imported_JookSingKid

So I just got off the phone with a hamilton police officer

He says someone made a private complaint about my driving and that they are laying charges of careless driving against me.

WTF???

Has anyone had this kind of experience?

motti

Welcome to RoadWatch.

Cynikal.Mindset

yep...I got a letter in the mail once cuz somebody said I was racing another car down my street...which is goddamn imppossible, not to mention I wasnt even driving my car the night the complaint was dated...roadwatch is a scam and people use it to make false reports against people and cars they dont like

like crap, how'd they get ur plate number? cuz its usually residential pedestrians that make these complaints cuz your car is loud and it sounds like ur goin fast

ohwell, nothin came from it for me so I hope the same for you

imported_94EG6HB

Someone must be willing to testify against you..

I thought the first complaint was a notice..

Second visit by boys in blue

Third visit boys i blue with charges.

[window]www.canoe.ca/NewsStand/TorontoSun/News/2003/07/16/136817.html[/window]

bbarbulo

iTrader: (2)

I've had a letter... after 3 complaints, they send you a letter. However, once a Windsor cop made the charges against me while outta his jurisdiction, we were in OPP teritorry and he laid charges on me as a private citizen through the OPP. Careless driving. I had to get a lawyer, make donations to show good will, and eventually pleaded guilty to speeding of 110 in a 80 zone, about a $300 ticket if I recall correctly. Anyways, it cost me over $1500 to make the whole thing go away. Glad that's off my record now

All depends, they could be trying to scare you, or they could be for real. In your case, I'd recommend you play dumb and say you've lent your car out several times. Even thought they'll hold you responsible for your car, they can't lay charges against you as a driver, so nothing will go on your driving record. And since there was no crime (traffic is not criminal, it's quasi-criminal), odds are they won't pursue it. Unless they can PROVE you were driving. But for traffic, since it's not criminal, the burden of proof is lower... ie. it's not beyond reasonable doubt... it's likelyhood. You have to convince them it could have been any dozen of ppl driving your car. Tell them you've lent your car out many times and do not keep track of who had it when.

Also, I'd move this into Paid lounge, there are prying eyes here

imported_~ILLEST CIV~

Road watch is bull****, i agree.....stupid community run piece of **** program as far as i'm concerned...it'z true, ppl that don't like ur car will make complaints, and i know where i live, we have by-law officers around all the time watching out for stuff....ticketting u for the most stupidest things ever.....Road watch makes no sense to me at all. It's just a bunch of mothers or unemployed retired ****s trying to be apart of something

imported_JookSingKid

So i guess i wait to see if anything comes in the mail?

what area does roadwatch cover?
I guess hamilton is included?
I think its a scam to make it easier for cops to hit their quotas.

imported_JookSingKid

The reality though is that I wasn't driving carelessly!

I don't know how someone can just aledge that they saw me?

I am assuming that this person will have to testify in court in order for the charges to stand.

DaRizzla

woah thats bullsh*t... .... its prolly just your neighbour that hates you ... and want to get back at you for something..

imported_JookSingKid

my neighbours all like me, they know i am a good guy.

imported_05CivicSi

as far as i know they have to be willing to testify in court

try and get as much info as you can about the complaint, try and prove you were out of the immediate area when the compliant occured

imported_JookSingKid

ironically it took place on friday, around the same time I was in niagara falls when middlemiss posted his tcc sighting of me

punkindrublic

thats brutal, if it actually goes through and you get nailed with a stupid ticket... i'd just call up that roadwatch and call in daily with plate numbers of bmw's or suv's that dont use there turn signals or were speeding excessively...

DaRizzla

imported_kane2k

If you already admitted that you were driving the car that takes away your best line of defence. Well if it goes to court just sit there and make the complainant look stupid.

How are you sure that the license plate number was correct? Oh you wrote it down/called the police immediately.
How fast was I going? What training do you have in judging speed? You were looking at your speedometer? I thought you said you were looking at my car? You were, so between looking at my car, checking your speedometer, writing something down/calling the police, wouldn't you agree that you were driving carelessly?

Just unleash a barrage of questions and they'll end up saying something dumb.

motti

Complaints have to be in writing, and have to be submitted with your name and contact information before they will act on them. You can be charged criminally if you make a false complaint.

I would like to see the program publicized more effectively. The most effective deterrent against idiotic driving behaviour is increased potential to be caught for doing it. There are enough safeguards in RoadWatch that nobody who drives sensibly need fear it. But if you're the type who thinks the roads are your personal playground and to hell with everyone else, then yes, you should be worried.

By the way, on OPP-patrolled roads, you can also report bad drivers and get immediate results by calling *OPP on your cell phone and giving the vehicle description with license plate number and direction of travel, along with a description of the driver if you can.

The faster and more effectively we can get the idiots stripped of their licenses and off the road, the better it will be for the rest of us and out insurance rates.

imported_05CivicSi

if you were in niagara falls at the time, you couldent have been diving in hamilton, and if the complaint occured in niagara falls it should have gone to the niagara regional police, on the qew it would have gone to the opp....

were you on any city streets in hamilton?

imported_JookSingKid

This is turning into some debate or something

I want to go back to the nature of the orginal post

Has this happened to anyone?
What advice/information can you offer?

motti

There's nothing really to say other than what you would say for any other traffic charge.

You don't have the choice to just pay an out-of-court fine for careless driving. You will have to either arrange a plea bargain with the Crown or you will have to defend yourself against the allegation.

If you try to defend yourself, whether or not you win in the end will depend on who the judge believes - you or the person(s) who issued the complaint and who will go on the stand to give evidence against you. That person could well be have been an off-duty cop. It happens all the time, and people are convicted all the time on the basis of private complaints whether laid by off-duty cops or by ordinary civilians.

You haven't given any details about what you're accused of doing, so there's really nothing more to say.

Insuranceman

How would it be a scam for the police ? Its the citizens in the area making the calls, not the police ... Your post doesn't make any sense .... If it wasn't for the pople who are complaining, the cops would never know what your doing, so I wouldn't be blaming the cops ...