When Your Government Is Your Enemy (Cont.)
A few weeks ago I got a “notice of infraction” from the Metropolitan Police Department in the mail. The notice included photos taken by the city’s traffic cameras, one showing my car approaching an intersection near Gallaudet University and a second showing my car stopped at that intersection. There is no photo of my car in the intersection or any hint that anybody ran any red light. Instead, the photos show traffic right in front of my car that would have made it impossible for me to run the light without getting T-boned.
The violation is listed as “Signal Pass Red Lite,” which makes no sense and gets no Google hits. The fine is $75.
How do you fight a violation that never happened and a charge that doesn’t exist? Lately I feel like a magnet for these bogus tickets, but I can’t be the only sap charged with fictional violations. Can I?
Justice lite, indeed.
(And, yes, I paid the fine.)
13 Responses to “When Your Government Is Your Enemy (Cont.)”
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November 21st, 2007 at 11:01 am
If you have stopped past the white line, you have technically already run the light. Duh. You are supposed to stop behind the line.
As a pedestrian, I am glad they are enforcing this and wish they would enforce it more. Cars blocking the crosswalks are a fucking menace. Stop where you are supposed to! Actually, I think your fine ought to be doubled for this, and then doubled again because you demonstrated that you are unaware of the most basic road rules.
November 21st, 2007 at 11:11 am
You’re totally in the crosswalk…
November 21st, 2007 at 11:26 am
Why don’t intersection stop lines buzz like bowling alley foul lines? It’s technologically feasible and would get the attention of drivers looking at GPS and rear-window video-cam displays.
November 21st, 2007 at 11:33 am
Anonymous and Adams Morgan:
I should have added in the post that I was “totally in the crosswalk” because I was making a right turn to go to the Gallaudet campus. “Duh”!(Are you roomies, or is “Fast Times at Ridgemont High” stuck in both your betamaxes?)
If you folks can make a right on red while not breaking the plane on the crosswalk, you’ve got driving techniques that I lack. But thanks for posting…
November 21st, 2007 at 12:21 pm
The first two guys are still right. You aren’t supposed to block the crosswalk when you are waiting to turn right. Unless the photo was taken as you were turning right/actually in motion. But then you are changing your story every time someone calls you out on it.
When I see this when I am walking or on my bike and trying to cross just then, I like to give a few good hard slaps on the trunk to let the driver know he is a moron.
November 21st, 2007 at 12:24 pm
What an asshole writer! What kind of comments do you expect when the facts you originally present paint you as an idiot?
November 21st, 2007 at 1:20 pm
Get yourself some phantom plate for that beast.
http://www.phantomplate.com
And where’s the sympathy, responders? Can’t you see by the looks of that beater that the $75 is going to hurt more than bumper to the shin?
November 21st, 2007 at 1:55 pm
Eaton–Careful with the old Photoblocker. The word among Amazon reviewers is that the spray doesn’t shield you from tickets and turns your license plates yellow to boot. Heed the amusingly woeful tale of “Jake” from Tampa:
“i bought the spray and it turned my plates yellow after a few weeks and i’ve received two photo tickets so far. I contacted the sellers and got no response. I did a little searching on the net and have found that the same thing has happened to dozens of people accross the country. Also, I went into my local paint shop and found out that the spray is just some type of acrylic spray paint.”
And McKenna–Judging from your ride, I think once you accumulate six outstanding tickets you’ll be allowed to trade in your car to clear the balance. That’s what I did with my ‘87 Olds Cutlass Ciera.
November 21st, 2007 at 2:17 pm
Joes Schmoe & Eaton:
don’t side with the fascists! i don’t see how i’m changing my story, “every time” or otherwise. if you read what was written, i wasn’t charged with entering the crosswalk or blocking the crosswalk: i was charged with “Signal Pass Red Lite,” whatever the hell that is.
But even if i was charged by the cops with the offenses i’m being charged with by these non-reading posters, it’s hokum. do you look at the angle of this intersection, and that first white line for the crosswalk, and you say that’s where drivers who are turning right should stay and watch traffic? you gotta be clairvoyant or evel knievel to feel comfy doing that, cuz you won’t be able to see what’s coming.
but if you’re saying you think it’s ok for red light cameras to zap everybody who makes a right on red, we’ll have to agree to disagree, or just agree that you’re wrong. and, Mr. Eaton, well, if you don’t like my car, you should see my clothes!
and, lastly for now, to answer tony lumpkin’s simple question: i expect your kind of comments! thanks for playing the feud!
November 21st, 2007 at 2:53 pm
Not saying the car isn’t cool. At least you have a place to play cassette tapes. Just think you’d look better in the black duelie turning the corner in the first picture.
November 21st, 2007 at 3:08 pm
It’s uncaring Signal Pass Red Lite violators like you that will bring down this blog, McKenna.
November 21st, 2007 at 4:34 pm
Amanda Hess:
i didn’t mean to make lite of the wounds Signal Pass Red Lite violators have inflicted on you and countless others. as a journalist, i felt a duty to shine a lite on this episode, which has left my wallet a little lite as the holidays approach. has even one of you haters stopped to think how many six-packs of Lite that $75 could have bought?
oh, liten up. i’ll stop for now. but does anybody have a clue what Signal Pass Red Lite means?
November 21st, 2007 at 6:10 pm
I think they sell it at the Red Derby.