UPDATE: 2-0 on tickets

[Rupert]

He'll get convicted, and then throw a hissy fit, which will land him in jail.

^ Dave's fantasy

[dazzleman]

He'll get convicted, and then throw a hissy fit, which will land him in jail.

^ Dave's fantasy

Nah, I'd like him to take off from the court like a bat out of hell, and get arrested doing 100 mph right around the corner.  Some dumb thing like that.

Actually, this whole thing is pretty funny just as it is.   

[Onslaught]

Is there anyway we can send this to his next judge for when he gets pulled over ignoring laws? I'd like to see how much of a bad ass he is then.

[bing_oh]

I win.

Dude, I'm gonna PM you my address. We have a poker game every tuesday. If that's your idea of "winning," you have an open invitation. Bring money...lots of money.

[Byteme]

None of those options exist in WA state. At best some courts offered deferred prosecution. Plead no contest, pay $100 court costs, and don't get a ticket within a year. If you do get ticket within a year, you also have to pay the original ticket. One can defer only once in 3, 5 or 7 years (or some such).

Well, a quick google search tells me courts do allow defensive driving to dismiss a ticket in Washington.  Check with the court handling your case. 

That's smarter than paying out close to a grand to fight a ticket with the potential to lose.
   


And you can get deferred finding as well, but only once every 7 years.  It's up to the judge though so given your attitude you likely wouldn't be offered that break.  I know I wouldn't if I were a judge.   

Washington State also allows deferred adjudication for traffic tickets. In WA if you have received a traffic infraction, you may be eligible for what here is termed as a Deferred Finding. You qualify for a Deferred Finding if you have not taken this option on a traffic ticket within the last seven years. Upon successful completion of the deferral conditions your ticket will be dismissed. You may defer only one moving infraction and only one non-moving infraction each seven years.


You also have a  third option.  Avoid driving like an arrogant fool and you won't have these problems to begin with.   

[TurboDan]

Sounds like you're a spoiled fool with an inflated ego to me, but, hey, that's just my opinion.    

Then again, how many spoiled people with big egos want to drive around in Camrys?

[Byteme]

Then again, how many spoiled people with big egos want to drive around in Camrys?

At least one.   

[GoCougs]

Dude, I'm gonna PM you my address. We have a poker game every tuesday. If that's your idea of "winning," you have an open invitation. Bring money...lots of money.

Thanks, just not much of a card player (I can't actually, I get anxiety attacks over it).

[GoCougs]

Well, a quick google search tells me courts do allow defensive driving to dismiss a ticket in Washington.  Check with the court handling your case. 

That's smarter than paying out close to a grand to fight a ticket with the potential to lose.
   


And you can get deferred finding as well, but only once every 7 years.  It's up to the judge though so given your attitude you likely wouldn't be offered that break.  I know I wouldn't if I were a judge.   

Washington State also allows deferred adjudication for traffic tickets. In WA if you have received a traffic infraction, you may be eligible for what here is termed as a Deferred Finding. You qualify for a Deferred Finding if you have not taken this option on a traffic ticket within the last seven years. Upon successful completion of the deferral conditions your ticket will be dismissed. You may defer only one moving infraction and only one non-moving infraction each seven years.


You also have a  third option.  Avoid driving like an arrogant fool and you won't have these problems to begin with.   

Arrogant fool? Aren't you the one who said you had the E-type up to 120 mph? That is justifiably a criminal offense that deserves jail time; neither of which apply to the pittance that is an HOV violation.

[GoCougs]

Is there anyway we can send this to his next judge for when he gets pulled over ignoring laws? I'd like to see how much of a bad ass he is then.

Be glad that the courts don't work like that...

[Byteme]

Arrogant fool? Aren't you the one who said you had the E-type up to 120 mph? That is justifiably a criminal offense that deserves jail time; neither of which apply to the pittance that is an HOV violation.

Absolutely correct and if I'd been caught I'd have manned up and paid the price of whatever I couldn't talk the cop out of writing.  More than once I was stopped by a cop for excessive speed and they told me "I'm not going to write you a ticket becasue I really like this car, but slow down"  Do let us know if a cop ever tells you that in your Camry.     

[Morris Minor]

In Atlanta, they recently converted the HOV lanes (2+ occupant eligibility) to toll lanes. You put some money in an account, get a transponder and, if there are fewer than three people in the the car, money is deducted when you use the lanes. If you have three or more people, you have to change your "toll-mode" in advance to be exempt so that car pool vehicles can ride free of charge.

The toll varies according to congestion; at peak hours the price is much higher. The idea is to price the lane to keep traffic flowing at 45mph plus.

This has caused a storm of protest because congestion has got worse in the general purpose lanes. Effectively the state has taken away a lane from its original purpose as bought and paid for by taxpayers. Another (unforeseen) consequence is that the toll lanes now go unused outside rush hours, thus increasing density on the general purpose lanes.

Personally, I'm ashamed to say that I happily pay the premium because it makes financial sense for me to do so; my time is valuable and my patience short. But I understand why so many people are irritated.

[Byteme]

In Atlanta, they recently converted the HOV lanes (2+ occupant eligibility) to toll lanes. You put some money in an account, get a transponder and, if there are fewer than three people in the the car, money is deducted when you use the lanes. If you have three or more people, you have to change your "toll-mode" in advance to be exempt so that car pool vehicles can ride free of charge.

The toll varies according to congestion; at peak hours the price is much higher. The idea is to price the lane to keep traffic flowing at 45mph plus.

This has caused a storm of protest because congestion has got worse in the general purpose lanes. Effectively the state has taken away a lane from its original purpose as bought and paid for by taxpayers. Another (unforeseen) consequence is that the toll lanes now go unused outside rush hours, thus increasing density on the general purpose lanes.

Personally, I'm ashamed to say that I happily pay the premium because it makes financial sense for me to do so; my time is valuable and my patience short. But I understand why so many people are irritated.

Same thing in Houston.

My wife and I used the regular HOV lanes when we carpooled before she retired.  I would gleefully call Metro on my cell when I was behind a lone occupant vehicle using the HOV lane.  A couple of times the cops were waiting at the exit point and pulled them over.  It was quite gratifying.  

[GoCougs]

Absolutely correct and if I'd been caught I'd have manned up and paid the price of whatever I couldn't talk the cop out of writing.  More than once I was stopped by a cop for excessive speed and they told me "I'm not going to write you a ticket becasue I really like this car, but slow down"  Do let us know if a cop ever tells you that in your Camry.    

Yes, I've seen enough of your Internetry to grok that you would not defend yourself. Also, would it help if I posted Camry SE V6 vs. E-Type performance stats?

[GoCougs]

Same thing in Houston.

My wife and I used the regular HOV lanes when we carpooled before she retired.  I would gleefully call Metro on my cell when I was behind a lone occupant vehicle using the HOV lane.  A couple of times the cops were waiting at the exit point and pulled them over.  It was quite gratifying.   

The folks how own and maintain the roads and LE are two separate entities. Reporting the former is not a hotline to the latter; be thankful that your dot-connecting is a fairy tale.

[GoCougs]

In Atlanta, they recently converted the HOV lanes (2+ occupant eligibility) to toll lanes. You put some money in an account, get a transponder and, if there are fewer than three people in the the car, money is deducted when you use the lanes. If you have three or more people, you have to change your "toll-mode" in advance to be exempt so that car pool vehicles can ride free of charge.

The toll varies according to congestion; at peak hours the price is much higher. The idea is to price the lane to keep traffic flowing at 45mph plus.

This has caused a storm of protest because congestion has got worse in the general purpose lanes. Effectively the state has taken away a lane from its original purpose as bought and paid for by taxpayers. Another (unforeseen) consequence is that the toll lanes now go unused outside rush hours, thus increasing density on the general purpose lanes.

Personally, I'm ashamed to say that I happily pay the premium because it makes financial sense for me to do so; my time is valuable and my patience short. But I understand why so many people are irritated.

They started that as well on an interstate in my area. Here as well it's been a disaster too, as is anything to do with the HOV lane.

[Tave]

The folks how own and maintain the roads and LE are two separate entities. Reporting the former is not a hotline to the latter; be thankful that your dot-connecting is a fairy tale.

A simple google search reveals that the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Houston maintains a full police force.

[Byteme]

Yes, I've seen enough of your Internetry to grok that you would not defend yourself. Also, would it help if I posted Camry SE V6 vs. E-Type performance stats?

