A few months ago, when I was training for the 3 Day Walk and wanting to go into San Francisco to make use of the hilly terrain there, I got a traffic ticket. Nope, I wasn't speeding...we were looking for a place to park at the Concord BART station, stopped at a red light, and then the next thing I know, after I made the turn, I was being pulled over.
The charge? Turning right on a red where it is clearly posted you can't do that.
The thing is...we were positive the light was green. The Spouse Thingy had asked me why I wasn't going, I pointed out the no right on red sign, and I waited. I know the light was green when I went.
The cop pulled another woman over at the same time for the same infraction.
Now...this cop was polite and reasonable. When we both said we were sure the light was green, he said he would go back and check the timing on the lights. If he was wrong, he'd dismiss the ticket. He was very nice, we didn't argue, he didn't argue. He was just doing his job.
Cut to now. I never got a notice one way or the other about the ticket. You're supposed to get a courtesy notice about the ticket; how much the fine is, where to pay, etc. But, if you don't get one, it's still your responsibility to figure it all out. Even though none of that is on the ticket.
Okay, fine, I can deal with that.
But, we waited for the the courtesy notice, or something to say hey, you were right after all.
Nada.
The ticket has to be resolved by Monday. So I got online to pay it...entered the citation number and got a message saying the citation couldn't be found. Use the docket number instead.
I never got the freaking notice about it, and the docket number would be on that notice.
So either the ticket doesn't exist and the cop dismissed it, or I'm expected to do contortions to pay the bail on it. and ya know, if I'm in the wrong, fine, I'll pay it. Who knows, maybe we both had a brain fart and just imagined that green light. But the citation number did not exist in the system...
So the Spouse Thingy got on the phone...and entered into phone hell. He never got through...but did get the info that the Contra Costa County Traffic court closes at 2 pm every day. It was 1:30...no time to get there.
Y'all know ho freakishly weird I am about going places by myself the first time? Yeah, this is problematic. Because today was really the only day the Spouse Thingy could have gone with me. In hindsight, we should have driven there anyway, just so I'd know where to go. I would have been okay with that.
Mostly, I just wanna know if I got a ticket or not.
'Cause, really, the light was green!
Swearsies.
4 comments:
My husband got a ticket for speeding. Yes, he was speeding, but he did not pay it on time. Then they issued a warrant and he paid it, mailed it in. Several months later he went to renew his drivers licenses and could not because of an outstanding ticket and warrant. 10 phone calls to the judge in the small town finally resulted in closure. They had his check, on someones desk and it had been there for months, just never processed. All for a $50.00 fine!
Spouse Thingy called today, there's no record of my ticket, so... we can only assume it was dismissed...
That's just totally insane. Crazy, crazy, crazy!!
I wonder if the other lady got off her ticket, too. The cop could have at least let you guys know. Jerk.
I know in NY, tickets frequently don't make it into the automated system for 90 days. You have to go to the court and talk to someone in order to challenge or pay the ticket - and if it's been dismissed, you know because you get a notice.
It's all very odd.
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