Some advice needed. Exorbitant traffic fine!

[Wolvyreen]

Hi All,

Firstly, let me say upfront, I am probably guilty and probably AS guilty as 90% of other people here.

Yesterday I was driving home and in my suburb, a very quite neighbourhood and they are busy building ALOT of houses in the area. I state this fact because there was no kids around or anything I was putting in danger. When approaching the stop sign, I yielded and came to a "pause/stop" and proceeded on. I didn't come to a COMPLETE halt. So ok, ... sure, ... technically I was wrong. i didn't STOP! But I know for a fact that EVERYONE does this if there isn't another car in site or anything we are putting in danger. If there was another car in the vicinity or children/people walking their dog or something, I would have stopped DEAD.

ok, no excuse right?

Anyway...next thing I know I'm being pulled off by a traffic cop. So I politely pull over. Not ENTIRELY sure as to why he was pulling me over but I could only surmise that it was because I didn't come to a COMPLETE halt.

So I figured, I was as guilty as most people are when there aren't other cars around and will just accept my fine and pay it.

So, he asks for my details, I provide them.
He tells me why he pulled me over and says "ignoring the stop sign".

So he hands me my fine: R1500

I'm like:
:wtf:

R1500???? I'm thinking: Is he serious??? So of course I figure that someone who feels the need to fine someone this heavily over a "pause/stop" situation is someone who is probably just going to make things worse for me and I say nothing and so I just continue on my way.

So the first thing I do is go online to see what the fine is MEANT to be for "ignoring a stop sign" and find that it is a range between R500-R1500. So this guy slapped me with the MAXIMUM! but why?? It's not like I didn't at least yield! if I went through the stop at high speed I would say fine! go ahead and give me the maximum but in my opinion, this is ridiculous.

I do feel EXTREMELY upset about this. I just feel it's an abuse of power as this is not a crime of barreling down a highway in the opposite direction on a rainy day like the recent taxi we all saw in the news.

I feel that things like these is the ultimate reason we as tax paying/law abiding citizens (that don't go around murdering people or raping woman and children or the likes and the few who DO actually bother to pay our fines) eventually STOP paying them and start contesting the system and fighting back!

I just need to know your thoughts and how should I handle this? Who do I talk to or write to as I don't get these fines everyday and have never had to deal with it.

Wolvy

 

[Alton Turner Blackwood]

The same thing happened to my dad. Cop told him:"Sir, you've slowed down very much, but you didn't stop".

Fines like these I would just play dirty and go to court and tell them I did stop, but the cop disagreed with me. Simply because its such an annoying rule/law.

 

[Nuke]

How long till you have to renew your drivers license? If more than 3 years, just ignore the fine. A friend tested it, he only had to pay the fines in the last 3 years before renewal.

 

[09Hades13]

Hi All,

Firstly, let me say upfront, I am probably guilty and probably AS guilty as 90% of other people here.

Yesterday I was driving home and in my suburb, a very quite neighbourhood and they are busy building ALOT of houses in the area. I state this fact because there was no kids around or anything I was putting in danger. When approaching the stop sign, I yielded and came to a "pause/stop" and proceeded on. I didn't come to a COMPLETE halt. So ok, ... sure, ... technically I was wrong. i didn't STOP! But I know for a fact that EVERYONE does this if there isn't another car in site or anything we are putting in danger. If there was another car in the vicinity or children/people walking their dog or something, I would have stopped DEAD.

ok, no excuse right?

Anyway...next thing I know I'm being pulled off by a traffic cop. So I politely pull over. Not ENTIRELY sure as to why he was pulling me over but I could only surmise that it was because I didn't come to a COMPLETE halt.

So I figured, I was as guilty as most people are when there aren't other cars around and will just accept my fine and pay it.

So, he asks for my details, I provide them.
He tells me why he pulled me over and says "ignoring the stop sign".

