A quick and dirty video from my oh so lovely drive to work today. Sorry for the rant but this is fucking ridiculous. I guess it’s true that everyone in LA wants to be an actor. I’m sure all the cops were fighting over who got to play the pedestrian.
Mickipedia gets caught in “Pedestrian Sting Operation”
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{ 47 comments… read them below or add one }
Wow does that suck! And you are right, SUCH a waste of money and time by the police.
Yeah, I’ve got to say that pretty much blows. When I read about it on Flickr I was hoping for a vid and here it is. Don’t let it kill your day!
And now I will have the pleasure of wasting even more time by going to court to fight the ticket. So many things wrong with this scenario. Poor city planning, poor use of cops (time and money), poor use of the legal system. Don’t these people have anything better to do? I’m getting more and more libertarian by the second.
You should totally fight this.
From what you describe in the video alone it sounds like you did the right thing.
I’m not even sure that a “pedestrian sting operation” itself is legal for the cops to do, or who knows what kind of approval they have to get to do that kind of thing.
I recommend “Fight Your Ticket & Win in California” by Nolo press.
And be sure to write down *all details* you can remember about the incident, it will help you put together your case and make the diagrams etc.
You *can* fight a ticket and win.
http://tantek.com/log/2007/01.html#d16t2309
what type of issue has to occur for them to decide to have a meeting to decide on whether or not we should have this sting operation?
this begs so many questions, it just will end up hurting your head. good luck on fighting this.
buy a plastic sword and an eye patch and make everyone at your office walk the plank, it will brighten your mood.
Depending on the specifics, you may be able to use an “entrapment” defense based on a sense of coercion due to the apparently ambivalent nature of the “pedestrian” ’s pathing across the road. In essence, you would be saying that his actions forced you to do something you would not ordinarily do under the circumstances–especially given the limited time*task windows under which you had to make your driving decisions.
Tantek is right. From personal experience fighting tickets, it’s best to immediately go into “logging mode” and write down everything you can remember about the incident. You will also want to contact a lawyer regarding the seriousness of the offense to see if it’s worth fighting for insurance and/or driving record reasons. Most lawyers will do a pro bono initial consultation to assess these sorts of things.
Btw, is that an BMW X3 or X5 your driving? I recognize the fold-up luggage handles in the ceiling.
Thanks for the advice, folks. I’m definitely going to the court appearance to fight the ticket. I’m sure it’s an expensive one and will certainly count as a moving violation and hike up my insurance, etc.
@Keith Williams – nope, it’s a VW golf.
Fight it, Micki!
No pedestrian just darts out into traffic like that – no sane one anyway.
Incidentally, I got that ticket I got for not paying at the *broken* parking meter at the lot by your place over New Year’s dismissed…and it only took 8 months!
sonofa! can we feature this on the tech show tonight?
drew, you can feature me anytime anywhere baby.
Sorry to hear about your monumental morning maligning media manipulation, man!
I once fought an “Illegal Left-Turn Ticket” – I made this huge chart of the intersection with multiple overlay sheets…
The judge still found me guilty – but he offered me a job as a highway engineer (no kidding)
He wound up giving me Guilty with a $0 fine – perhaps my reward for the effort. What I didn’t realize at the time was, the 50 or whatever bucks of the fine is NOTHING compared to the 3 years of way higher insurance rates. I complained to AAA that it was a big penalty for just 1 ticket – they said – Oh, you’re not on the bad driver list – we just took you off the good driver list and put you on “standard.”
So, over the course of 3 years, that one left-turn cost me like 1,200 dollars (not counting the cost of the fancy chart and lunch)
SO – I recommend traffic school, baby! Save yourself a zillion dollars. And at least you can sit there all day and Twitter about how it’s the most mind-numbingly boring experience of your life :+)
Sorry! :+[
Hey micki, sorry you got busted. Sets a rotten tone for the rest of the day.
