Traps that aren't speed traps

[empirestate]

I once got a ticket for running a red light in a rental car in Miami Springs, FL. It was an obvious trap situation, from the way the officers were stationed on foot just past an intersection, the number of vehicles being cited at a single time, and contemporaneous press reports about the city's intent to install red light cameras (which they since have). Gotta show a pattern of violations if you want public support for that!

(I had the ticket fought by one of those billboard ticket-handling outfits, which is now currently pursuing a class-action lawsuit against red-light camera installations in that same area...)

[Laura]

I suppose DUI checkpoints or sting operations where officers wait outside taverns would be an example.

Andover MA: Expired registration/inspection stickers. (The police do hide, like speed traps.)

Are you saying that the police actually hide behind a shrub or something to catch a glimpse of inspection stickers on passing cars? It doesn't seem that hiding would be necessary.

One autumn back in the '70s, an uncle of mine realized his inspection sticker was expired and tried to hide it under a freshly fallen leaf. A pathetic attempt, surely, but it must have been common enough because a PA State Trooper pulled him over almost immediately and ripped the leaf off.

Haha, they do traps in Delta, PA for inspection stickers because a lot of people live there now as an exurb of Harford County, MD (and by extension, Baltimore). I had a friend who went five years on an expired sticker. His logic was why bother updating it when he only drives 1/2 mile in PA per day.


iPhone

The problem with this, at least here, is that if it's recently expired and you get the inspection done, you're likely to get the ticket overturned, but if it's been months or years it's clearly no longer "an honest mistake."  Then it becomes a moving violation on your record for six years.

It started as an honest mistake...and then my friend decided to see how long it would actually take to get caught. Even the cop was partially amazed that his sticker was that old, but it's not hard to do when your distance over the state line is shorter than some peoples' driveways outside of town.


iPhone

[Thing 342]

In Wichita the police occasionally run enforcement blitzes on turning-related violations, such as:

*  Turning without signalling

*  Failing to turn left to left or right to right (the most common variations of this violation are turning right into the left lane, or left into the right lane)--this is not a violation in Texas and some other states, but in Kansas and most other UVC direct adopters it is

On this forum, we have had reports from people who have been pulled over for signalling but failing to do so with the required lead distance (100 ft on low-speed roads and 300 ft on high-speed roads), apparently as a pretext for drug searches.

Same here. About once or twice a month, a cop sits outside my neighborhood entrance and busts people for failing to stop or signal.

[Mr. Matté]

I hear stories about the South Brunswick, NJ police busting people who are getting into a jughandle lane too early by cutting into the shoulder. I believe it's this specific one on US 1 where the tickets are usually issued but it might include other ones along the road.

[DandyDan]

Right here in Papillion, NE, I've been pulled over twice for making a right turn and immediately going into the left lane.  Then again, it's happened both times after midnight (and both times after I was done with work for the day), so I assume they probably thought I was a drunk driver.  I'm not the only one that's happened to, however, because I told the story the one time it happened to the local convenience store manager and he says it happens all the time and it's always after midnight and they are always looking for minor traffic violations late at night, as if nailing someone for drunk driving weren't enough.

[SSOWorld]

Revenue hunters...

If a driver isn't endangering other traffic (peds, vehicles, etc) its simply revenue hunting.

[signalman]

I'm not the only one that's happened to, however, because I told the story the one time it happened to the local convenience store manager and he says it happens all the time and it's always after midnight and they are always looking for minor traffic violations late at night, as if nailing someone for drunk driving weren't enough.

The minor traffic violation is what gives the police probable cause to execute a traffic stop.  They are hoping it will turn into a DWI charge.

[agentsteel53]

I once got a ticket for running a red light in a rental car in Miami Springs, FL. It was an obvious trap situation, from the way the officers were stationed on foot just past an intersection, the number of vehicles being cited at a single time, and contemporaneous press reports about the city's intent to install red light cameras (which they since have). Gotta show a pattern of violations if you want public support for that!

(I had the ticket fought by one of those billboard ticket-handling outfits, which is now currently pursuing a class-action lawsuit against red-light camera installations in that same area...)

did you actually run the red?  or was it a defensible yellow?

[empirestate]

I once got a ticket for running a red light in a rental car in Miami Springs, FL. It was an obvious trap situation, from the way the officers were stationed on foot just past an intersection, the number of vehicles being cited at a single time, and contemporaneous press reports about the city's intent to install red light cameras (which they since have). Gotta show a pattern of violations if you want public support for that!

(I had the ticket fought by one of those billboard ticket-handling outfits, which is now currently pursuing a class-action lawsuit against red-light camera installations in that same area...)

did you actually run the red?  or was it a defensible yellow?