So he hands me my fine: R1500

I'm like:
:wtf:

R1500???? I'm thinking: Is he serious??? So of course I figure that someone who feels the need to fine someone this heavily over a "pause/stop" situation is someone who is probably just going to make things worse for me and I say nothing and so I just continue on my way.

So the first thing I do is go online to see what the fine is MEANT to be for "ignoring a stop sign" and find that it is a range between R500-R1500. So this guy slapped me with the MAXIMUM! but why?? It's not like I didn't at least yield! if I went through the stop at high speed I would say fine! go ahead and give me the maximum but in my opinion, this is ridiculous.

I do feel EXTREMELY upset about this. I just feel it's an abuse of power as this is not a crime of barreling down a highway in the opposite direction on a rainy day like the recent taxi we all saw in the news.

I feel that things like these is the ultimate reason we as tax paying/law abiding citizens (that don't go around murdering people or raping woman and children or the likes and the few who DO actually bother to pay our fines) eventually STOP paying them and start contesting the system and fighting back!

I just need to know your thoughts and how should I handle this? Who do I talk to or write to as I don't get these fines everyday and have never had to deal with it.

Wolvy

Gaan landros toe vul n vorm in waar jy se jy het te veel uitgawes om die volle kostes te dek van die boete en hoe jy sukkel om kos op die tafel te hou. Hul gee jou soms net 50% afslag soms "squash" hul die boete

 

[geezer]

Hearing stories like this ALWAYS reminds me of this joke......

A cop stops a man for running a stop sign and the subject gives the cop a lot of grief explaining that he did stop.
After several minutes, the cop explained to the gentleman that he didn't stop, he just slowed down a little.
The gentleman said 'Stop or slow down, what's the difference?'.
The cop pulled the guy out of the car and starts beating him with his flashlight for about a minute and then said, 'Would you like for me to stop or just slow down?'

But you also state the following: "So ok, ... sure, ... technically I was wrong. i didn't STOP! But I know for a fact that EVERYONE does this if there isn't another car in site or anything we are putting in danger."

I ALWAYS stop, no matter time of day or whether there are any other cars approaching. So, not EVERYONE as you said.

 

[Bighit]

Just write a letter acknowledging that you were wrong and you didn't stop, but you would like a reduction in the fine. It's worked on both occasions for me where I got 40% off the fine - stupid Knysna traffic where the inside lane is 80, outside lane is 100; I pulled over to let a quicker car go by and was doing 100 in the 80 lane.

 

[McGuywer]

The same thing happened to my dad. Cop told him:"Sir, you've slowed down very much, but you didn't stop".

Fines like these I would just play dirty and go to court and tell them I did stop, but the cop disagreed with me. Simply because its such an annoying rule/law.

Are you saying that stopping at a Stop sign, is an annoying rule?

 

[Sinbad]

Hi All,

Firstly, let me say upfront, I am probably guilty and probably AS guilty as 90% of other people here.

Yesterday I was driving home and in my suburb, a very quite neighbourhood and they are busy building ALOT of houses in the area. I state this fact because there was no kids around or anything I was putting in danger. When approaching the stop sign, I yielded and came to a "pause/stop" and proceeded on. I didn't come to a COMPLETE halt. So ok, ... sure, ... technically I was wrong. i didn't STOP! But I know for a fact that EVERYONE does this if there isn't another car in site or anything we are putting in danger. If there was another car in the vicinity or children/people walking their dog or something, I would have stopped DEAD.

ok, no excuse right?

Anyway...next thing I know I'm being pulled off by a traffic cop. So I politely pull over. Not ENTIRELY sure as to why he was pulling me over but I could only surmise that it was because I didn't come to a COMPLETE halt.

So I figured, I was as guilty as most people are when there aren't other cars around and will just accept my fine and pay it.

So, he asks for my details, I provide them.
He tells me why he pulled me over and says "ignoring the stop sign".

So he hands me my fine: R1500

I'm like:
:wtf:

R1500???? I'm thinking: Is he serious??? So of course I figure that someone who feels the need to fine someone this heavily over a "pause/stop" situation is someone who is probably just going to make things worse for me and I say nothing and so I just continue on my way.

