how is it legal that a ticket i got on my bike affects my driving record?

[mark414]

so long story short, i had an old ticket that i had forgotten about that was for failing to stop at a stop sign ON MY BICYCLE. (http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=105x5735721)

but now i am finding out that this is affecting my driving record. i called the PD today to get more information and they said that unpaid ticket is why my license would be suspended (since it's unpaid) and it's 3 points off my license!

how is that legal? isn't that like giving me a ticket for possession of marijuana when i was in fact drunk instead?

i'm not able to comprehend how this is possible, although there's no chance in hell i'm gonna let this thing stand...

could anyone help me at least semi-understand this?

[madinmaryland]

1. Unfortunately for you, the road is a public access way, and as such

all vehicles (motorized and un-motorized) must obey all traffic rules.

:sorry:

[SacredCow]

18. True, but...

In my state, you are NOT required to produce your driver's license if you're on a bicycle. I've had a handful of cops threaten me to produce it, "or else..." but since I made it a point to NOT have it with me when I was riding back then, I couldn't very well whip it out.

One of the worst jerks went so far as to say that I, as an adult, was required to have identification on me at all times- so I brought out my passport and said, "Then this should be more than adequate..." He then asked if I was mocking him, because if I was, he could take me in for that. By this time I had a small audience, so I invited him to take me in for "mocking" him by producing what he considered to be the wrong kind of identification. I guess he saw the writing on the wall, as he made a few more stupid remarks and walked off.

Personally, I'd NEVER show my drivers license for a violation unless I was the driver of a car....

[ContraBass Black]

2. Same thing if you were riding on an animal.

You were operating a vehicle on a public street, failed to obey a traffic sign, and didn't pay the ticket.

[mark414]

3. so if i got stopped on my bike and didn't have my license on me

should i get ticketed for driving without license on person?

[WillParkinson]

7. Only if...

You're required to have a drivers license on your person to operate a bicycle. (Assuming by bike you don't mean motorbike.)

If it's not a requirement in your state then, no, you should not have gotten a ticket. I'm doubting that people who don't drive cars/motorcycles have licenses to ride bikes.

[mark414]

9. exactly

you don't need a license to operate a bike, so why should anything done on a bicycle affect that operating license? that is the point i am trying to make.

[LostinVA]

11. Because bikes have to obey traffic laws in your state

And, you probably also have bike-specific laws you must follow (reflectors, headlights, maybe helmet, etc.)

You have a ticket for a moving violation.

[ContraBass Black]

8. If that happens, you might get away with a stern warning.

If you're clearly a licensed driver and you break a traffic law, writing you a ticket is easy.

[LostinVA]

10. Not the same thing -- you don't have to have a license for s bike

Just like there are some bike-specific laws in some areas, ie bike helmets.

But, a bike does have to follow traffic laws while on a public roadway.

[mark414]

12. okay great

i dont want to hear from you, it's a tired and stupid argument that goes against any sense of rationality

but you are right that it's not the same thing. one is a car and one is a bike. they are completely different and shouldn't affect each other.

[LostinVA]

15. Then put me on Ignore and -- no reason to be a snot to me

You broke a traffic law while on a vehicle that in your state has to follow traffic laws. You don't like what happened to you? Then don't either don't ride your bike, don't break traffic laws while on your bike, and pay your ticket on time. Don't get nasty with me because you don't like not being able to get away with breaking traffic safety laws and not having to pay the consequences.

bet your insurance is going up too, huh?

Man, what a rude comment to me. Get over yourself.

on edit: a car and a motorcycle are different, too. Doesn't make a difference, does it?

[mark414]

17. okay

a car and a motorcycle are motor vehicles. i'll stop being snotty when you stop being sanctimonious and supporting overreaching police powers.

[Lance_Boyle]

31. Hahahahahaha!

Did you not know that bicyclists have to stop at stop signs, too? Overreaching police powers, my ass. You got caught in a moving violation on a public road. Take your lumps and learn from your mistake. Whining about it here ain't gonna help.

[qnr]

34. I actually had some friends, coming back from a local (in NV) recreation

area get ticketed for "walking while intoxicated" - they were walking on a state road, so I guess it applied.

Edit: I replied to the wrong post, but it does fit in with what you were saying, so I left it here.

[datasuspect]

14. you should always have identification

if you were ticketed for no license (a jailable offense in many jurisdictions) simply get a "letter of clearance" from the licensing bureau in your state. this will show that although you did not have a license on your person, you did in fact have a valid license issued by a state authority.

this defense got my driving without a license charge dismissed in illinois.

[mainegreen]

4. Any unpaid fine of any type can get your license suspended in most states.

[mark414]

6. even without the unpaid part

they're claiming it takes points off my license and affects my driving record, which will affect insurance.

increasing my insurance payment because of something done on my bicycle? it is ludicrous.

[mainegreen]

13. You could probably fight the point deduction and win.

But you'd have to pay to remove the suspension. Not unless they deduct points for any suspension, then you're screwed. Unpaid child support? 3 points. Unpaid littering fine? 3 points.

[mark414]

16. you're probably right

but the points went on the original ticket...which to be honest blows my mind...

i'll pay the ticket but not if it affects my driving, fuck that, i guess it's a good thing that in a week i won't even have a car anymore.