Post whatever you please.  While you are at it post the relative values of the two cars after say, 40 years and perhaps some auction results.  You might also hunt up some lists of the most beautiful cars ever built lists and highlight the relative positions of the Camry and the E-type.   

[Byteme]

The folks how own and maintain the roads and LE are two separate entities. Reporting the former is not a hotline to the latter; be thankful that your dot-connecting is a fairy tale.

Sorry to pop your bubble sport, but down here Metro has their own police force with full enforcement empowerment. 

From a Metro publication:

Hero Hotline
Motorists play an important part in monitoring the HOV lanes for proper use. Drivers are asked to report HOV lane violations such as insufficient occupancy, speeding or improper passing by calling the HERO Hotline at 713-921-HERO (4376). When calling, include the vehicle license plate number, vehicle description, date, location and time the violation occurred. All calls are confidential and violators will be mailed information regarding the proper use of the HOV lanes.

From the Metro Police site:

We are a professional, full-service police agency with 191 sworn peace officers and 42 civilian personnel, providing around-the-clock professional police services to METRO customers, employees and our community.

METRO police officers are fully authorized Texas peace officers with the authority to enforce all laws. We are very much engaged with our regional partners in policing and emergency response to maximize our protection of the METRO transit system and our community.


Feel free to post any other ill informed posts you can think of. 

[Byteme]

From the Houston Chronicle a few years ago.

Metro police officer Scott Ashmore parked his motorcycle at the top of the T-shaped ramp of the Northwest Freeway HOV lane at Dacoma and waited. But not for long.

A woman in a silver Hyundai topped the ramp and slowed down to make the sharp turn as Ashmore ? one of 10 Metropolitan Transit Authority motorcycle officers who enforce occupancy rules on the lanes ? waved her over to the shoulder.

The driver, in a brief conversation through the window, explained that she was pregnant.

"But the state of Texas doesn't count you as an individual until you're born," Ashmore said. He issued her a citation.

Minutes later it was a black SUV. The driver "said she had been late to work twice already and she didn't want it to happen again," Ashmore said.

Metro police took the news media along this morning to show how they enforce the lane regulations, and some of the problems they encounter.

The fine drizzle and overcast sky were "about at the limit" for doing that job, Ashmore said. If it's any darker or wetter, it's hard to see through the car windows and harder to write out a citation.

Violations tend to go up in bad weather, he said, because some violators assume the HOV patrol won't be working then. They also go up when the Daylight Saving Time starts and stops, changing commuting hours from daylight to darkness, he said.

A rough count showed about two out of three vehicles that passed Ashmore appeared to have no more than one occupant. The Northwest HOV requires three or more riders from 6:45 a.m. to 8 a.m., and two or more at other times. Fines average $125 and can be as steep as $200, Metro says.

Metro gets none of this revenue, which goes to the city or county, depending on location. "Our goal is to get compliance," said Metro Police Chief Tom Lambert.

Police allow some to slip past because they're busy issuing someone else a ticket. And officers don't want to create a jam at the HOV exit, since that can cause accidents as motorists crest the rise and encounter the stopped traffic.

Some single-occupant vehicles are driven by on-duty law officers and others who can ride the lanes alone, and others have toddlers in car seats in the back, hard to spot unless the window is opened.

"Without tinted glass and kids my job would be easier," Ashmore said.

Lambert said law-abiding users of the agency's 112-mile High Occupancy Vehicle lane system resent cheating and let Metro know they want the rules enforced. "We understand the frustration of the public," he said.

After the media demonstration, Lambert said HOV citations had soared by 54 percent from 2005 to 2006, when 10,394 were issued, large because of a change in strategy and opening of a "Hero Hotline" (713-921-HERO) for reporting violators.

Although the number of officers enforcing HOV rules stayed the same, Lambert said, Metro began targeted enforcement at specific times and places by a task force, and replaced its HOV patrol cars with motorcycles.

These are not just more maneuverable in traffic on the barrier-separated lanes, but less easily spotted by drivers. Ashmore showed two other sites where he can set up shop without being seen by drivers until it's too late for them to avoid him.

Metro statistics show nearly half of all citations were issued on the Katy Freeway HOV lane ? nearly twice as many as on the Gulf, Eastex and Southwest freeways combined. Second and third were the Northwest Freeway and North Freeway.

The Katy generates so many, Lambert said, in part because cheating has been especially common its diamond lane portion in far west Harris County. The diamond lanes have no barriers to separate HOV traffic from the main lanes, and some lone drivers enter and exit them at will.

