Canadian in California- got a ticket.

[avt007]

Sadly, yes, I got stopped in my rental Mustang. Now I have a few questions;
1. The ticket doesn't have the fine on it. How do I find out what it is?
2. How can I fight this long distance?
3. My self and the guy behind me both swear up and down it was a 65 zone, that's the last sign we saw, but the officer wrote us up for a 55 zone, and sure enough, farther down the road it is 55. How can I find out was the limit really was? I was on my way to LAX, otherwise I'd have retraced my steps. They only seem to post speed limits signs every 30 miles, though. I was on SR327 from Pahrump, NV, then turned on to SR127 to Baker, CA. I'm thinking 327 was 65, and 127 is 55, but there was no sign at the intersection, so we carried on thinking it was still 65.
What to do?

[Dottore]

Pay it like a man and put it down to experience.

I seem to get tickets in the US all the time. 55 and 65 mph just seem like insanely slow speeds to me. But my brother - who lives in LA - rightly points out that those speeds are actually quite high for the many over-weight and over-medicated drivers that stick their gumboats on cruise control so they can concentrate on their cellphones. It's all relative.

I now view paying these fecking things as part and parcel of traveling to the US; like having to take off my shoes at the airport , and constantly getting my nail clippers confiscated.

[Moses]

Originally Posted by avt007

What to do?

Is there traffic violation cooperation between Canada and California? How frequently do you drive in California? If I thought I could get away with ignoring the ticket, I would.

[RANDY P]

problem is, that will get you banned from the States if you avoid it. You might get back in but if you're pulled over next time they will lock you up.

Frankly, I'd start shopping for a good speeding ticket attorney and be done with it. From my experience they usually do flat rate for something simple like that. Either that or call the courthouse and ask how much and just pay it.

rjp

[tc-sacto]

Originally Posted by Moses

Is there traffic violation cooperation between Canada and California? How frequently do you drive in California? If I thought I could get away with ignoring the ticket, I would.

That's what I would do/did. Got a ticket in college once while driving through Utah. Figured what the hell, I aint comming back here and threw it in the trash on the way out of town. Never heard another word...15years ago.(Flame suite on, waiting for the moral majority to fry me )

[Gogar]

Ignoring the ticket is an option.

TC, the only problem is if you are ever in Utah again and get pulled over, you might find that there is a warrant for your arrest. Which will be much more expensive than the ticket was . . . .

[jorian]

There are no reciprocal agreements between Canada and the US. There are however, agreements between states but not all of them. Used to be that tickets "fell off" the system after 5 years. Now they renew them every 5 years and the fines go up enormously.

I got a call from a collections guy last year who said I had an 8 year old ticket from Oregon! The fine was $480 and the guy said he would call the Canadian MOT and have my license revoked. I told him to go pound sand. Of course it turned out to be absolute BS. I called ICBC and they said there are no such agreements in place and to call the Oregon DMV directly. I did so and said I thought the fine was outrageous. The woman on the phone said that if I paid the fine in the next 10 days she would reduce it $160. I sent her cheque right away.

I would call the number on the ticket, ask how much the fine is and just pay it. You can only fight it in person or have an attorney do it on your behalf.

[jorian]

There are no reciprocal agreements between Canada and the US. There are however, agreements between states but not all of them. Used to be that tickets "fell off" the system after 5 years. Now they renew them every 5 years and the fines go up enormously.

I got a call from a collections guy last year who said I had an 8 year old ticket from Oregon! The fine was $480 and the guy said he would call the Canadian MOT and have my license revoked. I told him to go pound sand. Of course it turned out to be absolute BS. I called ICBC and they said there are no such agreements in place and to call the Oregon DMV directly. I did so and said I thought the fine was outrageous. The woman on the phone said that if I paid the fine in the next 10 days she would reduce it $160. I sent her cheque right away.

I would call the number on the ticket, ask how much the fine is and just pay it. You can only fight it in person or have an attorney do it on your behalf.

[jorian]

"Seriously, throw it out.
US ticket, they won't do anything about it."

If you plan on driving in CA or other western states again and get caught speeding, you'll regret having thrown it out. I have vacation property in the US and drive my 911 there a lot. I get stopped once a year and am glad I don't have anything outstanding.

