Just got a camera ticket

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televator

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So a few nights ago I was on my way to get a cheese burger. I see a red light at the intersection I have to make a right hand turn on and start getting on the brakes. I was coming to a stop. However I crept up past the cross walk slightly and ... HOLLY SHIT I'M FUCKING BLIND. I couldn't see anything but the purest shade of white I've ever seen. It scared me, and all I knew was I wanted to get out of whatever the fuck was going on that was blinding me so I got off the brake and back on the throttle and completed the turn without stopping... It didn't occur to me that it was camera until a moment later. Today I got the ticket in the mail. Well fuck.

So now I have to show up to court and pay a heavy fine for one the most counterproductive instances of law enforcement I've had the displeasure of being the subject of. I was stopping, but I kept going because I couldn't see a goddam thing! Why do they even make you go to court for this? Doesn't the judge usually just go "Yep, that's you. Pay up bud." or is he/she actually going to listen to my case?
 
"I couldn't see so I kept going" is probably the absolute worst defense you could apply to driving a vehicle. I'd say fight it, but rethink that presentation.
 
I usually duck whenever I see a camera flash. Someone behind me got flashed once at night and it scared the shit outta me.
 
Don't say what you just posted in this thread because that was probably the worst way you could've handled the situation. I recommend taking some defensive driving courses or something, jesus dude.
 
I was making a right turn. I wasn't blazing past the red at full bore. As to my reaction -- you know how if someone shines a bright light in your eyes and you just try to get out of its direction? That's how I responded. Plus, it did really scare the shit out of me. It was dark out in the middle of the night and suddenly it's like I got struck by lightning. I made the wrong move I know, there you have it.
 
televator said:
I was making a right turn. I wasn't blazing past the red at full bore. As to my reaction -- you know how if someone shines a bright light in your eyes and you just try to get out of its direction? That's how I responded. Plus, it did really scare the shit out of me. It was dark out in the middle of the night and suddenly it's like I got struck by lightning. I made the wrong move I know, there you have it.
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I get out of its way by moving my head or putting my hand up. Not by turning when I can't see anything in front of me.
 
Listen man, you stop the car when you can't fucking see. You know that, we all know that. You did make the wrong move but moreover you got caught doing it. Own it and don't make stupid decisions like this while driving again for all of our sakes.
 
televator said:
I was making a right turn. I wasn't blazing past the red at full bore. As to my reaction -- you know how if someone shines a bright light in your eyes and you just try to get out of its direction? That's how I responded. Plus, it did really scare the shit out of me. It was dark out in the middle of the night and suddenly it's like I got struck by lightning. I made the wrong move I know, there you have it.
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That's when you put a visor down. How do you drive at sunset when the sun is low on the horizon?
 
BREAKING NEWS: "Mass murder caused when innocent gunman was blinded by bright light: 'I couldn't see, so I just started shooting'. Police are investigating"

That logic is too strong.
 
televator said:
So now I have to show up to court and pay a heavy fine for one the most counterproductive instances of law enforcement I've had the displeasure of being the subject of. I was stopping, but I kept going because I couldn't see a goddam thing! Why do they even make you go to court for this? Doesn't the judge usually just go "Yep, that's you. Pay up bud." or is he/she actually going to listen to my case?
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The camera flashed you before you ran the light?

Why am I struggling to believe you?
 
I've never heard of anyone being blinded by a red-light camera, lol

I've gotten these before - Cobb County in Georgia loves these things. It doesn't matter that you weren't blazing past the red at full bore - if your car is even slightly over the white line when it goes off, you get ticketed. I wasn't even moving when i got mine - but my front wheels were over the white while stopped.
 
19 & 21 said:
Don't say what you just posted in this thread because that was probably the worst way you could've handled the situation. I recommend taking some defensive driving courses or something, jesus dude.
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Maybe you're right, but if we're being honest all public roads could benefit if just about everyone did the same -- including those passing judgment on me here.
 
televator said:
Maybe you're right, but if we're being honest all public roads could benefit if just about everyone did the same -- including those passing judgment on me here.
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All of the students here in IL who take driving courses at school take defensive driving stuff.

We have like the worst drivers ever.

Don't be so sure about that. :P
 
televator said:
Maybe you're right, but if we're being honest all public roads could benefit if just about everyone did the same -- including those passing judgment on me here.
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I mean you opened yourself up for judgment here. I don't disagree with you but the problem is a fair amount of bad drivers have taken defensive driving courses. They just don't care about endangering others. Don't be that guy.

Devolution said:
I don't think a course is necessary in common sense.
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You'd be surprised.
 
SatansReverence said:
The camera flashed you before you ran the light?

Why am I struggling to believe you?
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No, as others have pointed out if you get into the cross walk the cam will flash. I wasn't running the red before getting flashed. I suppose a judge might not see a difference though...

Devolution said:
That's when you put a visor down. How do you drive at sunset when the sun is low on the horizon?
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It was night time though... do people really put their visors down at night? Is that a regular thing people do? Serious question. I mean yeah sure here in my state, where the sun is intense, you put the visor down all day long... but in the middle of the night?
 
televator said:
No, as others have pointed out if you get into the cross walk the cam will flash. I wasn't running the red before getting flashed. I suppose a judge might not see a difference though...



It was night time though... do people really put their visors down at night? Is that a regular thing people do? Serious question. I mean yeah sure here in my state, where the sun is intense, you put the visor down all day long... but in the middle of the night?
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Look it up. They suggest using the sun visor at night to reduce overhead light glare.
 
