Rank: Member
Groups: Registered
Joined: 3/01/2009(UTC)
Posts: 435
Was thanked: 1 time(s) in 1 post(s)
|
quote:
Originally posted by HKTG Parts Recovery
Toughen up Australia! I towed a car trailer from Adelaide to Melbourne, picked up a HG Premier, turned around and drove straight back to Adelaide with my standard 186 manual HT panel van with drums all round. No sweat. Standard towbar too.
There was a time that mullets were fashionable too but you wouldn't have one now!!!!!! Edited by user Saturday, 11 February 2012 9:08:10 AM(UTC)
| Reason: Not specified |
utility8
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Member
Groups: Registered
Joined: 4/07/2008(UTC)
Posts: 342
|
I agree with Dr Terry. Better off just dishing out the money than going through all the drama and stress of courts and judges. The only hassle free way to avoid it is to make sure you know the rules when you get pulled over, and if you can instill a little bit of doubt in the officers mind while still being polite then he's likely to let it slide. I've had several instances where I've had to keep asking questions until I got the officer to admit that he was a bit unsure about something. They know that as soon as a bit of doubt is recorded on their microphones then trying to make it stick in court is a waste of their time.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Veteran
Groups: Moderator, Registered, Veteran
Joined: 1/03/2005(UTC)
Posts: 14,596
Thanks: 1 times
Was thanked: 485 time(s) in 463 post(s)
|
I'd never do that. I've been to court to defend a speeding fine I was incorrectly given and won, just had to show how the copper was wrong. Didn't use a Barrister or Solicitor. If you've done the crime, do the time. But there is no way i'll cop a fine where i'm obviously in the right. Talking to the nice policeman as above sounds like a really good idea though, especially if you really know your stuff and it is obvious he doesn't. |
_______________________________________________________
If we all had the same (good) taste, who would buy all the Fords? |
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Veteran
Groups: Moderator, Registered
Joined: 1/03/2005(UTC)
Posts: 6,030
Thanks: 1 times
Was thanked: 198 time(s) in 181 post(s)
|
quote:
Originally posted by HK1837
I'd never do that. I've been to court to defend a speeding fine I was incorrectly given and won, just had to show how the copper was wrong. Didn't use a Barrister or Solicitor. If you've done the crime, do the time. But there is no way i'll cop a fine where i'm obviously in the right. Talking to the nice policeman as above sounds like a really good idea though, especially if you really know your stuff and it is obvious he doesn't.
Yes, Byron, this is OK if the penalty is clean & simple, but if it's technical issue & you get caught between the the faceless gentlemen at the RTA & SDRO you are better off letting it go. I was wrongly booked by a speed camera about 6 years ago. It was a 60 km/h zone I drive thru regularly & knew only too well that the camera was there. I deliberately went thru at 50 km/h because I know of others who have been caught. I was booked for 78 km/h, but the clincher was the time on the notice was around 8 pm, I drove thru at 2 pm, at least the machine got the date correct, if not the speed. It was a long weekend & we were at home having a BBQ watching the NRL grand final at 8 PM so I had many credible witnesses. Being a long weekend you get double demerits, so 6 points it was. I went to several solicitors etc. & most said it was too hard, just cop it. It was my word against theirs & "why bother with witnesses, it's not a murder case." Based on many previous experiences I took their advice. Dr Terry |
If at first you don't succeed, just call it Version 1.0 |
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Member
Groups: Registered
Joined: 16/09/2010(UTC)
Posts: 96
|
That speed camera story is s a bummer Doc.
I don't know if things have changed in the last 6 years or if cameras and/or procedures vary from State to State but I recently had the same situation here in the ACT.
Got a Penalty Notice for running a red light and speeding thru an intersection monitored by a camera on a main city road. 'Offence' occurred at 6am - but I knew couldn't have done it because I was home in bed and the car was in the garage.
All I had to do was make an appointment with the RTA to look at the photo and it was obvious immediately that they had messed up. The offending car was same make, model and colour as mine but the person who reviewed the photo and issued the Penalty had misread the Number Plate - one letter different. It also helped that I took my car with me and was able to show that unlike the one in the photo, mine has a tow bar, rear spoiler and a Series 11 Badge on it.
If my car had been a different model or colour, then I probably would not have got the notice in the first place - I was just unlucky.
The helpful lady at the RTA simply accepted that they had stuffed up and 2 days later I received a Notice in the mail stating that the Penalty Notice had been withdrawn.
So, at least here in the ACT, if you know you are innocent, its worth checking before paying up.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Veteran
Groups: Moderator, Registered
Joined: 1/03/2005(UTC)
Posts: 6,030
Thanks: 1 times
Was thanked: 198 time(s) in 181 post(s)
|
I wish it was that easy in the nanny state (NSW).
I had another silly one about 3 years ago with my wife's car.
We got a speed camera infringement notice for doing 55 km/h in a school zone (at 9.55 AM !!).
In our business we often lend our cars to friends while we have their car in the workshop. We didn't know who was driving on this occasion, it could have been my wife or her friend. We asked over the phone if the driver's face could be seen in the photograph (for ID), because in this case the camera is front-on. The answer was yes, but we had to pay a nominal amount ($10-$20) to get a photo posted out to us.
The photo arrived in the post, but the image if the driver's face was deliberately blurred-out 'for privacy reasons'. They don't miss you, do they ??
Dr Terry |
If at first you don't succeed, just call it Version 1.0 |
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Member
Groups: Registered
Joined: 16/09/2010(UTC)
Posts: 96
|
Bureaucracy gone mad that is - it was your car for heavens sake. If they are serious about penalising poor drivers, they should have procedures to ensure the guilty person is held accountable.
In ACT we are able to sign a Stat Dec stating that we were not driving at the time of the offence (I have had to do this once also) but they ask you to nominate the driver. Don't know what happens if you can't - I guess it would be the same as it is there - you just have to cop it
Just further anecdotal evidence to support the view that the authorities are too much focussed on the revenue rather than improving road safety.
And here they are now installing Average Speed Cameras on major arterial roads.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Member
Groups: Registered
Joined: 7/07/2008(UTC)
Posts: 328
|
Go easy on the public servants there. The same with everything in life it's only the extremes you notice and that means extremely good or extremely bad. The rest are are just ordinary everyday average well behaved citizens. Oh I'm not a public servant but I do live in Canberra though and know a lot who are that just want to be helpful.....Jack
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Veteran
Groups: Moderator, Registered
Joined: 1/03/2005(UTC)
Posts: 6,030
Thanks: 1 times
Was thanked: 198 time(s) in 181 post(s)
|
You should send a few of your 'helpful' public servant friends to NSW, they desperately need them, especially at the RTA.
Dr Terry |
If at first you don't succeed, just call it Version 1.0 |
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Member
Groups: Registered
Joined: 4/07/2008(UTC)
Posts: 342
|
quote:
Originally posted by Squeak327
In ACT we are able to sign a Stat Dec stating that we were not driving at the time of the offence (I have had to do this once also) but they ask you to nominate the driver. Don't know what happens if you can't -
If you can't nominate the driver then the fine is 5x what it would normally be, and no-one looses any points.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Forum Jump
You cannot post new topics in this forum.
You cannot reply to topics in this forum.
You cannot delete your posts in this forum.
You cannot edit your posts in this forum.
You cannot create polls in this forum.
You cannot vote in polls in this forum.
