:
...My rule is that if it seems to dark, I cite them and let the person who inspects the car figure it out. For me to cite you though, it has to be really, really dark or you have to be an *******...
<o:p></o:p>

<o:p></o:p>
24600 (e) Taillamps shall be red in color and shall be plainly visible from all distances within 500 feet to the rear except that taillamps on vehicles manufactured after January 1, 1969, shall be plainly visible from all distances within 1,000 feet to the rear.
<o:p></o:p>
 
#1,440 ·
I gotta appologize, I was without Internet service for a couple of weeks during a move. Still live in the valley but I had to get out of my crap-hole of an apartment...
 
#1,441 ·
STOPsending me private message for questions that can be answered in the thread!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I don't mind, but it doesn't help other people with the same question (who ask me essentially the same question the next day). If you ask a question that I don't want to answer publicly, I'll send you a private message.

/rant
 
#1,453 ·
frobie- is there some sort of deal with Napa/sonoma valley that you guys look the other way with all the wine tasters?

We know that anyone can be pulled over for drinking and driving after a few tasting stops :4ngie:

p.s. i like this 'deal' haha let me tell you - i enjoy coming back home a bit buzzed -



jk !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
#1,455 ·
You're dealing with Napa county, mostly. I've talked with a Napa Country Sheriff (for a position) and it isn't as bad as you'd think depending on the time of year.

Plus, it's not like they are zoning in on one particular wine taster or anything. So if you get pulled over chances are you've got the tailed signs of a sloppy drunk, are speeding or both!

P.S. Joel, I loved that spoiler you texted me...so did you make the traffic stop for me? :4ngie:
 
#1,462 ·
You have to remember that the defendant needs to subpoena all of that information for the officer to be required to bring it. I usually bring most of it on my own, but sometimes I don't. By the way, I'm not too familiar with TIMPRA...
 
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