Southern California - Ticket from LAPD - $381 for running a red light on a bike?

Okay, pissed off might be too strong a sentiment. How about peeved? As in: it's a pet peeve of mine. As a runner and cyclist, I'd never hit the crosswalk because I think I would be perceived as totally inconsiderate and rude to do so. Call me crazy. I don't know when I started thinking it was rude...maybe when I was running with a buddy for the first time: we come to an intersection and I stop to press the button and he just keeps running. He turns around and says, "Dude! What the fark are you doing? Making all the cars stop just and wait so you can trot through? Didn't you learn to 'look both ways before you cross the street'? C'mon!"

So, since then, It's a peeve of mine...sort of like how I'm considerate enough to actually take my shopping cart back to the shopping cart corral at the supermarket, and I get peeved when lazy pricks leave their cart in the parking lot.

Are you noobs arguing about nonsense again? Jesus...

So, since then, It's a peeve of mine...sort of like how I'm considerate enough to actually take my shopping cart back to the shopping cart corral at the supermarket, and I get peeved when lazy pricks leave their cart in the parking lot.


+1 on the shopping cart deal. My wife and I both like to casually throw comments like "lazy *****!!" out loud when we see someone leaving their carts astray. When the person hears it and looks around, they don't usually suspect the responsible, SUV-driving couple holding their 18-month old daughter to be the culprit . . .

Ignorance is no excuse for the law.

Don't do the crime if you can't pay the fine.




The amount just seems absolutely absurd to me. Even if I were in a car I would imagine the ticket wouldn't be as high as mine was. I've never heard of any traffic ticket being that high in Pennsylvania.

Are you noobs arguing about nonsense again? Jesus...

Absotively.

I had an Irvine cop once say that if you're in a left turn pocket and the light didn't change, that you need to dismount and walk to the curb and press the button. (Never mind that he was giving illegal advice that would, in most cases, be more unsafe than just proceeding when safe to do so.)
lol, I would have asked him if a motorist would need to do the same thing, since a bike is considered a vehicle.

+1 on the shopping cart deal. My wife and I both like to casually throw comments like "lazy *****!!" out loud when we see someone leaving their carts astray. When the person hears it and looks around, they don't usually suspect the responsible, SUV-driving couple holding their 18-month old daughter to be the culprit . . .

OMG!! You drive while you're holding the kid!! What would ovoleg say?

OMG!! You drive while you're holding the kid!! What would ovoleg say?

I meant it's usually when we 1) are getting out of the car after just parking or 2) getting into the the parked car.

I leave the child-holding while driving antics to Britney

OMG!! You drive while you're holding the kid!! What would ovoleg say?

I have more to say than the bandwith available.

Are you noobs arguing about nonsense again? Jesus...

And are YOU still bringing religion into this? Go read your bible.

I meant it's usually when we 1) are getting out of the car after just parking or 2) getting into the the parked car.


It would really be funny if you could figure out how to "throw your voice" so that people think it's your daughter saying it. That would teach 'em. :p

And are YOU still bringing religion into this? Go read your bible.

What are you talking about you hat4r. Jesus(pronounced HESOOS) Aguilar is sitting next to me and I keep bringing him into this because he said he like sseeing his name.

are you racist me? Do you hate my hispanic peoples?

are you racist me? Do you hate my hispanic peoples?

Do you keep your hispanic peoples in cages or something? :rolleyes: Free Hesoos and get back to studying and writing 500 page essays. Leave the mindless arguing about traffic laws to those of us who work for a living.

Do you keep your hispanic peoples in cages or something? :rolleyes: Free Hesoos and get back to studying and writing 500 page essays. Leave the mindless arguing about traffic laws to those of us who work for a living.

My peeps are chillin in a stylish cage, dont be hating yo

nice.....

I just had a conversation with another of Torrance PD's finest about red lights. Now granted, Torrance cops are a lot more lowkey than LA's (and from what I've seen, they're all cute and under 30) but I thought I'd ask him the "red light" question since we were standing in line next to each other at Wahoo's.

Early morning... Light is red... No traffic... No crosswalk or button... Bike doesn't trip the signal....
How does one cross the street?

He just rolled his eyes and said, "Just go. If its obvious that the signal wasn't tripped and its safe to proceed, just cross. But watch out for the guys delivering newspapers, they're all over the place."

So I'll just cross if its safe. And if I get pulled over I'll just say, "Officer Vukotic said I could!"

Torrance cops are a lot more lowkey than LA's (and from what I've seen, they're all cute and under 30)
Joy, is that how you decided where to live??? :D

Of course not.

The Torrance firemen are even better looking. ;)

If you do go to court, don't ask to get out of the ticket. Just plea nolo contendre, say, "Judge, sorry, it was my bad and I learned me lesson. I'm here to take my licks, but the fine really hurts, could you reduce it just a bit?" When I was writing tickets to red light runners, this tactic almost always resulted in the fine being reduced, and occasionally dropped altogether...

*** wink wink ***

I don't know when I started thinking it was rude...maybe when I was running with a buddy for the first time: we come to an intersection and I stop to press the button and he just keeps running. He turns around and says, "Dude! What the fark are you doing? Making all the cars stop just and wait so you can trot through? Didn't you learn to 'look both ways before you cross the street'? C'mon!"

When it comes to jumping lights, runners are one thing, bikes are another. Just ask the OP. :)

I don't think twice about doing that on, say, a smaller street, but on a main thoroughfare (on the few that I can't avoid) I tend to go out of my way to obey traffic laws. When there's a lot of traffic, drivers are frazzled and freaked out enough without worrying about cyclists zipping out in front of them.

Oh yeah, and carts always go back in the corrals.

It would really be funny if you could figure out how to "throw your voice" so that people think it's your daughter saying it. That would teach 'em. :p
When I worked at the Depot, I had a customer that could do that, and would laugh whenever he called my name and saw me looking in the opposite direction.


Of course not.
The Torrance firemen are even better looking. ;)
Now my wife is gonna want to move to Torrance.
Our apartment's malfunctioning fire alarm system was bittersweet for her because it would disturb us at untimely hours but would also bring a bunch of her favorite hunky men to the lobby.