Why Did The LA Cop Cross The Road? To Give You A $197 Ticket For Something No Reasonable Person Would Suspect Is Illegal
I once got a ticket in Santa Monica -- early in the morning, before any cars were out (and in fact there might as well have been tumbleweed blowing through the intersection), for rollerskating through a red light.
Okay, so that's a clear violation, but I saw that the road was car-free, and I'm an adult with working eyes, so I made the adult decision that it would not be unsafe to cross -- instead of ceremoniously waiting at the corner for nothing to happen, no cars to come by, and then crossing.
Well, in downtown LA, cops are writing loads of tickets for a violation I bet most of you have no idea is a violation. I sure didn't.
Catherine Saillant writes in the LA Times:
The raised red hand flashes as Eduardo Lopez darts into the crosswalk outside L.A.'s 7th Street Metro station.In one fluid movement, Los Angeles Police Officer Robert Lockhart fires up his black and white motorcycle and rumbles across Hope Street toward the 22-year-old college student, initiating a confrontation -- a symbol, perhaps, of emerging tensions as the balance of power between walkers and drivers shifts in L.A.'s newly revitalized downtown.
Lopez says he was running for a bus to make his first class at Glendale Community College and didn't hear Lockhart's order: "Don't go."
Unmoved, Lockhart hands him a $197 ticket.
Over the next two hours, Lockhart will write up at least eight more pedestrians who violate "21456" -- cop-speak for the vehicle code section that makes it illegal to step into a crosswalk after the red hand starts flashing and the countdown has begun.
What a bunch of bullshit. It should be for me to judge whether I can make it across before the light stops flashing; it shouldn't automatically be illegal.
And it's absolutely disgusting that this garners a $197 ticket -- which disproportionately ruins the lives of the poor.
Steve Lopez, in the LA Times, writes about the effect of this ticket on Eduardo Lopez and his family:
Lopez was guessing his troubles would cost him $80 or $90, which would have been bad enough. But he was off by a mile.It was a $197 whack.
"I was in shock," said Lopez, who wondered again why the officer couldn't have given him a warning instead of a ticket that's nearly one-third of his family's monthly rent, which he contributes to. "I didn't know how I was going to pay for it or what I was going to do."
...Eduardo had to take time out of another busy day to go to court and ask if he could pay off his debt by doing community work. No, he was told. He has until April 27 to pay up, unless he tries to fight it, with no guarantees except that he'd eat up more of his valuable time.
He could turn to his older brother, Eduardo told me, but asking him for help is a last resort. The rent is coming due, and Miguel has to cover the bulk of the $712 payment, even as he's saving to buy his first used car.
Fortunately for Eduardo, two readers who saw Saillant's story offered to help Lopez out.
"It tugged on my heart that this sum could be a hardship for a student," wrote one.
A grateful Lopez, who has saved $45 so far toward the ticket, has been in touch with both readers. He was checking his mail last week, hoping they might be able to help him before his bill comes due.
And check this out -- a comment at LA Times, showing how politicians and their unaffordable projects escalate the price of a ticket:
jerome79
SURPRIZE!!!! The actual BASE fine for jaywalking is only $25. The rest of the nearly 200 dollars comes from penalty assessments (another $50) etc which mount up to a total 800% of the original fine.A close assessment of a red light violation with a base of $100 but a final total of nearly $500 can be found here
More complicated than I thought - here's a breakdown with a pie chart of the Jaywalking fee.
It's pretty fucked doing that much harm to someone – ostensibly for their own good – to protect them from themselves.
The cure is almost worse than the disease. Having overlords sucks.
Mike at May 5, 2015 6:15 AM
This is horrendous.
Astra at May 5, 2015 6:50 AM
As we discussed with the IRS "structuring" thing yesterday, it's another case of the government defining as a crime something that causes no harm to anyone and does not deprive anyone of life, liberty, or property. A lot of those stupid lights only give you a second or two before the red light starts flashing. You practically have to be in runner's starting blocks in order to get off the sidewalk in time.
Not getting across before the light changes? Yeah, that should be a ticket -- a $25 reminder that says "that was a bad idea, don't do it again". Not getting into the street before the hand starts flashing, even though you have plenty of time to cross? That's bullshit. And $200 for any kind of walking violation? Piracy.
Cousin Dave at May 5, 2015 7:05 AM
Now if the cops could just make bicyclists "share the road" (probably start by not running lights and stop signs) we'd be on to something.
Gog_Magog_Carpet_Reclaimers at May 5, 2015 7:15 AM
It's pretty fucked doing that much harm to someone – ostensibly for their own good – to protect them from themselves.
Hey, that's the promise of Big Government: we're here to protect you because you're too stupid to live on your own.
Oh, and here's the bill for protecting you...
I R A Darth Aggie at May 5, 2015 7:22 AM
Oh, and here's another instance of Big Government (Federal Edition) doing something to "protect" you and then shafting you with the bill without so much as even a "sorry".
I R A Darth Aggie at May 5, 2015 7:31 AM
In Austin you can get a $500 ticket for violating the 'hands-free" law, or for "blocking the box," which seems to be a fairly new policing-for-profit initiative. "Blocking the box" is when your car blocking the intersection. While it does kind of enrage me when some a-hole ruins my turn to go because his car is parked in the intersection through my green light during rush hour, I'm not sure it's a $500 violation... It would take someone who makes $8 an hour over 60 hours to pay that off.
