First real ticket
 

Aside from a warning ticket for speeding I have been doing ok on the road. But last night I got caught violating a new law, and aprently I am the first to get a ticket for it in my town.

What did I do? Well at 2am I made a run to a local gas station to get some hot dogs because I was hungry and they have an all night grill, and the best hot dogs in town ;)

On the way I drove thru the rich part of town because its the back way to the gas station and cuts about 15 minutes out of the drive. On the way I was listening to my stereo, tho its loud its not a bass heads dream or anything (yet..;)). Anyway I passed a cop and when I wen't by he pulled in behind me and followed me for awhile, when I put on my turn single to pull into the gas stations parking lot he turned on the bule lights.

I was in violation of a new sound ordinace (sp?) that states no one can play a stereo after 11pm or before 7am that can be heard at least 2 blocks away.

I know there is no way he heard me from 2 blocks away so I am going to attempt to fight this one in court. Because I am not paying this $120 fine for something I was never informed about.

IMHO he saw an easy ticket to write so he decided to pull me. I tried to explain that I was'nt aware of this law (until it was passed you could be as loud as you wanted whenever you wanted), and that even though this law existed I did not think my stereo was capable of breaking it. But he was an +++++++ so rather then dealing with him and risking something more I told him to write the ticket and that we could sort it out in court.

Anyway I hope I win, because if I don't I have no idea how I am going to aford my new amp before comp. this april. :(

well thank-god cops don't care about the music here because i would be paying literally 1000s for that law T_T

Be aware that in Switzerland you don't have to be made aware of the law, it's your responsibility to find out what the law is.

Unwissenheit schützt nicht vor Strafe - Not knowing doesn't save you from a punishment.

Wah, that sucks :ermm:

What a stupid law, IMO. :P

That isn't very fair, secret laws don't do the community any good.

I doubt they are secret. They are probably made public in some official government "newpaper", you know that boring kind of paper, nobody reads.

I don't even think those are available to the general public in any easy way. (eg. sold at a newsagency) Australia's one is the "Government Gazette" but our new laws/changes to law are made public.

Here where I live (Chile), you can't say you didn't know, because everytime there is a new law passed it comes out in a special government paper, so if you didn't know, it's your problem :P

Well I read the paper and watch the news everyday and there was no mention. I am hoping the law is still very new, I think its only 3 or so days old. I was talking with someone awhile ago and they reminded me about grace peroids, hopfully that will apply. :)

A grace peroid is what saved me from a biggie speeding ticket. :)

I just got to be careful from now on with the stereo, I guess these guys playing them infront of the shopping center at night finnaly got the lot of us in trouble. These idiots sit in a parking lot accross the street from the hospital. I guess the law got tired of running them off every night.

Aw well, at least this did'nt happen a month from now, I plan on begin really loud then. ;)

Anyone ever look at this page:

http://www.dumblaws.com/laws.php?site=laws&cid=184

Has a complete list of dumb laws for the US and around the world.

Yea thats a good page, dumb crook news is good to ;)

Heh, I always love reading those sites when I'm bored :)

i am a police officer in the state of pennsylvania. There mearly city ordninces they vary from city to city here. I for one choose not to waste the time writing a ticket for petty ++++ such as Window film (Tint) Or the Noise Pollution Law which is here in the state of pa if you can here the radio 50 ft from the car After 11pm you are in violation. I will however stop someone and ask them to turn it off for the evening. fines can range from 100 - 350.00

Well I just have to branch from common opinion in this thread by saying you should have gotten the ticket. If it was that damn loud then you couldn't have possibly heard well enough for traffic like a distant approaching ambulance, a horn if you accidently start drifting towards another lane, etc.

Also, about not paying the ticket...the old expression "ignorance of the law is not an excuse" will surely apply; I seriously doubt it'll work for the judge.

its funny how a cop can write a ticket on a new law that was just passed, the news or newspaper dont talk about it or a special bulletin being passed around the city so i dont see what gives a cop a right to give somoene a ticket on a law that no one has heard about just yet.

cops these days got nothing better to do, no offense shadiguy1. I i like how you work that you will just give them a warning but their are alot of other cops that have nothing better to do in job but give tickets to people that never had a ticket before. And the world wonders why their is a murder you cant solve because police are busy writing tickets to innocent drivers and not looking around for suspicious people.