So the first thing I do is go online to see what the fine is MEANT to be for "ignoring a stop sign" and find that it is a range between R500-R1500. So this guy slapped me with the MAXIMUM! but why?? It's not like I didn't at least yield! if I went through the stop at high speed I would say fine! go ahead and give me the maximum but in my opinion, this is ridiculous.

I do feel EXTREMELY upset about this. I just feel it's an abuse of power as this is not a crime of barreling down a highway in the opposite direction on a rainy day like the recent taxi we all saw in the news.

I feel that things like these is the ultimate reason we as tax paying/law abiding citizens (that don't go around murdering people or raping woman and children or the likes and the few who DO actually bother to pay our fines) eventually STOP paying them and start contesting the system and fighting back!

I just need to know your thoughts and how should I handle this? Who do I talk to or write to as I don't get these fines everyday and have never had to deal with it.

Wolvy

You make several offensive generalisations in your post.

A stop sign is not an indication for you to use your judgement about whether to stop or just slow down. It's a legal imperative to stop. Whether others do or not is not relevant to the situation. You did not.

 

[Alton Turner Blackwood]

Are you saying that stopping at a Stop sign, is an annoying rule?

Stopping at a stop sign when there's nobody around is annoying, yes.

In some cases it's downright dangerous.

 

[Sinbad]

Stopping at a stop sign when there's nobody around is annoying, yes.

In some cases it's downright dangerous.

fokken lol.

Dangerous?

hahahahaha

 

[DrJohnZoidberg]

Well that's the cost of the fine.

Link: http://cdn.24.co.za/files/Cms/General/d/2783/711df0d83cef45a29112718ae64f9e30.docx

 

[bopman]

The same happened to me. I stopped almost completely dead within an inch. But because I didn't completely stop and wait a second, I got slapped a fine. Went to the "landdros" at the traffic department and complained and told him my story. He gave me a big discount.

 

[Seriously]

Bonus season!

 

[ToxicBunny]

How long till you have to renew your drivers license? If more than 3 years, just ignore the fine. A friend tested it, he only had to pay the fines in the last 3 years before renewal.

Ummm, nope... they can't stop you renewing your license if all you have is fines... they can if you have outstanding warrants of arrest and such though.

 

[McGuywer]

Stopping at a stop sign when there's nobody around is annoying, yes.

In some cases it's downright dangerous.

Okay well, I suppose each to their own.....
I would stop, simply cause it is the law. It doesn't matter how big,small or stupid it is. It is the law....

 

[Rocket-Boy]

I didn't come to a COMPLETE halt. So ok, ... sure, ... technically I was wrong. i didn't STOP! But I know for a fact that EVERYONE does this.

Nope, you are wrong there. I stop at stop signs, it is what you are required to do.
I get seriously pissed off about people that slow down but dont come to a complete stop.

If people actually obeyed the traffic rules in this country then the roads wouldnt be such a circus.

 

[Nuke]

Ummm, nope... they can't stop you renewing your license if all you have is fines... they can if you have outstanding warrants of arrest and such though.

Dunno. He just wanted to see what happens if he ignore all the fines. They didn't want to give the license to him till he payed the last few. Didn't test it myself yet.

 

[ToxicBunny]

Dunno. He just wanted to see what happens if he ignore all the fines. They didn't want to give the license to him till he payed the last few. Didn't test it myself yet.

Unless he had warrants of arrest, he could have thrown a hissy fit about that, and they are legally required to give him the license.

 

[LazyLion]

I do not even want to know how many outstanding fines I have. :wtf:

 

[MickZA]

Unless he had warrants of arrest, he could have thrown a hissy fit about that, and they are legally required to give him the license.

Not at the Post Office though, they will only accept the total including outstanding fines printed on the renewal notice. You need to visit the Licensing Dept to pay just for the licence renewal.