What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Alabama
I am a college student and received my first ticket last night. I dropped a friend off at her car after studying in the library, and proceeded to turn into what I thought was the parking lot right beside the bar she was parked in front of. There were parking spaces facing the direction in which I was driving, so it was an honest mistake. The "parking lot" turned out to be a one-way alley that ends about a quarter of a mile in the opposite direction from my apartment. I turned in going the correct way, but thinking it was a parking lot, I immediately turned around as soon as I turned on to the road. I merged on the road I had turned off of and noticed a police officer sitting right outside of a turn lane in the middle of the road, waiting to get behind me. I drove half a mile before the officer turned on his lights. When I pulled over, I told him that I thought I had turned into a parking lot and didn't understand what I'd done wrong. I asked him twice and still didn't understand until I asked a friend about the "parking lot" later. I went back to look at the alley and the one-way sign was small, and directly behind a large crosswalk sign, making it very hard to see unless you already knew it was there. I am 18 and have never been pulled over before, much less received a ticket. The fine is $154 and I'm going to get four points on my license and an increase on my insurance. Is it worth trying to fight the ticket?
I am a college student and received my first ticket last night. I dropped a friend off at her car after studying in the library, and proceeded to turn into what I thought was the parking lot right beside the bar she was parked in front of. There were parking spaces facing the direction in which I was driving, so it was an honest mistake. The "parking lot" turned out to be a one-way alley that ends about a quarter of a mile in the opposite direction from my apartment. I turned in going the correct way, but thinking it was a parking lot, I immediately turned around as soon as I turned on to the road. I merged on the road I had turned off of and noticed a police officer sitting right outside of a turn lane in the middle of the road, waiting to get behind me. I drove half a mile before the officer turned on his lights. When I pulled over, I told him that I thought I had turned into a parking lot and didn't understand what I'd done wrong. I asked him twice and still didn't understand until I asked a friend about the "parking lot" later. I went back to look at the alley and the one-way sign was small, and directly behind a large crosswalk sign, making it very hard to see unless you already knew it was there. I am 18 and have never been pulled over before, much less received a ticket. The fine is $154 and I'm going to get four points on my license and an increase on my insurance. Is it worth trying to fight the ticket?