But I guess that's how we roll in blue cities... let's fine a poor person a week's wages (or half what their car is worth) for a minor traffic violation. 'Cause we care, you know...
ahw at May 5, 2015 7:37 AM
Except that if the driver in oncoming traffic is relying on the color of his light, you may end up getting hit if your judgement is flawed and you can't make it.
That or you'll be holding up traffic when you're still walking across the street because you misjudged the timing and oncoming traffic is holding for you despite having a green light.
I was almost t-boned this morning because some idiot rushed through a yellow-to-red light change in order to make his turn. He "judged" he could make it. His judgement was flawed.
On the other hand, that this is a $197 violation is ridiculous. Cities are treating their citizens like ATMs, police officers like revenuers, and traffic fines like a revenue source. That needs to stop. Policing-for-profit is going to erode respect for the law and the police.
Conan the Grammarian at May 5, 2015 8:07 AM
really check out that pie chart of jaywalking WTFuperey, it'll make you puke.
Far from giving the city of LA anything, it's all about paying the State of California. LA doesn't even get all of the base $25 fine:
http://blogdowntown.com/2010/12/5914-breaking-down-the-cost-of-jaywalking-where
Money shot:
"Where Does the Money Go?
Of that final $190 bail total, only $22.54 goes to the City of Los Angeles according to data provided by the Los Angeles Superior Court. $28.42 goes to the County of Los Angeles, while the State of California receives $139.04."
The fees are all there, because they can.
SwissArmyD at May 5, 2015 8:08 AM
oh, and? for more puke inducement...
This kids fine was 1/3 that of that elton simpson bastard who got probation for the felony of false statements to the FBI.
SwissArmyD at May 5, 2015 8:19 AM
The way California (and I presume every state) ladder up the fines with "fees" is bullshit, and long known, and for once, a truly easily provable way the State in fact oppresses the poor and middle class.
These fines are often prohibitive to pay and result in suspended licenses, which make it even more difficult to "get yourself right" with the law.
Here is John Oliver on Municipal Violations
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UjpmT5noto
http://time.com/3754023/john-oliver-municipal-violations/
jerry at May 5, 2015 8:29 AM
I agree that the amount of the fine is ridiculous, but I often see a cars waiting to turn as a line of people parade through the crosswalk on the don't walk signal.
Consider the driver waiting to make a left turn. He sees the don't walk signal come up, waits for a break in the oncoming traffic and starts to turn, only to have to slam on his brakes because someone decided that they could ignore the don't walk. Now the car is sitting in the intersection, possibly with traffic approaching at 30 mph.
The don't walk sign is not just for the pedestrian's safety. It's to allow other traffic to flow.
Steamer at May 5, 2015 8:33 AM
"Over the next two hours, Lockhart will write up at least eight more pedestrians..."
That works out to about $900 per hour per cop. Quite a racket.
Martin at May 5, 2015 9:04 AM
As a fast walker, I often find I get blocked in by "slowpokes" and finally arrive at an intersection only to find there's not enough time left on the clock to cross. At this point, often with zero seconds left, those same slow folks are annoyed I've stopped in front of them and go barging around to run across the intersection.
At this point I'd enjoy seeing them getting a ticket...
Bernie at May 5, 2015 9:14 AM
Amy - you should send this to Adam Carolla. He talks about this stuff in LA all the time. He would love to go off on this story.
There aren't enough traffic cops in NYC (that's who would deal with this kind of ticket) to ticket every pedestrian that jaywalked. However we do have the same BS fees on tickets. $50 fine + fee fee fee fee = $250 ticket. The reason being is that the law would have to be changed (and involve the state I think), but the city council can add as many fees as they like.
I tell people to fight it. I once had a ticket thrown out, another time fine reduced.
CatherineM at May 5, 2015 10:15 AM
I don't have a problem with ticketing people who jaywalk. What I have a problem with is ticketing people who aren't quite quick enough, or are stuck behind other people, and don't get off the curb in that 10-microsecond window when the white light is on.
Cousin Dave at May 5, 2015 10:34 AM
Hmmm curious if they have given any tickets to blind people crossing the street. Since they can't tell if there is a red hand or if it's flashing only that there are no moving cars so they would be perfect targets for this.
Joe j at May 5, 2015 11:37 AM
I want to start a gofundme to ship this officer to Ann Arbor for a few weeks. I agree, the fine is outrageous for such a petty matter, but you don't really grasp how crazy-dangerous free-style street-crossing can get until you've spent an hour or two driving in A-squared.
llater,
llamas
llamas at May 5, 2015 12:20 PM
Thanks so much, CatherineM -- good idea!
Amy Alkon at May 5, 2015 4:43 PM
Pretty sure the constitution has something to say about excessive fines.
I hope some enterprising attorney takes the initiative and files a class action suit over this.
-jcr
John C. Randolph at May 5, 2015 5:44 PM
What you think of as an excessive fine, the courts see as an allowable administrative search of your wallet.
jerry at May 5, 2015 8:57 PM
I had this happen a couple years ago in downtown Burbank, except we were completely in the right and the officer flagged me down with two colleagues. I think it was about $20 more each, too. The worst part was I tried to get it dismissed (and it should have been) and the judge denied my motion. And the cop showed up and LIED THROUGH HER TEETH, claiming we stepped out into moving traffic. I wish I knew then that I didn't have to provide ID and could have remained silent.
Aaron Matthew Kaiser at May 6, 2015 8:23 AM
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