Go Back  Bike Forums > Bike Forums > Road Cycling
Reload this Page >

Red light tickets, Offense < Fine

Notices
Road Cycling “It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best, since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them. Thus you remember them as they actually are, while in a motor car only a high hill impresses you, and you have no such accurate remembrance of country you have driven through as you gain by riding a bicycle.” -- Ernest Hemingway

Red light tickets, Offense < Fine

Old 05-29-12, 08:21 PM
  #1  
Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Decatur, Georgia
Posts: 46

Bikes: Orbea Orca 2013, Cannondale R800 ('04), Bianchi Pista SS

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Red light tickets, Offense < Fine

So, today I got the second red-light ticket of the year. I do a regular 20 mile commute through Atlanta, with a host of stop signs and traffic lights. Today, I approached a T intersection, where I'm at the top of the T going straight, in the bike lane, but with cars stacked up in the traffic lane. I always slow here, and if there's no traffic in the lane, I roll through. Turns out, one of Atlanta's finest was in the stack of cars so a block later he pulls me over and gives me the ticket.

For the record, I don't' 'blow through' intersections, I always yield to cars that get to 4 way stops before me (nodding to them to go), but I also try to stay out of tight traffic and sometimes going through a red keeps me out of the tightest traffic.

In GA, violations on a bike adhere to the same fine schedule as for cars. I ran a red light, so with surcharges and taxes, that's $250.

Yeah, I ran the red light. I get that, guilty. But $250? My first ticket was for stopping (putting foot down), and then proceeding through a red light that does not change for bikes.

So, $500 so far for the year, two violations. I think I need a more expensive bike because that's now matches how much i spent on the bike and it seems like I should ride a bike that costs more than the year's violations...
glockenspieler is offline  
Old 05-29-12, 08:44 PM
  #2  
KoolAidnPizza
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Mentioned: Post(s)
Tagged: Thread(s)
Quoted: Post(s)
You could easily foght the stop and continue one if it is a light that changes by a sensor.... As far as rolling thru a red light, I typically stop for lights but roll stop signs.
 
Old 05-29-12, 08:47 PM
  #3  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 177
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
bummer, man.
also, one always needs a more expensive bike. period.
sqroot3 is offline  
Old 05-29-12, 08:51 PM
  #4  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Near Sacramento
Posts: 4,886
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
If you stop at a light and it doesn't change for a complete cycle, here in CA it's considered "malfunctioning" and you are permitted to proceed after making sure it's clear. But you have to wait that complete cycle first. If there's one available, I roll over and hit the pedestrian crossing button which will trigger the light to change. Otherwise, I won't run a red. Got a ticket for it once. Can't afford it.
__________________
-------

Some sort of pithy irrelevant one-liner should go here.
JoelS is offline  
Old 05-29-12, 08:54 PM
  #5  
Senior Member
 
Vlaam4ever's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Lake Claire, GA
Posts: 802

Bikes: 2008 Giant TCR Advanced

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Where was this? So I can avoid it. I hear it ofter the case on the brewery ride that a cop is waiting.
Vlaam4ever is offline  
Old 05-29-12, 09:00 PM
  #6  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: SoCal T.O.
Posts: 2,172

Bikes: CAAD9-6, 13' Dawes Haymaker 1500

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 6 Times in 3 Posts
You ran the light, your fault. Hopefully you have learned your lesson to stop at red lights now.
fishymamba is offline  
Old 05-29-12, 09:15 PM
  #7  
Slacker
 
ZippyThePinhead's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: North Orange County, in Southern California
Posts: 1,295

Bikes: 1986 Peugeot Orient Express, 1987 Trek 560 Pro, 1983 SR Semi Pro, 2010 Motobecane Le Champion Titanium, 2011 Trek Fuel EX8

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 97 Post(s)
Liked 6 Times in 4 Posts
Here in CA, the city of Huntington Beach has enacted a special scofflaw ticket for cyclists that costs less than the equivalent ticket for motorists, but escalates to the equivalent if it is ignored by the cyclist.

I think this is a reasonable approach. Here in CA, in other jurisdictions (I know of no others that have a similar approach), a cyclist is treated as a motorist for the purpose of violations. Running a light, for example, will cost more than $400.
ZippyThePinhead is offline  
Old 05-29-12, 09:33 PM
  #8  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2010
Posts: 3,456
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 50 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times in 2 Posts
That sucks. Bummer dude.