No. It was a close call, but I saw the yellow light pass over the top of my windshield. Even if I had, the cop could not have known that, because he was on the far side of the intersection looking upstream and could not see the signal indication I was facing, nor could he have clearly seen my position within the intersection because there was another car between him and me.

But of course the ticket was dismissed on whatever technicality the firm came up with; they never even asked for any information in my defense. It cost me about $70.

I hear stories about the South Brunswick, NJ police busting people who are getting into a jughandle lane too early by cutting into the shoulder. I believe it's this specific one on US 1 where the tickets are usually issued but it might include other ones along the road.

What would the citation be for? I distinctly remember looking up that it's legal to turn from the shoulder in New Jersey (though certainly not in New York).

[Mr. Matté]

I hear stories about the South Brunswick, NJ police busting people who are getting into a jughandle lane too early by cutting into the shoulder. I believe it's this specific one on US 1 where the tickets are usually issued but it might include other ones along the road.

What would the citation be for? I distinctly remember looking up that it's legal to turn from the shoulder in New Jersey (though certainly not in New York).

They people who were cited were not turning into the businesses (which I think you're referring to) but were getting ready to get into the actual lane that forms as shown in the link. Essentially, they're driving on the shoulder to get around what's likely through traffic in the two travel lanes, but I've seen stories about people who just clip the shoulder line and get nailed.

[empirestate]

I hear stories about the South Brunswick, NJ police busting people who are getting into a jughandle lane too early by cutting into the shoulder. I believe it's this specific one on US 1 where the tickets are usually issued but it might include other ones along the road.

What would the citation be for? I distinctly remember looking up that it's legal to turn from the shoulder in New Jersey (though certainly not in New York).

They people who were cited were not turning into the businesses (which I think you're referring to) but were getting ready to get into the actual lane that forms as shown in the link. Essentially, they're driving on the shoulder to get around what's likely through traffic in the two travel lanes, but I've seen stories about people who just clip the shoulder line and get nailed.

No, I was referring to people driving on the shoulder to get into the jughandle. I mean, I agree, it's a dickhead thing to do, but apparently legal in NJ (wouldn't it be?).

But looking at it now, yes, I suppose while it might be legal to turn from the shoulder, it might not be legal to exit onto the shoulder, then re-enter a lane of traffic without yielding to traffic already lawfully using that lane. I've certainly gotten into plenty of disagreements with fellow motorists (in various states) about this.

[Pete from Boston]

NJ has many freeway-like highways with businesses, so driving into the shoulder en route to exiting into a driveway is not uncommon, and necessary enough that I'd be surprised if it were completely illegal.

Driving on the shoulder to circumvent traffic, however, is a no-no in New Jersey and elsewhere.  Every now and then cops will put the lights on and clear out a shoulder, whether or not they are also using it to reach some other police business.

[jwolfer]

I'm not the only one that's happened to, however, because I told the story the one time it happened to the local convenience store manager and he says it happens all the time and it's always after midnight and they are always looking for minor traffic violations late at night, as if nailing someone for drunk driving weren't enough.

The minor traffic violation is what gives the police probable cause to execute a traffic stop.  They are hoping it will turn into a DWI charge.

Yep. Broken tail lights. Headlight out. Registration sticker in wrong place. All reasons to pull over and then find drugs or a DUI
Oh and some more money for the town/city etc

[SP Cook]

The title of this thread should be "towns that enforce trivial laws at the expense of spending time on serious crimes". 

Anyway, when my daughter was in school in NC, the local cops enforced a rule, in and out of state, that the license plate frame could not cover any "relevant material".  Meaning you had to be able to fully see the name of the state and the renewal sticker(s).

[Pete from Boston]

I'm not the only one that's happened to, however, because I told the story the one time it happened to the local convenience store manager and he says it happens all the time and it's always after midnight and they are always looking for minor traffic violations late at night, as if nailing someone for drunk driving weren't enough.

The minor traffic violation is what gives the police probable cause to execute a traffic stop.  They are hoping it will turn into a DWI charge.

Yep. Broken tail lights. Headlight out. Registration sticker in wrong place. All reasons to pull over and then find drugs or a DUI
Oh and some more money for the town/city etc

In other words, small towns that are like small towns have always been.

[signalman]

I'm not the only one that's happened to, however, because I told the story the one time it happened to the local convenience store manager and he says it happens all the time and it's always after midnight and they are always looking for minor traffic violations late at night, as if nailing someone for drunk driving weren't enough.

The minor traffic violation is what gives the police probable cause to execute a traffic stop.  They are hoping it will turn into a DWI charge.

Yep. Broken tail lights. Headlight out. Registration sticker in wrong place. All reasons to pull over and then find drugs or a DUI
Oh and some more money for the town/city etc

In other words, small towns that are like small towns have always been.

Essentially, yes.  Small town cops will be small town cops.  It's a common practice across the country.

