DC Speed Camera Fine Increase

[hurleybt]

There are no fixed speed cameras on 295, they are mobile police units. They just added another location south of the new bridge construction for Eastern Avenue.

-Hurley

[darleschickens]

They are nothing but a form of taxation. They're simple revenue generators.

I'd never pay one. If I got a ticket by one I would demand to question my accuser in court.

THIS is what I'm talkin' about! Two tickets, a week apart on MacArthur Ave. 11-15 miles per hour over the speed limit: $125 a pop. One has doubled to $250 and the next one is about to double any day. I would have never known about the second one had I not seen it online with the other offense.

The back of the notice allows me to check "deny" and rat out the driver of my car by disclosing her contact info and driver's license. No way! The notice claims if I do not, I will be responsible for the tickets.

If anyone knows how to help me get out of this (experience with fighting it?), I'd love to know!

[darleschickens]

1-10 mph over the speed limit: increase from $30 to $75. 11-15 mph: increase from $50 to $125 16-20 mph is $150, 21-25 mph is $200, and 26-30 mph is $250

Seriously? I cannot imagine my rage were I to get a $75 ticket for driving 1 mile over the speed limit.

They are not accurate enough to gauge your speed within 5 mph or so. When I got 2 tickets in 1 day, I looked up fighting them on the internet and wrote a well-worded argument about the inaccuracy of the machines. Tickets were dismissed. The u-lock is a good idea, so is taking off your plate

You happen to have saved that well-worded document for me to use? I was reading stats on ticket dismissal -- they're higher if you do the mail adjudication over an in-person hearing. I'm thinking of going that route, then if I lose, I'll appeal it. If I lose that, I simply won't pay the tickets and brace myself for collection/credit war (which I will win).

[AirborneVespa]

The new literary addition is a rescue case from ModernVespa.

Help her out.

[darleschickens]

The new literary addition is a rescue case from ModernVespa.

Help her out.

Ha!

Let me give some details to get better help:

Ticketed on VA plates two weeks ago, but have since switched to MD plates. I can hang around DC and not get booted or ticketed because they won't know I'm the serial photo-offender, right? DC will report non-paying tickets to VA, but will VA report them to MD to help DC out? If so, will when I renew my license in five years or registration in two years, will I be hit with additional massive fines before they'll renew me? Or will it magically disappear because it's merely a non-moving violation?

[AirborneVespa]

I think the worst thing to do is not reply. Hopefully the dude who wrote the letter will hook you up. I know that the states have revamped their computer systems (even DC - they found parking tickets from 1998 when I went to renew in 2006), but you can always write them, tell them you dispute it and demand to see the calibration results from their cameras - in short, challenge the ticket as is your right.

And keep all the paperwork. Good luck.

Now tell everyone what kind of faggy moped you ride....

[darleschickens]

I think the worst thing to do is not reply. Hopefully the dude who wrote the letter will hook you up. I know that the states have revamped their computer systems (even DC - they found parking tickets from 1998 when I went to renew in 2006), but you can always write them, tell them you dispute it and demand to see the calibration results from their cameras - in short, challenge the ticket as is your right.

And keep all the paperwork. Good luck.

Now tell everyone what kind of faggy moped you ride....

Were those parking tickets in 1998 in DC or another state? If another state, I'm admittedly screwed, but only if I decide to keep a car. I might just sell my car and ride my faggy 2003 black ET2 *moped*. In which case, I can fly through MacArthur at 35 mph (in a 25) while flipping off the speed cam.

If I get score to score that genius defense letter, though, I'll fight both tickets all the way, but I'm not paying DC a fucking dime.

[AirborneVespa]

Were those parking tickets in 1998 in DC or another state? If another state, I'm admittedly screwed, but only if I decide to keep a car. I might just sell my car and ride my faggy 2003 black ET2 *moped*. In which case, I can fly through MacArthur at 35 mph (in a 25) while flipping off the speed cam.

If I get score to score that genius defense letter, though, I'll fight both tickets all the way, but I'm not paying DC a fucking dime.

They were in DC, but ticketed to VA plates that were registered to me. I sold the car in 1998. So yeah, DC tickets on VA plates...but I was renewing in DC.

MacArthur? You're one of those Georgetown types aren't you?

[darleschickens]

Were those parking tickets in 1998 in DC or another state? If another state, I'm admittedly screwed, but only if I decide to keep a car. I might just sell my car and ride my faggy 2003 black ET2 *moped*. In which case, I can fly through MacArthur at 35 mph (in a 25) while flipping off the speed cam.

If I get score to score that genius defense letter, though, I'll fight both tickets all the way, but I'm not paying DC a fucking dime.

They were in DC, but ticketed to VA plates that were registered to me. I sold the car in 1998. So yeah, DC tickets on VA plates...but I was renewing in DC.

MacArthur? You're one of those Georgetown types aren't you?

I'm one of those grab-your-kayak-and-head-to-the-C&O-canal-types. My nabe is Brookmont (in MD) on the C&O canal. I wouldn't say "no" to Aditi in Georgetown and cupcakes at Baked & Wired after, though. Other than that, Georgetown doesn't suit my faggy mopeding-lifestyle.

