[*BCM*] Just got "pulled over" for running a red on Mass. Ave.

[Rob Arnold]

You are, actually, required by law to produce an ID. I've had success
contesting these kinds of tickets, but it's definitely easiest to just pay
the twenty bucks. Consider it a speed tax. And the moral of the story is
don't run red lights in front of Cambridge cops; you'll get a ticket most
times. Now if they only were that reliable about ticketing people parked in
the bike lane, or double parked cars in general, or jaywalkers, or people
who run lights late, or speeders, or buses that don't give enough room when
they pass, or the nine thousand other factors that contribute to the axis of
chaos that Mass Ave in Cambridge is.

On Thu, Mar 6, 2008 at 10:11 AM, Wolfe, Anne <Anne.Wolfe at theaa.com> wrote:

> What does having a car, insurance or a license have to do with it?  It
> is a government issued ticket, and if you don't pay they can take action
> against you to ensure payment. The production of ID was so that they had
> someone (and preferably an address) to track you down if you don't pay.
> And if it goes to court, etc, then you get to pay court costs as well.
>
> As someone else said the moral of the story is obey the traffic lights.
> Bikes are traffic, bikes obey traffic lights.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: bostoncriticalmass-bounces at bostoncriticalmass.org
> [mailto:bostoncriticalmass-bounces at bostoncriticalmass.org] On Behalf Of
> Gondaba
> Sent: 06 March 2008 14:30
> To: Boston Critical Mass
> Subject: [*BCM*] Just got "pulled over" for running a red on Mass. Ave.
>
> Ridiculous. I was in Cambridge on Mass Ave, right in front of the large
> MIT crosswalk. The crosswalk had a red light, sure, but it was pretty
> clear and I was in no danger of hitting the poor little pedestrians. A
> Cambridge Cop standing next to his motorcycle flags three of us down
> after the crosswalk and tells us to stay put. He proceeds to ask for our
>
> IDs and issue each one of us a $20 fine.
>
> The ticket itself seems to be some kind of civil violation; there was a
> nice little place for "Bicycle / Red Light" that he checked off, amongst
>
> a host of other bicycle violations and, for example, "Improper disposal
> of dog feces," which is a $25 fine.
>
> Has this happened to anyone else before?
> And, because I don't have a car, insurance, or even a license, do I
> really have to pay this fine? What're they going to do?
>
> Be wary, fellow red-light runners...
>
> Chris
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