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30 Jun 2007
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Speeding tickets in Alaska
My wife and I have just been caught speeding in AK and given hefty fines (by a friendly cop, but it does not make it any more fun) We went to the court house to contest them but it was closed early on friday, I am sure we can over turn my wifes ticket as the cop said " I assume you were doing the same speed as you are traveling together" so he obviously did not clock her speed. But we are entering canada tomorrow and then at a later date entering the lower 48, if we don't get this resolved will it chase us around the rest of the US if we get pulled again? or is it specific to Alaska? The cop did not take our passport details but did get our UK licence details including home address, does this have any bearing on the situation?
I know speeding is'nt big or cleaver but if I have to ride down a straight road in the blazing sun at 55mph again I might go mad.
Any info would be gladly accepted.
Adam
Last edited by evilgruffalo; 30 Jun 2007 at 09:23.
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30 Jun 2007
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Pay the ticket
Is it possible that North Americans don't get tickets in Europe. I am only wondering as I don't recall any postings were a North American is asking if they should pay their fines or not, How strange.
Or is it simply that if we get caught breaking the law we pay our fines.
Why would you take the chance of ruining your entire trip by worrying about being arrested at some point down the road.
If it was me I would just mail in a money order to cover the fine and be done with it.
I am assuming that as you haven't denied guilt thyat you were indeed speeding. If I am wrong then you might want to delay your trip and fight it out.
Just my opinion
Rick
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30 Jun 2007
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Is the money of your wifes ticket worth getting in trouble later in the US ?
You already admitted you were speeding so your ticket is just bad luck to get caught. I think it is normal to pay a ticket if you were really speeding.
I asume your wife was indeed riding the same speed as you, so in fact it is not really unfair that she got a ticket. If I were at home, I would try to fight it in court but in a foreign land I would not want that trouble. (unlike you like to get some inside knowlege of the US legal system ofcourse ;-)
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1 Jul 2007
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Riq
Is it possible that North Americans don't get tickets in Europe. I am only wondering as I don't recall any postings were a North American is asking if they should pay their fines...
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In Europe, photo-radar is the primary method of speed enforcement. I am a North American who rides about 15 to 20 thousand miles each year in Europe - I can only recall seeing two radar traps manned by police officers during the past 5 years. On the other hand, I see radar cameras every day.
This is probably why no North Americans have ever posted about speeding tickets in Europe.
Michael
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1 Jul 2007
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I've never been one to follow the straight line.
Personally, I wouldn't worry squat about it, although some people seem to think you might go straight to Hell with your trip and life left in total ruins...and also possibly be called a bad name.
Throw that tea overboard, laddies.... 
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4 Jul 2007
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Thanks for the advice Mr rider, I think I'll take it and save ourselves 2 weeks travel fund!
Cheers
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4 Jul 2007
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Dont't worry about the tickets.Continue on your trip and have a great time.
Since you have u.k licenses i don't think it will show up in any other state.
If by some chance it does just play the dumb tourist role.Don't worry and ride safe...
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7 Jul 2007
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No other state in the US gives 2 hoots about what people have done in other areas......providing the crime is a minor offense (traffic, littering, etc).
The way it NORMALLY works in most states of the US is thus: If a non-resident of the state gets caught speeding (or some other traffic offense), you are generally required to pay the fine ON THE SPOT (or at the nearby police station). Credit cards, travelers cheques, debit cards, cash accepted.
Failure to pay the fine on the spot will result in your drivers license being seized, possibly even the offender carted to jail, where one can experience the dining pleasures of eating food served on a tin plate.
If you ever plan on going back to Alaska, I'd say pay the fines. If you've enjoyed enough of Alaska to last you a lifetime, I say forget about the fine. Use the funds for traveling expenses.
The experience with the cops in Alaska will be meaningless in other states.
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8 Jul 2007
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I will never, ever go to Canada on purpose again.
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Patrick passed Dec 2018. RIP Patrick!
Last edited by mollydog; 24 Mar 2009 at 21:59.
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2 Oct 2007
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American/Canadian riders caught speeding in the UK? Do they get tickets? In short, no. Only UK residents can be 'awarded' FPN (Fixed Penalty Notices) for speeding as the 'system' simply would recognise a non-UK address. Also if a FPN is issued to a foreign driver/rider, ther's no guarantee he'll be in this country to attend court. This applies to any foreign rider/driver caught speeding over here. This does seem to result in many German/French/Belgian/Polish drivers belting down our M20 at whatever speeds they like knowing there is very little the Police can do. Well in fact they can do something, and that is to arrest the driver and take him to a magistrates court ASAP, a very long winded method compared to a simple issuing of an FPN.
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2 Oct 2007
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Forget The Tickets
By the time they figure out you aint paid.you will be long gone. 
and with the money you save from the fine the cold  s will taste oh so much better!
PS just for the hell of it you could send em an anonymous postcard from every stop saying "cheers for the s! cos were not paying our fine, can you guess who we are?"
Now That WOULD be a laff! 
Last edited by Martynbiker; 2 Oct 2007 at 11:30.
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2 Oct 2007
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mollydog
It will take months for warrants to go out on those tickets. How long are you here for? Relax, travel on.
If you think AK is bad for cops and tickets, wait till you get to Canada. Poor bastards have the slowest limits and strickest enforcement anywhere. Radar is like a plague...and RCMP have zero tolerance for foriegners or motorcycles.
(well, maybe Turkey is worse). Foriegners pay "On The Spot". Yes, they take Credit Cards. 
I will never, ever go to Canada on purpose again.
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I wouldn't be too sure about Canadian cops winning the prize ;-) The bloody Austrian cops sometimes set up 2 or 3 consecutive speed traps. After a feeling of relief after the first radar you open the throttle - and BANG the next trap goes off...
None better are the cops in Victoria/Oz. But the top prize goes to Switzerland: They sent me a ticket for 2 Km/h (in words: two) which cost me 25 Euros :-( And coming back to Martynbike: More and more countries in Europe coordinate the traffic fines, meaning if you, as a resident eg. of Germany, get a ticket from Switzerland or Austria and you don't pay, you are bound to be summoned to court :-((
Good luck!
Hans
PS: The only "safe" speed traps for motorcyclists are the automatic cameras, because they USUALLY only take a photo from the front. But times are changing...
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2 Oct 2007
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Since when was ALASKA part of EUROPE???
[quote= Martynbike: More and more countries in Europe coordinate the traffic fines, meaning if you, as a resident eg. of Germany, get a ticket from Switzerland or Austria and you don't pay, you are bound to be summoned to court :-(([/quote]
I think as long as they do not LIVE in ALASKA or USA they are pretty safe......Don't You??
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2 Oct 2007
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Well I got a letter sent all the way to bonny Scotland about my court date in Arizona for my completely crazy 'going though a stop sign' in a camp site.
And no, I still haven't paid the fine. I was given 30 days to pay my fine from the date of the henious offence but that letter was sent to my address before the 30 days was up. I emailed them and told them that as I was in Canada and en route to Alaska, it was fairly unlikely I'd make the court date.
They actually emailed back and said they'd pass my comments on- 3 months on, I still haven't heard anything from them.
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