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Ticket for running a red light on my bike
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 2009-07-29 3:58 PM |
Veteran 230   Chicago, IL |  Subject: Ticket for running a red light on my bikeHello I was in San Diego for work this past week and I rented a bike to ride up to the Cabrillo monument. On my way back to the condo i was staying at downtown i coasted through a red light at a T intersection on 4th street and a motorcycle cop pulled me over. It says i have to appear for court and he said it would be about $150. I live in Chicago so paying $400 in airfare would be ridiculous for a ticket I should have never received, a warning would have been suffice. Does anyone know my options? Bike safety school in my own state? Thanks Dave |
| 2009-07-29 5:05 PM in reply to: #2315883 |
Regular 126 East San Francisco Bay Area | Subject: RE: Ticket for running a red light on my bike Ignore it and you could end up with an outstanding warrent and have a hard time if you ever got pulled over for anything in CA again. Could find a traffic attorney in CA, appear by phone or have them handle the whole thing. Not really necessary for you to appear in person. Some tickets in CA you can handle online or by phone... 'press 1 to plead guilty..." Not a lot of options. |
| 2009-07-29 6:48 PM in reply to: #2315883 |
Champion 7546   Santa Cruz, California | Subject: RE: Ticket for running a red light on my bike ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?? sounds like a cop on a power trip! NO WARNING!? I would be leaning toward ignoring it too - if I didnt live in the state and didnt plan to travel there soon or often. Do you travel to California often? sounds to me like some cop may be trying to make up for the terrible deficit our state is in! GOOD LUCK! guess I need to be more careful when I go visit my daughter! |
| 2009-07-29 7:18 PM in reply to: #2315883 |
| Veteran 230 Chicago, IL | Subject: RE: Ticket for running a red light on my bike I go there one week a year for work so I think I will have to take care of it. This did happen after I returned from my Cabrillo trip and I was on the way back from the UPS store so my company said they would pay for it since I was on a business errand. I still feel like $150 is excessive and ridiculous but as you said this is probably just a cop that enjoys the power. I did tell him exactly how I feel after he turned down my warning request and after he told me how much it would be $$$. He did inform me that since I have a drivers license that I know the rules of the road. I simply told him this would never happen in Chicago, I would have received a warning. |
| 2009-07-29 8:46 PM in reply to: #2316179 |
Regular 63 Sunnyvale, CA | Subject: RE: Ticket for running a red light on my bike You were actually lucky (so to speak...) A couple of years back in Cupertino I got a $187 ticket for running a stop sign at a T intersection. The deputy that stopped me had even the courage to say "You cyclists show the utmost direspect for the traffic rules, and that's why I stopped you." I guess the all the law enforcement agencies in Silicon Valley were on a crusade against bikers or something, because pretty much anyone of my friends got ticked while riding. At least you are in good company  |
| 2009-07-29 9:54 PM in reply to: #2315883 |
| Subject: RE: Ticket for running a red light on my bike That does suck.... bbbbuuuuuutttttt..... not sure why you should automatically receive a warning. Yeah,. maybe the cop should have, but you did run a red light. You would not have done the same in your car, I bet... and would not have expected a warning. But yes, it does suck. You should have read the local papers about how we don't have any money in the state. Cops are just trying to pay for our parks and welfare Our cops here in Redondo Beach get really picky every summer. They do post special signs saying that cyclistst must obey all traffic rules, so I guess that's the warning. Haven't gotten a stop sign ticket, knock knock, even though I deserve one |
| 2009-07-29 10:00 PM in reply to: #2315883 |
Champion 5782 Northridge, California | Subject: RE: Ticket for running a red light on my bike Sucky. And we all do it at T-intersections. And it's still illegal and every time we do that...or anything else illegal...we: 1. ...Are rolling the dice on a ticket, whether we realize it or not. Everybody about how motorists have to realize cyclists have the same right to the road...well, that's true...and it cuts both ways...as Chris said, you wouldn't expect a warning if you rolled that red light in a car. 2. ...Ratchet up the resentments motorists have toward cyclists flouting traffic laws and increase the odds of a road rage incident against some other cyclist. |
| 2009-07-29 10:41 PM in reply to: #2315883 |
Master 1890 Cypress, CA | Subject: RE: Ticket for running a red light on my bike Take a look at the fine print on the back of the ticket. I thought traffic tickets almost always had an option to pay the fine (basically pleading guilty) and not have to appear. I can't believe they require (or even want) everybody who gets a ticket to appear in court. California does have a traffic school option that I imagine also applies to cyclists, but it usually has to be done in the county where you got the ticket (although some counties allow an online option). You still have to pay the fine and also pay for the school, but it keeps the violation off your insurance. You might be able to find info about this on the SD county website somewhere--again, I bet there's info on the back of the ticket. P.S. Most states (I'm pretty sure including CA & IL) have reciprocal agreements regarding traffic citations, so they can probably reach out and touch you even if you don't live here and don't travel here. If you think getting a ticket on your bike is stupid, think how you'll feel if you wind up getting your DL suspended over it... Edited by tjh 2009-07-29 10:50 PM |
