ticket for stopping on any portion of a street designated as a bus stop
 

Today I received a ticket by mail stating that I stopped on a portion of a street designated as a bus stop at 10:30 pm. I don't normally dispute tickets but the thing is this ticket came as a total surprise. I didn't even know I got a ticket until I received it by mail. I think I will dispute this ticket but what are the chances of winning the dispute?

DID you stop in a bus zone at the date and time indicated? Can you prove otherwise?

i'm not challenging you by any means, before i get this out there, because i understand that it will probably come across as me doing so

but isn't it innocent until proven guilty? how would OP be able to prove he didn't park in a bus zone at the time/date indicated? since he stated it came as a surprise, i doubt he even remembers or maybe knows that he did, if he did. let's say it said that he did, on dec 20, 2010. would you remember every place you parked on dec 20? much less prove that he didn't. there's basically no way of doing so unless you take a picture of every place you park

again i'm not challenging you, i'm actually curious, but just seems weird that you (and maybe the law) would ask him to prove that he DIDN'T park in a bus zone, when really, they should be proving that he did

A dispute would work just like any other traffic dispute, with both parties - the cop and the driver - making their claim of what happened, and providing evidence to back it up. "Proof" that he did it would be determined from the quality of the cop's evidence.

So how would he prove he WASN'T there? Well... how about something showing he was somewhere else? A shopping receipt billed to the accused's credit or debit account, perhaps... an eyewitness or two... if he was somewhere different at that time, it shouldn't be hard to come up with some way to back that up.

Although from the sound of it, the OP is guilty and is just looking for an out... edit: that's just based on several years of hanging around this forum, BTW, not a personal judgement of the OP. This kind of thing happens all the time in here: http://www.revscene.net/forums/unfai...d-t636051.html

these tickets usually do come in the mail. It's not as if the parking enforcement will come running up to your car to hand you the ticket. Usually - they're just stopping for a short period of time. HOWEVER, the bus stops do say no stopping - not no stopping for more than a minute when dropping off or picking someone up.

There are many, many situations where one would not be able to come up with solid evidence they were elsewhere. even if they were.

this is what i was thinking too
IMO the courts would favour the defendant unless the police/ticketing agency had proof that he was parked illegally. yes, proof that he was elsewhere or not parked in a no stop zone would clear all doubts, but i'm guessing (and hoping) that the ticket wouldn't stick even if both sides didn't have evidence to present. again, innocent until proven guilty, right?

although i do agree with you soundy, on your point about somebody doing something, getting punished for it and coming on here to look for an out. that's not new to RS, so i see where you're coming from

Notice we still haven't heard back from the OP with the answer to my original question. Something tells me it will be something along the lines of, "Yes, but only for a few seconds!"

I can't see how the courts would back a defendant with no evidence to the contrary. Parking enforcemnt doesn't pull plate numbers and car makes out of a lottery to find a match and send random tickets out. They have visual proof be it first hand eye witness or photo.

I think parking enforcement take a photo these days as proof.

Pretty much waht usually happens is if your parked in a no stopping zone, they will pull up behind your car and start ticketing.. If you drive off they will send it to you in the mail... Ive see this happen all the time infront of Bubbleworld by joyce..

i've checked on the ticket w/ a coworker. since i was given the ticket at 10:30 pm at night my coworker advised me that a bus driver probably phoned it in and i got the ticket through that method. i checked the bylaw, you can't stop at a street designated as a bus stop at all.. not even for a min nor a sec.

obviously i can't prove where i was. but i worked from 7 am to 5 pm during those days and i'm usually asleep by then therefore it sort of came as a surprise that i got a ticket during that night.

I'd call into the municipality - because they should have a record of what model car, as well as colour - to go with the ticket. It's possible that whoever wrote the ticket got the licence plate wrong.

If you really weren't there, the only thing you can do is contest it and request disclosure to see what evidence they have against you.

When it comes to traffic, you are guilty until you can prove innocence. The burden of proof is on you, it's easier for them to make money that way.

Bus drivers dont call in for tickets.. They cant do that.. Like I said in my last post you probably drove away before you saw the city worker and they got your plates before you left.. I would know I see people park in bus zones all day my work window is in front of a bus stop.. Even I park there when unloading computers from my car.. Only time you get busted is from the city guys...

+1

so many situations where one wouldnt have evidence
u only used cash that day.
if you throw out original recipt; credit cards and debit card mailed bills dont show time, only dates.
at home.
if your driving.
if your sleeping.
if your studying at school.

and if it worked like traffic courts, i bet an eyewitness vouching for you wouldnt really make a difference to ur ticket.
especially since ur alibi/eyewitness will be someone u know because in cases like this, you would have to find the eyewitness only after u get the ticket in the mail. not like op is gonna memorize the strangers he meets that day.

I tried doing that once :D (at Joyce BBWorld) an unmarked cruiser pulled up behind me. Scared that he'll flash his light / ticket me. Then I left... he never followed. Nor have a received a ticket in the mail.

Cops arent there for parking enforcement.. So thats why he didnt care.. If it was a city worker you woulda had a ticket in the mail..

reminds me of the reality show: Parking Wars

:Orly:

So that's why there's a picture that means "no stopping" instead of, say, "no parking".

So THAT'S how it works!...

:whistle:

STOP...

a : to arrest the progress or motion of : cause to halt <stopped the car>
If the vehicle arrested its progress of motion, the driver caused it to halt...even for a minute measurable duration of time...it "stopped' in the bus lane.


To avoid a VT for disobeying a stop sign there has to be "a complete cessation of forward movement"....if there was in this circumstance then the vehicle stopped.

Next time, just slow down and tell your passenger to jump for it.

Tuck and roll.

it helps if they roll down a hill. Screw sidewalks....

Isn't that how you drop your grandmother off in Abbotsford in the bacon's neighbourhood...or was I watching too many "Untouchables" episodes in another life??? :fullofwin: