I got my first ticket this morning!
 

I can't believe it. I got my very first ticket making a left into the gas
station I have used for 46yrs! Because the gas pumps for my car are
on the left you have to go in that way in order to be lined up correctly.
Everyone does it. I found out this morning it's illegal!:eek: Your crossing
over a double yellow line to get in that way! This a small town and I
swear I never gave it a thought.
How do you tell the officer but officer I have been doing the samething
for 46yrs! He would have given me 46yrs of tickets.
I have never been stopped or given a ticket in all these years.
I think he should have given me a warning but he didn't! :(
My FIL was an officer in this town for 50yrs, my kids know all the
cops and I have two in the family. I choose not to throw names
around, I let it slide. I am guilty now that I understand it's wrong
but I think he should have given me a warning due to my good driving
record. Am I wrong in thinking this way?

A warning would've been nice. But, alas.... maybe they're "cracking down" in that area or something? I just hope it's not too costly for you. :(

There was no amount on the ticket. I had to plead guilty first, mail it in and
then wait to be fined. Strange but that's what the ticket said and that's
what I did.

Carol, sorry you got your first ticket, taking into consideration that was a minor infraction, and your great record, a warning would have been nice, but unfortunately he was doing his job of getting funds for the police department :eek:, so don't think about it as an infraction, or your first ticket, think about it as " You helped the police department today by contributing with a small donation"...felling better now??;)

frick - that reminds me I have 3 speeding tickets I have to pay. I've never heard of the mail in for fine, must be an American thing. Honestly if I were you I would have totally name dropped, I also would have cried and maybe shown a boob. Ok just kidding on those last two. ;P

oh man!!! i would of told him about your fil. you would of gotten out of it.
i guess he woke up on the wrong side of the bed. that s o b

:eek: I absolutely feel that he should have taken your good driving record into consideration and given a warning, especially since you didn't know it was wrong. Bless your heart, I know how you feel!

That sounds strange, I've always had the amount written on mine. Not that I'm very exprienced at this, but I've had 2 or 3:D I haven't gotten one in quite a few yrs now though!!:)

Honestly if I were you I would have totally name dropped, I also would have cried and maybe shown a boob. Ok just kidding on those last two. ;P


Only a youngin would think of this.

Thanks Mary. Your right. They need it more than I do. Right!

I have to admit Gina I did learn something this morning. I swear I never
know it was illegal and neither do all the other's that do it all day long.
I'm not even telling the family I got it because my grandkids will bust his
chops when he comes into the family deli for coffee everyday.

I thought so too. I pay ticket's for the agency all the time and there
is always an amount on it. We'll see what they send me after they
receive my guilt admission back. More postage on their part.

I agree Bettyanne. I truly believe he should have given me a warning.
Can't fight CityHall, as the saying goes. I never even got a parking ticket!
I think I'm more upset that he gave me the stupid ticked and it broke
my good driving record. Maybe he got his jollies from knowing that.

Carol, does it give you the option to go on line? I always pay DH's tickets on line, just by entering the citation # it gives you the option to pay, and all the info. comes out.I wonder if what you got was just a warning,and he was nice after all :confused:

Wishfull thinking Mary. No it was a ticket. I had to admit guilt on the back
or show up in court to plead innocent. It stated the court will let me know
what my penilty or fine will be when they receive my plea.:confused:

I hope you are feeling better. For what it's worth I think they DEFINATELY should have given you a warning. And to not have an amount on the ticket? That sounds like a scam. Shame on them!

ha. Not a "youngin". Someone has no sense of humor.

Must have been a rookie cop.

I guess I too did not know that you could not make a left hand turn over a double yellow line. Are there street signs that say no left turn.

In Omaha there is one very busy main street that you are not allowed to make left turns from, but it is clearly marked with signs in every block.

He definetly should have given you a break.

