logic of a brakelight ticket
 

It would be physically impossible for you to: sit in your car and step on your brakes while also being behind your car to see if your brakelights are functioning. So... you can't know they are out unless somebody tells you . . . and . . .
. . . if that "somebody" is a cop, and he gives me you ticket, what has been accomplished?

Well, no problem, I just have to fix it withing 10 days and go down to the courthouse, that'll be that . . . but . . . not quite . . . actually they'll only set me a court date two months out (why did I bother getting it fixed at all?) and in two months time, what if my car is in the shop or something? (which it is)

so, if you prove to them that you've fixed your brake light within 10 days, they'll waive the ticket? sounds like you'd just need a repair order from a garage dated within 1o days of your ticket when you go to court in 2 mos. or a receipt for a bulb and possibly a statement that you made the repairs yourself? did you ask the cop what to do?

That's been my experience, LJ. Get it fixed or fix it, take the receipt for the repair or parts to the court within 10 days and the clerk stamps it off. Never had to have a formal court date unless I wanted to fight the ticket, which would be stupid.

The reason they give you a ticket is to make it to your advantage to get it fixed instead of just putting it off until you cause an accident. There are actually people out there that couldn't care less about the car behind them. They don't care who they endanger, including themselves and their passengers. which are most often family.

With the back of the car pointed toward a darkened store window or even a garage door, it's pretty easy to tell if one side is out. Or you can put a stick or weight on the pedal. Or you can ask the next person you drop off to check. If you have no friends, ask any police officer. :cool:

What difference does it make if your car is in the shop?

I fixed the light myself, the next day, and took it to the courthouse. Instead of letting it go at that point (like the cop said they would do) they set me a court date. Why? I have no idea. Now, my car is in the shop, as in: I can't drive it to court to show them I fixed the light, like I could have done two months ago.

When you took the car did they come out and look at It?

I doubt like hell, the judge will come out and look at your car. He/She just wants to see the paperwork. :confused:

The cop told me "Get it fixed within ten days and go down to the courthouse. Someone will come out and look at your brakelight, to see that it's fixed." No mention of "paperwork" - what paperwork? The receipt from Auto Zone? I threw that away two months ago. Nobody mentioned anything about "paperwork." My light was out, I fixed it. I went down, they set me a court date. Flash forward two months, my car is in the shop - it may or may not be running again before my court date. (Which, other than this pointless ticket, is no problem for me. My wife stays at home and has her own car, she can take me to work, etc. I don't really need two cars, except for one thing: to transport my drumset to gigs.) So, what if the car had been stolen, or totalled, or otherwise wasn't available? "Someone will come out and look at your brakelight" my ass! Not if the car isn't available...

How much is the ticket? It may just be easier to pay it...

I've been pulled over for that, as well as having the same experience with a male friend driving. A small amount of "Really, Sir?" and "I'll take care of that right away, now that you have made me aware of it," has resulted in a verbal warning. A third friend who had the same experience was told to get it fixed and have the written warning (not ticket) signed by a Certified State Inspection Mechanic, otherwise it would become a ticket. As his father was a Certified State Inspection Mechanic, the paperwork was done before the bulb was replaced.

Did you hassle the cop in some way? Look like a Yankee, perhaps?

Give the traffic court judge the name, address, and telephone number of the shop your car is in. Give the shop owner and mechanic(s) a heads up so that they will be expecting a call. They can verify to the judge [or clerk doing the legwork] that your brake lights are working.


Send a letter to the judge saying that your brake lights are working just fine: it's the brakes that aren't working; but, since you just filled up the gas tank you'd be happy to drive the car over to them so they can get a close look at the lights.

I bet they waiver your court appearance.
:D

@Ibram: Why pay it? The cop said it would be flat-out dismissed.

@wolf: What I got essentially was a verbal warning (I thought). What could have been easier than what he suggested (go down in ten days and have it dismissed)? But, that's not what happened. Me and the cop had no problem, it was a done deal. The courthouse is where the mystery began.

@NoBoxes: Thanks for the suggestions. My frustration is: if what was supposed to have happened, what I was told was going to happen, had happened, I wouldn't be having to concoct some complicated plan. I might try #1, but then again what if they don't accept that idea?

If it involved a ticket and a notice to appear, it wasn't a verbal warning.

2. pertaining to or constituting the essence of a thing.

All of this would be perfectly valid if the reason for the ticket was actually to enforce public safety. Any more, the purpose of tickets is to generate revenue...involuntary taxation is what I call it.

We had a driver stopped a couple of weeks ago for having a tire that was *going flat* on an inside rear dualie. His pretrip inspection was on board, showing that there were no defects when he left the shop less than 30 minutes earlier, yet the Highway Patrol pulled him over because they saw the tire was low, and wrote him a ticket for it. It was in fact audibly hissing as he stood there writing the ticket. Since he then sent the truck on its way without forcing the driver to call a repair truck and have it fixed on the spot, I'd say the argument for public safety is pretty much dead, huh?

How was the driver supposed to know it was going flat? Pull over every ten feet and check it? This is one we would have fought, except that the courthouse for the jurisdiction in which it was written is over an hour away from the shop, so in the end, it would cost us more in time and effort to fight it than it would to just pay it.

Don't think law enforcement doesn't know that and use it to generate income.

I was wondering the same thing, except in my case the brakelight is something I can't even check (except as described above by xoxoxoBruce).

Just because it is ultimately beyond your direct control doesn't mean you shouldn't be made to pay through the nose.

I am rapidly becoming cynical enough to be expecting a goddamn breathing tax anytime now.