Although Ashmore did not spot any imitation occupants this morning, he said he has found "four mannequins, one inflatable doll and lots of stuffed animals in baby seats" among the ruses that cheaters employ.

"They'll do anything to beat that traffic," he said.

Lambert said some drivers will even "fluff up some pillows and put a knit cap on top" to fool the officers.

The mannequins and their ilk are not confiscated, he said, but Metro makes a note of which violators use them and "they go into our records."

[SVT666]

Yes, I've seen enough of your Internetry to grok that you would not defend yourself. Also, would it help if I posted Camry SE V6 vs. E-Type performance stats?

Just the fact that you even use the word "grok" at all tells me that you just like to use certain words to make yourself feel superior to others.  You strike me as someone that grabs onto something and run with it until it's past the point of being completely played out before moving on to the next thing, and then repeat.  I mean, between your OCD, your anxiety attacks, your vertigo, and not least of all your ego, I would think it's a lot of fucking work just to be your friend.

Anyway, that was my contribution to this thread.

[Morris Minor]

The HOT (formerly HOV) lanes in Atlanta are not barrier-separated, which contributes to the general disorder & congestion.

I did, when driving south from Washington DC on a Saturday morning recently use the HOV lanes on I-95 (reversible direction and barrier-separated) which were open to all southbound users. This makes some sense, unlike the setup in Atlanta.

[GoCougs]

Post whatever you please.  While you are at it post the relative values of the two cars after say, 40 years and perhaps some auction results.  You might also hunt up some lists of the most beautiful cars ever built lists and highlight the relative positions of the Camry and the E-type.   

Don't troll on the Camry and perhaps you'll save yourself a heckuva lot of grief. 

[GoCougs]

Serious post:

I'm having trouble understanding all this anxiety over the HOV lane. Is it actually anxiety over me? Is it anxiety over not using the HOV lane? It just seems like You People would be a lot happier MYOBing.

And yes, I will continue to violate the HOV lane with impunity, but as stated, alas, I no longer drive the interstate to work so will rarely have the opportunity. I can't recommend it enough for others.

[GoCougs]

Just the fact that you even use the word "grok" at all tells me that you just like to use certain words to make yourself feel superior to others.  You strike me as someone that grabs onto something and run with it until it's past the point of being completely played out before moving on to the next thing, and then repeat.  I mean, between your OCD, your anxiety attacks, your vertigo, and not least of all your ego, I would think it's a lot of fucking work just to be your friend.

Anyway, that was my contribution to this thread.

Heinlein's Stranger in a Strange Land is classic sci-fi. I'm not a huge Heinlein fan but this is for sure a standout. There ain't much in hard sci-fi elements (space travel, future tech, etc.) but it very much delves into the mystical side of things. Hard to explain without actually reading it, but I can't recommend it enough.

[TurboDan]

Don't troll on the Camry and perhaps you'll save yourself a heckuva lot of grief. 

I don't think people are trolling against the Camry at all. I think you're trying to sell people who participate on an auto enthusiast forum a car that they would never envision buying in a billion years.

[GoCougs]

I don't think people are trolling against the Camry at all. I think you're trying to sell people who participate on an auto enthusiast forum a car that they would never envision buying in a billion years.

Q:  Uh, how is it the Camry found its way into this thread?

A:  MiataJohn trolled (and got himself all spun up).

[Byteme]

Q:  Uh, how is it the Camry found its way into this thread?

A:  MiataJohn trolled (and got himself all spun up).

As usual wrong again.

Yes, I've seen enough of your Internetry to grok that you would not defend yourself. Also, would it help if I posted Camry SE V6 vs. E-Type performance stats?

[Onslaught]

I can't recommend it enough for others.

I drive in them, when I have someone in the car with me. If not then I stay out of them like people should. You can't pick what rules you can and can't obey.
And when I do break one I'll man up and take the hit like I should.

[GoCougs]

I drive in them, when I have someone in the car with me. If not then I stay out of them like people should. You can't pick what rules you can and can't obey.
And when I do break one I'll man up and take the hit like I should.

I'm not really a rules-are-meant-to-broken type of person but of course I get to choose that which I obey and disobey.

Same applies to you, and pretty much every thinking, acting human being, whether you realize it or not.