MY FIRST TICKET EVER!! ON MY NEW BIKE EVEN!!

[Daniely]

Well yup you read right, I got a ticket tonight around 10: 30. He initially pulled me over for reckless driving, I had seen some potholes that were sure rim benders so I swerved around three of em and overcorrected on the fourth, sending me a tad further over in my own lane still. He flashed me and I cooperated very nicely . My first ticket ever. I was very polite but the officer kept saying something about impounding my bike for reckless driving. I tried to plead my case and everything, but he wouldnt hear it. He eventually took my license and made me sit (helmet on of course) uncomfortably for nearly 20 min on the hot bike in the 90+ degree weather. Finally comes back, and cites me for no proof of insurance and warns me some more about how he could have impounded my bike and arrested me. I thanked him again for being so gracious. Still wondering why I had gotten the ticket. I had all of the pertinent insurance info Progressive told me I needed written down and handed it to the officer, who swiftly told me this wasnt good enough and needed to be in card form (which I have yet to receive from progressive). Anyways, no problem its only $11.00 bucks, but still a ticket I shouldnt have gotten. Safe riding everyone .

[vfrocket]

I dont know what the rules are in CA, but here pretty soon in TX if you dont have insurance your car will be impounded.

He didnt cite you for carless driving, so that is good, it is a hefty fine, but the fact that you did not have your proper insurance card was your fault. I dont say that to be mean. You can have them fax you a copy of your card, that should do until the real one arrives, they should have faxed you one right away.

I would speculate that if you had the proper insurance papers that you would have gotten off with a warning.

You did everthing right, no worries there, just make sure in the future you have your card. You may be able to get out of this ticket by going to court and showing the JP your real card. But dont take my word for it, make some phone calls.

VFR

[pantablo]

already?

hehehe...
yeah, cop was a duck. they can impound your bike if you're pulling wheelies and such, maybe you just looked like you were "warming the tires up"...oh and yeah, they need the actual preprinted card from insurance that has the bike listed.

You're lucky he didnt write you up for something else...

[Daniely]

Not too worried about it. I know I shouldnt have taken progressives word that I could just write my info down and be fine until I got my cards in the mail. (which is unfortunately what I was told verbatim by the lady helping me). I was mis-informed and got a ticket for it. In cali there are so many drivers who dont have proof of insurance its nuts. And they dont find out until the court date if you have insurance or not, but half the time the defendant wont show up...gotta love CA justice system.

Anyways, only 11 bucks and I learned my lesson.

[Daniely]

Kinda sucked, I was thinkin of takin pics of the potholes to get the probable cause thrown out, but then im still stuck with the proof of insurance thing. Really dont think its worth it, just suck it up and pay my 11 bucks, lol. It doesnt go on my record after all.

[davipu]

just my two cents...
fk that, go to court. and show them that you had insurance as long as the date on the card is before the date on the ticket it will get thrown out in court. weather or not the cop shows up.  it's been my experience that it dosn't matter if you have the card on you as long as you have the policy number either memorized or written down and you tell the cop that you do have it. that that is considered proof in court.  he can be a dumbass and still write the ticket but he's just wasting his time filling quotas.  just go to the court, talk to the DA and they will tear it up on the spot.

[pantablo]

the cop isnt going to take anyone's word for it about having insurance. if you dont have a preprinted card you're getting written up. Period. No dumbass (at least for that).

BTW-if you show up in court and dont have insurance, or didnt have it at the time of the citation that $11 goes up to THOUSANDS. I think I remember it being like $1500 fine.

[Faxxxy]

Sounds like you have a good attitude about it..
You're a better man then I am..

I have been riding a motorcycle since 14, driving a car since 16.
I got my fist ticket ever at 30 years old..
There was a line of traffic waiting to go through a construction site and I pulled up next to the officer and asked him to let me in. He refused so I pulled up to the next guy and when I did the officer wrote me a $240 ticket for "failure to merge."

Whats worse, is when I went to court, the judge said I could either enter a plea of guilty or not guilty and it required an attorney to plea not guilty, so I was automatically guilty. :x

They could have at least given me the option of pleading "no contest."

It didnt show up on my record, but I am now very bitter toward the police and the court in my small town. I hope they all slide under a gas truck and taste their own blood..

[Faxxxy]

Another quick story..

I sold my Katana to a guy who within a week had crashed..

He got three citations..
No tag (not needed since the bike was less then a week old)
No seatbelt (do I need to expplain this one?)
Failure to maintain control of his vehicle. (the loophole on this one is, they can only charge you with failure to maintain WHILE YOU ARE STILL ON THE BIKE..  He had left the road, got bucked off in the ditch and the bike returned to the road and hit a car)

My wife works for the firm that took his case..
The attorney called the police chief and told him that he was going to take the officer to court and have him explain how he was supposed to be wearing a seatbelt, have a tag within 30 days and maintain control while sitting 40 feet away from his bike..

All charges were immediatly dropped and I hope some training was required.

[un1261]

Okay I thought I lived in Nazi land. If you just got the bike and had not recieved all you forms, just go to court and show your receipts.  Inpound your bike for avoiding potholes... try driving in the northeast. Take a photo of where you, and show why you avoiding the area. While I lived in Az. the judges would throw this crap out,if you had photos and receipts; but you are in Cali. :dunno:

[raylarrabee]

FYI, I believe you can download and print a temporary proof of insurance card from the Progressive website.  In states that require proof of insurance, you need a printed card.

[scottpA_GS]

YEp.. I have Progreesive. You can log in online and download and print your card.. Thats what I did  

http://www.progressive.com/

[Stephen072774]

Davipu is right...  Go to court with your official card that says you indeed had insurance on the day you got the ticket and it will get thrown out.  Unless your time to do so isn't worth the 11 bucks.  I would go just so they wouldn't get my money.

That happens around here quite often.  If you forgot it at home, you'll get a ticket.  But bring your proof to court and it gets thrown out.

[Roadstergal]

All charges were immediatly dropped and I hope some training was required.

Yuk. Sounds like he deserved to have a book thrown at him.

[Daniely]

Yea ive had insurance on it since the day i got it, so no biggie, guess I wont have to pay $11.00 bucks. WOOHOO.

[jason_S]

He didnt cite you for carless driving, so that is good, it is a hefty fine,

Yeah, he definitely could have gotten you for that, cause you were on a bike. :lol:

[pandy]

:lol: :lol:  :lol:

And you were guilty, guilty, guilty!!!

pandy  

He didnt cite you for carless driving, so that is good, it is a hefty fine,

Yeah, he definitely could have gotten you for that, cause you were on a bike. :lol:

[Daniely]

Just find it funny my first ticket EVER and the second time being pulled over happened to be on a bike i bought 5 days ago...sheesh....

[pandy]

Well...you're now warned about "carless" driving...it's a crime!

pandy  

Just find it funny my first ticket EVER and the second time being pulled over happened to be on a bike i bought 5 days ago...sheesh....

[Daniely]

That'll learn me to swerve around a pothole...