For 40 freakin' years this hasn't happened

wakeupcall

Well-Known Member
AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

This just MADE my day! In the mail today I got a ticket for running a red light. At many of the intersections in Houston thet now have cameras. Well, one day the light turned red very rapidly and rather than slam on the brakes and risk throwing my difficult child through the windshield, I gunned it. Yep, took a picture of my pretty car and a close up of the license plate. I'm not saying I didn't do it....but still. I'll be 57 this summer and I've never gotten even a parking ticket in forty years.

I called our insurance to see if it was going to go up and she said no. She also said I could take a defensive driving class, not have to pay the ticket AND get a discount on my car insurance for three years. I think I might go that way....anyone ever taken a defensive driving class online?
 

WhymeMom?

No real answers to life..
I haven't ever gotten one of these tickets, but hear there is a big "flack" over them and their legality....I think the basis lies in "your right to face your accuser". It's difficult to cross examine a camera....

My husband has taken the course online and he says its a little exasperating because you can't really jump ahead. They give you so much time to read and answer questions about each section and you can't really work at your own pace....it's the scheduled pace of the test. But we live in Indiana......

I guess I would weigh the cost of the ticket against the cost of the class.
 

wakeupcall

Well-Known Member
Ticket = $75
Defensive Driving = $25

I dunno, I'm bummed about it. Just the principal, I guess. You'd think I could get a break...afterall, I'm an old lady and have never gotten a ticket. But I can just see the judge say, "Gee, Lady, you broke the law!" Grrrrrrrrrrr

Is it margarita time yet? Surely it's 5:00 somewhere......
 

DammitJanet

Well-Known Member
We havent had the ticket yet but one of husband's bosses vans got caught on the camera running a light. The driver did a "california stop" and turned right. Of course the ticket went to the owner of the vehicle which was the boss and he had to figure out who the driver was and get him to pay the ticket.

My problem with these things is that they can only ticket the car and not the actual driver. So if my car was spotted and they took a picture, they have no clue if it is me driving, husband driving or god forbid...Cory has taken the car in the middle of the night and we dont even know it! Heck I could have lent the car to anyone and they get the ticket!
 

Suz

(the future) MRS. GERE
Pamela, this stinks.

on the other hand, it's margarita time in PA. Come on up and join me! :smile:

Hugs,
Suz
 

witzend

Well-Known Member
I got nabbed doing 36 in a 25 zone after rounding a corner from a 35 zone. My only ticket ever. Unfortunately, I had my only fender-bender ever about 4 months later, and made the mistake of making an insurance claim. My car was the only one with slight damage, but husband was out of work so I hoped to offset the bill. Sad to say, my insurance company cancelled me, and my rates tripled for 3 years because I was a high risk! I drive like an old lady! Heck, I am and old lady!
 

Josie

Active Member
Pamela,

I would check into the "court costs" for taking defensive driving. I'm in Austin so it might be different but by the time I pay whatever cost is involved to the court to say I'm going to take defensive driving and then pay for the defensive driving class, I end up only saving maybe $10. You can tell I have a little more experience than you with tickets. :smile:
 

wakeupcall

Well-Known Member
Thanks, fairly. I haven't called the courts, but I did look into the online course, and while it's not expensive, I don't know if it's worth the trouble. It's not the $75 I hate so much (though I don't like it), but I hate having it on my record. No matter how you cut it, though, I would KNOW it should be there. I guess I'd better just suck it up, pay, and be humbled.
 

Nancy

Well-Known Member
We have those cameras here too and they are a sore spot among most of us. They did a study in the six months they were up and there were no fewer accidents at those intersections. So it seems to be a money maker for the city. In our state no points are lost on your license and insurance rates do not go up and defensive driving classes are not required. But people are still up in arms over the cameras.

Nancy
 

Fran

Former desparate mom
<span style='font-size: 11pt'>difficult child has gotten caught as has my sister. We get these pictures with the ticket. It's pretty typical around here. </span>
 

wakeupcall

Well-Known Member
Just out of curiosity....my car is register in both our names, so how do they issue the ticket? Did we both get the violation on our record?

husband says pay it and forget it. It happens. So, of course, I will. I was just proud of my record, now I'm like the majority of the rest of the population.
 

Fran

Former desparate mom
<span style='font-size: 11pt'>I'm with your husband. You have bigger fish to fry with a difficult child. Sorry the record got broken. </span>
 
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