Advocacy & Safety - Brutal red light ticket on A1A

I got stopped on A1A in Ocean Ridge, south of Palm Beach. $216 for running a red light by a very agressive police officer who kept me standing roadside for 45 minutes. I was fingerprinted because I didn't have a picture ID. Keep in mind I was only cooperative and polite.

My first ride on the streets of Florida; my first reprieve after a week of caring for an elderly family member. Tee intersection, didn't cross any traffic, bike lane dissappeared.

Gosh, not a warning, chastised and told I can appeal if I want to come back to Florida at some undefined time. Affects my Mass insurance big time. Bummer. Riders beware!

Move to the Texas Gulf Coast.
The Cops Wave at us all day long.

Just wave or is the Gulf coast have rider friendly roads? Never ridden there.

Thing is, my angst isn't the law, just the unjustness. Like Pheobe Snow sang, "I've had a long string of bad luck and I pray it's gone at last". I'd admit to feeling sorry for myself but I've been caring for an elderly woman who fell and broke her arm yet keeps life and good cheer in perspective. Dang! I did enjoy most of the ride and mentally flossed my head.

Why were you running a red light? We are expected to follow the laws of the road just like cars. In addition there have been some fatal traffic accidents recently in south FL. This probably added to the aggression.

Yep, bad luck had nothing to do with it. Bad decision making, probably had a lot to do with it..

You have been fined $216 for running a red light on a bicycle?

Welcome to FL.
The sad thing is, there really is no such thing as a real 'stop' for
cars here. If you had been a Hummer driven by young Biff and
sis, Muffy, on the way to the mall to consume, you wouldnt have
gotten a second look by said officer.

I grew up down that way and yea, it sucks. They make their budget for the year giving out tickets.

Surprising....I was down there a few months ago riding the out and back from Pompano to Palm and I was blown away by the fact that none of the locals stop for red lights unless there is immanent traffic. I do not mean some of the locals run the lights I mean ALL of the locals run the lights....from what I saw at least

Yeah, no one really stops for reds on A1A. Traffic lights are pretty much treated as optional, especially on a T intersection.

There are three spots the locals obey and for the most part it is only on speed limit on A1A, Palm Beach proper especially near Worth Ave., between Lake Worth Rd and Southern Blvd and down near Manalapan. Spent many a day on the beaches there and now where the cops would sit to bust people.

Fatal accidents warrant good enforcement. This seemed unduly aggressive; a warning would have been effective. I did stop at all other lights on the ride and normally do. Extenuating circumstances (bike lane disappeared at intersection and reappeared just past intersection (bike lane is not a sidewalk. Had it been sidewalk, no crime?), traffic was clear, slowed to 2 mph and looked carefully, kept me 45 minutes when I was rushing to get back to the elderly relative I caring for, fingerprinted, first ride on Fl roads.
I am both whining and spreading the word, even 2 mph and clear path, is a ticket, not a warning.

Oh then he was just a pinhead and you were an easy mark.

You make your point.
He was correct to stop me.

Also be careful with the red lights in downtown Lake Worth. Had a friend get a $176 ticket for running the light at Lake and Federal. No warning either. I have gone through the red at 2nd ave north and Federal with a cop watching and not had a problem, but that is a sensor light with little traffic.

I got one and I did not run the light. I followed him as we both went through when it was yellow. I asked him why it was ok for hi to go through a yellow and not me and his resonse was it was red. Excuse me SIR, but we went through at the same time and it was yellow and I could not brake in a safe manner that is why I went through. Response, I am the police officer and it was red and here is your ticket. They have nothing else to do in that area and they have to generate revenue some how. For the record, I do not run red lights and I do say something to other bikers when I see them doing it. I set the ticket to one of those "traffic" attorneys becasue he said that in addition to the fine there were points involved.

I have seen police do jobs I wouldn't wish on anyone and have never complained, argued or contested. Truth is police do put their lives on the line in service of the public.