[US81]

I'm not the only one that's happened to, however, because I told the story the one time it happened to the local convenience store manager and he says it happens all the time and it's always after midnight and they are always looking for minor traffic violations late at night, as if nailing someone for drunk driving weren't enough.

The minor traffic violation is what gives the police probable cause to execute a traffic stop.  They are hoping it will turn into a DWI charge.

Yep. Broken tail lights. Headlight out. Registration sticker in wrong place. All reasons to pull over and then find drugs or a DUI
Oh and some more money for the town/city etc

In other words, small towns that are like small towns have always been.

Essentially, yes.  Small town cops will be small town cops.  It's a common practice across the country.

Becoming true in larger municipalities, too.

Revenue! Oh, and look how tough we are on crime! ~

[Roadrunner75]

Driving on the shoulder to circumvent traffic, however, is a no-no in New Jersey and elsewhere.  Every now and then cops will put the lights on and clear out a shoulder, whether or not they are also using it to reach some other police business.

The police have set up numerous traps for driving on the shoulder in my area - typically parking in a driveway just before a signal to catch drivers riding the shoulder before it gives way to an actual turning lane.  Although I don't like 'traps' of any kind, I can sort of understand in that there are going to be people who will maintain the travel lane until the turn lane (or intersection if the shoulder extends right to the signal), who might get plowed by someone zooming down the shoulder from behind.

Here is a location where the local police have often set up a trap.  The shoulder extends almost to the intersection, tapering down just before.  The patrol car will sit in one of the two driveways just before the intersection, and nail anyone who pulls into the shoulder in advance of the light to turn right (unless they are turning into the driveways).
https://www.google.com/maps?ll=40.145014,-74.059022&spn=0.000002,0.001635&t=h&z=20&layer=c&cbll=40.145014,-74.059278&panoid=09deoHnfDZU5XuF0x-LjTw&cbp=12,28.44,,0,5.23

I have also seen similar traps locally for crossing the center line in advance of a left turn lane - either fully crossing into the opposing travel lane or just entering the yellow diagonal crosshatch before the turn lane.

[Joe The Dragon]

the end and start signs are not at the same place on each side. Some should at least try that in court if they get a ticket.

Also center left turns some times go right into a trun only lane.

[Duke87]

California seems not to care too much about expired stickers.  I see plenty of expired 14s and 13s, and the occasional 12.

When I bought my current car the previous owner's license plate still had a sticker on it that expired in 2007. Now, Connecticut stopped requiring plate stickers in 2007, so he had never been required to get a new one, but I do find it interesting that no out of state cop ever gave him shit for it.

I guess when cops are looking at registration stickers they are typically looking only at in-state vehicles since they don't know what the regulations in other states are.

[cpzilliacus]

I guess when cops are looking at registration stickers they are typically looking only at in-state vehicles since they don't know what the regulations in other states are.

Except in the District of Columbia.  D.C. parking ticket writers are notorious for checking inspection stickers on vehicles parked on D.C. streets and ticketing those with expired stickers (especially cars from Virginia, since D.C. stopped inspection of most cars, and Maryland has never had an inspection requirement that includes a windshield sticker).

[hbelkins]

I guess when cops are looking at registration stickers they are typically looking only at in-state vehicles since they don't know what the regulations in other states are.

Except in the District of Columbia.  D.C. parking ticket writers are notorious for checking inspection stickers on vehicles parked on D.C. streets and ticketing those with expired stickers (especially cars from Virginia, since D.C. stopped inspection of most cars, and Maryland has never had an inspection requirement that includes a windshield sticker).

That's interesting. I'd think an expired inspection sticker would be a violation only in the state in which the vehicle is registered. I can't imagine a Kentucky cop writing a ticket for a Virginia driver having an expired inspection sticker if he's cited for speeding.

[The Nature Boy]

I must be good at smooth talking because when I was in college I used to always get pulled by small town cops in Vermont and New Hampshire for out headlights, license plate lights or even just for no apparent reason. Every time, I had a nice chit-chat and they sent me on my way. I always figured that my NC plate made me a target anyway so I dealt with it.

I know a guy who is a small town cop in North Carolina. He tells me that it's the most boring job imaginable so I can somewhat understand why small town cops can appear to be dicks.

[jeffandnicole]

What is the NJ state statute regarding using the shoulder. As far as I'm aware, shoulder use is prohibited at all times (except for parking).

[Roadrunner75]

What is the NJ state statute regarding using the shoulder. As far as I'm aware, shoulder use is prohibited at all times (except for parking).

One of my coworkers got nailed for it not too long ago - I'll see if he remembers.  Just looking at the point violations chart, I would guess it might be 39:4-85 "Improper passing on right or off roadway", which is a 4 pointer.  A quick Google search also finds a couple of attorney sites noting this violation as the "shoulder riding" ticket.