But…
not wanting to add insult to injury, I would say that from my experience going to court could be an even bigger waste of your time (and tax dollars if you want to look at it that way) I got busted by a motorcycle cop sitting behind a hedge waiting for cars to roll across a stop sign. Went to court in the understanding these things are easy to fight, the cop never shows up etc. All the judge asked was “did you break the law?” They are not interested in your reasons why. And the traffic code says if a ped is on a x-walk you gotta stop…
It sucks true. Every once in a while we get caught up in life’s shitty drag net and we just gotta brush it off and get on with it. Don’t let it bring you down for any longer than it takes to get it out of your system.
Either way, good luck getting it taken care of.
cheers
I got a ticket for low tire pressure in Hollywood, off the 101. Seriously. WTF?
Obviously, fiscal quarterly net income is the LAPDs priority, not public safety.
Use the power of all the people you are connected to fight this old fashion “highwayman” shakedown for you lunch money, Micki.
whats funny is that you are taping yourself while driving.
its a law to stop for peds. nuff said.
What happened to the good old-fashioned speed trap?
I hate to say it, but you deserve the ticket. Police sting or not, in L.A. pedestrians always have the right-of-way, and you BROKE THE LAW. Not to sound mean, but frankly, I’ve been nearly run down in crosswalks many times because drivers just don’t stop, so I don’t have much sympathy for you.
I see them do this about once a month on Highland. It’s really taught me to look out for people waiting to cross, on Highland.
Sorry, you fucked up. I echo what Jonathan says.
As a friend of a person who was seriously injured (and her dog killed) in one of those Highland crosswalks last week I can tell you why it’s important to stop at the crosswalks. Also, young children are known for their “darting into crosswalks.” Also, looking into a camera while driving isn’t the safest either.
It reminds me of a run-in with the cops I had here in Amsterdam as a pedestrian. Walking out of a restuarant with my friend and we get frisked randomly. Here’s the link if you want to check it out. Of course it’s nothing compared to what Josh Wolf had to go through for his vlog. Next time you really should film it.
http://www.gabe.nl/2005/11/policed-state-in-amsterdam.html
After watching the Zeitgeist movie, I’m convinced that your experience was manipulated by a rogue element within the LAPD moving violations bureau to wage war on your anti-establishment views, fleece you of your hard-earned money, and pressure you into conforming to the power-hungry pedestrian warmongers.
Also, traps are total fucking bullshit. They were made illegal in most east coast states a few years ago. I’m surprised they do that shit here.
I don’t blame you for wanting to fight the power, but the first thing you should check when you get your citation notification in the mail is you are eligible for traffic school (which you can complete online pretty quickly nowadays… no more eight hours in a classroom somewhere with a bad struggling stand-up comic and crappier coffee). If not, fight the heck out of it. But if you are eligible then you should reconsider contesting the citation and just pay the fine and traffic school course costs because then it’s off your record and you’re done. If you elect to contest it and request to go before a judge you give up that opportunity.
And once at court your best shot of getting it dismissed is if the issuing officer doesn’t show up for the hearing. On top of that once you get to court that process of getting before the judge can take a hella long time. Like you might need to take a full day off work. And if the officer does show it’s your word against his and the odds are against you hard that the judge is going to find you right and the officer wrong. In addition, the officer can offer your statement about making the decision not to stop into evidence and that’s just about all he’ll have to say.
Just stuff to think about. Hang in there, kiddo.
Actually, it *is* a valuable use of tax dollars since some drivers are reckless enough to blaze through crosswalks OR EVEN FILM THEMSELVES WHILE DRIVING!!!
Just be glad you didn’t kill someone.
I am anything but a reckless driver and I certainly did not BLAZE though any crosswalk. The speed limit on Highland is 35 and I was just about accelerated to 30mph when the “pedestrian” poked his head out just as I approached. Filming myself while driving is no more dangerous than talking on your cell phone. I’m sure you do that. But that’s not even the point here. Even if I’m the worst driver in the world, it’s fucked up for cops to set people up like this.
