Traffic cops haging out at 6th and Mc Bride

[Dex]

@MiG

@Dex

There doesn’t appear to be an abundance of Police Officers in Rupert, so it seems to me this added revenue is going to a good cause.

Sure, I don’t think that was the issue. It was that there seemed to be a real, and measurable push to increase the revenue. And at least some of it was with “bogus” tickets. This included the use of undercover officers and the constant manning of the “Stop Sign Toll Booth.”

At a time when Prince Rupert was seeing a lot of different “crime waves,” the local Mounties seemed to be putting a heck of a lot of effort into catching people who stopped for 2 seconds at a stop sign instead of 5 seconds, for example.

What is there to stretch? They either came to a complete cessation from movement or they did not.

The officer would say that you “didn’t stop for 5 seconds.” Most people didn’t question it, and I doubt anybody fought it.

How did this become public? If nobody questioned it and nobody fought it, I find it hard to accept it was some large conspiracy by the Local RCMP to lie to motorists about the Motor Vehicle Act. Driving around this city shows me that those tactics are not necessary; there certainly is enough real traffic violations by motorists. I am skeptical…but open to the possibility.

@MiG

And if you don’t use your signals because you thought there was " no traffic around" then you deserve a ticket!! The BC Motor Vehicle Act does not become automatically amended when there is no traffic on the roads.

We went over this a couple of times in 2008 The MVA states that you must use your signals when your turn will have an effect on traffic. A parked police car does not count as traffic. If there’s no traffic, you don’t need to signal, according to the MVA.

I stand corrected, I was mistaking the Highway Traffic Act of Ontario; i didn’t look up the MVA section. At one time I was very well versed in the HTA because the local police were giving me bogus tickets consecutively. Reason? A Sergeant @ the local Police department parked his off duty vehicle in my parking spot at our gated condo. Condo security would not let me park anywhere else, not even visitors (or even in the officers now empty spot) so they phoned the tow truck and had his car towed. It appeared he was upset by this. I would be stopped, whole vehicle searched, and given a bogus ticket at least a couple times a week for several months. What an experience.

@MiG

Again, the trick was to park a police car, usually hidden, and see if anybody signalled going through that yield sign. I’ll bet you can go there right now and watch traffic to see if anybody signals with traffic. I doubt they do, since there’s really only one thing you can do when you’re there – turn right. But anyway, it’s not an offence unless there is traffic.

Another reason we should always use our signals. Although, how can you be sure there wasn’t traffic at the time. Why would the Officers have to ticket people when there allegedly was no traffic, when nobody signals when there is traffic anyway ( as you stated) ? I am not convinced yet though that a “standing” police (emergency) vehicle precludes it from being traffic. But will research it further. if you have something to add though please do.

@MiG

Which apparently gave us more Police Officers. Listening to the police scanner from this town it sounds like they need them.

Again, that wasn’t the problem. It was the bogus tickets.

I said in the other thread that the undercover stakeout of the stop sign was essentially a shake down. The drivers weren’t doing anything illegal. They were stopping, just not for 5 seconds. Every single one received a ticket.

That’s just not right.

If they were telling motorists that it is not right. There is a way to appeal the ticket. Personally I am more concerned people will not research their rights and the laws when they are accused of violating them. I would think red flags would come up from any motorist hearing that 5 seconds are required; maybe this is why I find it hard to believe.

[quote=“MiG”]

If the man was speeding it was a good thing he was stopped. His situation likely impaired his driving ability and could have been a danger to himself and/or others by speeding to the hospital. I’ll leave that judgement call to the officer. You wouldn’t accept that defense if he ran over someone would you? [/quote]

Read the other thread. He wasn’t speeding. He failed to signal. I don’t know if it was a case of a bogus ticket or not (ie: was there traffic).

The detachment was so embarrassed by the guy that they publicly withdrew the ticket.

It is amazing what a negative media article can do.

[quote=“MiG”]

I don’t have a problem with the police writing tickets for any Motor Vehicle Act violations. I do get amused by people who receive these bogus (?) tickets yet do nothing about it though.

