Entering Freeway at Forbidden Time

[beatz02]

My question involves a traffic ticket from the state of: California

Can CHP send me a ticket in the mail?

I'm a bus driver for Metro. I was pulled over in my bus by CHP for getting on the freeway; apparently no one was allowed to get on at the time. The officer chewed me out for about 5 minutes, asked for my license, then gave it back to me and said he was going to deal with me later/write me a ticket.

He didn't take down my bus number, nor did he ask for the vehicle registration. I didn't sign anything and I don't even know what violation he would cite. It didn't really look like he was writing anything down when he took my license, but if he did, it was just my name (the paper was too small to jot down my whole address). I'm thinking he's simply going to report me to Metro, but I was wondering if it were possible for him to send me a ticket in the mail.

[That Guy]

My question involves a traffic ticket from the state of: California

Can CHP send me a ticket in the mail?

I'm a bus driver for Metro. I was pulled over in my bus by CHP for getting on the freeway; apparently no one was allowed to get on at the time. The officer chewed me out for about 5 minutes, asked for my license, then gave it back to me and said he was going to deal with me later/write me a ticket.

He didn't take down my bus number, nor did he ask for the vehicle registration. I didn't sign anything and I don't even know what violation he would cite. It didn't really look like he was writing anything down when he took my license, but if he did, it was just my name (the paper was too small to jot down my whole address). I'm thinking he's simply going to report me to Metro, but I was wondering if it were possible for him to send me a ticket in the mail.

Yes, it is possible! And in theory, he would have an entire year before the statute of limitations would expire.

What freaky, weird and unusual time of day or night was it that "no one is allowed to get on the freeway"?

[California student]

Was this during the 405 closure (carmageddon)?

[HonkingAntelope]

If he asked for your license and gave it back to you after some mild verbal abuse, I wouldn't worry about it. Chances are, he ran it for warrants and decided to let you go when the license came back clean. If you were getting ticketed, you'd get it right then and there.

[beatz02]

Yes, it is possible! And in theory, he would have an entire year before the statute of limitations would expire.

What freaky, weird and unusual time of day or night was it that "no one is allowed to get on the freeway"?

It was 23:40. Supposedly filming was taking place on the freeway (i105) and my action put the film crew's "lives in danger." He was sitting at the freeway entrance at Aviation, blocking 2 lanes, while the 3rd lane was open. He had cones placed in front of his car, but no cones blocking the 3rd lane, so it's not like I ran over any cones or had to squeeze through, and I even stopped and waved at him while entering.

He saw me sitting in the left turn lane with my signal on, waiting for a green light, so I would think if freeway entrance is forbidden, he would signal me and the cars behind me to get out of the turn lane and find a different route, or at least jump out of his car and stop me when I stopped and waved, or better, block both left turn lanes with cones!

A few CHP officers had pulled over some vehicles on Inglewood Ave. so I thought they were looking for someone and screening individuals getting on the freeway, or that construction was going to commence in the lanes he was blocking. But it did not cross my mind that the freeway was closed since 1 left turn lane was open, and a lane at the on ramp was open. He said he'll grant it to me that a left turn lane was open, but that I should've known not to pass since his car was there, facing in the opposite direction..

Was this during the 405 closure (carmageddon)?

It was a few days ago. I made it an imperative not to travel during Carmageddon, but found out from friends that it wasn't all that bad after all.

If he asked for your license and gave it back to you after some mild verbal abuse, I wouldn't worry about it. Chances are, he ran it for warrants and decided to let you go when the license came back clean. If you were getting ticketed, you'd get it right then and there.

That's what I thought. But if they can send tickets in the mail, and have a year to do so, that sucks. And he didn't take my license with him to his squad car. He got on my bus, cursed me out for 5 minutes, asked for my license, and made motions with his pen on a piece of scrap paper, as if he was writing down my name and address. I don't even know if he really wrote anything. And if my action was so detrimental, I wonder why no one made an attempt to stop all the traffic that I led onto the freeway. Hundreds of cars came pouring in, so it seems to me that they were finished filming, and he was probably just about to open the freeway, otherwise, I would think he would've simply cut the cars off behind me and radioed his partners to stop the bus that just go on.

On another note, if they can send tickets in the mail, why don't they just do that all the time? Why waste 45 minutes writing a ticket, while dozens of other solo riders in the car pool lane (for instance) pass? Just pull people over, tell them you caught them speeding or violating the car pool lane laws, etc., write down their name and address and tell them their ticket will be in the mail. I thought the whole point of tickets was to prove to the judge that an incident occurred and my signature acknowledges the officer's accusation, while not necessarily agreeing with it? Writing the ticket in person and getting a signature seems to be the only proof an officer has that something actually happened..