Devolution said:
I don't think a course is necessary in common sense.
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Look, it happened in a very short amount of time. I didn't know what was causing the flash in the heat of the moment. I reacted quickly and there wasn't a whole lot of contemplation going on. Not a lot of common sense to be found when you're startled. Defensive driving courses can help ingrain better ways to react in sudden situations. To that end, I agree with 19 & 21.

Devolution said:
Look it up. They suggest using the sun visor at night to reduce overhead light glare.
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Devo, I appreciate the information. Not being sarcastic. However, I don't think I've ever seen anyone actually do that in my experience.
 
I've gotten one once...what pissed me off most was that the money didn't go to the city, it went to some company in Texas that runs the traffic cameras. The one awesome thing our Mayor did before getting kicked out for being a sexist prick was ban all traffic cameras in San Diego.
 
Where I'm located if anything is wrong on the ticket then you're off the hook, though I don't know if it's like that in your area OP.

I got a red light camera ticket for speeding, but it turns out the time was wrong on the ticket (it was daylight savings time about a month before that but they never bothered to change the time in the system). Because that was wrong I got out of it.

I also had a coworker who got a red light camera ticket for speeding, however the speed they put down for that area was wrong and because of that he got out of the ticket.

Of course it may not be like that in all areas.
 
Don't they include images of your car with the recorded velocity and time elapsed after red light in that letter? Can you give us these details?

Even ignoring that, they only trigger if you're in the intersection while red. You can make up any excuse you want for continuing to go through the intersection, but you already fucked up if you got the flash. However you reacted afterward is just fuel to the flame
 
televator said:
Devo, I appreciate the information. Not being sarcastic. However, I don't think I've ever seen anyone actually do that in my experience.
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I have a feeling there's a ton of shit you have not seen people actually do. It doesn't mean people don't do them. Also, were you on your way to enjoy some new experimental burger in a part of town that you'd never been to? How do you not have every local camera location memorized?
 
OP, I'll be the only one to help you instead of jumping on your case. I'm surprised to be the only one here that actually cares about the US Constitution.

Chicago traffic camera scandal http://articles.chicagotribune.com/...oldings-ltd-u-s-attorney-city-program-manager

Do more digging if you want. These cameras are awful. This news is better than nothing if you want to argue it, even if you aren't in Chicago. I think Colorado is getting involved, too.
 
Bboy AJ said:
OP, I'll be the only one to help you instead of jumping on your case. I'm surprised to be the only one here that actually cares about the US Constitution.

Chicago traffic camera scandal http://articles.chicagotribune.com/...oldings-ltd-u-s-attorney-city-program-manager

Do more digging if you want. These cameras are awful. This news is better than nothing if you want to argue it, even if you aren't in Chicago. I think Colorado is getting involved, too.
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I love how everyone is getting on your case about the ticket. But I'm with this guy...look in to the laws. In the state of Az (where I live), mailed tickets mean absolutely nothing! Legally a police officer has to serve you with the ticket and get your signature in front of them. Read the laws!
 
unless the camera ticket shows a possible source of your magic light you will be paying the ticket. the light you saw was likely the first flash, the cameras usually take two snaps.
 
Here in Saudi Arabia, a friend of mine got the ticket even when he stopped before the line and then started turning right slowly. The camera flashed from the back and 2 days later he got the ticket :/
 
What Nazi state do you live in that does photo enforcement for right hand turns on red? Was there a sign saying not to do one? We have red light camera / photo radar here in AZ but it's a huge joke. There are so many ways to get out of them. My brother did so just by arguing they are unconstitutional.
 
Eiolon said:
What Nazi state do you live in that does photo enforcement for right hand turns on red? Was there a sign saying not to do one? We have red light camera / photo radar here in AZ but it's a huge joke. There are so many ways to get out of them. My brother did so just by arguing they are unconstitutional.
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I don't know if it's every state, but a right on red usually requires a complete stop. The camera is there to enforce the stop, because, as we all know, most fuckin people don't stop before they make a right on red. And not a rolling stop. Fuckin. Stop.
 
Bboy AJ said:
OP, I'll be the only one to help you instead of jumping on your case. I'm surprised to be the only one here that actually cares about the US Constitution.

Chicago traffic camera scandal http://articles.chicagotribune.com/...oldings-ltd-u-s-attorney-city-program-manager

Do more digging if you want. These cameras are awful. This news is better than nothing if you want to argue it, even if you aren't in Chicago. I think Colorado is getting involved, too.
Click to expand...

Thank you. I hated these cameras well before this incident. And contrary to GAF's perception of me I've been a pretty careful driver. Heck I've been quite often told what a good driver I am by friends and family. In all the years these cams have been used in my state, this is my first incident with one. I reacted in the wrong in this instance but I never had to deal with the situation where I'm suddenly blinded by some unknown source before and the situation would have been all the better without it.
 
televator said:
Thank you. I hated these cameras well before this incident. And contrary to GAF's perception of me I've been a pretty careful driver. Heck I've been quite often told what a good driver I am by friends and family. In all the years these cams have been used in my state, this is my first incident with one. I reacted in the wrong in this instance but I never had to deal with the situation where I'm suddenly blinded by some unknown source before and the situation would have been all the better without it.
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So you had no idea the camera was there, and had never seen other street cameras flash before?
 
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