Originally Posted by
El Cid
Never argue with a cop on the side of the road. You won’t win. Take the ticket politely and argue it in court.
This isn’t to say that the officer is right or fair -- most of the time they are neither. But they have all the power, and you can only make things worse for yourself.
If I were to get a ticket that I thought was unfair, I would do more than fight it in court; I would also file a misconduct charge against the officer for harassment. The exact process would vary from state to state, and it probably wouldn’t even require an expensive lawyer. I’ll bet most people could get help from a paralegal for a reasonable price.
The sad thing is that even if you are just trying to explain to an officer what the law actually says they’ll accuse you of “arguing” with them.
That being said, I would still say that it is not a bad idea to keep a copy of one’s state, city or county laws with you either on your cell/smartphone or in your pannier bag.
As there are plenty of officers who are willing to listen.