[AirborneVespa]

I'm one of those grab-your-kayak-and-head-to-the-C&O-canal-types. My nabe is Brookmont (in MD) on the C&O canal.

Oh, a dirty Hippy.

[darleschickens]

I'm one of those grab-your-kayak-and-head-to-the-C&O-canal-types. My nabe is Brookmont (in MD) on the C&O canal.

Oh, a dirty Hippy.

Exactly. Except I'm fluffed and puffed, don't have dreads, don't grow weed, traded up Grateful Dead for The Shins, and I wear perfume. A dirty hippy in denial.

[ToeCutterette]

As someone who had a missed $40 late fee on a 10 year old DC speeding ticket that subsequently lead to my driving privileges in the district being suspended and a bench warrant issued for my arrest- It's safe to assume that they will, at some point, catch up with you.
Luckily, I learned of mine not by being pulled over, but updating my MD license with a MC endorsement. I had to go to the DC DMV, pay the $40 late fee plus another $100+ to have the 10 year old license reinstated before MD would let me update my current license.
From the time of speeding ticket, to the time it caught up with me, I had moved 4 times. Twice within the District itself.
Ironically, that was the one and only speeding ticket I have ever gotten AND it was on MacArthur blvd. I lived in several places in that area over the last 11 years or so...just moved from Sentinel by the Safeway to 13th street. Brookmont is a lovely hood.

Were your tickets from that area right past the lab school by the reservoir? There's a nice little trap right before you hit that pump house that looks like a castle.

[darleschickens]

As someone who had a missed $40 late fee on a 10 year old DC speeding ticket that subsequently lead to my driving privileges in the district being suspended and a bench warrant issued for my arrest- It's safe to assume that they will, at some point, catch up with you.
Luckily, I learned of mine not by being pulled over, but updating my MD license with a MC endorsement. I had to go to the DC DMV, pay the $40 late fee plus another $100+ to have the 10 year old license reinstated before MD would let me update my current license.
From the time of speeding ticket, to the time it caught up with me, I had moved 4 times. Twice within the District itself.
Ironically, that was the one and only speeding ticket I have ever gotten AND it was on MacArthur blvd. I lived in several places in that area over the last 11 years or so...just moved from Sentinel by the Safeway to 13th street. Brookmont is a lovely hood.

Were your tickets from that area right past the lab school by the reservoir? There's a nice little trap right before you hit that pump house that looks like a castle.

Oh, man. You got nailed exactly where I did (twice so far - both times a friend was using my car). I didn't know about the speed trap until a month after I moved to Brookmont, so I'm expecting at least another 10 tickets. Nobody told me about it, either - I happened to have read an article online about speed cams, so I drove over to investigate. I immediately knew that I was going to be screwed. Wish I'd be facing a mere $40 ticket instead of the very recent hike to $125 (plus double late fees). I'm going to scour the Internet to see if I can lift someone else's successful defense. If not, you've convinced me that I'd better prepare myself for a DMV pounding, but only after I've fought it to death.

Thanks for responding to my post.

[darleschickens]

P.S.

"As someone who had a missed $40 late fee on a 10 year old DC speeding ticket that subsequently lead to my driving privileges in the district being suspended and a bench warrant issued for my arrest- It's safe to assume that they will, at some point, catch up with you."

Questions:

1. That 10-year-old DC speeding ticket - was that on a DC driver's license or out-of-state license?

2. After that ticket and late fee, you'd then moved 4 times (twice out of state)... when you did move, you were able to successfully get a driver's license out of state, yes (even with that late fee hanging over your head)? I think what happened is that DC and MD have reciprocal agreements for moving violations. I'm not certain, but I don't think they do for non-moving violations (photo cams are non-moving violations). If your license was suspended in one state for not settling the moving violation (DC) - a mere late fee, then your name goes straight on the Non-Resident Violator Compact list. If you were able to successfully get licensed in another state, meanwhile, maybe it just took a long time for your name to show up on that list before your last MD renewal. My name won't make that list because my MD license can't be suspended by DC DMV for failure to pay the tickets.

Anyone know if DC and MD have reciprocal agreements for non-moving violations?

[ToeCutterette]

Oh, I wasn't caught by the camera, I just know about it b/c I drove by it twice a day for several years.
I was physically pulled over...speed trap past Macomb going towards Silbley (it was minor too, like 10mph over). License was MD at the time. Never knew about the late fee. Moved to DC, got a license without issue. Apartment hopped a couple of times in DC- updated the address each time no problem. Moved back to MD, still no problem. After several years in MD (and driving around in DC all the time), I added the MC endorsement, and that's when it finally showed up. I have no idea at what point after I moved back into MD that the violation was magically uploaded to ruin my day...what I do know is that if I had been pulled over in DC at any point during that time, I would have been arrested.

I would hope that non-moving violations are treated less aggressively though!

My boyfriend has 2 outstanding DC parking tickets from 2003 and 2006 on two different vehicles with MD plates....he just renewed his MD driver's license last summer without any problem. Now that we bought a house in DC though, he'll have to take care of those. When he gets around to it.