Now if that were a SPEEDING ticket, that would be sweetness. Rolling stops are no good though. Almost as bad as being in a car and getting nailed by one of LA's many $500 camera-ticket machines that nailed like 20% of the populace last year.
hhnngg1 is offline  
Old 05-29-12, 09:34 PM
  #9  
Senior Member
 
rdtompki's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Hollister, CA
Posts: 3,957

Bikes: Volagi, daVinci Joint Venture

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 3 Times in 2 Posts
I'll stop and wait for all red lights except those T-intersection lights. Of course I'll slow significantly and make sure no peds our turning traffic are present, but that's a situation where a more sophisticated transportation infrastructure might have signals for bicycles.

Last edited by rdtompki; 05-29-12 at 09:35 PM. Reason: typo
rdtompki is offline  
Old 05-29-12, 09:44 PM
  #10  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 177
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
Originally Posted by hhnngg1
Almost as bad as being in a car and getting nailed by one of LA's many $500 camera-ticket machines that nailed like 20% of the populace last year.
you probably know this already, but just a psa for any angelenos not yet aware: LAPD won't pursue red-light camera tickets in court
sqroot3 is offline  
Old 05-29-12, 09:46 PM
  #11  
SuperGimp
 
TrojanHorse's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Whittier, CA
Posts: 13,346

Bikes: Specialized Roubaix

Mentioned: 147 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1106 Post(s)
Liked 64 Times in 47 Posts
So you rolled right past the cop and then said to yourself - self, I think I'm going THROUGH this red light.

Perhaps not the wisest decision.

I generally wait if there are cars, whether it's a light or stop sign. No cars, no wait.
TrojanHorse is offline  
Old 05-29-12, 10:25 PM
  #12  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Sacramento, CA
Posts: 259

Bikes: Tarmac Apex

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
I dont get it... your upset that you got caught twice for running a red lights********** Thats why I dont run them, I do what Joel does here in CA
Jfitalia is offline  
Old 05-30-12, 06:50 AM
  #13  
Semper Fi
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 12,942
Mentioned: 89 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1172 Post(s)
Liked 358 Times in 241 Posts
Cyclist want to be taken seriously, treated as transportation like cars but don't want to follow the vehicle laws. You ran the light, saw the LEO and had already gotten a ticket for the same thing. Hmmmm, what was your rant?
__________________
Semper Fi, USMC, 1975-1977

I Can Do All Things Through Him, Who Gives Me Strength. Philippians 4:13


qcpmsame is offline  
Old 05-30-12, 06:58 AM
  #14  
Senior Member
 
VeeDubOne's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: NJ
Posts: 210
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Quite an expensive, though obvious lesson. Follow the rules of the road and as an incentive, invest the 250 bucks that your next infringement might cost you, in your bike upfront. Win Win. Follow the logic of the 41.
VeeDubOne is offline  
Old 05-30-12, 10:52 AM
  #15  
Senior Member
 
Breathegood's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Castle Rock, CO
Posts: 332

Bikes: '09 Gary Fisher "Kaitai, '09 Raleigh Team", '91 Trek 8700, '97 Cannondale SR500, '12 Raleigh Twin Six

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Originally Posted by qcpmsame
Cyclist want to be taken seriously, treated as transportation like cars but don't want to follow the vehicle laws. You ran the light, saw the LEO and had already gotten a ticket for the same thing. Hmmmm, what was your rant?
This sums up my thoughts exactly.

Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me.
Breathegood is offline  
Old 05-30-12, 10:55 AM
  #16  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Brookings, SD
Posts: 283

Bikes: Felt Z85

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
whether I run lights or not depends on the amount of cross traffic. If it's a light street with nobody waiting at the stop light to trigger the sensor, I will cross it. I personally don't believe people on non motorized vehicles or on foot going slower than traffic flow should have to stop at stoplights. If anything it would slow traffic down. If I was a car I'd rather the person just cross when they felt it was safe on a light street rather than triggering a red light for me to wait at. This is what I do thus. Basically, I use common sense.

On my road bike or on foot I have a wider field of vision, and able to more quickly anticipate and react to situations, and can in general cause little injury to anyone but myself, so basically I'm only putting myself at a calculated risk which I'm willing to take.
dissident is offline  
Old 05-30-12, 11:00 AM
  #17  
Senior Member
 
mymojo's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Plano, Texxas
Posts: 517

Bikes: '10 Specialized Allez, '09 Cervelo S1, '93 Trek T200 (tandem), Rocky Mountain Metro 30

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
"Doc, it hurts when I do this."