There are times though when I have seen police not make the ideal decision in terms of justice, hence the right to appeal. Over the last 2 decades I've regretted not contested a couple of tickets putting business priorities first. This time I just feel it is "brutal" and should have been handled differently.

You have been fined $216 for running a red light on a bicycle?

yep, at 2 mph, inching forward to make sure the coast was clear.
If I was driving a car, it wouldn't occurr to me to not wait for green. I guess the cops really want bicyclists to obey the rules but the attitude and amplitude seems excessive.

Your mistake was it happend in Palm Beach!! They tend to be snooty up there, if you were in a Bentley it would have been a smile and a have a great day!

Get a $100 traffic lawyer and take the officer to court to make his day. I've had tickets dismissed for cops saying "in my experience" instead of "the facts are..."

There are lawyers out there who are keen cyclists too and would take up cases like this.

On a side note: I had a ticket dismissed when I went drove though an orange light but the guy behind went through on red and got away. The officer told me "we'll get him another time". My lawyer used that in court to show the cop wasn't chasing offenders but going for easy kills.

My wife's co-worker's husband is a local cop, and he says officers giving out silly tickets for 2 mph on an intersection should be ticketing speeders and other major offenders, not focusing on minor issues.

If policing were a commercial activity, the cops would be going for law-breakers who generate highest revenue, such as speeding without a seat-belt on, etc.

I have to say you folks, time and distance make me feel a little better about biking in Florida. I've been really bummed by the experience, "never ride in Fl again"... Grammy has a nurse, I am just back from a 30 mile wet, icy, sandy New England ride with no close calls and no tickets. Come to think of it, no red lights either.

I moved here from Vermont and it took almost two years to overcome the
culture shock and general meanness of this S.Fl society in general. Sad
thing is, with all the monetary woes FL has right now they have a never-
ending supply of revenue if they would ever decide to go after the worst
drivers on the east coast with any sincerity. 98% dont stop, use an
indicator or go the speed limit. This could be a gold mine for the state.

45 minutes? sounds a little excessive? Was he just shuffling about in his patrol car?

,,,, 98% dont stop, use an
indicator or go the speed limit. This could be a gold mine for the state.

+1000 Here from SF Bay area and could not agree more, especially the turn signal thing (failure to use in FL is a 2pt moving violation) and the LEO's are some of the worst offenders!

How did he know you were a Yankee?

How did he know you were a Yankee?

Don't know that he did when I was stopped although I was wearing my bright "MassBike" shirt.

After I gave him my address before he decided a ticket was in order. He processed my info via Mass, confirmed my car drivers license. 45 min.

It must have been important. I did hear of a bicycle related accident so maybe preventing more bike accidents was very, very high priority.

I moved here from Vermont and it took almost two years to overcome the
culture shock and general meanness of this S.Fl society in general. Sad
thing is, with all the monetary woes FL has right now they have a never-
ending supply of revenue if they would ever decide to go after the worst
drivers on the east coast with any sincerity. 98% dont stop, use an
indicator or go the speed limit. This could be a gold mine for the state.


Hate to say it but Florida law states that when changing lanes it is a courtesy to use your indicators but a requirement when changing directions. But thats just the problem down here no body is courteous !:(

hell thats cheap I got a 275.00 ticket for blowing a stop sign here in Portland Oregon.

I don't know what the fine is a if a police officer catches you, but here the fine for a red light camera-detected violation is $50.00. Which is why I'm surprised by the fine amounts you all are discussing.

I'm more concerned about the demand for a photo ID. I don't carry a photo ID when I cycle (and don't indend to start) and would have refused to be fingerprinted for a bicycle traffic stop. You got the ticket because you used up 45 minutes of his time.

The police didn't say I violated the law by not having a photo ID. He asked several times if I had a FL license or ever had one. He likely was annoyed the process requires him to check with police in my home state to see if my facts were correct.