A warning should would have been sufficient being as you had a clean record. He probably needed to make quota. Do you have a PBA Card? My brother is a NYPD officer and I have PBA card and he even got me a cute leather holster that has a little badge in it like his and it says officer's sister engraved on the leather case. See if you can get a PBA card from one of your relatives.

I thought I was being funny!

I had a sticker on my other car but when I got this one I could not
get it off and forgot to ask my nephew for a new one!
It happened, I learned a lesson on something I have been doing for
all those years! I just think he could have been nicer is all.

I can't believe so many people think that because you (generally speaking.. no one in particular) are related to police officer that you should be immune to getting traffic tickets! :eek:

ETA: I think he should have given you just a warning. As someone else mentioned, he's probably trying to meet his quota.

I know this but honestly when you come around the corner the gas station
is on the left and it is a busy intersection and you have to make that left
before the light changes up the road or you won't get into the station.
I just never realized it was double yellow line! Sounds rediculous but it's
true. When something becomes a habit and no one every brought it to your
attention you just do it. I won't anymore. I know he's watching me:p

Carol, I AM SO VERY SORRY -- getting stopped like that is very embarrassing. :( I understand that you may be "guilty" but you may also be a victim of a police officer who is mis-informed and a bit over enthuastic about writing tickets. I would definately go to court. In the mean-time get out your video camera and video people turning into the service station the way that you did. When you mail in the ticket and select the "go to court" option, you might find that they will drop the charges to avoid court costs. On the other hand, you may lose the case had have to pay, but it really sounds like the police officer didn't use good judgement.

I can't believe so many people think that because you (generally speaking.. no one in particular) are related to police officer that you should be immune to getting traffic tickets!


I never expected that at all. I wanted to mention those in my family
to prove I wasn't someone who does these things but choose to be
quiet. I no longer live in this town where my children were raised
but still work there. They are still there. I just feel he unnecessary
wrote me up! A warning would have been sufficient.
Someone who has been driving for 45yrs and has never had a traffic
violation or accident deserves a pat on the back! IMO

You know Cindy I didn't even know I did anything wrong. I was filling
up when he apprached me! I was more embarrased to think for 46 yrs
I had been doing something illegal! I couldn't tell him that , now that I
knew. Oh I am sure at least 10 people did the samething since 9:00
this morning. It's always been that way, which is my point.
Believe me, I won't do it again. He got his point accross.

Since you say everyone does it maybe hes found that area as an easy place to catch violaters so he can write more tickets. We have a school zone near us that police just wait for someone to be going too fast through all the time. I think he should have given you a warning but some cops are jerks

Maybe he had a quota to write and his not putting the amount on it would have been the 'technicality' to get it dismissed.

Here in WA there is an amount. I work for an attorney and we do a handful of speeding tickets (traffic infractions). We'll request a contested hearing, file a notice of appearance and request for demands (discovery). Discovery is basically the police report. If it's not provided or the officer does not show up the case is dismissed and the ticket goes away. I think there is also something here about the officer has to sign the back of the ticket and if he doesn't it's invalid, but not sure.

In the very least you request the contested hearing, go to court, explain the situation and try and get the fine reduced. We had a DUI client once where the office didn't file his report so the Department of Licensing couldn't suspend his license. Lucky little cuss he was.

Sorry about your ticket. I've had 2 in my driving career. I cried when I got my first one, I had two toddlers in the back, I was so upset I tried to get off the freeway to calm down, I got lost, then I got a flat tire, my husband (at the time) didn't want to come help me... it was horrible........

Having two children in the car, then a flat tire and hubby didn't want
to help you? Yes, that must have been horrible. Sorry that happened
to you. Somehow that made me feel better. I only got a ticket.
I hope they don't send me another with the amount to pay.
Maybe when they receive my guilty plea they will just forget about it.
I never saw a ticket without an amount on it! I thought that to be strange.
Is it possible they have several kinds of ticket's in the car? Maybe this
one was suppose to scare me! Dumb all he had to do was give me a nice
lecture and that would have done it for me. I'll have to ask my nephew.