....
mymojo is offline  
Old 05-30-12, 11:02 AM
  #18  
Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Decatur, Georgia
Posts: 46

Bikes: Orbea Orca 2013, Cannondale R800 ('04), Bianchi Pista SS

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Yeah, I did the crime, I'll do the time, and so forth.

The ticketing effort here seems to be a rather recent development and enforcement has been pretty uneven. There has been a few warnings given, but mostly tickets are issued on the spot if the cop pulls you over. There has also been a smattering of tickets in Atlanta and surrounding jurisdictions for rolling through low traffic 4 way stop sign intersections, and the fine is the same, $250. I know, scofflaws the lot of them, but I still think that offense<fine.

@Vlaam4ever - East bound on Edgewood Ave at Randolph, about 4pm.
glockenspieler is offline  
Old 05-30-12, 11:10 AM
  #19  
pan y agua
 
merlinextraligh's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Jacksonville
Posts: 31,273

Bikes: Willier Zero 7; Merlin Extralight; Calfee Dragonfly tandem, Calfee Adventure tandem; Cervelo P2; Motebecane Ti Fly 29er; Motebecanne Phantom Cross; Schwinn Paramount Track bike

Mentioned: 17 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1428 Post(s)
Liked 697 Times in 353 Posts
Originally Posted by fishymamba
you ran the light, your fault. Hopefully you have learned your lesson to look for cops before running red lights now.
ftfy
__________________
You could fall off a cliff and die.
You could get lost and die.
You could hit a tree and die.
OR YOU COULD STAY HOME AND FALL OFF THE COUCH AND DIE.
merlinextraligh is offline  
Old 05-30-12, 11:11 AM
  #20  
I got 99 problems....
 
thump55's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Does anyone know where the love of God goes, when the waves turn the minutes to hours?
Posts: 2,087
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 3 Times in 2 Posts
Originally Posted by glockenspieler
Yeah, I ran the red light. I get that, guilty. But $250?
I run red lights all the time...just not in front of cops.

You have two choices: either get better at obeying the law, or get better at smelling bacon.
thump55 is offline  
Old 05-30-12, 11:13 AM
  #21  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 1,215
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
I always do a 360 police check before running a red light.
Dan The Man is offline  
Old 05-30-12, 11:15 AM
  #22  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Sauquoit, NY
Posts: 201

Bikes: 2014 FUJI Roubaix

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Originally Posted by glockenspieler
Yeah, I did the crime, I'll do the time, and so forth.

The ticketing effort here seems to be a rather recent development and enforcement has been pretty uneven. There has been a few warnings given, but mostly tickets are issued on the spot if the cop pulls you over. There has also been a smattering of tickets in Atlanta and surrounding jurisdictions for rolling through low traffic 4 way stop sign intersections, and the fine is the same, $250. I know, scofflaws the lot of them, but I still think that offense<fine.

.

That's why they call it a fine. it's not a tax, or a cost of doing business. It's in place to discourage people from breaking the rules, not be low enough for someone to accept as a cost to break the law.

PS, I'm not saying I wouldn't have done the same thing.
jwill87ta is offline  
Old 05-30-12, 11:20 AM
  #23  
yada yada
 
Urban Turkey's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Decatur, GA
Posts: 130

Bikes: Felt F5, Surly CrossCheck

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
That's what you get for venturing out of Decatur and into the big city.
Urban Turkey is offline  
Old 05-30-12, 11:22 AM
  #24  
Senior Member
 
Seattle Forrest's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Seattle, WA
Posts: 23,208
Mentioned: 89 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 18883 Post(s)
Liked 10,645 Times in 6,054 Posts
Ouch. Sorry man, that sucks.

Lesson: don't do anything obviously illegal when a cop is around. Unless you can sprint like the wind.
Seattle Forrest is offline  
Old 05-30-12, 11:24 AM
  #25  
John Wayne Toilet Paper
 
nhluhr's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Roanoke
Posts: 1,952

Bikes: BH carbon, Ritchey steel, Kona aluminum

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Next time hop up on the sidewalk, cruise intersection, get back on road
nhluhr is offline  

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.