I was pulled over yesterday and received a couple of tickets from a police officer here in Chicago. I was primarily pulled over for pulling a U Turn at 11pm at night when no-one was around. From out of nowhere, I see the cop’s sirens. Without even discussing it, he writes me up. Then I couldn’t find my insurance card in the car (though I am insured) so I also received a ticket for that, which will be dismissed once I go to court - this is fine, I understand this. However, the U-Turn, I am a bit confused by.
I am curious and some of you may think this is a stupid question but Fish and I couldn’t really find a straight answer on this: are U-Turns illegal? I don’t mean at a traffic light (where there is the No U-Turn sign) but on a city street? I see cabs doing this all the time and I’ve done it a lot myself but never really thought of it being a moving violation… When I go to court, I’m not going to be a prick about it - I will ask the judge or prosecutor in respectful terms, what constitutes a legal and illegal U-Turn. Everyone I have asked gives me different answers (I asked two different police officers today and received two different answers!).
depending on your local area/ordinance. you might want to go take pictures of the street/area for court as evidence if you want to try and get it dismissed.
Must’ve been a slow night for officer friendly, the sociologist in me wonders if you would’ve even gotten pulled over had you been white.
i would imagine that if there was a suicide lane, a U-turn is pefectly legal or even if there is a broken yellow line (if you pulled a U-turn over a double yellow line I think you’re in the wrong) Also the ticket for your insurance may stand… At least in cali you can have your car impounded for not having proof of insurance even if you have insurance…so since you couldn’t show proof the ticket may still stand
Edit: being the nephew of a 30 year member of the police force, here are some happy tips for being pulled over at night which will make your fellow prick err I mean officer like your better #1 Turn Your car off #2 Turn on your Dome Light #3 Roll down your window #4 Keep your hands on the steering wheel #5 Don’t reach for shit until (Registration, License etc…) until asked to do so #6 When reaching for whatever it is you’ve been asked for, tell the officer where it is located and then get it. Then place your hands back on the wheel
Late,
grmpysmrf
Must’ve been a slow night for officer friendly, the sociologist in me wonders if you would’ve even gotten pulled over had you been white.
Sigh - does everything in this country concerning law have to be race related?? He was Mexican - so though not the same race as me, the same skin color (more or less) as me. So, no, not race motivated. If this was the case, cabs would be getting tickets left and right anyhow, as they’re almost always foreign - I’ve never seen one pulled over. He had the lights on well before he was close to me and saw me from a distance.
From his name on the badge and color I figured he was Latino. Depending where you are here, it’s sometimes rare to see Caucasian police officers…
#6 When reaching for whatever it is you’ve been asked for, tell the officer where it is located and then get it. Then place your hands back on the wheel
Yeah, I did this. Sudden moves and you may cause alarm. Personally, I’d be a bit scared of pulling people over on highways and cities: you never know who you pulled over and what they are hiding/capable of.
afra: if you ‘drive’ for a living (cabs, delivery vans, pizza drivers, etc…) you basically have to do something incredible to get pulled over. I blew stop signs, sped, and was a general roving terror in my days. Even right in front of cops. If you have the sign on the car, they basically don’t look again.
[reply]Must’ve been a slow night for officer friendly, the sociologist in me wonders if you would’ve even gotten pulled over had you been white.
Sigh - does everything in this country concerning law have to be race related?? He was Mexican - so though not the same race as me, the same skin color (more or less) as me. So, no, not race motivated. If this was the case, cabs would be getting tickets left and right anyhow, as they’re almost always foreign - I’ve never seen one pulled over. He had the lights on well before he was close to me and saw me from a distance.
From his name on the badge and color I figured he was Latino. Depending where you are here, it’s sometimes rare to see Caucasian police officers…[/reply]
Some would say that a cops race doesn’t matter once they put on the uniform they are blue before anything else… and blue loves white…
BUT I wasn’t trying to start a race war just habit now to look at who is being pulled over, based on “Police hate minorities” statistics that were thrown at the class over and over again in soc. classes
Personally, I’d be a bit scared of pulling people over on highways and cities: you never know who you pulled over and what they are hiding/capable of.
that is exactly why you do all of those steps. Cops are scared too, after all, they are human too… sometimes barely.
How funny is that? Not supposed to stereotype groups but it’s really easy to stereotype cops and nobody bats and eye(Except for you Afra [:)] right on!). But anybody talks about how they are scared of their black neighbor stealing their stereo and their an immediate asshole/racist. It should all be the same negative stigma to stereotype, strange how it is not…
Late,
grmpysmrf
Most places you’re not allowed to u-turn at have no u-turn signs.
Was it an intersection, or the middle of the street? I don’t think you can do them except at an intersection, regardless of signage…
Yeah it was at the middle of a street (where no cars were present - well besides the cop). Not at an intersection, otherwise that would be it. But I think I did it close to an intersection but when I saw the area again, I didn’t. Oh well. The fine is probably $90 or something but it’s not that I’m really concerned with - just confused about it. I really don’t think I did anything wrong and don’t want the points on my license.
U-turns are illegal in Illinois, unless marked. But of all the places I’ve lived, Illinois is the least U-turn friendly. Seems like there are not many places here where you can make a U-turn, while in Texas, seemed like you could or even had to make them all the time.
Then there’s the whole ‘crossing the yellow line’ thing which you no doubt violated. You can only cross those to make a left turn into a driveway or alley, etc. But not if your “pulling a U-ie”, as we say round here.