[Rick Lee]

I got nailed last week in CA with my VA license and I now live in AZ. I'm doing the online traffic school to make the points go away. Of course, I'm paying the fine too. But it takes about three weeks until the ticket shows up in the court's computer. So you can't take care of it before then. I'd blow it off if I could, but I'm in CA too often to risk that.

[nostatic]

2 lane highways in CA are all 55mph speed limit. Ask me how I know

[Scooter]

You can take traffic school online and keep it off your record.

[avt007]

"Pay it like a man and put it down to experience."
Sound advice, and I don't have a problem with that idea. I don't agree with with fighting it just for the hell of it. However, as I explained to the officer, if I had known it was a 55 zone, I would have been going slower. There's bound to be a big difference in the fines for 9 over, and 19 over the limit. I am sure that there were no speed limit signs whatsoever between the junctions of the two highways and the town of Baker. The 55 sign I referrred to was for northbound traffic. So how am I supposed to know the limit changed, if there wer no signs? That's the basis of my beef.
Ignoring it is not an option, I'm not that kinda guy, and I travel to California regularly on business, anyway.
"You can only fight it in person or have an attorney do it on your behalf. "
I've done some research and it appears I can fight this to some extent anyway, by registered mail.
Jorian, did ICBC say anything about points?
Thanks for the input, guys!

[Jeff Higgins]

Originally Posted by 911Rob

Theory vs. Experience

I throw mine out, K.
Nothing has ever happened, been stopped multiple times.
Never paid a US ticket yet.

I agree. When I'm up in B.C., I figure it's a foreign country, and I'm a guest there. They should treat me like one. Why, I should be able to drive any way I please, even if I constantly get pulled over. Guest privileges, you know. I'm a U.S. citizen, by golly, so I should be able to just wipe my ass with their god damn tickets. Before I throw them out.

[WolfeMacleod]

Originally Posted by Jeff Higgins

I agree. When I'm up in B.C., I figure it's a foreign country, and I'm a guest there. They should treat me like one. Why, I should be able to drive any way I please, even if I constantly get pulled over. Guest privileges, you know. I'm a U.S. citizen, by golly, so I should be able to just wipe my ass with their god damn tickets. Before I throw them out.

If we understand Jeff's response correctly here, he's saying "just pay the ticket"

Are we right, Jeff?

[Joeaksa]

We had one Canadian pilot who did the same thing a while back. He was in Texas doing recurrent training and got stopped. Fast forward a few years and he needed to fly into the states (Teterboro airport in NJ, just South of NYC) and we all cleared customs fine until the customs officers scanned his name and passport.

Up came the old ticket and a outstanding warrant for non-payment on this old traffic ticket. He got detained for a few hours (not in jail) and had to pay the puppy plus a wonderful fine. We had little sympathy for him as this is something that can bite you on the rear in the future and usually at the worst possible time. The customs guys said that pre-9/11 this would never have happened, but life has changed now and they look for anything these days.

Just pay the ticket and move on. You really do not need the hassle for a few hundred bucks.

[notfarnow]

A few years ago I got tagged in the middle of nowhere in Maine, at about 1am. It was a classic speed trap... from 55 to 35 right after the crest of a small hill. Officer was sitting about 50ft after the 35 sign.

"Son, do you want this done with paperwork, or without?"

Ahh, the convenient "Cash - no receipt" option. I didn't think that stuff still went on.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Originally Posted by Dottore

Pay it like a man and put it down to experience.

I seem to get tickets in the US all the time. 55 and 65 mph just seem like insanely slow speeds to me. But my brother - who lives in LA - rightly points out that those speeds are actually quite high for the many over-weight and over-medicated drivers that stick their gumboats on cruise control so they can concentrate on their cellphones. It's all relative.

I now view paying these fecking things as part and parcel of traveling to the US; like having to take off my shoes at the airport , and constantly getting my nail clippers confiscated.

But remember, the terrorists "hate our freedom".

[sammyg2]

To those who say to ignore it, your parents must be so proud.

[Moses]

Originally Posted by sammyg2

To those who say to ignore it, your parents must be so proud.

They are. Thanks. Perhaps the greatest gift my father gave me is a passion for liberty and the balls to do things my own way...even if it means breaking the rules.

The traffic citation industry is a largely corrupt taxation scheme. If you feel a compulsion to cooperate with authority that's your right.