It's common knowledge that you annoy people by playing anything in your car at excessive volume ("disturbing the peace").

It's traffic officers' job to enforce (and specialize in) the traffic law. There are detectives to investigate other crimes. As for you wonder why nobody seems to be looking for known felons...they are often caught via simple traffic violations on interstate highways. I-95 near me has been speedtrapped quite a bit recently, and it's supposedly a corridor for drug trafficking.

Well see these laws are not passed because of said reasons, they are passed because people don't like hearing a car going 'boom boom boom' past their house while they are sleeping. I turn the amp's gain down in areas where there are alot of houses at night, I was pulled in a bussiness district.

As for begin less aware, I suppose you are, but I like to think of myself as a good driver because I do keep an eye on whats around me. Case in point the day I got pulled for speeding, I could'nt hear the trooper but I could see the blue lights in my rear view. Well acully I had an eye on him before he turned on the blue lights (he was gaining on me quick and I thought he was some idiot trying to race me at first because he was in a unmarked car).

Hey at least I don't talk on my cell phone while I drive :) ;)

The fine I will pay if ordered to, but I will explain my situation to the judge at least, and hopfully he will give me a break. I'm not one of the fools that caused this law to get passed, the ricers in town are.

I really don't understand these ricers,

"Hey man I got this great idea, lets take this car from oversea's and throw a ++++ load of stickers on it for products we don't own, put some neon lights under it just to get some attention from the law man and while we are at it lets get a stereo installed and play it as loud as possible infront of the hospital at mid-night"

The kids in this town really need something to do! heh :)

See if this would have happened last night I would have said yes sir and left the damn stereo off until the next day. I wish there where more cops like you where I live man, everyone I have had to deal with save one has treated me like I was the scum of the earth. I don't know why these guys act this way but they give the rest of you a bad image, no wonder the people yell '++++ the police' all the time now a days.

Keep up the good work and stay safe! :)

umm.... there is such a law prohibiting your noise, its called disturbing the peace... so probably this is just an extension of that already existing law(which is not new).

What's next, no talking while driving? it's disturbing the peace and endangering your safety while driving! <_<

Unless you talk at 90 dB, you're not disturbing the peace.

I really don't see how there can even be a debate about this. The music was loud enough to disturb others, which also means it was too loud to allow you to drive safely (I don't care how well you can see...driving requires tactile, visual, and auditory feedback). He was right to get the ticket, and hopefully will learn to keep the volume down.

It's also why cell phones are illegal in many places now where driving, including DC. It's a distraction: your brain is focusing on the conversation (or the loud music that can't be ignored) so you aren't devoting your full attention to the road.

I listen to music while coding, do hw, cooking dinner, and other tasks that "requires tactile, visual, and auditory ". And I do it as well, maybe better then without music. Some people can Multitask, they shouldn't be punished for people who cant.

But a cop cannot evaluate every person to determine whether or not they are safety hazard. Even though a law does not seem fair, it still has to be enforced as a norm. I knew about the noise pollution law, because when I purchased a set of speakers from Car Audio, they had a sign stating the law and telling people that Car Audio could not be held liable for any run in's with the law. Granted Brad might be able to do a million tasks at once, but its little miss pink shoes talking on her phone with her chicas that makes laws like this needed in order to insure others safety.

Try taking the ACT, flying a plane, or merging onto a free-way with ACDC blairing. Its a distraction.

its not even if you can multitask or his driving, he was driving at 2 AM and playing music, he was distrubing the peace and thats all...

its an easy write up for cops

When you code, you aren't putting others' lives in danger, unless you really are bad at coding.

I feel your pain.
I was ticketed at a local forest preserve for violating some law that says, it cannot be heard over 50 feet away, The rent a cop who patrols the FP gave me an option to leave the park or receive the ticket.
I took the ticket knowing it was a bogus law and beat them in court, Not only did I beat the ticket the RAC (Rent a cop) was reassigned somewhere else.

Good luck.

This law did not apply to car stereos until a few days ago (at least here). It did but as long as your car was moving you where fine, if you where sitting at a stop light with the stereo wide open you where in the wrong.

I learned a lot about the disturbing the peace laws here when my neighbros kept calling the law because my 4 wheeler was to loud in the summer time (sun stays up til 9pm some days in the summer). ;)

i cant imagine brad driving a 4 wheeler...

I have that damn thing to thank for multiple concussions and my sleeping problems, but I love going fast to much so I will keep on at it. :)

Right now my current 4 wheeler is totaled and at the bottom of a pond (long story). This is what I am getting when I come up with some funds, I am thinking about monthly payments ;)

http://www.yamaha-motor.com/products...ha_yfz450.aspx

http://www.yamaha-motor.com/products...ha_yfz450.aspx

I have my fair share of tickets. I am a great driver but I can be a little heavy footed at times lol *cough* anyway -- my advice is to get a dmv lawyer. You'll pay for thier time but you wont have to show at the dmv most likely and they will most likely get you off. Judges listen more to the lawyers since by and large they dont waste thier time.

+ side is that you most likely wont get any points. :)
- side is that you will have to spend money on the lawyer.

i wana hear the story of the 4 wheeler going in the pond ^.^ please tell:D

This is the part where you say hummmm...

I totaled my car and it's in a lake and I have no money for a new one.

I got a ticket for being a nuesance in public and I can't affort the fine if I buy a new toy to make more noise in public.

I resent having to act like an adult, yet I want to be taken seriously like one.

I wonder what it's like in jail?

Car? I totaled my 4 wheeler. You know the things that are like dirt bikes but with 4 wheels? ;) Maybe you call em atv's?

And I can aford the fine, I just don't think I should pay it, like I already said many times in this thread that will be for the judge to decide. The new amp is required so I can have sponsership on my car, I just trying to make some loot off a hobby ;).

Unless you where talking about the new 4 wheeler I want...well right now I don't have one to ride, and there is nothing better then hitting the trails in the summer time with my friends and riding all day. :)

All of these experiences people have had... makes me want to be a safe driver. :p (Was always planning to be anyway :p)

I doubt you're required to use it while driving to qualify for whatever you're doing, though.

Sorry to sound like I'm attacking you, but I don't think you have a prayer of getting out of the ticket, and from the story I've heard thus far, I don't really think you should (no offense).

It is the citizens resposbility to keep up with all local, state, and federal laws aswell as their city ordinance. And I agree with whomever said ignorance of the law is not a valid defense. And to Johnny, as someone else also said, more crooks are caught by vehicle/moving violations than anything else.

:p

As a principle: Ignorance of the law is no defence.

But I do agree you should fight it - how loud was the stereo really?

Or you're writing the guidance algorythm for a JDAM or some such.

Erwin it is loud by normal people standards, right now its a rather weak set-up tho, compared to some cars I have seen. :)

With the windows up like they where the night I got pulled, you might be able to hear it at 30 feet away, maybe. My car is very air-tight so bass is the only thing you can hear outside of it, but honestly the trunk rattles so much you probbly hear more of it then the bass. :)

Its loud, but i'm sure you can't hear it two blocks away. The cop was so close to the road when I passed him I am sure he heard the bass when I went by tho.

I don't want to repeat this experance so I am going to get all the information I can about this law tomorrow afternoon. For now I will just have to keep nightly runs to places outside of the city, and turn the external amp's off (or turn the gain down) when I enter town.

Why not sell some of your audio equipment and put the cash towards rent? Girls don't dig bass, but they will dig your own pad :nervous:

Tgillespie:

Some of my parts are custom. I am hoping that if I can get this car into comp that a few people will like my box and place some orders. Right now I got a 10 inch sub in the trunk in this box and it blows everyones mind, I have had a few offers for it already but I know I can get some more money out of them when they see what it will really do with proper power driving the sub. :)