| 2009-07-30 12:00 AM in reply to: #2315883 |
Master 1585 Folsom (Sacramento), CA | Subject: RE: Ticket for running a red light on my bike Would you be ok with with a motorcycle rolling through a t intersection on the side of traffic? Under California law, you are the same as a motorcycle. While it sucks that you got a ticket and i could see myself get the same ticket, it is the attitude that the laws dont apply to you that makes motorists resent cyclists. As long as you pay the ticket by the date on it, you do not need to appear in court, so your best bet is to admit that you were wrong, pay the ticket and move on. |
| 2009-07-30 10:18 AM in reply to: #2315883 |
Regular 126 East San Francisco Bay Area | Subject: RE: Ticket for running a red light on my bike Going back the Cupertino incident (and unrelated to OP)... funny must be the cops there. I once got a 'J-Walking' ticket in Cupertino. Yeah, I told the cop after he called me over "whats j-walking?'. That got me trip to see a 'judge' and get a lecture on the subject. Other cities in CA, (mostly the college towns) Davis, Berkeley, etc, the bikes outnumber the cars and receive special treatment... like bike only streets and special overpasses across intersections. Please dont think all of CA is that crazy... |
| 2009-07-30 10:32 AM in reply to: #2316521 |
Champion 7546 Santa Cruz, California | Subject: RE: Ticket for running a red light on my bike uclamatt2007 - 2009-07-29 10:00 PM Would you be ok with with a motorcycle rolling through a t intersection on the side of traffic? Under California law, you are the same as a motorcycle. While it sucks that you got a ticket and i could see myself get the same ticket, it is the attitude that the laws dont apply to you that makes motorists resent cyclists. As long as you pay the ticket by the date on it, you do not need to appear in court, so your best bet is to admit that you were wrong, pay the ticket and move on. COME ON!!! REALLY!!!??? you saying that you have never run a stop sign on your bike??? or run thru a light??? if you have not...my hat is off to you...but Im not believing that you have never in your life run a stop sign or light in all your training!!?? |
| 2009-07-30 10:37 AM in reply to: #2317212 |
Champion 7546 Santa Cruz, California | Subject: RE: Ticket for running a red light on my bike spbdds - 2009-07-30 8:18 AM Going back the Cupertino incident (and unrelated to OP)... funny must be the cops there. I once got a 'J-Walking' ticket in Cupertino. Yeah, I told the cop after he called me over "whats j-walking?'. That got me trip to see a 'judge' and get a lecture on the subject. Other cities in CA, (mostly the college towns) Davis, Berkeley, etc, the bikes outnumber the cars and receive special treatment... like bike only streets and special overpasses across intersections. Please dont think all of CA is that crazy... haha - bet you dont ask questions to cops anymore! |
we are very bike friendly here...that is why I am shocked that the motorcycle cop did not give an out of state rider a warning...instead of a TICKET! shameful! I work really close with the local police and I know for a fact that they would just shake thier head...and maybe give you a little whoop whoop with thier siren to scare you....but ticket...NO WAY!| 2009-07-30 10:43 AM in reply to: #2315883 |
Master 1585 Folsom (Sacramento), CA | Subject: RE: Ticket for running a red light on my bike I never said that I havent rolled through a light or a stop sign. I actually said that I could see myself getting the same ticket. I also wouldnt argue with a cop if i got ticketed though. Every day on here you see people complaining about motorists not respecting that cyclists have an equal right to the road. Why is it ok for cyclists not to respect the rules of the road? Would you be ok with a car rolling through a right hand turn on red and cutting you off in the process? Would you be ok with someone getting a warning for speeding after they blew by you on the road? Why is it that cyclists don't have to follow the same rules, but should get all the same rights? |
| 2009-07-30 10:49 AM in reply to: #2315883 |
| New user 143 | Subject: RE: Ticket for running a red light on my bike count me on the list of people who have received a stop sign ticket in redondo. I think it cost almost $200. The crappy thing was that I never heard anything about the ticket again until I got a letter saying my court date had been pushed back. If I didn't get this letter I would have definitely missed my court date and that would have been very bad. I ended paying my ticket through the LA county courts website and then everything was cleared up. Luckily for me, there were no points involved in this ticket, so I didn't have to go to traffic school. If I were you, I would check the internet and see if you can't pay the ticket that way in order to avoid a court date. |
| 2009-07-30 11:25 AM in reply to: #2316149 |
