Red Light Tickets

[tylere]

Just wondering if anyone has ever had any issue with red light cameras and emergency vehicles? A few weeks ago I was stopped on 14th street at heritage for a red light, two fire trucks with their lights and siren's on came up behind me. Once the other side of the intersection stopped I pulled forward so the fire truck could go past me which left me in the intersection. I noticed the camera flash but didn't think anything of it since I had no other option other than sitting there and not letting the fire truck through... Flash forward to yesterday, open my mailbox to find a red light ticket issued from the camera. Both pictures show my car and both fire trucks in the intersection, you can even tell the lights on the fire truck are on yet they I was stil issued a red light ticket. Called CPS and talked to someone in traffic section and they basically told me to pound salt, if I don't like it I have to dispute the ticket in court which is complete BS. Anyone else had this problem before? I though they check these pictures and get rid of ones where emergency vehicles are trying to get through.

I did two quick drawings

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[Tik-Tok]

Nice

Go down to the JP's offices and talk to someone there. You'll have no problem getting it thrown out.

[scat19]

Doesn't anywany LOOK at these before sending them out?

Fuck sakes! to the max.

Go downtown, and talk to a crown prosecutor like TikTok said.

You'll have it thrown out immediately. (If you can actually see the fire truck up your ass).

This should be easy and I wouldn't sweat it bud!

[Tik-Tok]

Originally posted by scat19
Doesn't anywany LOOK at these before sending them out?

Fuck sakes! to the max.

I agree, pretty ridiculous that it even got sent out in the first place. I thought they had people scanning over these? He has to waste his time now clearing up something that should never have arrived at his doorstep.

I'd even be tempted to go to the media with this one, they may not run a story on it right away, but could use you as an example if doing a red-light camera story down the road.

[heavyD]

Just goes to show that nobody even reviews these photos. They are simply printing & mailing them out for revenue. You should take it up with one of the local news outlets to put some egg on the face of these clowns. Really these cameras need some bad press to get the majority to realize that this is nothing about safety and all about collecting money.

[lilmira]

http://www.calgaryherald.com/Fines+i...056/story.html

Similar incident happened before, all tickets were dropped after exposing to the media.

[heavyD]

Originally posted by Tik-Tok
I'd even be tempted to go to the media with this one, they may not run a story on it right away, but could use you as an example if doing a red-light camera story down the road.

Ha Ha as soon as I send my response I see yours. Totally agree. It's a slow time of the year for news so you could get some good play from this. I don't think many realize that the intent of all these cameras is revenue based only.

[heavyD]

Originally posted by lilmira
http://www.calgaryherald.com/Fines+i...056/story.html

Similar incident happened before, all tickets were dropped after exposing to the media.

If the tickets are reviewed how can they explain the OP's ticket? I call bullshit. They may do some batch reviews but they are sending so many tickets out I doubt that they are all thoroughly reviewed. It's all about printing money.

[AE92_TreunoSC]

I thought they are reviewed? Because if two cars are in the intersection at once and neither can be identified as the cause of the camera going off then neither gets a ticket.

I heard about that, and had it happen, I got double flashed by a redlight camera on Mcleod and I really expected the ticket to show up, but I recall a F150 driving through the intersection with me as well. Never got that ticket.

So it has to be reviewed somehow, unless the computer system can detect two license plates.

Hopefully someone can shed more light on this haha.

[Sugarphreak]

...

[lilmira]

Now I wonder if the camera took pictures of the two firetrucks going through the intersection. Then the reviewer should be a lot more careful looking at pictures taken at the same intersection around the same time. It's not rocket science.

Regardless, the attitude "we can't do anything about it, you deal with it" is unacceptable. Of course they can, they just don't want to. You break, you fix! It's not that difficult to understand, officer.

[tylere]

Thanks Guys. Looks like it should be any easy one to get waived, just a pain in the ass for me to have to do it. I will have to send it to a bunch of the local media outlets and see if any of them bite.

Both pictures are nearly identical, my car is in the same place on both pictures only difference is the first one shows the fire truck entering the intersection and the second picture shows the first fire truck leaving the intersection and the second fire truck in the middle.

[scat19]

Post her up! ^

[Kloubek]

Hey OP - I have a friend who works for the Sun. Do you want me to see if he would be interested in doing a story on this? He does tend to like writing rather... "edgy" stuff! PM me if interested.

[Kennyredline]

It is a stupid ticket, but they do throw out a lot of pics like that, like when people turn left on a redlight from a one-way to a one-way, the camera goes off. Too bad you have to make time to fight it, though, you'd think the examiner could contact the fire dept. to verify there were trucks out on a call right then...

[Akagi Redsuns]

Originally posted by Kennyredline
It is a stupid ticket, but they do throw out a lot of pics like that, like when people turn left on a redlight from a one-way to a one-way, the camera goes off. Too bad you have to make time to fight it, though, you'd think the examiner could contact the fire dept. to verify there were trucks out on a call right then...

Or if they got a similar ticket in the mail.

I guess there are no checks and balances in place. What happens if the cameras ever break down and start giving tickets randomly? Somehow I doubt it would get caught until the recipients of the erroneous tickets complain.

[Zero102]

Originally posted by tylere
Thanks Guys. Looks like it should be any easy one to get waived, just a pain in the ass for me to have to do it. I will have to send it to a bunch of the local media outlets and see if any of them bite.

Both pictures are nearly identical, my car is in the same place on both pictures only difference is the first one shows the fire truck entering the intersection and the second picture shows the first fire truck leaving the intersection and the second fire truck in the middle.

What?! The pics are supposed to show YOU entering and leaving the intersection, not the fire trucks. That is how they show you committed the crime.

When reviewing the tickets they should see it is the fire truck going through the red light, and since that is perfectly legal the ticket should have been tossed.

[LongCity]

They must be doing this with their eyes closed if they can't spot two huge firetrucks in a picture. Ridiculous!

[heavyD]

Originally posted by Kloubek
Hey OP - I have a friend who works for the Sun. Do you want me to see if he would be interested in doing a story on this? He does tend to like writing rather... "edgy" stuff! PM me if interested.

Send it in tylere. Only way things will change is if citizens make noise. IMO the city takes the approach that most people will just take it in the behind.

[JustGo]

The only real issue you should have is taking the time to go to court for it, but it will get tossed, so I wouldn't even worry about it.

It's a pain in the ass to have to go down there, but they shouldn't make you pay that. I'm fairly confident you'll be walking out of there without a fine.

As far as calling the police and them telling you to pound sand, what did you want them to do exactly? Just curious. I mean, I'm not sure there IS much they can do for you... it would be the same as calling them for a photo radar ticket. Unfortunately, you have to deal with it in court, there is not much the police can do about it.