Mainly because they don’t know they’re bogus. The “5 second rule” being the prime example. In 2007-2008, that became the local meme – “better stop for 5 seconds or you’re going to get a ticket!”

The usual reaction was “oh, I didn’t realize the law said you had to wait 5 seconds.” And then you’d be reminded that you’d get a break on the fine if you paid it right away.

[quote=“MiG”]
I should read the 2008 thread to get a better picture of what happened in the past and more details. At any rate many cities in BC and across Canada use Motor vehicle tickets to generate revenue. The trick is to obey the rules of the road. It is not hard to do. If you believe the ticket is bogus, fight it.[/quote]

Yes, I agree.

But I do have a problem when writing bogus tickets seems to become policy. Again, this was in the past, I have no idea about the present. There’s a thread on HTMF with the actual numbers.[/quote]

Well the real problem, IMO, is people not knowing their rights. This could have easily and expeditiously been rectified if everyone appealed the ticket stating on a letter that the officer said 5 seconds were required. I am positive the Provincial courts would have dropped the tickets and spoken to the RCMP.
icbc.com/driver-licensing/ti … ing-ticket

[bubbasteve735]

People who I’ve known who have gotten tickets for that sort of thing. Often don’t think it’s worth fighting, simply “because it’s the officers word against theirs. Who’s the court going to side with?” Or they figure if they dispute it, they’ll be picked on by the local police.

[codybear933]

Have to LOVE the tailgaters in this town ! Especially the ones with their high-beam halogen head-lights needing that extra 10 seconds to get nowhere ! Makes you want to brake suddenly and see what happens to their fancy lights then !! LOL

[MiG]

@Dex

How did this become public? If nobody questioned it and nobody fought it, I find it hard to accept it was some large conspiracy by the Local RCMP to lie to motorists about the Motor Vehicle Act. Driving around this city shows me that those tactics are not necessary; there certainly is enough real traffic violations by motorists. I am skeptical…but open to the possibility.

I don’t think anybody said it was a large conspiracy. Just that it seemed the RCMP were putting a lot of resources and effort (including undercover officers) to give people tickets for stopping “for just a second or two” at a stop sign, instead of 5 seconds.

Again, this was on HTMF years ago. I witnessed two of these undercover set ups myself, and HTMF members received tickets, and were told that they needed to stop for 5 seconds at a stop sign.

If it had happened to me, you’d have a nice youtube video to watch

Why would the Officers have to ticket people when there allegedly was no traffic, when nobody signals when there is traffic anyway ( as you stated) ? I am not convinced yet though that a “standing” police (emergency) vehicle precludes it from being traffic. But will research it further. if you have something to add though please do.

A parked car 100 meters away does not constitute traffic. The right turn onto McBride in front of McDonalds has a turning lane with a yield sign. If you are in that turn lane, there’s only one thing you can do, turn right. Most people never signal, other than the brake signal. If there’s no traffic, you are not legally obliged to signal. Even if there is traffic, you are only obliged to signal if traffic would be affected by your turn. Someone heading towards highway 16 while you’re turning right onto McBride would not be, so you don’t need to signal.

“If traffic may be affected by turning a vehicle, a person must not turn it without giving the appropriate signal under sections 171 and 172.”

The cop would sit up the road, usually hidden, waiting for people to come through then give them a ticket. Why? Because he could, and people wouldn’t fight it. I know this happened to another prominent HTMF member. I think it’s someone you know well, Dex.

Personally I am more concerned people will not research their rights and the laws when they are accused of violating them.

I would think red flags would come up from any motorist hearing that 5 seconds are required; maybe this is why I find it hard to believe.

Didn’t happen to me, but happened to members of HTMF. Read through the old threads and you’ll read their accounts of the incidents.

Well the real problem, IMO, is people not knowing their rights.

Sure, people should know their rights. But don’t you think the RCMP shouldn’t be doing it in the first place?

Or, as was expressed back then, the RCMP seemed to be putting a heck of a lot of effort into fighting the dreaded crime of only stopping for 2 or 3 seconds at a stop sign, while they seemed to be ignoring the other crime in town. For example, were there undercover officers assigned to fight the downtown window breaking streak?