Too bad you didn’t live in the city 25 years ago when $20 would get you out of most minor infractions. Strictly off the record, of course.
i think you may be out of luck on the u-ey because it wasn’t at an intersection. the insurance issue should be easy enough, since you have proof. haven’t lived in chicago for a while, but traffic court’s a nightmare there. keep your fingers crossed that the cop doesn’t show up, in which case it will be dismissed because they have no witness. and if the cop’s not there, ask the judge to please dismiss b/c no witness. prosecutor will try and make you agree to something else, but no.
be prepared to sit for a long time.
I think I did not deserve the ticket - from the Municipal Code of Chicago. wempathy, what do you think? I did not see any no U Turn signs and there was no traffic coming from either side, and it was not downtown (was on Diversey approaching Damen). I was more than 100 ft from an intersection:
(a) The driver of any vehicle shall not turn such vehicle so as to proceed in the opposite direction at any point closer than 100 feet to any intersection unless official signs are erected to permit such turns.
(b) It shall be unlawful for the operator of any vehicle to turn such vehicle in any street so as to proceed in the opposite direction in the territory bounded by and including Wacker Drive on the west and the north, Michigan Avenue on the east, and Congress Parkway on the south, unless official signs are erected to permit such turns.
(c) The commissioner of transportation, subject to the review and approval of the executive director of emergency management and communications where appropriate, is authorized to determine those places within 100 feet of an intersection or within the area described in subsection (b) where turns in the opposite direction shall be permitted and to erect appropriate signs giving notice thereof.
this is from the illinois vehicle code which is what is used in traffic court in chicago.(i couldn’t open your link, so i looked it up–don’t ask why i know this):
(625 ILCS 5/11?802) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 11?802) Sec. 11?802. Limitations on U turns. (a) The driver of any vehicle shall not turn such vehicle so as to proceed in the opposite direction unless such movement can be made in safety and without interfering with other traffic.
(b) No vehicle shall be turned so as to proceed in the opposite direction upon any curve, or upon the approach to or near the crest of a grade, where such vehicle cannot be seen by the driver of any other vehicle approaching from either direction within 500 feet.
(Source: P.A. 82?783.)
Good Luck trying to get a judge to see it that way. (even if it is right there in print)Don’t be surprised if said police officer shows up in court and lies about where the U-Turn was made. Here in Cali. Officers are given the extreme benefit of the doubt NO EXCEPTIONS
Late,
grmpysmrf
my argument on uturns was always simple… if u turns were illegal you would never see a “no u turn” sign anywhere as they wouldn’t be needed. but upon doing some research it seems that it’s different in different states and some municipalities have their own laws that override the states on the matter (such as chicago). so when in doubt either don’t do a u turn, or be extra aware of the man in blue.
what i find funny is that you used to drive daily for years in buffalo and never get pulled over and now when u live in chicago and drive 4x a month you somehow get tickets. i knew the cops in buffalo had better things to do than give traffic tickets. i guess that isn’t the case in chicago. it’s not like the violent crimes there are out of hand or anything
I think I did not deserve the ticket - from the Municipal Code of Chicago. wempathy, what do you think? I did not see any no U Turn signs and there was no traffic coming from either side, and it was not downtown (was on Diversey approaching Damen). I was more than 100 ft from an intersection:
I honestly didn’t think that u-turns were allowed but now I see I was wrong.
I checked google streetview for that area and it would appear that there is only a broken yellow line along Diversey, which I guess makes it OK to to cross it…unless…
You were within about 100 feet or had to cross a left-turn lane in which case there’s a double yellow line and I don’t think you can cross one of those.
Never fought a traffic ticket here. Guess you can just hope the cop doesn’t show for court.
what i find funny is that you used to drive daily for years in buffalo and never get pulled over and now when u live in chicago and drive 4x a month you somehow get tickets. i knew the cops in buffalo had better things to do than give traffic tickets. i guess that isn’t the case in chicago. it’s not like the violent crimes there are out of hand or anything
Ha! Yeah, you’re right. I think it’s because Chicago is a broke city and they want their money. They are now talking of booting your car if you have 3 outstanding tickets (currently is 10). 3 is a bit harsh.
One has to pay to the “Department of Revenue” here and not the “Department of Public Safety” - that tells you something…
afra, in california you get the boot after three parking violations,if i recall correctly.yeah, all of these municipalities and states are broke.
(need i say it again) VOTE VOTE VOTE
. Basically the prosecutor said we will bargain you down to “impeading traffic” - just a fine no points or the magistrate will find you guilty of the all the offenses. How convienient of them.
This is what surrounding suburbs did in Buffalo - the town would get the money directly if they changed the ticket to a “noise violation” or something. One suburb was notorious for it and made over $5 million/year on tickets.
Cities (well Chicago, Buffalo and NYC), from what I know don’t do this.
well as far as it is in NJ here, no cars coming, no sign stating that no u-turn is allowed, and as long as you don’t use the e-brake u-turn method then you’re golden i think.
chicago cops are a different breed of animal, unfortunately.
i swear on my mother’s grave, i was in traffic court years ago, and the cops and lawyers are all in the front rows, and two cops (yeah, they had coffee–didn’t see any donuts) had this conversation:
“so… how you doin”?"
“ah, not too bad, not too bad…so how you doin?”
“eh, same, not too bad, not too bad.”
and then an attorney they recognized walked in, and the same dialogue went forward.
and this crap went on for several minutes, while they’re looking around, and they can’t articulate a single thought.
cops saved my life, at one point, but many -not all-are not the brightest bulb, if you know what i mean.
takes a certain personality to get in there in the first place.
afra, i wish you luck.(when’s the court date?)
