Just got a really dumb ticket

jinso · October 2012

I violated VC 21950(a) which is failure to yield to pedestrians in a crosswalk. I was driving around in LA today and I was at a corner with a red light. I was waiting to make my right turn and I noticed to the crosswalk signal go off as I was turning. It was one of those really long crosswalks and I figured theres no way I am gonna hit anyone by going since there were people all the way at the beginning of the crosswalk. If they were in the middle already walking, of course Id stop for them. Anyone here ever get a ticket for this?? I hear the fine is worth over $200.00.

knitdan · October 2012

This sounds like the cop was set up at the intersection looking for this kind of thing. In my area they call them "emphasis patrols." They tend to do them more at the end of the month (quotas), in places where they have had citizen complaints about various driver behaviors.

SmokeStacks · October 2012

I see people who do this downtown all the time. People will be in the crosswalk with right of way and a driver will start to make a turn and then sit in the intersection like an idiot because they didn't look for pedestrians. I've never seen anyone pulled over or ticketed for it, though.

You started the turn before the crosswalk signal had even stopped, and there were people in the process of crossing. You should have waited the fifteen seconds it would take them to finish, not to mention the fact that people might have been starting to cross in the opposite direction.

Let this be a $200 lesson in maintaining patience when you're behind the wheel.

MichaelLC · October 2012

Yeah, that's one expensive lesson to learn - don't try to interpret the law.

Not your question, so I'll just say I guess you could try to fight it and hope the cop doesn't show. Looks like it's $234 plus 1 Point, which sounds more serious than the cash (I'm not in CA). You can contest in court.

Melinoe · October 2012

The justification for this is some sort of outside force pushing them in front of your car while you're in the intersection, or at least that's what I've heard. Legally you are supposed to wait until the crosswalk is completely clear, unless it's a divided road, in which case the side of the divide that you're crossing has to be clear. It sucks in some cases but cops can and will ticket for this (obviously).

SmokeStacks · October 2012

The justification for it is that drivers don't always pay attention.

Next time you're out and about, watch people who are stopped and are waiting to make a right turn. They'll all look left to watch for oncoming traffic like they should, but it's horrifying to see how many people just blindly turn once they see a break in traffic without even a cursory glance to the right to check for pedestrians or bicyclists.

Darkewolfe · October 2012

I've seen a number of bicyclists get taken out for this reason.

If you have the time, feel free to go to court. Be really apologetic, say that you didn't understand the law and have figured out how it works now and why you do it. Don't be a dick. They might at least let you off for the point while still keeping the fine or a fine equivalent.

Druhim · October 2012

I don't know about your jurisdiction, but where I live you're legally required to give pedestrians the right of way if they're in the crosswalk at all. It doesn't really matter which side of the crosswalk they're on relative to you. I'm guessing the law is similar where you are. Lesson learned.

Giggles_Funsworth · October 2012

If it is a road with a double yellow line and they were on the opposite side from you that should count as divided and you should be able to contest it.

Wezoin · October 2012

Also, try not to refer to it as a 'really dumb ticket' as it is in the interest of public safety. Keep in mind that driving is not a right, it is a luxury that is offered to those who are responsible enough to accept its risks and work to mitigate them. Referring to the ticket as 'really dumb' makes you appear arrogant of that fact and says 'I haven't learned anything.' I'm not meaning this in a judgmental way, but you broke a law that exists to serve a perfectly reasonable purpose (to prevent the death/injury of pedestrians) and your options are either to fight it in court or accept your mistake and pay for it. Regardless of which route you choose you should be taking this more seriously.

bowen · October 2012

Darkewolfe wrote: »

I've seen a number of bicyclists get taken out for this reason.

If you have the time, feel free to go to court. Be really apologetic, say that you didn't understand the law and have figured out how it works now and why you do it. Don't be a dick. They might at least let you off for the point while still keeping the fine or a fine equivalent.

Well where I live the bicyclist would have been at fault, you know, for riding on the wrong side of the road. Or, in this case, skipping past stopped traffic and failing to yield to the person who has the right of way.

Pedestrians though, yeah.

Darkewolfe · October 2012

That was in reference to people talking about looking right, looking left, then turning without looking right again. Bike lanes usually run right of the car lanes, so those turning have to go across them.

Magic Pink · October 2012

bowen wrote: »

Darkewolfe wrote: »

I've seen a number of bicyclists get taken out for this reason.

If you have the time, feel free to go to court. Be really apologetic, say that you didn't understand the law and have figured out how it works now and why you do it. Don't be a dick. They might at least let you off for the point while still keeping the fine or a fine equivalent.

Well where I live the bicyclist would have been at fault, you know, for riding on the wrong side of the road. Or, in this case, skipping past stopped traffic and failing to yield to the person who has the right of way.

Pedestrians though, yeah.

If the bicyclist was in a bike lane he had the right of way. Even if he didn't, in some states he STILL has the right of way just because it's a bicyclist compared to a car. Some states say it doesn;t matter what the pedestrian is doing or what laws they're breaking, they always have right of way. It's rarely enforced tho.

bowen · October 2012

Such rare to have any of those short of NJ and NYC proper (not sure how west coast cities fare).

Generally what happens is a bike rides down the wrong side of the road around here.

kaliyama · October 2012

LA has also become very stupid and inflexible about handing out jaywalking tickets to pedestrians, so don't feel too alone in your suffering. It's all about revenue generation. Darkewolfe's advice is the advice to listen to.

Thanatos · October 2012

Druhim wrote: »

I don't know about your jurisdiction, but where I live you're legally required to give pedestrians the right of way if they're in the crosswalk at all. It doesn't really matter which side of the crosswalk they're on relative to you. I'm guessing the law is similar where you are. Lesson learned.

This is not actually the case. On a multi-lane road, once the pedestrian is at least one lane away from you, you can go. Most jurisdictions have similar laws.

bowen · October 2012

I like (2) in conjunction with (4) specifically.

Giggles_Funsworth · October 2012

Thanatos wrote: »

Druhim wrote: »

I don't know about your jurisdiction, but where I live you're legally required to give pedestrians the right of way if they're in the crosswalk at all. It doesn't really matter which side of the crosswalk they're on relative to you. I'm guessing the law is similar where you are. Lesson learned.

This is not actually the case. On a multi-lane road, once the pedestrian is at least one lane away from you, you can go. Most jurisdictions have similar laws.

California it is based on divided roads. It could be three lanes but if there is a divide in the middle and the peds are on your side it is illegal to turn. This is what Melinoe and I are talking about, we both live in CA.

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