I've always loved that excuse about being forced to speed because someone was on your bumper. If you slowed down to the speed limit they would be no closer to your bumper than they were when you were going over the speed limit, and since you would have been going slower, you all would have been safer. If you sped up to 200 they still would have been just as close probably, so you were not being forced to speed. So you were upset that the trucks traveling "behind" you didn't get speeding tickets and you did. What a laugh!!

What does all this have to do with the demise of the Polaroid company and their camera? Well, I'll tell you:<BR><BR>I was once in Chicago and got ticketed for parking where the curb was painted for no-parking (red or yellow, I forget which) but where there was a sign that said No Parking 9 am- 4pm --- and I was parked there at 6 pm. When I got the ticket, I took a picture of the sign and the curb and my car (fortunately, the ticket had the time of day) and marched in to the police to protest. I was excused from the ticket for "conflicting parking marking" or some such bureaucratese. I kept a Polaroid camera in my car for years after that, in case of accidents, unfair tickets, etc.<BR><BR>What are lawyers and others who need un-doctorable photo evidence going to do without Polaroid cameras? Every other form of photography can be altered but not Polaroids.

You guys are all confusing parking tickets and speeding tickets. Speeding tickets are a moving violation and can get you in big trouble no matter where you get it if you don't pay. <BR><BR>Parking tickets are not a moving violation and CANNOT keep you from renewing a license if you received in another state. The cost of pursuing non-repeat offenders of parking citations would be astronomical for individual cities. The percent of parking tickets that are NOT paid is near 40%. Most cities only go after people who are repeat offenders. <BR><BR>Don't pay the ticket. It WILL NOT come back to haunt you. And quit comparing apples to oranges.

Parking tickets can come back and bite you even if you leave the country...many rental car compnies now will automatically bill your credit card if they get a ticket on a car that you were renting at that time.<BR>

George,<BR>At your age if you haven't determined right from wrong on your own, I think you have bigger issues than a parking ticket.<BR><BR><BR>

I'm always intrigued by people who equate an arbitrary law or judgment with "doing the right thing." Refusing to pay a parking ticket doesn't make you morally bankrupt, any more than refusing to sit at the back of the bus (a law) made Rosa Parks morally bankrupt.<BR><BR>If you think the parking ticket was unfair, don't pay it. They are not going to come after you. Yes, you may get a threatening letter or two, but that's about it. I mean, really, do you think a municipality is going to generate hundreds of dollars worth of work to track down someone who didn'tt pay a $20 parking ticket? Heck, they don't even do that for convicted felons.

Take it from someone who has been there-yes it will come back and haunt you. AND they will tack on fines for not paying, send it to a collection agency and/or summon you to court. If you are renting a car, the rental agency will make you pay since they already have your credit card number...

George, your post reminded me of a certain friend I have who gets out-of-state speeding tickets rather regularly--and never pays them. According to him, if you don't pay, "all that happens is that they put out a warrant for your arrest" (in that state) and that the warrant eventually expires. He just avoids those states in the meantime. I guess it all depends on how much of an outlaw you consider yourself!

With budget cuts etc. cities are looking for ways to make extra money so they are getting more aggressive on speeders and enforcing parking fines.

Pay it. It can't be THAT MUCH. Give me a break. By the time you've read all of these responses, you'll have spent an hour's worth of your own labor on something. E.G.: If you make $50 bucks an hour, you just "spent" $50 bucks of your time on this site debating whether or not to pay it.<BR><BR>SO PAY IT ALREADY.

Amen. You said it canwa. JUST PAY THE TICKET.

Yeah, pay it. Yeah.

Abe (or should I say Killjoy?),<BR>How do you define "arbitrary law or judgment"? The law is the law. <BR><BR>Of course in context, there are laws that are unjust and should be challenged. <BR><BR>How is parking violation arbitrary? <BR><BR>Either you're parked legally or you aren't. The man admitted he was guilty. Where is the ambiguity in that?<BR><BR>

SHADDDDDUPPPP ALREADY!!!! George, will you just pay the ticket and make your child (or future children) proud of you?????? Cheez! If everyone was honest and abided by the law...just think, we wouldn't need cops and judges and LAWYERS!!!!!!!

ttt

Where did you get the ticket? If you got the ticket in Hawaii then don't pay it. It's a well known fact that law enforcement doesn't like to spend there time tracking down mainland visitors.<BR>http://www.mauisps.com

Please pay it. :-)<BR><BR>Most states have reciprocal agreements regarding all traffic violations - even parking tickets.<BR><BR>We will suspend your driver's license if notices to pay or enter a not guilty plea go ignored. That is a great way to get someone's attention.<BR><BR>Also, call the court where you received the ticket and ask if you can plead not guilty by affadavit. We allow that in New Jersey Municipal Courts. It's a nice way to state your defense if you cannot take the time or travel back to our jurisdiction. The court will mail you the affadavit to fill out. You'd be surprised how many are dismissed.<BR><BR>Rental car companies will also mail the court the renter's information (driver's license number, name, address, etc.) if they receive the traffic ticket under their corporate name. Some may also pay the fine, they bill your credit card plus administrative fees for doing so. Most rental car contracts that I've seen state they can do that........<BR><BR>So anyway, check out NJMCDirect.com.<BR>This is New Jersey's web site to pay nonmandatory court appearance traffic tickets online with a credit card. We are one of the first states in the nation to provide this service. Call the court where you got the ticket to see if you can pay the ticket online - it is worth it!!<BR><BR>Go ahead and pay it to avoid the "Oh my God, there's a cop behind me and I never did pay that (insert State)ticket I got. Is there a warrant for my arrest? Oh my God!!" syndrome!!<BR><BR>Thanks!

Can an arrest warrant be issued for a misdemeanor?

Yes, an arrest warrant can be issued for a "misdemeanor" - in New Jersey it is know as a petty disorderly persons offense or disorderly persons offense. A "felony" here in known as an indictable crime. Hope that helps.<BR>

I have gotten parking tickets on rental cars in Rome, Paris, NYC, New Orleans, Caracas, Boston, Calgary.. and more. Just change your credit card number when you get back from your trip and forget about it. I have also used the 407 ETR in Toronto over and over with a rental car and I have never gotten anything. I changed my cc number then also.