I was driving down duke street on friday night towards the exit for south van dorn street. i thought i could get through the light right before the exit, but it turned red while i was in it, and i saw a bright flash, so i'm probably going to get a ticket in the mail soon. does any one know about how much it'll be? the light is part of the city of alexandria. i've never got a ticket before. thanks.

generally 50 bucks plus fees...

I thought I had just barely made it through a light once too, but then saw the flash and just knew I was going to get a ticket in the mail. But nothing ever came. I asked a cop friend about it and he said sometimes the cameras run out of film.

I just thanked my lucky stars!

film? really? theres no way red light cameras use film........



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/25/2009 08:35PM by un-fairfax aboveground.

a judge once said in court while I was there that they are somewhat selective as to which ones they pick to mail the fines too... that there are so many egregious examples, that the borderline red-runs get to slip by.

i'm the original poster, but i just signed in. it was actually kinda funny when it happened, there was a car next to me in the other lane, and i saw a light blink twice, so he should be getting a ticket too, assuming what rebecca said doesnt happen.

Yes, they use film. Film is still better than CCD cameras, it has much more accurate "zoom" capabilities, plus, it is much harder to alter an original negative than it is to digitally alter a CCD sourced image.

For "legal evidence", analog film photography still has better auditability than digital photography.


Even if you get a ticket, you can still go and argue it in court. If you can convince the judge that you felt that it was unsafe to stop due to traffic behind you or that you were already in the process of making your turn but was stopped by a jaywalker crossing the street outside the crosswalk around the corner, or by a car parallel parking just around the corner and was photographed long after you had entered the intersection, and that the yellow light came on long after you could even see the light, you probably will get the charges dismissed.

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The function of conservatives is not to meet every liberal program or scheme with a denunciation or a destructive counterscheme, but rather to weigh its advantages and defects, supporting the first and challenging the second. A declaration of ideological warfare against liberalism is by its nature profoundly unconservative. It meets perceived radicalism with a counterradicalism of its own.

Oh yeah, if you use the defense that you were stopped by someone parking just around the corner, and your brake lights are not on in the photo, just tell the judge that you have a manual transmission.

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The function of conservatives is not to meet every liberal program or scheme with a denunciation or a destructive counterscheme, but rather to weigh its advantages and defects, supporting the first and challenging the second. A declaration of ideological warfare against liberalism is by its nature profoundly unconservative. It meets perceived radicalism with a counterradicalism of its own.

completely ignore the fact that you got one. since the camera companies are their own business (not affiliated with the police) it wont go on your record. i've had a couple of those and the last one i never paid and nothing happened. since they mail it to you, you can always argue that you never received it and that it must have been lost in the mail. good luck and seriously, dont pay. those things are bullshit

bloody blisters Wrote:
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> completely ignore the fact that you got one. since
> the camera companies are their own business (not
> affiliated with the police) it wont go on your
> record. i've had a couple of those and the last
> one i never paid and nothing happened. since they
> mail it to you, you can always argue that you
> never received it and that it must have been lost
> in the mail. good luck and seriously, dont pay.
> those things are bullshit

I've never tried that. Though it sort of makes sense.

What is going to happen if you don't pay? Do you have to go to court?

If you have to go to court, then by not appearing, you admit guilt, so that means you do have to pay.

If there is no court appearance, and you are just expected to pay, then all they can do is keep sending you letters and eventually EDS or whoever operates the camera will sell your "debt" to a debt collector for 5 cents on the dollar.

And if that's the case, just wait 6 years and the statute of limitations runs out and they can't do shit.

But, I don't know if it really is just a private debt or a court ordered fine. That makes a huge difference.

(though, if you never pay a parking ticket in some city you never ever go back to, they can't do shit, so maybe this is similar.)

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The function of conservatives is not to meet every liberal program or scheme with a denunciation or a destructive counterscheme, but rather to weigh its advantages and defects, supporting the first and challenging the second. A declaration of ideological warfare against liberalism is by its nature profoundly unconservative. It meets perceived radicalism with a counterradicalism of its own.

nothing will happen if you dont pay. court? no its too much effort for one ticket.
they really dont give a fuck about a single ticket. they are out to make the big bucks which they are doing very well (capitalizing on peoples fear and ignorance). now, if you rack up quite a few with out paying that may be a different story. then you may have to worry about court or collection agencies. but for just one ticket thats small potatoes and should be swept under the rug

Plus, unless it's sent to you via certified mail, how are they going to prove you even received the ticket?

bloody blisters Wrote:
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> nothing will happen if you dont pay.

I'm not ever sure if I ran it...but I stil am nervous because it's my first driving issue ever. But still there was a camera and I don't know how immediatly it will be sent..the longer it takes the more freaked out I"m going to get.

It's a red light ticket which is like a parking ticket. No points, just a fine. If it's not paid though, I would assume they could suspend your license just like any other unpaid ticket.

I know reading from a story in the WashPost from Warren Brown, that he was on the hook for his vehicle running red light and he got a nice notice in the mail. He mentioned that he thought about not paying it, but found out that the ticket would be sent to a collections agency.

There are may more nuances to his particular story, but it sounds like they bring your credit rating into the fold, at least in DC, if you don't pay.

Ron Burgundy Wrote:
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> It's a red light ticket which is like a parking
> ticket. No points, just a fine. If it's not paid
> though, I would assume they could suspend your
> license just like any other unpaid ticket.

I take that back because I don't think they can suspend your license for parking tickets.

It all depends. An officer views the picture beforehand, and he might think it is questionable and won't send out the ticket.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/13/2015 09:52AM by WingNut.

another thing i forgot to mention last night, do not visit their website after you get the ticket. you know what your car looks like already and there is no need to see their picture of it. if you go to their site they will know you received the ticket and possibly pursue it further.

Running a stop sign is $92 total....admin fees too.

bloody blisters Wrote:
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> another thing i forgot to mention last night, do
> not visit their website after you get the ticket.
> you know what your car looks like already and
> there is no need to see their picture of it. if
> you go to their site they will know you received
> the ticket and possibly pursue it further.


What about when the registration on your car comes due? Even if you claimed you never received the ticket in the mail, wouldn't they demand payment then?

Have you actually renewed your registration with an unpaid camera ticket, without having to pay the ticket?

According to the law, if you've already entered the intersection by the time the light turns red, then you're legal.

Pete Wrote:
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>
>
> What about when the registration on your car comes
> due? Even if you claimed you never received the
> ticket in the mail, wouldn't they demand payment
> then?
>
> Have you actually renewed your registration with
> an unpaid camera ticket, without having to pay the
> ticket?


yes, those camera lights dont go on your record. the police dont even know when you get one. first offense, your golden. 2nd or 3rd it gets iffy, then the private company may file a report.

i just got one in the mail. it is my first traffic issue. i got in an accident 2 years ago, so will this effect me? how do i handle it?

jaclyn Wrote:
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> i just got one in the mail. it is my first traffic
> issue. i got in an accident 2 years ago, so will
> this effect me? how do i handle it?

By not grave-digging?

Red-light cameras don't affect insurances, driver points, etc.

They are merely a scheme to collect money.

You can either
a) pay the fine and be done with it
b) challenge it in court
c) ignore it and see if you get summoned

I just paid $50 compliments of my 17-year old son and City of Fairfax camera at Fairfax Circle.