Towards the end of the event the policeman seemed to calm a bit, thanked me for my cooperation and advised several times I should carry an ID so I wouldn't be "a John Doe" if I got hit. I do have my name and address with my all my bikes but not a photo ID.

I'm more concerned about the demand for a photo ID. I don't carry a photo ID when I cycle (and don't indend to start) and would have refused to be fingerprinted for a bicycle traffic stop. You got the ticket because you used up 45 minutes of his time.

HenryL, I thought about not complying with a thumb print but was calm and cooperative (aka speechless) in part because he seemed pretty worked up. He did state if I didn't agree to a print he would take me to the station, again incredibly aggressive. I watch too much TV; I thought threatening to take criminals in was reserved for pushers and punks. I must be looking more macho than I thought. Yeah, I'm bad!

Guy was a jerk. Don't pay the ticket. Get a traffic defense lawyer. It's like $79.

Florida drivers are bad, but the vast majority stop for lights. It's not that bad and I ride from Miami to Boca all the time.

Up in Ponte Vedra Beach I got pulled over by an officer for coming to a full stop at a stop sign but not placing a foot on the ground. He didn't give me a ticket just a "warning".

You have been fined $216 for running a red light on a bicycle?

My red light ticket (driving my van) cost me around $700.00!! I had to take two days off work, and go to a class to get the ticket off my record. I've quit driving now for good. But still need to be careful ....

...that in addition to the fine there were points involved.

You might want to double-check your facts on that for the state of FL.

-Kurt

I know you weren't playing ID games, but some on this forum advocate not carrying ID thinking that it will magically get them out of tickets. Actually, as this post shows, not having ID can make your life a lot worse.

Affects my Mass insurance big time.

I don't think it does. The ticket should indicate that it was a bicycle infraction. It's spelled out in the recently passed Mass bike law that bike traffic infractions don't affect your automobile insurance.

Speedo

Why did you stop?

I'm more concerned about the demand for a photo ID. I don't carry a photo ID when I cycle (and don't indend to start) and would have refused to be fingerprinted for a bicycle traffic stop. You got the ticket because you used up 45 minutes of his time.

What's the weight penalty for a plastic card? weenie. I always carry ID just in case. that way you avoid getting finger printed when you break the law. And save about 40 of those minutes you spent with officer hard-on.

Only $216? They cost over $300 here. (And with the budget crisis, they'll probably raise them again!)

I only wish it was 1200 dollars instead of 200 dollars.

Law breakers get off far too easy in this country.

I'm more concerned about the demand for a photo ID. I don't carry a photo ID when I cycle (and don't indend to start) and would have refused to be fingerprinted for a bicycle traffic stop. You got the ticket because you used up 45 minutes of his time.It's OK, the cops have a special place for people who've decided they don't need to provide ID on a traffic stop. They can get your information later, at this special place.

I only wish it was 1200 dollars instead of 200 dollars.

Law breakers get off far too easy in this country.


It's OK, the cops have a special place for people who've decided they don't need to provide ID on a traffic stop. They can get your information later, at this special place.

How do you guys keep those starched, brown shirts from wrinkling while doing all that
goose stepping ?

How do you guys keep those starched, brown shirts from wrinkling while doing all that
goose stepping ?:rolleyes:

Get over yourself Che. The dude is giving out "advice" that will get people who don't know any better arrested.

^^^ I dont see advice given anywhere....
A comment/opinion only.

In a place with one of the highest gang / dangerous-car-driver concentrations in the country,
the only crime I see committed here is the Cops prioritization process.

Thus my use of quotations marks around "advice."

Nice example of Godwin's Law (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godwin's_Law) by the way...

:thumb:

Nice example of Godwin's Law (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godwin's_Law) by the way...

Not really. This thread is only on it's second page. I think that's probably a three sigma low for a Hilter reference.

Speedo

Not really. This thread is only on it's second page. I think that's probably a three sigma low for a Hilter reference.

Speedo

I think the threshold is a lot lower here at A&S. :)