Running Red Lights. Warning or Ticket?? hmmmm

[ppdgirlbm79]

Ok, so yeah I've run red lights in my time, but not if it would cause an accident. A friend and i were headed to class the other day and well it was raining out and there was one car ahead of us, and the light turned yellow, and then red just as we were crossing over the red light that *your supposed to stop at*.
Well there was a cop at that intersection and we got pulled over.
Now under the circumstances we knew it was cutting it close and prob should have slowed down.
Well my friend has 2 speeding tickets on her record, and like me she is going to school to go into law enforcement. She's had her license since december of 1995 and only has those two tickets nothing else.
I've done ride alongs with this department (I'm not going to say which one) but they'll give a warning to someone that has had 2 beers, and just passed a sobriety test, when this cop gives us a ticket for running a red light. I'm not the type to weasel my way out of a ticket just cause I know cops in the departmen, but in all seriousness, what factors do cops take into affect when deciding whether or not to give a warning or a ticket?
I just get frustrated, because when I'm a cop, I'd really like to know if I am thinking the right way or not when giving someone a warning or a ticket.
please let me know your input on this thanks

[ppdgirlbm79]

correction: the white line that *your supposed to stop at*

[Mike Tx]

I can't believe some power hungry cop gave you a ticket just for running a red light. That really sucks.

[KenM]

I started to take issue with some of your points, but I won't preach.

In my town if you run a red light it's a ticket. Period. They are there for a reason. Doesn't matter who you know or how "good" your driving record is.

[SGT Dave]

Theres no departmental standards I'm aware of-it's always officer discretion.

Just because one officer decides to issue a "warning" and another a ticket for the same offense or even different offenses, doesn't mean that there is anything improper going on.

Given everything you said, I'd have issued a cite also. However, I'm sure many would have chosen to warn, or ignore completely. She just drew the wrong officer that day .

It may not seem "fair", but I have never heard of a department telling officers what offenses merited warnings and which "only" could be "warnings" except in the case of a brand new law-again, officer discretion.

[IPDBrad]

There are a few things I almost always give tickets for, check that (for MikeTx) for which you earn tickets.

Running a red light is one of them.

Blocking a fire hydrant.

Parking in a handicap spot.

Since becoming a cop I have become much more of a defensive driver, not because of the accidents I have seen but the near misses. Not to mention, catching that light isn't all that important but the consequences can be.

You will find, if you become an LEO, that your pet peeves may change when you start enforcing law, traffic law and ordinances.

[Darkwulfe]

If we only gave warnings to people with

[Niteshift]

"Ok, so yeah I've run red lights in my time, but not if it would cause an accident."

If we always knew what would or would not cause a crash, we probably wouldn't have many crashes.

BTW, there is a reason that NHTSA stopped calling them accidents and started calling them crashes; because they are rarely "accidental". They usually have a direct cause.

"Now under the circumstances we knew it was cutting it close and prob should have slowed down."

You're right, you should have. Not only were you pushing the light, but it was raining too.

"She's had her license since december of 1995 and only has those two tickets nothing else."

That's not terribly impressive. I know plenty of people with a lot fewer tickets in a lot longer time frame.

"I've done ride alongs with this department (I'm not going to say which one) but they'll give a warning to someone that has had 2 beers, and just passed a sobriety test"

If they passed the sobriety test, what should they be getting a ticket for?

"what factors do cops take into affect when deciding whether or not to give a warning or a ticket?"

That is really variable. Too many variables to go into, so I'll just address one of them.

First is the offense itself. Running red lights and stop signs are inherently dangerous acts. When your light turned red, someone elses turned green. Suppose someone was coming down the cross street at about 5mph over the limit. They are already moving. They, like you, are focussed on the color of the light, not cross traffic. Next thing you know, there is a big crash in the middle of the intersection.

Traffic control devices are there for a reason. If everyone chooses to disregard them, the traffic flow would be a mess. So when one person chooses to disregard them while the others obey them, that person gets a ticket.

One could also argue that your warning was the yellow light...... it warned you that the light was going to turn red soon and you needed to stop.

[Chief Wiggum]

quote:

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Originally posted by Mike Tx:
I can't believe some power hungry cop gave you a ticket just for running a red light. That really sucks.

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Stirrin' up the coals Mike?

[Mike Tx]

No, I was being sarcastic to a little cry baby that got caught running a red light, got a ticket, and is whinning about it.

I figured most people would get it. I'll PM you next time with an explanation beforehand.

[Jim Burnes]

Heh, Mike is ticked off today! He has to live in Texas, and they won't let him carry anything but a .22 pistol (short barrel at that!).

Texans get grumpy if they miss their naptime!

Jim Burnes
This Is Indian Country.

[retired]

PPDGirlbm,

The most important criteria in a situation like yours would be how attractive your friend is, and if she was friendly. Not to mention how nice of a figure she has.

[Mike Tx]

quote:

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Originally posted by Jim Burnes:
Heh, Mike is ticked off today! He has to live in Texas, and they won't let him carry anything but a .22 pistol (short barrel at that!).

Texans get grumpy if they miss their naptime!

Jim Burnes
This Is Indian Country.

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Better than living up there in Oinklahoma! And I'll take that .22 over a bow and arrow any day.

[ 03-09-2003, 05:14 PM: Message edited by: Mike Tx ]

[ppdgirlbm79]

quote:

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Originally posted by Mike Tx:
No, I was being sarcastic to a little cry baby that got caught running a red light, got a ticket, and is whinning about it.

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I wasn't being a little cry baby. I just was mainly trying to focus on the whole giving a warning and giving a ticket. and a good example was the one with my friend who ran the red light. When I was doing a ride along with this same department a car full of female subjects ran a red light right in front of the cruiser. we pulled them over and the girl had been drinking, we gave her a sobriety test, she passed, and he still only gave her a warning. One of my pet peeves is people drinking and driving. And yes, like i said in my time I've run red lights, but since, I've changed my career goals, I obey all traffic laws, and I always drive defensively. I see alot of things that way.
I apoligize if it looked like I was trying to be a cry baby, but i was really curious on what makes someone give a warning and what makes them give them a ticket. I appreciate alot of your answers, because they answered alot of my concerns and theory's going on in my head. I am a female, and have a career goal to become a terrific cop. So all your input helps me point in the right direction.
Thank you

[ppdgirlbm79]

quote:

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Originally posted by retired:
PPDGirlbm,

The most important criteria in a situation like yours would be how attractive your friend is, and if she was friendly. Not to mention how nice of a figure she has.

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were you being serious, because if that's the case, that's probably why I don't get pulled over. just kidding. I always wonder about that though.