NYC's rude traffic cops

[JeffreyNYC]

As a typical New Yorker I do not own a car but rented one last weekend to drive out of the city. On my way out of Manhattan I decided to stop (suburban style) and drop off my cleaning. I pulled up to the cleaners on Seventh Avenue (completely 100% empty at the time), turned on the hazard lights and waited in the driver's seat while my partner ran in to drop off the cleaning.
I was there less than 15 seconds when a traffic cop came up to me and asked for my license. Evidently I had stopped right underneath a bus stop sign. While I understand it is illegal to do so couldn't the cop have just told me to move rather than ticketing me? She would not even acknowlege that I was even speaking to her. She simply wrote out the ticket and handed it to me. What's more, no other cars came during the 2 minutes it took my partner to run the cleaning in and come back to the car. I admit to making an honest mistake but isn't this a situation where one might just get a warning and not a $115 ticket? I guess what really irritates me more than anything is the fact that she was competely speechless accept when asking for my license. I realise that people probably try to argue their way out of tickets all the time and that traffic cops have quotas to meet but we are not living in some barbaric society where people do not have to be at least curtious and polite and acknowlege that someone is talking to them. She was in the power position and used it 100% but in my opinion this is an extreme punishment for an honest 2 minute mistake.
I thought about trying to dispute it but know I won't win, I just wanted somewhere to verbalize my dismay at a situation where I feel completely taken advantage of in a society, country and city that is "supposed" to be civilized. Evidently our traffic cops don't fall under the civilized category. Any thoughts?

[ryan]

That actually sounds better than a few traffic cop experiences I've had - you didn't get a lecture or power-tripping...

[ASchwarz]

As a typical New Yorker I do not own a car but rented one last weekend to drive out of the city. On my way out of Manhattan I decided to stop (suburban style) and drop off my cleaning. I pulled up to the cleaners on Seventh Avenue (completely 100% empty at the time), turned on the hazard lights and waited in the driver's seat while my partner ran in to drop off the cleaning.
I was there less than 15 seconds when a traffic cop came up to me and asked for my license. Evidently I had stopped right underneath a bus stop sign. While I understand it is illegal to do so couldn't the cop have just told me to move rather than ticketing me? She would not even acknowlege that I was even speaking to her. She simply wrote out the ticket and handed it to me. What's more, no other cars came during the 2 minutes it took my partner to run the cleaning in and come back to the car. I admit to making an honest mistake but isn't this a situation where one might just get a warning and not a $115 ticket? I guess what really irritates me more than anything is the fact that she was competely speechless accept when asking for my license. I realise that people probably try to argue their way out of tickets all the time and that traffic cops have quotas to meet but we are not living in some barbaric society where people do not have to be at least curtious and polite and acknowlege that someone is talking to them. She was in the power position and used it 100% but in my opinion this is an extreme punishment for an honest 2 minute mistake.
I thought about trying to dispute it but know I won't win, I just wanted somewhere to verbalize my dismay at a situation where I feel completely taken advantage of in a society, country and city that is "supposed" to be civilized. Evidently our traffic cops don't fall under the civilized category. Any thoughts?

NY isn't the suburbs. Use public transportation and you won't have this problem.

[Schadenfrau]

In all fairness, it does sound like the officer was civilized. She didn't insult or threaten you, but simply did her job. Paying a ticket is no fun, but you were admittedly breaking the law.

[JeffreyNYC]

In all fairness, it does sound like the officer was civilized. She didn't insult or threaten you, but simply did her job. Paying a ticket is no fun, but you were admittedly breaking the law.

Admittedly I did unknowingly break the law but do you really think ignoring someone who is talking to you is a civilized way to act?
That would NEVER happen in Europe where more cities are congested traffic wise than New York!

[ryan]

Again, the not talking part is appealing to me. I was pulled over in Freeville, NY (http://maps.google.com/maps?oi=map&q=Freeville,+NY) and the cop read me the deliverance act with all the "what are you doing around here" and "a person should be more respectful of places they visit." He was wearing the mirror glasses and looked like he stepped out of reno 911 and gave me 4 tickets after pulling me over for driving 11 miles over the speed limit. All but the speeding were throw out when I dragged myself back to the middle of nowhere for court... because they were made up.

I peeled off my pro-choice bumper sticker when I got home.

[ASchwarz]

Admittedly I did unknowingly break the law but do you really think ignoring someone who is talking to you is a civilized way to act?
That would NEVER happen in Europe where more cities are congested traffic wise than New York!

You can't just idle or park in the path of a bus route. Every major Avenue in Manhattan has extremely frequent bus service. Parked or idled cars are directly responsible for bus delays. Drivers are basically inconveniencing dozens of people every time they block a bus.

[NYatKNIGHT]

I tend to agree with Jeffrey, though it's a futile complaint. Some people, from civilian cops to grocery clerks, interact with others in an overly brusque manner. Sure he could have been treated even worse, undeservingly so, but he certainly could have been treated better. It's very, very rude when people don't even acknowledge when someone is talking to them. Being civilized isn't merely a lack of threats and insults, and it ought not make any difference what he did or how many complainers she encounters.

However, I bet Jeffrey will think twice about where he can quickly pull over if he ever rents a car again - lessons learned the hard way, that's NYC.

[JeffreyNYC]

I peeled off my pro-choice bumper sticker when I got home.[/QUOTE]


Maybe it's best to just stay out of red neck territory!

[JeffreyNYC]

I tend to agree with Jeffrey, though it's a futile complaint. Some people, from civilian cops to grocery clerks, interact with others in an overly brusque manner. Sure he could have been treated even worse, undeservingly so, but he certainly could have been treated better. It's very, very rude when people don't even acknowledge when someone is talking to them. Being civilized isn't merely a lack of threats and insults, and it ought not make any difference what he did or how many complainers she encounters.

However, I bet Jeffrey will think twice about where he can quickly pull over if he ever rents a car again - lessons learned the hard way, that's NYC.


I was in the wrong and I admit it. It just seems extreme to me considering how many other things are wrong with this city and how many people do worse things which degrade the city over all.
Let's face it I wasn't idling on 6th Ave. and 50th.

The traffic cop did not have to have an attitude and not speak to me to do her job. She was on a power trip and trying to meet her quota. My enquiries to her were not arguementative at all. I thorougly believe in obeying the law.
I was wrong and made a very expensive mistake and will NOT make it again.

[ryan]

I peeled off my pro-choice bumper sticker when I got home.

Maybe it's best to just stay out of red neck territory!

True, but Ithaca is gorges and all...

[Try2Live4God]

Don't you love New York City? I usually don't have a problem with traffic cops. To me they don't give a damn about anything. Majority of the times, they are ineffective anyways...:rolleyes: