topic Re: Photo Enforce Lights in SmorgasBoard

Photo Enforce Lights

Cory — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 15:10:41 GMT

Have anyone of you had any experience getting one of these tickets. Those are the lights that flash, if you run a redlight while driving. I got one July 19, 2009 and have not responded yet. My conscious is telling me to respond as soon as possible. But fear is gripping me and telling me to just let it go.

Cory

Re: Photo Enforce Lights

Anonymous — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 18:03:46 GMT

I have never gotten one but, that was three months ago, I think I would respond.

At the very least you need to contest it, if thats what you choose to do. I think

that it takes a picture of you (not sure, just what I have heard). Whatever you do

be sure to show up if you have a court date, I once got a ticket for running a red light

and called in to change my court date as my mother had a heart attack. Someone

forgot to input the change and they put a warrant out for my arrest (or so the judge said).

But I did show up and got the fine reduced. Good Luck Vicki

Re: Photo Enforce Lights

Anonymous — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 19:46:55 GMT

@Cory wrote:
Have anyone of you had any experience getting one of these tickets. Those are the lights that flash, if you run a redlight while driving. I got one July 19, 2009 and have not responded yet. My conscious is telling me to respond as soon as possible. But fear is gripping me and telling me to just let it go.

Cory

Well I have never personally gotten one and I have been around alot of them where I live. However, I know people who have gotten them and the fact is that there is NO defense to it whatsoever. Unless it clearly shows that you were more than 50% through the intersection, then you are guilty by the virtue of prima facia evidence (basically the picture itself is the proof you are guilty) and will not be dismieed or contested in anyway. They suck and they are similar to the ones issued by choppers which are ALSO indisputable and prima facia evidence and therefore automatic guilty. That being said, I personally am the type that would try and fight this. You should try and hope for the best, but be prepared for the worst that they will not dismiss it and you have to pay for it.

Re: Photo Enforce Lights

Cory — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 19:58:24 GMT

Thanks guys for responding. What I don't like is the fact that the minimum fine is $450 now, and you still have to either go to traffic school, or take an online course.

Just let me pay the fine, and get it out of the way, or just let me go to traffic school, but not both. And yes, they have a nice picture of me. I have not taken a picture so clear and well groomed.

Cory

Re: Photo Enforce Lights

Anonymous — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 20:05:51 GMT

$450 ?!?

Yikes!

That's the annual town budget for Hooterville!

Re: Photo Enforce Lights

Anonymous — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 20:08:41 GMT

@Cory wrote:
Thanks guys for responding. What I don't like is the fact that the minimum fine is $450 now, and you still have to either go to traffic school, or take an online course.

Just let me pay the fine, and get it out of the way, or just let me go to traffic school, but not both. And yes, they have a nice picture of me. I have not taken a picture so clear and well groomed.

Cory

Both? That's illegal, which state or county jurisdiction are you in? The traffic school option is in lieu of the fine and although you still pay a certain amount of fine to the court, its considered "administrative" fees, not the actual violation bond amount (the whole fine). I think you need to look into that, don't assume that my friend, you should have options beyond losing a small fortune for everything.

Re: Photo Enforce Lights

haulingthescoreup — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 02:17:00 GMT

Wow, that's brutal!

I got one in Germantown (the lah-de-dah eastern suburb of Memphis) several years ago, and I think it was $90. No threat of school, etc., just pay up. Which I did.

And I got a speeding ticket a year for around $120 for going (ahem) 69 in a 50, which was really 74 in a 50, and I just had to write a check. Dave Matthews was in the CD player, what can I say. It was morning rush hour, and it can be tough to get motivated to go to work.

If for no other reason, I'd find out what exactly you have to do to pay the fine. Things like this get sent to collections, and that's a nasty hit on your credit. We've had members here post with collections for overdue library books and for parking tickets.

Re: Photo Enforce Lights

Cory — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 03:01:05 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
@Cory wrote:
Thanks guys for responding. What I don't like is the fact that the minimum fine is $450 now, and you still have to either go to traffic school, or take an online course.

Just let me pay the fine, and get it out of the way, or just let me go to traffic school, but not both. And yes, they have a nice picture of me. I have not taken a picture so clear and well groomed.

Cory
Both? That's illegal, which state or county jurisdiction are you in? The traffic school option is in lieu of the fine and although you still pay a certain amount of fine to the court, its considered "administrative" fees, not the actual violation bond amount (the whole fine). I think you need to look into that, don't assume that my friend, you should have options beyond losing a small fortune for everything.

Hi Guardian,

I live in Los Angeles California, and heard from two or three people, that's what you have to go through. I will check into it further. I will ask to do community service, or something. Thing is, I have to repond to the notice first. I pray that want penalize me for responding ninety days later.

Thanks for your help.

Cory

Re: Photo Enforce Lights

Anonymous — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 06:26:11 GMT

Cory, its funny, I live in LA too. I can only say thank god then I have not gotten any so far. I'd say do a mail-in statement and take your chances with a pretty good bs story and see what happens. You have nothing to lose, since you have to pay the bail up front anyway. So even if they say no, you pay the same as if you didn't try anything at all. At least the upshot is that you might get lucky.

Re: Photo Enforce Lights

MarineVietVet — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 05:54:20 GMT

@Cory wrote:
Have anyone of you had any experience getting one of these tickets. Those are the lights that flash, if you run a redlight while driving. I got one July 19, 2009 and have not responded yet. My conscious is telling me to respond as soon as possible. But fear is gripping me and telling me to just let it go.

