Getting ticket for "going with the flow"

[maestro]

Hey all

The perils of having a black 07 M3. Going North on Willingdon in Burnaby BC with flow of traffic; got a ticket by the "integrated road safety unit" from Vancouver traffic police.  I said I was going with flow, they said your still speeding, (technically, I was).  Ironic thing is their was a woman in an SUV beside me and the officer had problems pulling me over cause the womans SUV was in the way... proves I wasn't doing anything extraneous.  Burns me because I have....HAD a clean record till today

Anyone know or been in traffic court and how the "system" deals with "going with flow" ticket fines?

Plus, a couple of strange issues... They gave me the ticket with mva, speeding violation bla de blah, but no posted speed of how fast I was going.  Second, They're a Vancouver dept...Do they have jurisdiction in Burnaby? 

Worth a good battle with the officer in court?  Or Pay the blood money and swallow the bitter pill?

Anyway, appreciate any info...And watch BCIT area, a cash grab zone!

[M Speed]

speeding is either a yes or a no.....there is no grey area. The gun is not accurate enough to judge 50/51km/h but if you were speeding by say more then 5 clicks, they can ticket you.

It is odd to have VPD in Burnaby, but if they have permission to operate, they can enforce the law.

The chance of flying in court is slim....but you could take a chance.

If not pay within 30 days and get $25 off.

[Ice-520]

just dispute and take a chance, at the least u might be able to get fines reduction

[Tim25]

The "Integrated Road Safety Team" operates all over the lower mainland, they have RCMP, Delta, Vancouver, New West etc members.

(Word from some S/Sgt's I know is that they are guys who are not especially liked in their home detachments...)

Most of those guys live for traffic duty (probably because they're useless at anything else), and love to go to court.

51 kph in a 50 zone is the same as 70 kph in a 50 zone.  Speeding is speeding, even if you're doing the smart thing and keeping up with traffic.

Pay the blood money, then save your pennies and get a radar detector.

     TIM

P.S.  That team was all over Maple Ridge & Pitt Meadows last week - my detector saved my ass 3 times.

[derrick]

There are lots of officers in the "Integrated Road Safety Team" in the Township of Langley Civic Facility that I work in. Most of them are old and fat and couldn't chase down a purse grabber on foot.

One real bitch pissed me off too. She was making a left into the parking lot where I was stopped at a stop sign. I look away waiting for her to turn in, but she honks me and gives me the "what the?" look.

Er... you have the right of way, dumbfuck. Fat bitch was probably trying not to run over a doughnut.

[silvia_s14a]

Speeding is speeding, 51kph in a 50 zone is still speeding, blah blah blah...

The Justices of Peace are living persons that make rational decisions; they take into consideration different factors and listen to relevant reasonings before giving judgements. Contrary to popular beliefs, Justices of Peace are not robots programmed to interpret laws in binary codes.


I once had my excessive speeding ticket dismissed at court. I gave my explanation. I told the JP that I knew I was speeding and that the speed limit was unreasonable and outdated. He then asked me, "What would you want me to do?" I was like, "uhh...could you please drop the ticket please, your highness?"

"Case dismissed. Next."


I am not guaranteeing that you'd have your ticket dismissed just by giving your explanation. But from my experience, some of them are quite reasonable.

[Tim25]

Speeding is speeding, 51kph in a 50 zone is still speeding, blah blah blah...

When I wrote that, I was simply referring to the letter of the law.  If you go into court and say you were speeding, the odds are good that you're going to have to pay the fine.  Simple as that.  My friend's dad was a Vancouver motorcycle cop, and he said the only good thing about traffic is that when you go to court, you get to cross-examine the witness personally.  His favorite was when the defendant said there was no way he was going 15 over the speed limit, he would then ask them how fast they were actually going.  Usually he got an answer something like "no more than 3 or 4 kph over".  He would then say "thank you, no more questions" and sit down.  The motorist admitted his guilt.

I once had my excessive speeding ticket dismissed at court. I gave my explanation. I told the JP that I knew I was speeding and that the speed limit was unreasonable and outdated. He then asked me, "What would you want me to do?" I was like, "uhh...could you please drop the ticket please, your highness?"

If you got away with this, you had the most leinient justice in BC.  Especially when you called him "your highness".  I do believe the proper term in Canadian court is m'lord.  (I could be mistaken, maybe it has been updated, but I'm pretty sure they don't want to be referred to as royalty! )

That said, your argument was reasonable and original.  However I think Maestro is going to have to come up with something more original than "Everybody else was speeding..." to get out of the ticket.

     TIM

[Ice-520]

police call the JP "your honor" or "your worship"

[Tim25]

police call the JP "your honor" or "your worship"

Thanks, couldn't remember the proper term.  Knew it wasn't "your highness"!

