Fighting a $250 transit ticket?

[GREENBOY]

Anyone ever fought a 'fail to pay' transit ticket? I got a $250 today and plan to take the court date and fight it. Just wondered if anyone had done this successfully or been in a similar situation?

I only recently started using transit. I've been buying a $30 book of tickets and put one in the bus that takes me to the c-train station in the morning. Then on the way home I've been putting a fresh ticket in the bus that takes me home from the c-train station. Apparently I should have been validating the return home ticket at a machine on the c-train platform downtown before starting the journey. Wasn't aware I needed to do this and never been stopped before in the few weeks I've been riding the train and bus to work. They still get paid every journey I make. I use the red tickets every journey I make (you obviously can't use the bus without paying) - but as I found out today, not in the order I'm supposed to. I tried explaining this to the peace officer and showed him my torn off ticket for that journey ready to drop into the cash/ticket box on the bus and showed him my book of tickets and home address to show I obviously have to take the bus home. He was a dick about it (no surprises there) and gave me a ticket for 'fail to pay'.

What's the verdict?

[kaput]

.

[J-D]

You're probably SOL, but if you have the spare time you can try and fight it.

I got one a few years back when my U-Pass had expired for a day... went to the court house and the ticket was never filed.

[kvg]

That's a weak excuse and an $250 lesson

[PeterGTiR]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ignoran...is_non_excusat

$250 lesson for you, my friend.

[GREENBOY]

My argument is I had a ticket in my hand and a book of tickets in my pocket. These fail to pay tickets are supposed to be for deadbeats who don't pay to ride transit, and that's not me. Just seems harsh to give a $250 ticket to someone who pays every day twice a day on a technicality. Obviously, I'm sore about it!

[Cos]

.

[speedog]

Originally posted by GREENBOY
My argument is I had a ticket in my hand and a book of tickets in my pocket. These fail to pay tickets are supposed to be for deadbeats who don't pay to ride transit, and that's not me. Just seems harsh to give a $250 ticket to someone who pays every day twice a day on a technicality. Obviously, I'm sore about it!

I shouldn't have been given this ticket. I should've got the same Pizza Hut deal as everyone else. Fuck, why is it that no one else gets screwed as much a me?

[rx7_turbo2]

Originally posted by GREENBOY
These fail to pay tickets are supposed to be for deadbeats who don't pay to ride transit

Exactly right, and up until you validated your ticket you were that deadbeat.

I'm guessing the Officer has heard your excuse, and a thousand similar excuses. The end result is that ignorance isn't a defence, you just learned a $250 lesson. Unless the officer fails to file you're SOL, personally my time is far to valuable to even bother fighting a ticket I have next to zero chance of getting out of.

[GREENBOY]

Ha ha. All good. I wouldn't feel screwed at all if I was caught not paying, but this isn't that.

As for not validating, I have to put the ticket in the bus to get home at the end of my train journey, so have to use a ticket regardless if I validate or not.

[Tik-Tok]

Originally posted by GREENBOY
Ha ha. All good. I wouldn't feel screwed at all if I was caught not paying, but this isn't that.

As for not validating, I have to put the ticket in the bus to get home at the end of my train journey, so have to use a ticket regardless if I validate or not.

If you don't validate before you get on, then you are indeed not paying to ride the train.

What did you think people do when they don't need a bus after a train ride?

[J-D]

Originally posted by GREENBOY
Ha ha. All good. I wouldn't feel screwed at all if I was caught not paying, but this isn't that.

As for not validating, I have to put the ticket in the bus to get home at the end of my train journey, so have to use a ticket regardless if I validate or not.

It's not up to the officer to validate where your destination is, though. It sucks but there's not really much of an alternative.

[ReflexFX]

How were you not aware you needed a validated ticket before getting on the train? There are signs everywhere! Weak excuse man.

[blitz]

Originally posted by GREENBOY
Ha ha. All good. I wouldn't feel screwed at all if I was caught not paying, but this isn't that.

As for not validating, I have to put the ticket in the bus to get home at the end of my train journey, so have to use a ticket regardless if I validate or not.

You have no way to prove that you don't do park and ride once you get to the c-train station (or walk home for that matter), so the "I pay for the bus after" excuse isn't going to work.

You deserve the fine and there is no way that you'll get out of it.

[ZenOps]

Busted!

I used to play change coins lotto with the ticket dispenser, it was a lot easier back when it was $2.75

IE: Now at $3, it would probably work with 8 dimes and then three loonies, depending on the way the machine calculates it.

[theken]

If your using 2 tickets a day. Why not a pass? Then no validating

[Xtrema]

Originally posted by theken
If your using 2 tickets a day. Why not a pass? Then no validating

May be he is not committed to transit yet?

Sorry OP, there is no excuse. This is black and white.

[Euro838]

Since no one here has answered your question, why don't you go and fight it and then report the results back to us? I think it would be useful information for those that come across these "ignorance" situations.

You may be surprised of the results. For example, when one goes to fight a speeding ticket, the officer needs to show up on the court date otherwise the ticket gets thrown out. Now, CPS get significant cash incentive to show up for court but I would wonder if the same applied to peace officers. At any rate, having a judge even look at your ticket would more than cost the province the $250 they fine you (also if you have the time to attend court).

Also, a peace officer enforces his observations and the bylaw. A judge can hear your story and rule based on the information provided. Who knows, you may be able to get the fine reduced.

[firebane]

Originally posted by Cos
Except you could have never paid and had a book of 7 in your pocket for 6 months and 'oh this is the one time I forgot to validate.'

I watched someone run up to the platform when the door was open and parked, put her bag in the way, and then validated her ticket. I asked her why and she said she got a ticket once and will never do it again.

I would have kicked the bag out of the way and said SOL.

I hate people who do that shit.

[95EagleAWD]

Originally posted by Euro838
Now, CPS get significant cash incentive to show up for court but I would wonder if the same applied to peace officers.

Let's get this straight... CPS doesn't get "significant" cash incentive to show up for court. If it's on a day off, they're paid (and paid OT) to go to court. If you had to go to work on your day off, you'd probably demand to be paid as well.

Same applies for POs. I get paid to go to court, whether it's a scheduled day of work or not. If I'm already working, then I get no "bonus" to go to court.