{"id":1700,"date":"2007-03-27T18:38:31","date_gmt":"2007-03-27T22:38:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/spacingtoronto.ca\/?p=1700"},"modified":"2013-01-21T13:04:46","modified_gmt":"2013-01-21T18:04:46","slug":"pay-the-speeding-ticket-or-take-it-to-court","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/toronto\/2007\/03\/27\/pay-the-speeding-ticket-or-take-it-to-court\/","title":{"rendered":"Pay the speeding ticket or take it to court?"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

Because a family member has been in a North York hospital for the last two weeks, I’ve been in possession of my mother’s car so I can hit the road at a moment’s notice in case of an emergency. I rarely drive (maybe ten times a year for the last seven or eight years) so the experience of using the Gardiner and DVP to get in and out of my west-end place has been interesting.<\/p>\n

It got a little more interesting this afternoon as I left my place and headed up Lansdowne. As I zipped out form under the CN\/GO bridge just south of Dundas<\/a> and traffic cop stepped with his radar gun and nailed me for doing 69km\/hr in a 40km\/hr zone (I was under the impression it was a 60 zone).<\/p>\n

We went through the regular procedure of handing over my license, registration, and insurance. After making sure I wasn’t a wanted criminal, he came back to the car, handed me the ticket and said, “The fine is $138, but take it to court and the judge will reduce it.”<\/p>\n

I thought this was really weird. I think the police should say something like “you have the right to challenge this in court,” but to tell me outright that I should<\/em> challenge the ticket is, ahem, out of order.<\/p>\n

Now I have some kind of dilemma: do I take his advice and challenge the ticket so I don’t have to pay the full fine, or do I just take the hit? Going to court over the ticket when I know full-well that I’m guilty is a moral challenge, especially when I know its a waste of city\/court resources (lawyers need to show up for the police, it backs up serious traffic offenses that need to be dealt with, etc.). My only defense is: I really was<\/em> rushing to the hospital; that I never drive up\/down Lansdowne; and the hill makes it nearly impossible for anyone to go 40km\/hr in that zone without riding their brakes (I know that I’ve topped 40km\/hr on my bike on that specific hill).<\/p>\n

So, faithful Spacing Wire readers, I’m looking for your advice on what I should do (besides telling me not to drive — I already know that and feel guilty enough as it is).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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