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

Rob Arnold rsarnold at gmail.com
Thu Mar 6 10:40:57 EST 2008


Actually, yes. I got snagged in one of the periodic traps they set up in
front of City Hall, and haggled for about five minutes about all the other
traffic violations they were missing. It didn't really matter, and I ended
up paying the ticket anyway. So, you know: "I fought the law and the law
won."

On Thu, Mar 6, 2008 at 10:39 AM, Lee Peters <leepeters at gis.net> wrote:

>  So, have any of you attempted to REMIND Cambridge 5-0 about the list of
> infractions by motorists?  what is the result of that during a bike traffic
> stop?
>
> I figure I couldn't hold back on what Rob listed - including the 9000
> factors, to identify the lack of parity in treatment of motorists and
> bicyclists.
>
>
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> *From:* Rob Arnold <rsarnold at gmail.com>
> *To:* Boston Critical Mass <list at bostoncriticalmass.org>
> *Sent:* Thursday, March 06, 2008 10:23 AM
> *Subject:* Re: [*BCM*] Just got "pulled over" for running a red on Mass.
> Ave.
>
> 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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