Veteran 278 Surf City USA Huntington Beach, Calif. | Subject: RE: Ticket for running a red light on my bike Girl Passing on Left - 2009-07-29 6:48 PM ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?? sounds like a cop on a power trip! NO WARNING!? I would be leaning toward ignoring it too - if I didnt live in the state and didnt plan to travel there soon or often. Do you travel to California often? sounds to me like some cop may be trying to make up for the terrible deficit our state is in! GOOD LUCK! guess I need to be more careful when I go visit my daughter! Well we as cyclists get angry when car driver's don't respect the fact that we have the same rights as they do while on our bikes. Yet, we are just as accountable to follow the 'rules of the road' while on are bikes. Having said that, I AGREE a warning was probably warranted in this situation but ONLY because the bike rider was from out of state. There might be differnent rules concerning cyclists in his state. If your from Calif. and run a red light or stop sign well then we get what we deserve. |
| 2009-07-30 12:09 PM in reply to: #2315883 |
Regular 63 Sunnyvale, CA | Subject: RE: Ticket for running a red light on my bike I fundamentally believe that the law is the law and anyone that breaks it should be punished for that. That said, there is a huge difference in the consequences of a motorist ignoring/breaking the rules of the road vs. a biker/pedestrian doing the same. The motorist can hurt/kill someone, i.e., he or she is endangering others, while the biker/pedestrian can at the most get hurt/killed. This should at least warrant some discretion in the extent of punishment... |
| 2009-07-30 12:31 PM in reply to: #2317516 |
| Subject: RE: Ticket for running a red light on my bike davide - 2009-07-30 10:09 AM I fundamentally believe that the law is the law and anyone that breaks it should be punished for that. That said, there is a huge difference in the consequences of a motorist ignoring/breaking the rules of the road vs. a biker/pedestrian doing the same. The motorist can hurt/kill someone, i.e., he or she is endangering others, while the biker/pedestrian can at the most get hurt/killed. This should at least warrant some discretion in the extent of punishment... Not sure. I've seen bikes blow through stop signs and red lights and hit/almost hit pedestrians. I've seen cars having to come to a screeching halt and/or swerving out of their lane to avoid a bike coming through a stop/red. I disagree that a biker blowing a stop or red only puts themselves in danger. Oh, and I have friends that have gotten tickets going through red lights in Santa Monica as well. Edited by ChrisM 2009-07-30 12:31 PM |
| 2009-07-30 12:42 PM in reply to: #2317317 |
| Mountain View, CA | Subject: RE: Ticket for running a red light on my bike uclamatt2007 - 2009-07-30 8:43 AM I never said that I havent rolled through a light or a stop sign. I actually said that I could see myself getting the same ticket. I also wouldnt argue with a cop if i got ticketed though. Every day on here you see people complaining about motorists not respecting that cyclists have an equal right to the road. Why is it ok for cyclists not to respect the rules of the road? Would you be ok with a car rolling through a right hand turn on red and cutting you off in the process? Would you be ok with someone getting a warning for speeding after they blew by you on the road? Why is it that cyclists don't have to follow the same rules, but should get all the same rights? Agreed. I go through some lights and stop signs, like when there are no other cars around and the red light isn't going to change just for a cyclist. But if I get busted, I get busted. *shrug* I expect drivers to be courteous and respectful and to follow the rules of the road, why shouldn't the same be expected of me? That said, I do wish that California would adopt Idaho's stop sign law, which allows cyclists to treat stop signs as yield signs, and red lights as stop signs. |
| 2009-07-30 1:01 PM in reply to: #2315883 |
Master 2477 Oceanside, California | Subject: RE: Ticket for running a red light on my bike I actually kept this in mind for my 4:30 am ride near the Lancaster State Prison. On one hand, the proximity near the prison means there is high police traffic. On the other hand, at this time of day in the middle of the desert, the light was set on sensor not timer. Apparently, my fat clydesdale rear-end was not heavy enough trigger the pressure sensor, so I had to run the light that never turned green. |
| 2009-07-30 1:04 PM in reply to: #2315883 |
Master 2477 Oceanside, California | Subject: RE: Ticket for running a red light on my bike The worse irony is that San Diego is where I saw my first critical mass ride. Hundreds of bikes, on a Friday night, breaking all kinds of laws in the most dangerous fashion --- my intersection saw 5 red lights ignored... no helmets, many looked drunk... not one cop to uphold the law in sight... |
| 2009-07-30 1:48 PM in reply to: #2317516 |
Master 1890 Cypress, CA | Subject: RE: Ticket for running a red light on my bike davide - 2009-07-30 10:09 AM I fundamentally believe that the law is the law and anyone that breaks it should be punished for that. That said, there is a huge difference in the consequences of a motorist ignoring/breaking the rules of the road vs. a biker/pedestrian doing the same. The motorist can hurt/kill someone, i.e., he or she is endangering others, while the biker/pedestrian can at the most get hurt/killed. This should at least warrant some discretion in the extent of punishment... Respectfully disagree. Depending on the circumstances, a cyclist can do a great deal of damage to a pedestrian, and either of them could easily cause a motor vehicle accident by their actions. And in the OPs case (as in most similar cases), the cop did have discretion--he could have issued a warning or a citation, and decided on citation in that particular instance. |
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