Speeding Ticket In Vancouver
I am very outraged at what happened to me this morning as I was going to take my exam at the University.
Yes I admit it, I was speeding but I had no numeric amount on how fast I am going. Being in Canada, the speed limit for city is 50km/hr, I could not be going faster than 80km/hr as it was on July 2nd, after Canada day and on a BUSY road where there is frequent traffic at 8:00am which is when people are out to go to work.
I speed up to run a yellow light and after I passed the intersection I saw a cop coming behind me and pulled me over.
He said I was speeding, I said I am sorry and explained that I was late for a final exam and I need to make it on time. He was incredibly rude and told me to leave the house earlier next time. I kept on repeating I am sorry and that I must get to the exam on time. He ignores me and asks for license + reg. which I provided.
Up till this point NOTHING ELSE was mentioned other than the fact that he said he docked me at 92 km/hr which is IMPOSSIBLE on that road with the traffic, it is a time when people go to work and there are ALOT of cars on the road which would make it impossible for me to be going tha tfast.
Then he made a point about my N sign not being displayed properly. In Canada, we have the N system, where new drivers must display an N sign on their car to indicate their status. You have 5 years to get rid of your N by taking a second road test. I have had my N for 3.5 years I just have never had the time to schedule a 2nd test and I have always displayed my N.
Anyway I had the N on the back of my car but he was saying how he doesn't think it is displayed properly (which it was as it was stuck on my back window, but at most a BIT crooked).
SO he took 20 minutes to write up my ticket after I told him I will be late for my exam which starts at 9. I waited for him and the ticket outside of his cardoor and he was taking his sweet time.
And instead of JUST charging me for my speeding which is at its max limit the speeding fines are between 136-196$ for the city. He gave me 196 of course, he also gave me a "warning" for "failure to display N sign" whcih was for 106$.
The N sign is not a part of the MVA but a regulation. So anyway because of him, I was late for my exam. And I know that it is aftering I have identified that I am a University student (and I look young, I'm 21) that he decides to add the warning for the N sign.
I have never been pulled over for a failure to display the N sign and I had never been told by another cop that the way I had the sign on my window was wrong or inadequate.
And basically, after telling him that I will b late and sincerely apologising for speeding, he prologued the process and made me late. It really does not take 20 mins to write up a ticket does it?
Anyway I don't know what to do, I am appealing this ticket, should I write a letter stating my case? And if so should I include a slip from my professor that I did indeed have an exam at 9:00am that morning?
Thanks so much for your help everyone
Re: Speeding Ticket In Vancouver
This is a US based law forum.
You should address your questions to a site specializing in Canadian law.