Tuesday, May 26, 2009

I Look Good at 50mph

So I got a photo enforcement ticket in the mail today...more specifically, Claire received notification that she was speeding in Washington DC and got caught by camera. Problem is, she was not in DC on that date, but rather in Las Vegas for a conference.

I was driving through DC with my buddy Wes going to a Baltimore Orioles game.

There is no photo of me or Wes, just a picture of the license plate.

I did not know they would triangulate speed with a picture and a laser, resulting in a ticket.

If this is legal (clearly it is since I got a ticket, right?), why don't more states do this? I mean c'mon, you don't even need a cop to catch a speeder? How many state budgets could be fixed by this tool.

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I am irritated by it. Clearly, my brakes are being hit, which leads me to believe that I was slowing down...possibly a change in speed limit?

I got caught speeding. Clearly red handed, but it does not make much sense to me. I rarely, if ever, go over the speed limilt like they are saying I did.

11 comments:

WILLIAM said...

Send a picture of the money you owe for the ticket and see if that works as payment.

Debra said...

Yup, San Juan Capistrano has a couple of those lovely cameras strategically placed. Now that I know where they are, I am more aware of how fast I am driving in those areas. I guess that is what they are meant for.

Bummer that you got a ticket in the mail!

MaBunny said...

oopsie Bogart... have fun trying to get out of that one

Kevin Pellatiro said...

Bogart: Liar. WILLIAM: brilliant.

kimmy said...

They do that here in Maine. It sucks big time...

I like Williams idea. Let us know if that works!

Kimmy

for a different kind of girl said...

Dang! I wish I'd thought of William's idea last week when I had to mail off a check for $75 for apparently running a red light one night, even though my break lights are red in the happy photo they included with the ticket! I wish my penalty had only been $50!

Shortly after the city here installed the traffic cameras, at considerable expense, they were shut down, also at considerable expense, because people argued they were a violation and there were many, many errors. The city even said they were using them as a revenue source. Sadly, after they were off for more than a year, they got turned on again and then I got to contribute to the city coffers. Blah.

Anonymous said...

We have it in N.O.! They are a beast!
William - a person did take a picture of money and the cop that received it took a picture of handcuffs and mailed them back!

The Charming Hedonist said...

A nod to William's solution, although you're likely to get a picture of handcuffs in return. (And yes, that is the actual policy when they get a picture of the money).

My city actually stopped doing it for a while because the legality of it was questioned.

Of course, you could always argue it. What are they going to do, take you to trial? That whole "beyond a shadow of a doubt" thing seriously comes into question.

Good luck Lead Foot....er, I mean Bogie ;)

sari said...

Don't they actually have to show a picture of YOU as well? Stupid.

We have it all over here in the greater Phoenix area. About 13 or 14 years ago I had broken up with someone and we had bought a car together. It was really his but I had cosigned on it and he swore he had had my name taken off of it after we broke up.

Obviously he hadn't ever gotten around to it, because I got a photo radar ticket in the mail with a picture of his girlfriend driving it. I took the ticket in to the police station, explained the situation and showed them the picture. Obviously it wasn't me in the picture and they threw it out.

It might work for you if Claire is the listed owner, anyway (though I did like William's idea).

JP said...

I blew through an electronic gate at Hilton Head, because I thought EZ Pass would work (it didn't) and had the same thing happen. But we were driving the wife's car, so they sent her the ticket instead of me.

leighann said...

been there, didn't pay that.