Cory

Sorry to hear about your trouble but you must not wait any longer to take care of this. Putting it off can cause late fees to be added and who knows what else. A $450 fine AND a requirement to attend driving school doesn't sound right to me but you do live in California where anything is possible. We have those cameras here but the fine is only $75 and it doesn't even go against your driving record.

Don't wait another day to find out about this. There should be information on the ticket where to call for further information. Our minicipal court here even has a website that lists fines for various offenses. Perhaps that might be worth looking into where you live.

I wish you the best of luck. Please let us all know what happens.

Re: Photo Enforce Lights

Charlington — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 14:10:03 GMT

Just pay up. You may also contest it in court, do community service or take a defensive driving course. But whatever you do, don't ignore it. If you ignore it, after about 6 months, it will end up on your credit report as a collection, not to mention the fact that you run the risk of having an arrest warrant issued against you. It's just not worth the trouble. It sucks, but i would just pay up and move on.

Re: Photo Enforce Lights

Cory — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 16:07:12 GMT

Yeah,

I'm going to send it out today or tomorrow. I am so nieve to think that I can try and get away from it. But this time, my gut feeling is telling me to surrender. Man, I hate this lol.

I'll let you guys know what happens in the coming weeks.

Cory

Re: Photo Enforce Lights

marty56 — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 16:49:51 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
$450 ?!?

Yikes!

That's the annual town budget for Hooterville!

Also in Richardsville as well.

I would pay the fine since there has been some posts here about people who who got collections on their CR from other types of tickets.

Re: Photo Enforce Lights

Cory — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 18:51:51 GMT

Well I got my notice in the mail two weeks ago. The bail amount is $486.00, and $60.00 for traffic school. Honestly, I'm going to take it before the judge to get it reduce. If not possible, I'm asking for community services. I refuse to pull from savings, or put this type of charge on credit, regardless of any points or rewards earned.

The notice has me as clear as day.

Cory

Re: Photo Enforce Lights

Anonymous — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 20:22:43 GMT

Dang, those things are $50 in Knoxville. But boy do they make a lot of money off of them. So does the company that coordinates all that with the city. I don't think of those things as citations, more like toll intersections. Everybody winds up paying their portion of the toll eventually. They will issue you a ticket for turning right on red unless you come to a complete stop. I can't think of anybody here in town that HASNT gotten one, except apparently hauling, lol.

[edit] nvm must have gotten posters mixed up, she said she got one out of town, I guess that counts

Message Edited by thrasher865 on 12-09-2009 12:22 PM

Re: Photo Enforce Lights

MarineVietVet — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 22:17:26 GMT

@Cory wrote:
Well I got my notice in the mail two weeks ago. The bail amount is $486.00, and $60.00 for traffic school. Honestly, I'm going to take it before the judge to get it reduce. If not possible, I'm asking for community services. I refuse to pull from savings, or put this type of charge on credit, regardless of any points or rewards earned.

The notice has me as clear as day.

Cory

When you go before the court you might ask if you can pay out the fine over a period of several months. That is an option where I live. It's worth talking to the judge about.

Re: Photo Enforce Lights

haulingthescoreup — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 01:43:11 GMT

thrasher865 wrote:

Dang, those things are $50 in Knoxville. But boy do they make a lot of money off of them. So does the company that coordinates all that with the city. I don't think of those things as citations, more like toll intersections. Everybody winds up paying their portion of the toll eventually. They will issue you a ticket for turning right on red unless you come to a complete stop. I can't think of anybody here in town that HASNT gotten one, except apparently hauling, lol.

[edit] nvm must have gotten posters mixed up, she said she got one out of town, I guess that counts
Message Edited by thrasher865 on 12-09-2009 12:22 PM

Germantown got me; aka the Farragut of West Tennessee.

I have to say, some of the crazier intersections are a little safer these days due to the cameras. (Think Cedar Bluff and anything.) And fewer idiots enter intersections on yellow, getting stuck there on red and blocking the way for the cross traffic.

I like that bit about "toll intersections"!

Re: Photo Enforce Lights

MattH — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 02:22:14 GMT

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2006/jul/11/transport.lifeandhealth

Re: Photo Enforce Lights

Anonymous — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 12:51:49 GMT

@MattH wrote:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2006/jul/11/transport.lifeandhealth

Pertaining to this article, I find it interesting that in the interests of public safety, the public in general is now regarded as criminal, and must be thwarted.

I think I'd rather have an accident or two rather than ~~my own~~ the government thinking of me as inherently "criminal". And I'm sure if the government put a lens on me 24/7, they'd find lots of things wrong with me that it doesn't care for and that need to be stopped.

These cameras take all the fun out of beating a speed trap or running a light.

Re: Photo Enforce Lights

MarineVietVet — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 18:28:54 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
@MattH wrote:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2006/jul/11/transport.lifeandhealth

Pertaining to this article, I find it interesting that in the interests of public safety, the public in general is now regarded as criminal, and must be thwarted.

I think I'd rather have an accident or two rather than ~~my own~~ the government thinking of me as inherently "criminal". And I'm sure if the government put a lens on me 24/7, they'd find lots of things wrong with me that it doesn't care for and that need to be stopped.

These cameras take all the fun out of beating a speed trap or running a light.

I hope you were just trying to be sarcastic here but there is nothing fun or funny about running a red light or stop sign. Many people are killed and hurt each year because of this reckless behavior. I had an uncle who survived the carnage of the landing at Normandy on D-Day and came home to be killed by a driver who ran a stop sign.

I have absolutely no problem with cameras at intersections. If you don't want a ticket then don't run the light.

Ok I'm off my soapbox.