Stupid cell phone law

I am soooo frustrated right now. I got a ticket on Friday for being on my cell phone. The frustrating part is that it was on speaker phone on my lap. The cop INSISTED he saw it in my hand. Then argued with me that it didn't matter since I wasn't using a hands free device. Whatever. There was no winning that argument with that jerk. I got home and looked at the law. It says that hands free could be a device, or internal component of the phone, which enables you to speak without using your hands. SPEAKER PHONE! DUH! So I call the court house today. Looks like I would need to fight the ticket and pay the court fees. But the woman said that I will have to pay the fine regardless. How is this fair? I shouldn't have even gotten the damn ticket in the first place! Sooo not fair that I'm out $130 because some ego maniac didn't want to lose a debate on what constitutes hands free, and I was the one that was right!

That would seriously piss me off too!! Sorry Girl!

That is so frustrating because its your word against his, basically!! I was in a similar situation when I was pulled over for crossing railroad tracks as a train was coming....are you kidding me! I am deathly afraid of car accidents but the cop insisted I was ignoring the crossing guards!! They can be so overbearing at times and make you feel like you cant win!

 

I'm sorry to hear this!!! Especially since my drive is 1 hour each way and I spend most of it on the phone with the TA or my mom figuring out wedding stuff!

 

Good Luck! XO

oh no... that is such a pain!! especially when you were taking measures to make sure you are safe, and there are TONS of people out there who text while they drive (WAYYY more dangerous than speaker phone if you ask me) and never get caught! definitely one of those "damn the man" moments!

 

josie.. i have the same commute and do the same thing! thank goodness for mobile-to-mobile minutes is all i can say!

That stinks, I hope you win!

 

On another note, my FI grew up in Levittown...his parents and sister still live there.

We just moved here a year ago. Seems nice so far!!!
I have to say, I am sooo annoyed about this friggin ticket. Seriously...it was the middle of the day and I'm driving around in my dorky mom van. Like I should be a target or something! Give me a break! There are drunk drivers and people driving 120 mph out there, and I get pulled over for a conversation. I wish there were some way to nit have to pay it, but the lady I spoke to said that either way I have to pay. No fair (big pout)

I don't understand, if you take it to court and win. Would the ticket not be thrown out and not be valid? Why would you be required to pay a ticket that was given to you wrongfully (not valid anymore) and proven in court? If you still have to pay it regardless then why spend the extra money to fight it? I think maybe I would ask somebody else. Do you know a ploice officer that might be a friend of the family, or a lawyer, or paralegal. Just anyone to give a second opinion. Maybe even try the court house again, hopefully you will get someone else and a different answer.

You do not have a to pay a ticket if you go to court and you're found to be not at fault. They do make you pay court fees though. You also don't have to pay if for some reason the officer doesn't show up but in a lot of cities they get 4 hours overtime just to show up so mostly they do. In big cities that have real crime problems, they might not show and you'll get off. Either way, I totally think you should go if for no other reason than to piss the cop off.

that sucks, FI got a ticket last year for the same thing and tried to argue with the cop but didnt win either.

 

BTW, how did he know you were on the phone if it was in your lap? I would of delete the call and said i was talking to my self or singing to the radio.

I have no clue why I should have to pay. I was told today that they would have to find me not guilty. How can they prove it either way? Thats what I'm afraid of. Basically thats what the woman said too, is that I will most likely have to pay the fine, plus the court fees. It doesn't make any sense to me at all. The worst part, I wish I could somehow prove is that I didn't even know I was being pulled over because he was tailgating me so much. All I could see was the roof of his unmarked car in my rear view. He was so up my @ss I couldn't even see his lights. All I heard were the sirens and was looking around to try and figure out where the heck it was coming from. He was such an @ss about that too. Questioning why I wasn't pulling over sooner. Ummm...cuz you were up my butt! I need to file a complaint big time.