“You broke the law therefore you deserve a ticket.” I have so many responses to this, I don’t even know where to begin. For the good of us all, I would hope that most drivers make decisions based on safety not hard and fast laws. Yes, of course pedestrians have the right of way. But if one pokes his head out to examine oncoming traffic and you quickly react to look in your rearview to see a car coming up fast and you know that slamming on the brakes is not going to protect the pedestrian (who is not crossing) and will probably cause a huge accident, you should make the best decision based on all the variables around you. A safe driver is a flexible driver who is able to react to a myriad of conditions for the safety of everyone on the road. Not a robot who slams on his/her brakes at the sight of every person on a street corner.
That said, if I had driven through a crosswalk with an actual pedestrian (even if I felt it was the safest thing to do at the time) and a cop happened to see me and pull me over, I would be upset but I would accept the ticket graciously and move on. The fact is that this is not at all what happened. The police were deliberately entrapping people by setting up a difficult situation in which they knew drivers would have little time to react. I suspect their purpose in doing this is more about generating revenue than protecting pedestrians. As a cyclist myself, I am well aware of the limited efforts taken by the city of Los Angeles to ensure the safety of pedestrians and cyclists. This was a trap. Plain and simple.
And I have every right to be upset about it.
Hey Micki, the same kind of sting f’d me up about 6 years ago but on the PCH in Malibu. You know where the million dollar mobile homes are? There’s a cross walk there for the residents to be able to cross the street to go to the beach. So there’s tons of traffic and most peeps are flying by at 65+ MPH. OUT OF NOWHERE, a very brave IDIOT walks into the crosswalk. I knew I should’ve kept going or risk getting rear ended. But my eye catches a handful of motorcycle cops on the side and I understand what’s going on. So I made a smooth slam on my breaks and stop dead, right before the crosswalk. The car behind me slams on his breaks as does the car to my left (I was on the far right lane). The stopping is too much for the flow of traffic and the third car behind me who doesn’t react so quickly rear ends the car behind me, which gets pushed into my car who essentially rear ends me (even though he did stop without initially touching me). So what the police did that day was cause a whole bunch of rear end accidents that wouldn’t have happened otherwise during their pedestrian sting operation. I didn’t get a ticket or anything but I had the hassle of getting my car’s bumper fixed over two weeks. LAME!
As an active pedestrian in my Ocean Park neighborhood I understand pedestrian behavior and can respectfully stop for those who enter a crosswalk. But to set up these useless sting ops makes no sense to me and seems quite dangerous to all involved!
Oh come on, wouldn’t you rather be involved in Pedestrian Sting Ops in Hollywood or patrolling for gunmen in MacArthur Park? I mean God, that’s where the Oscars are held, ok?! We’re fighting a WAR on terrorism here people, and we can’t allow the Evil to win because they hate our FREEDOM.
….that sucks, M. Good luck taking care of it.
You know what? Have you ever walked in LA? You wouldn’t think this is so “fucking ridiculous” if you did. Even though their methodology maybe questionable, the fact remains, motorists hit pedestrians ALL THE TIME, and yes, it IS sometimes the drivers fault. Right now, someone I know is in intensive care after she was hit in the SAME VICINITY you were in. She was walking her dog, got hit by a Hummer in a crosswalk. Her dog is dead and she is in intensive care.
Hi Will!
Micki–
Just a couple of points about fighting this ticket. First, if this was a sting operation where they were citing many “violators” at the same time, you can be sure the cops are going to show up for their hearings. Also, I have to agree with Will that if the cop shows up, you are already at a distinct disadvantage. Not a total disadvantage though, as I can tell you from personal experience that you can beat the cop.
Second, to echo what’s already been said, make lots of notes about everything you can remember from the incident. Which lane were you in? Which direction were you traveling? How far from the crosswalk were you when the ped stuck his head out? How far from the ped himself? What speed were you traveling at? Approximately how closely was traffic following behind you? Etc.
These things will not only support your case for making the safe choice of not slamming on your brakes, but may also help with showing the ped was not actually an issue at the time. Check the current vehicle code, but as I recall, it’s not illegal to go through a crosswalk when a ped is in it; only if you impede their progress. For example, imagine a large intersection with a pedestrian just starting to cross from the far corner. Just because they’re in the crosswalk doesn’t mean you have to wait for them to get all the way across. Pedestrians do have the right-of-way, but if you’re not impeding that right-of-way (eg. ped has to break his gait to avoid you,) then you’re okay. Also, by the same logic that says you can’t enter an intersection on a green light until it’s safe to do so, peds can’t jump into a crosswalk expecting traffic to come to a screeching halt. They must wait to cross until it is safe to enter the crosswalk.