[LostinVA]

5. It's a moving violation

No different than if you were ticketed while driving someone else's car or a motorbike. At least in many states.

[flvegan]

19. Bicycle = vehicle

Doesn't seem fair, no. However, bikes are seen as vehicles as opposed to being pedestrians.

[taterguy]

20. What's your plan?

Your original post says:

there's no chance in hell i'm gonna let this thing stand...

How are you going to prevent it from standing? Or were you just making a claim that you have no ability to carry out? Maybe the cop picked up some attitude from you and chose to give you a ticket instead of just warning you.

Good for him.

[mark414]

23. um...no

i didn't give any attitude. the intersection was a block from my house and the cop followed me up my driveway. she asked to see my ID so i gave it to her, and asked her what it was all about. she said right off the bat that she was issuing me a ticket.

that was all. that simple. way to be an ass and make assumptions.

and if i can't get this detached from my driving record than i'm prepared to accept the consequences that go along with it. if i have a suspended license for a year than so be it, but i won't pay a dime of it. in less than a week i won't have a car anymore anyways.

[taterguy]

26. Calling a stranger an ass is evidence of attitude

Thanks for confirming my hunch that there might be more to this story then you're telling. Your posts in this thread indicate a high level of hostility, anger and defiance. There's nothing wrong with that per se but it does have consequences

ps: Something tells me that merely not driving for a year won't make this problem go away. Your mileage may vary, talk to a lawyer

[AllegroRondo]

21. the ticket is issed to the driver, not the vehicle

it doesnt matter what vehicle you were driving at the time, the ticket is against you, so you need to pay it to get your license re-instated.

its like arguing "I got that ticket for driving a chevy, now I drive a ford"

[mark414]

24. um

a ford and a chevy are both cars, so it's not like that at all

do you really, honestly think that i should have points deducted from my driver's license for something that happened on my bicycle?

[AllegroRondo]

25. Yes, actually I do

both are subject to the same rules on the road. So you happened to run a stop sign on a bicycle and not in a car - its the same law that was broken. Why should the penalty be different because you were driving a different vehicle?

I actually got pulled over for speeding on a bicycle about 10 years ago - doing 25 in a 15 zone. I only got a warning, though.

[skygazer]

27. What happens if the person on the bike doesn't have a driver's license?

You don't need a license to ride a bike and I can see the OP's frustration over this. Yes, one has to obey the rules of the road on a bike and violation will result in a ticket. I don't see him quibbling over the ticket itself, just the points and the added liability that stem from it and I do understand the frustration over that. It does seem unfair because a person stopped for the same infraction who does NOT have a driver's license would not be liable to those same restrictions. How is that fair?

[AllegroRondo]

29. They can still write you a ticket if you dont have a license

and there would still be a fine to pay. If you have a license you should know (and obey) the rules of the road, no matter what vehicle you are driving. A person without a license would not face the points problem, as he doesnt have a license to charge points to - kind of a reverse catch-22 I guess. You just avoid the penalty of ever losing your driver's license by not having one in the first place.

[seemunkee]

22. It shouldn't

You don't need a motor vehicle license to ride a bike and you shouldn't have shown it to the cop.
Does the ticket say bicycle on it?
Found this:
http://www.bfw.org/projects/faq.php#registration
Milwaukee: All City residents who ride must obtain a free license. Licenses are available at police stations and libraries...or from the Milwaukee office of the Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin, 1845 N. Farwell Ave #100, 414-271-9685.

[mark414]

28. i would also like to take a minute to apologize to those i was an ass to

but i hope that you can at least understand my frustration.

as was noted above (thanks skygazer), someone who got ticketed for the exact same thing who had no drivers license would not face the same penalties.

i do think the ticket in general is absolutely ridiculous given my specific circumstances surrounding the issuing of the ticket, but i do not think that the idea of ticketing people for such a thing is ridiculous, and i do believe that's where some confusion is coming from.

i am not advocating that bicyclists go riding amok and blow stop signs left and right. the intersection i went through in question was in a quiet, un-busy neighborhood and i nearly HAD come to a stop at the intersection until i saw that it was empty. i couldn't have been going more than 5 or 10 miles per hour. i wish the officer could've used some common sense and discretion in realizing that no wrong or harm was done but that was apparently not the case.

but yes i am frustrated about this and have been an ass on several occasions, so for that i apologize.

[Silver Swan]

30. I ride a bicycle, but

I do not have a driver's license and I do not own a car.

I suppose they could go after my nursing license.....

Or my tax refund...

Or my house...

Actually, I'm chicken, so I would have probably paid the fine to begin with.

[LeftyMom]

32. I've been ticketed on my bike too

It effects your driving record because the bicycle is legally a vehicle when operated on public roads. The assumption is that if you make unsafe decisions when relatively vulnerable on a bike you will do the same in a car.

Here's the story of my ticket: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=324&topic_id=886&mesg_id=891

[billyskank]

35. There is a sort of logic there

If you don't know the rules of the road on a bike, you won't know them in a car either.

Of course, most people on bikes probably do know the rules, but assume that as cyclists they can flout them. Usually they are correct, but not in front of a cop.

[cwydro]

33. I live in a town

where there are a LOT of people who use bikes for transportation. YES, you can be ticketed and it does affect your license. You can get a DUI on a bike. Don't know where you live, but it's probably the same.