Traffic Citation

[binare]

How much time did you take off work to save $142? If you make average income it ain't worth it, that's the problem.

[WhiteOut]

How much time did you take off work to save $142? If you make average income it ain't worth it, that's the problem.

How do you figure this? Average salary in Alberta is $48,100 (2008 number) which works out to $23.13/hr. So as long as the "average" Albertan spends 6 hours or less at the court house getting a $142 reduction, they are saving money. Obviously this changes based on hourly earning potential and the time needed to be taken off from work.

The last ticket I fought took me 3 hours and that included making an appearance in front of a judge.

[binare]

Well that's below the average TAKE HOME pay now, no surprise there, just read it in the paper so it must be true Is your gas to drive to Okotoks free? Is your time to drive there and back free? Mine certainly ain't. Making slightly above average, by the time I drove to Okotoks, stood around for 3 hours, drove all the way back to the far northside of Calgary to get my work van then clocked in for work and payed the roundtrip gas, it wouldn't be worth it, I EASILY figure

EDIT: actually the number I read was household takehome, however even if I made average salary, I still wouldn't find it worth it. Id lose well a good 5 or 6 hours of my day to lost wages to go stand in court, for what? A $10-$20 dollar net savings at average income? Still don't think its worth it

[morerpmfred]

The money is irrelavent if you where wrongly given a ticket. This is part of demacracy that gives you the right to face your accusers. With out this what would we have?

[BlackYJ]

The money is irrelavent if you where wrongly given a ticket. This is part of demacracy that gives you the right to face your accusers. With out this what would we have?

How is it a wrongly given ticket?  The RCMP asked him for his registration and he failed to produce it.  Yeah it sucks ballz but that is the law. 

[Vinman]

How is it a wrongly given ticket?  The RCMP asked him for his registration and he failed to produce it.  Yeah it sucks ballz but that is the law. 

I'd argue the fact that the vehicle has a valid plate IS proof of registration.

I've only ever fought one traffic ticket and that was for driving with a suspended licence. My defense was I moved and failed to update my address. The judge threw out the ticket in about 10 seconds.

[WhiteOut]

I'd argue the fact that the vehicle has a valid plate IS proof of registration.

Can be the appearance of valid registration, but not proof. Stickers can be stolen and put onto a different plate.

The only proof is the stamped copy provided by the registry, which should be in the car anyways.

[Jrama]

.  Yeah it sucks ballz but that is the law.  

So because its law its automatically fair? Ethical? And the only way? Not saying this particular law is bad, I just dislike your take on the situation is all 

The money is irrelavent if you where wrongly given a ticket. This is part of demacracy that gives you the right to face your accusers. With out this what would we have?

Read carefully

[Vinman]

Can be the appearance of valid registration, but not proof. Stickers can be stolen and put onto a different plate.

Yes, and a simple run of the plate number (which is almost always done before the car is pulled over) will not only tell the officer whether or not the car is registered, it will tell him if the registered owner has a valid licence and if there are any outstanding warrants.

[binare]

Is it even worth arguing about? We all know you get a ticket if you don't provide your slips, end of story. Does it really matter why or why not?

[Spinalguy]

i do not know about Okotoks but you can go down ANY day you want (as long as the ticket has been processed which usually is 3 weeks prior to court date appearance) in Calgary.
Speak to the Crown and get the same deal as OP posted.
You need to get there early as its a line up, first come first served basis. i believe it opens at 8am. i was there at 7am and was done by 8:30am.

EDIT: ANY day being M thru F

[birdo]

From my perspective....granted it was my day off today but I was in at 9am and out at 9:45.  The Courthouse was jam packed with most folks fighting their tickets.
I bet I spent less than a minute with the Crown....he pitched an offer and I took it. Sure I had the option to go to trial but it was a fair deal. A whole lot better than blindly handing over 170 some odd hard earned  dollars. The system is skewed to take advantage of the average working stiff knowing full well that most won't take the time off work to go and fight. The Crown was quite sympathetic to my story when I got the chance to explain. Remember that part of his job is to keep folks out of the courtrooms by allowing the process of plea bargaining to occur. Would I do this again in the future? You bet!

[new2jeepguy]

i just read your post a little late  but, / and dont ask why  but im a traffic enforcement "expert"./  you dont have 24 hr s to produce reg, insur, or drivers licence.  That  was a courtesy  from previous years . the rcmp was good to just give ya a  fail to produce ticket   sometimes its a liability issue if he doesn,t   f.t.p. tickets are different than a no insurance ticket which is mandatory court and 2500$ fine with a 375$ victim of crime surcharge for a total of 2875$      yeah big time hurt.A red light or stop sign is 287 bucks and I think 3 demerits ,ftp tickets have none.      if I get a ticket I go to court, see the first appearance clerk     if its a yellow ticket copy and try to plea bargain  aka   make a deal-  reduction etc   The courts are prety good,they are too busy to run everything as a trial,my best advice if you get pulled over,don,t be a goof get mad if ya want but dont direct it at the officer.  Yeah I know some of the officers are jerks sometimes but they are under stress to. If your unlucky enough to get 2 or more tickets sometimes the officer has to,i saw a guy get 8  same thing   chill and go to court make some deals.  the cop gets to go home w/o getting on the stand, the crown prosecutor gets some convictions, you save money and /or some demerits-points and u can ask for time to pay.   win win win    usually 30 days is minimum  . also the officer has to be there to testify  even for a ftp ticket   if hes not, it could be withdrawn or if hes been hurt the night before or has another good reason he cant be there it could be adjourned to a future date .  a pain, but hey you can ask for one too if your ma just died or your kids sick  Hope this helps all you out there   and yes i dont like mud flap tickets i think they are about as important as not having a lic plate light      not  really   big time crime