Slow night in High Springs

[diverpaul69]

It must be a slow night in High Springs Florida. Jon and I had just finished our cave dive at Little River and checked into the Country Inn.
We unloaded our gear and headed to the local Winnie Dixie for some snacks. I finished shopping, checked out at 0756pm. I walked to my van, stowed my food and checked my phone for calls. I spoted Jon at the checkout counter and decided to drive to the store exit to save him a few steps. As I was approaching the exit doors I stopped short to let the customers walk by. While I was waiting I put my car in park and called my wife. The time on my phone was 0804, there was no answer so I just left a message. A moment later I looked up and saw the white, blue and red lights of the local police blinding me in the rear view mirrow. The officer cautiously approached my vehicle. He said he was stopping me for parking in a fire lane. He asked for all the appropriate documents, which I promptly supplied him with. A moment later Jon came to the car and asked the officer for permission to enter the car, the cop said yes. After what seemed like for ever the law came back and issued me an$104.00 ticked. He asked me to sign it, I refused. His response was I could use the enclosed envelope to pay the fine. My answer to that was where and when can I contest the ticket.
I tried to reason with him stating I had just stopped there a moment before he pulled up and my buddy was walking out to the van. His answer was the ticket was all ready written. I wonder if the out f state plates had anythhng to do with it. Welcome to Florida.The time on the ticket was 0811pm.

[MK7]

I wonder if the out f state plates had anythhng to do with it.

More than likely it was the fact that you were parked in the fire lane.

[AB8CD]

I was a certified officer for several years and wrote a few tickets in my day. I always encouraged people to contest the ticket if they felt it was unjust. I have given the same advice to family and friends. That is what a magistrate is for... determining if the ticket was fair.

I will also add that a lot goes into a stop like yours. Possible complaints from store owners to the mayor. (S#it runs downhill.) A fight with the spouse. A young officer trying to build stats. Often, a seemingly petty stop is more about running someone for a warrant...

Give the magistrate a shot. I will say that I never lost in court but I also used sound judgement about what I wrote.

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk

[gschaut]

I can only quote New York State statutes. Sitting behind the wheel, with the key in the ignition and the engine running is NOT PARKING. It is "Standing". Standing in a "Fire Lane" in order to "load or unload passengers/cargo" is permitted in NY. I am presuming that Florida statutes are similar.

+1 on bad cop theory.

[a64pilot]

I feel pretty sure your right about the standing thing, But are you willing to hang around and blow a day of vacation to argue over $100? I'd be pissed too, but would probably just pay the thing and try to forget it in an attempt to keep it from ruining a vacation.

[Puttzer]

It must be a slow night in High Springs Florida. Jon and I had just finished our cave dive at Little River and checked into the Country Inn.
We unloaded our gear and headed to the local Winnie Dixie for some snacks. I finished shopping, checked out at 0756pm. I walked to my van, stowed my food and checked my phone for calls. I spoted Jon at the checkout counter and decided to drive to the store exit to save him a few steps. As I was approaching the exit doors I stopped short to let the customers walk by. While I was waiting I put my car in park and called my wife. The time on my phone was 0804, there was no answer so I just left a message. A moment later I looked up and saw the white, blue and red lights of the local police blinding me in the rear view mirrow. The officer cautiously approached my vehicle. He said he was stopping me for parking in a fire lane. He asked for all the appropriate documents, which I promptly supplied him with. A moment later Jon came to the car and asked the officer for permission to enter the car, the cop said yes. After what seemed like for ever the law came back and issued me an$104.00 ticked. He asked me to sign it, I refused. His response was I could use the enclosed envelope to pay the fine. My answer to that was where and when can I contest the ticket.
I tried to reason with him stating I had just stopped there a moment before he pulled up and my buddy was walking out to the van. His answer was the ticket was all ready written. I wonder if the out f state plates had anythhng to do with it. Welcome to Florida.The time on the ticket was 0811pm.

We all see people parking in front of a grocery store illegally so someone can "run" into the store and get something.
On the other hand, most of us park a few feet away in a parking place and take the extra seconds to walk in.

[gschaut]

I feel pretty sure your right about the standing thing, But are you willing to hang around and blow a day of vacation to argue over $100? I'd be pissed too, but would probably just pay the thing and try to forget it in an attempt to keep it from ruining a vacation.

Actually, the only conflict in my mind is whether I show the cop my fire dept badge, or my CBS news press credential first! Then ask the cop if he "really" wants to do this!

But seriously, I often stay at High Springs Country Inn, and shop at Winn Dixie.

I WILL be contacting both the Country Inn AND Winn Dixie, and tell them that my patronage of their business is being place in jeopardy by this kind of @#$% from local police.

A few phone calls/letters from us to the local merchants can go along way to putting a stop to this harassment of tourists/divers.

[MORGAN]

...putting a stop to this harassment of tourists/divers.

Harassment? Seems to me that the cop was just doing the job that the taxpayers pay him to do.

I agree that it is kind of a chicken$hit ticket, but as AB8CD points out, you don't know what may be behind it. It might be that there has been a rash of fire lane violations, and the cop was under orders to crack down on them. Most cops I know would just ask the driver to move the car, but there are a few who love to write tickets. But if you do something that's prohibited by law, and you get a ticket for it, that's not harassment, it's justice. You're free to contest it in court if you think it's unfair.

As far as the out-of-state plates go, a friend who's a cop in a ski area town with a lot of tourist traffic says: "The tourists assume that they're targeted because of their out-of-state plates. The locals complain that they get tickets when the tourists get a free pass for the same offense, because the tourists bring so much money into the community. The truth is that you get a ticket for what you did, not what license plates you have."

I've gotten 2 or 3 speeding tickets over the years. I don't like getting them, but hey, I was speeding, and I got caught fair and square, so I don't feel like I have anything to complain about. And I don't say, "Hey, I bet you know my wife - she's a detective lieutenant with the Special Investigations Unit." I just pay the ticket.

Mike

[gschaut]

Harassment? Seems to me that the cop was just doing the job that the taxpayers pay him to do.
Mike

I would like to be able to agree with you. Nothing makes me feel sadder than watching a bad cop abuse his power. But regretfully, my job (CBS News) takes me on the road over wide areas.

And as much as it pains me to say so - there are a LARGE number of both bad cops and bad police departments out there.

MANY police departments are used as tools to balance town budgets. Many towns, including one here in my home area, have NO TAX BASE needed. The entire town's budget- lock, stock and barrel, is paid for by parking and moving violation tickets. Police officers are subject to disciplinary action if they do not bring sufficient revenue in every month.

If this is starting to happen in High Springs, I'll have to make Fort White my "home base" next trip.

[Line Squirrel]

I can only quote New York State statutes. Sitting behind the wheel, with the key in the ignition and the engine running is NOT PARKING. It is "Standing". Standing in a "Fire Lane" in order to "load or unload passengers/cargo" is permitted in NY. I am presuming that Florida statutes are similar.

+1 on bad cop theory.

I'm going back quite a ways here, but from my drivers ed course in Michigan almost 40 years ago now there are three degrees of "not moving" for lack of a better term.

Parked
Standing
Stopped

There are areas that are designated "No Stopping". If you do anything other than stop, for pedestrian traffic for instance, you're standing.

In other words, if you stop to let someone in or out of your vehicle, at that instant you’re not stopped anymore, your standing...but your not parked lol

Seems as though the law is intentionally ambiguous.