All of this from a non-lawyer/Monday morning quarterback, so I’d definitely recommend talking (even if only briefly) to an actual lawyer. Also, I’d get very familiar with related sections of the California Vehicle Code. Go in with a clear understanding of the law, a clear recollection of events as they occurred, maybe a diagram or photos of the area, and you’ve got a pretty good shot. The fact is, often enough court battles come down to who tells the better story.
Good luck!
huh. And to think I was going to ask if this was you in the black explorer:
http://laist.com/2007/09/04/beverly_hills_c.php
TOUGH. FUCKING. SHIT.
You knew you should have stopped. You saw him “poke his head out”. Regardless of the traffic behind you, you should have stopped. I’m a 100% pedestrian. I have to be due to physical limitations that prevent me from getting a drivers license. I can see just fine. But I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been witness to some really frickin’ scary close calls. Either to myself or other peds. I’ve seen motorists completely ignore the fact that I’m in the crosswalk (and I’m talking IN THE CROSSWALK, not poking my head out). I’ve seen motorists completely ignore a person with a baby stroller. Or in a wheelchair for god’s sake. Some cars no more than 5 feet away from me cruising at or above the speed limit. People who I have confronted about this have had one overwhelming sentiment about it: “If you didn’t get hit, who cares”. That’s some fucking attitude. Now I don’t think you’re like that (at least I hope you’re not) But personally, I think they should have more of these. Let me ask you, will you think twice the next time you see someone “poke their head out”?
I’d like to take this moment to say a warm welcome to all my new friends! Many of your concerns have already been addressed in the comments above so if you’d like to join the conversation in a productive way, please read them. It’s common courtesy to the others involved in the discussion to read the comments above yours. On the other hand, if you’re just looking to be an asshole or point out how much you hate me, go troll somewhere else. kthxbai.
A few main points for the lazy:
1. I am not an asshole LA driver. I do not own an SUV and I spend a lot of time in the city on my bike. I am a cyclist and a runner – both of which I do in the neighborhood where this happened.
2. I’m the only one that was in the car when this happened. I am confident that I made the best decision given the time I had to react for the safety of everyone around me (including the pedestrian – it was clear that he was not going to cross in front of me). Isn’t that what you hope for in the drivers around you? Or just someone who blindly obeys every rule? You know, sometimes the rules contradict each other and you have to do what’s best to avoid an accident. I know this requires actual THINKING and that’s difficult for most LA drivers but that’s what I did.
3. It takes less energy and concentration to film myself while driving than it does to place a phone call or text message. If any of you have never done that, then please call me as many names as you like. But if you have, then STFU. I have to push one big button to film myself and it doesn’t require me to take my eyes off the road.
4. Wow. This is fucking hilarious.
Hi.
It’s your new friend Fred.
The one with all the vitriol and anger. Well I guess I’m not the only one.
Do you not see the irony of recording a Vlog about getting a ticket while driving in your car? We’ve all done it. We’ve all talked on the phone, while putting on makeup, eating an egg mcmuffin and changing the station while making a left turn on to Franklin, 5 minutes late to work. And we’re all convinced that we’re the safest driver on the road unlike the rest of those idiots. So you got busted. Big deal. Suck it up. And next time, don’t post something that’s gonna get everyone so riled up.
However, you’ve probably gained at least one new reader.
Oh yeah, remember, on July 1st, 2008 it’ll be illegal to talk on your cell phone in the car unless you use a hands free device. How’s that for infringing on your civil rights?
Am I misreading you Fred? With “…don’t post something that’s gonna get everyone so riled up” are you actually attempting to give Micki advise as to what she should or should not do? This from someone who barged in to the comment clubhouse with “TOUGH. FUCKING. SHIT.”