     TIM

[Keiichi]

Speeding is speeding, 51kph in a 50 zone is still speeding, blah blah blah...

When I wrote that, I was simply referring to the letter of the law.  If you go into court and say you were speeding, the odds are good that you're going to have to pay the fine.  Simple as that.  My friend's dad was a Vancouver motorcycle cop, and he said the only good thing about traffic is that when you go to court, you get to cross-examine the witness personally.  His favorite was when the defendant said there was no way he was going 15 over the speed limit, he would then ask them how fast they were actually going.  Usually he got an answer something like "no more than 3 or 4 kph over".  He would then say "thank you, no more questions" and sit down.  The motorist admitted his guilt.

I once had my excessive speeding ticket dismissed at court. I gave my explanation. I told the JP that I knew I was speeding and that the speed limit was unreasonable and outdated. He then asked me, "What would you want me to do?" I was like, "uhh...could you please drop the ticket please, your highness?"

If you got away with this, you had the most leinient justice in BC.  Especially when you called him "your highness".  I do believe the proper term in Canadian court is m'lord.  (I could be mistaken, maybe it has been updated, but I'm pretty sure they don't want to be referred to as royalty! )

That said, your argument was reasonable and original.  However I think Maestro is going to have to come up with something more original than "Everybody else was speeding..." to get out of the ticket.

     TIM

What Tim says is true!
If you admit you knew you were speeding, most of the time you'll get dinged.

[dL]

Then everyone should go to the court then Seriously who doesn't go over 50? The world is so unfair.  But then again, every time you're going over the speed limit, you are risking the chance of getting a ticket.  Plain simple.  Sorry to hear!

Imo the cops go the fastest and abuses their sirens when they want to go across a busy intersection.  Shouldn't they be ticketed for speeding and abuse?

dL

[Keiichi]

Then everyone should go to the court then Seriously who doesn't go over 50? The world is so unfair.  But then again, every time you're going over the speed limit, you are risking the chance of getting a ticket.  Plain simple.  Sorry to hear!

Imo the cops go the fastest and abuses their sirens when they want to go across a busy intersection.  Shouldn't they be ticketed for speeding and abuse?

dL

A lot of times when cops use their sirens to cross busy intersections and/or speeding, it's because they are on a call, but don't want to constantly have the siren on.

But how many times do you see this happen, compared to how many times do you see a cop stopped a light?  Obviously, the turning on and off sirens situations stand out more, but I'm sure if you actually count all the times you see cops at an intersection without crossing it, it'll be a lot more than the ones who cross it.

But of course, there's the stupid cops who do abuse it.

[dL]

lol I always think they're just late for lunch or something because everytime I see that happen, it's during noon time

dL

[jefferino]

^ I like how they do that in the movie Superbad.

[dL]

^ Oh yea LOL!!

dL

[maestro]

Hey all

Maestro again.

thanks for info...One more point I would like to field.

You can now, or very soon, get a ticket if you're going too slow as well. 

So where is the happy balance?  going with flow is no excuse, "you're still speeding"...going too slow "gotta keep up with traffic" .

Are we all now gazelles where the alligator can just take their pick?

[abnormal3]

Hey all

Maestro again.

thanks for info...One more point I would like to field.

You can now, or very soon, get a ticket if you're going too slow as well. 

So where is the happy balance?  going with flow is no excuse, "you're still speeding"...going too slow "gotta keep up with traffic" .

Are we all now gazelles where the alligator can just take their pick?

I know in Victoria you can be ticketed for hogging the left lane.Its a $109 fine as well it should be,the left lane is for passing only.

[Maddog78]

Yeah, tickets like that suck.

If you go to court try to remember anything he may have said that casts any doubt that it was you.  Did he say, "I had trouble picking you out of the crowd etc."  anything like that.
Any strange obstacles around?  Overheads or something that may throw doubt on his readings.
Look for any small error on ticket.  Unlikely but check, hwy # plat #, lic. # time etc.
Listen carefully to his testimony.  Listen for any small doubt or error.
Never admit to any speeding in court.  If asked, say you were going 50 km/hr.
Not much more you can do on this one, I think.

[melonvitara]

Hey all

Maestro again.

thanks for info...One more point I would like to field.

You can now, or very soon, get a ticket if you're going too slow as well. 

So where is the happy balance?  going with flow is no excuse, "you're still speeding"...going too slow "gotta keep up with traffic" .

Are we all now gazelles where the alligator can just take their pick?

I know in Victoria you can be ticketed for hogging the left lane.Its a $109 fine as well it should be,the left lane is for passing only.

omg they should have this in Vancouver

[Tim25]

They have it in Toronto as well.

     TIM