Originally Posted by
TurbineBlade
Ouch! I usually do the "Idaho-stop" in DC and have not yet drawn the attention of police.....yet.
Be that as it may, you just got unlucky man. You can't expect the police to accept the "I'm new and didn't know" line though .....I know what you mean as a cyclist, but you have to understand that it is against the law and there's really nothing you can do but bite the bullet. It's just a bum deal.
It's hard to swallow when you see cars double-parked, speeding in residential areas, making illegal turns, running stop signs, etc. but it is what it is!
--to answer your question, I don't really see much you can do other than calling the number on the ticket and begging the person to reduce it to a smaller violation or something. Honesty would probably work best if you talk to someone.
A few weeks ago, several riders, including myself, were doing the usual after work loops around Hains Point when we were pulled over by Park Police shortly after turning right at an intersection. The two officers explained that a cyclist had just been hit at that intersection a few days before so their boss mandated that they do the check point that day. We all got $25 tickets. I would really be upset if it was $270, though, like the OP's. I'm contesting mine, as I actually did stop at the intersection.