Nice double standard there.
absolutely and completely agree with you
and they wonder why los angeles is the riot capital of america
Dang what’s up with teh hate? Micki, try running a few of the IP addresses from these “tough fucking shit” comments through Angry IP’s “traceroute” or plain old Google – how many are originating from the LAPD servers?
http://www.angryziber.com/ipscan/
ha! that’s nothing. you should see the comments i don’t allow. some other dude just commented that i need to get my ass kicked. it’s easy to be an asshole if you’re anonymous.
Hey Micki
Well this got all out of control eh. Reading more of your details makes me question my earlier standpoint (although I still think you’ll have a tough time in court). Especially when I think back to an episode in my life not too disimilar to this. I was a motorcycle courier in London, UK and a ped stepped out on me in Baker St. Seeing me coming he did the obvious thing – stop dead. I braked but hit him at about 10mph. The crash did not injure me or him. But the tow truck behind me that drove clean over my torso and dragged me 20 feet under his locked up rear wheel did. I was in hospital with broken ribs and internal bleeding and scared shitless. By the grace of god I walked out 6 days later.
Since that day I vowed to take down any ped that dared step out on me. He was a jaywalker of course, cross sections are another story. However, why was he poking his head out. surely there should be some kind of law regarding how close to a crosswalk a car can be parked. The more I think about this the more bogus iy sounds.
good luck again
I’ve seen a similar operation in the works on Crescent Heights. In that case, the officers were very blatant, almost cartoonish in their undercover guy stepping out while a bevy of motorcycle cops were busy pulling cars over.
I stopped at the last minute when I realized the ploy, but I figure they must be doing it because of a pedestrian problem, not just to raise money.
wow, that blows. Sorry to hear that. But so glad you made a video!!!!
I’m glad you got busted–as someone who walks and rides a bike in Los Angeles I’m glad that the LAPD has finally got around to dealing with drivers like you who don’t know that pedestrians in crosswalks always have the right of way. Remember you are the one driving the multi-thousand pound pollution spewing death machine. Take a walk or ride a bike sometime and you’ll soon be thankful the LAPD is doing this. And please don’t videotape yourself while driving!
ahaha that was hilarious! the way you told the camera what happened, I love the perfectly placed f-bombs.. made my day. probably not yours though
Micki,
that is sooo raw! argh. if i were you i would have just ran. unless the cop was on a motorcycle or bike. man. that is so annoying. i have a friend get one of those too. Like there’s nothing better to do. man. that would infuriate me.
Hi Micki,
U have “stumbled” across one of the greatset pet peeves of our time (I hate this one more than frozen butter on my bread, almost as much as the mass of idjuts that these cops are the simpleton jesters for.)
There are two kinds of people on earth in this epoch, as always.
Each know which they are. Either value producer, or value destroyer.
That sting is manned by a group of dumb turkeys that have had their heads gobbled up in the system they hoar themselves to daily. Self-esteem is not a bottomless pit, but none of those envious maleophiles will never get it.
U were a victim, and the whole Dog Gammed thing is F’d & upside down (same here, only worse, Nova Scotia.)
Fight back, ’cause its not about the money or winning, but about telling them how ashamed they should be. Should I say “Fight back!”? Even worth it?; perhaps only to let them know they are not in control over U nor anyone, & keep us updated.
Lets hope for evolution on a revolutionary scale.
Have a chuckle:
http://www.toilette-humor.com/german_coastguard.html
U are headed for greatness in my own mind.
Luv to bike over to the craft thingy w/ U later (I sew) but by the time I got there, …….
So I’ll jus’ follow U all a-twitterin’.
Peace & luv, Whade T.
“cops, they are everywhere today”
eh ! i think that too sometimes, when it seems that the evil eye of crowd control decided to focus on my area …
i just discovered your videos and they are great !
I initially thought you were drunk when you said you were pissed. it took me a second viewing to realize what you meant. I found you through your atheism posts, love your work!
LOL “Pedestrian Sting Operation” wow….
Now that made me laugh!
Good thing our authorities have their priorities in check… ugh!