# what does this traffic ticket mean - need answer kinda fast **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 9, 2011, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-traffic-ticket-mean-need-answer-kinda-fast/592137 "2011-08-09T23:16:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![md2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@md2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md2000)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2011, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-traffic-ticket-mean-need-answer-kinda-fast/592137/21 "2011-08-11T12:46:42Z")
Really? Graduated licenses up to 21??? I read the rules as the accompanying “responsible adult” when needed has to be at least 21, not that the license has restrictions to age 21. The other rules looked pretty stupid - so basically you cannot leave Manhattan (or Long Island?) with a restricted license, but someone outside NYC on the mainland has free reign over the continental USA? If this is what politicians come up with for drivers’ licenses, no wonder they can’t even raise a debt ceiling without crashing the world economic system. Is this a guy who needs (really needs) glasses but won’t wear them because it makes him look uncool? That would be a good reason for random minor scrapes and dents, if the guy seriously cannot tell when he is getting close to obstacles, i.e. when parking or going through the garage door. ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2011, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-traffic-ticket-mean-need-answer-kinda-fast/592137/22 "2011-08-11T13:18:49Z")
> [@md2000](#): > > The other rules looked pretty stupid - so basically you cannot leave Manhattan (or Long Island?) with a restricted license, but someone outside NYC on the mainland has free reign over the continental USA? Uh, no. It means you are restricted in New York City and not elsewhere. it doesn’t matter where your license was issued. Remember that New York City has very low levels of car ownership (1/2 of all new York City residents do not own a car, and 75% of Manhattan residents are carless), and the high schools don’t offer Driver’s Ed. That means that to learn to drive, most people have to pay for a private driving course, and find some way of borrowing a car for practice. As a result, being qualified to drive a car at 18 is actually pretty rare in New York City. Thinking back to my high school, maybe 10-15% had their license at 18. ---
**Author:** ![Sparky812](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Sparky812](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sparky812)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2011, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-traffic-ticket-mean-need-answer-kinda-fast/592137/23 "2011-08-11T13:32:32Z")
> [@md2000](#): > > Really? Graduated licenses up to 21??? I read the rules as the accompanying “responsible adult” when needed has to be at least 21, not that the license has restrictions to age 21. Oops! Nevermind… I shouldn’t post before my morning coffee.:smack: ---
**Author:** ![JBDivmstr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b4bc9f/32.png) [@JBDivmstr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JBDivmstr)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2011, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-traffic-ticket-mean-need-answer-kinda-fast/592137/24 "2011-08-11T13:51:29Z")
> [@Sigmagirl](#): > > It happened to me. I was in an accident (rear-ended) and I got a ticket and the guy who hit me did not get cited. I asked the police officer what the ticket was for and he refused to tell me. I had to go to the city building to look up the code. Wait a second, now… :dubious: YOU got rear ended, and _got_ a ticket. 😕 The person that HIT YOU, did **NOT** get a ticket?! :dubious: And the cop refused to tell you **WHY** , _ **you** _ got a ticket! :mad: :eek: _ **WTF?!** _ :dubious: I don’t know about everyone else, but _ **my** _ Bullshit alarm just **pegged out**! There is \*\*\*way more \*\*\*to this, than meets the eye, I mean ear, uh well, y’all know what the f#@k, I mean. ---
**Author:** ![kidchameleon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/898d66/32.png) [@kidchameleon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kidchameleon)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2011, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-traffic-ticket-mean-need-answer-kinda-fast/592137/25 "2011-08-11T14:45:22Z")
> [@JBDivmstr](#): > > Wait a second, now… :dubious: YOU got rear ended, and _got_ a ticket. 😕 > > The person that HIT YOU, did **NOT** get a ticket?! :dubious: > > And the cop refused to tell you **WHY** , _ **you** _ got a ticket! :mad: :eek: > > _ **WTF?!** _ :dubious: > > I don’t know about everyone else, but _ **my** _ Bullshit alarm just **pegged out**! > > There is \*\*\*way more \*\*\*to this, than meets the eye, I mean ear, uh well, y’all know what the f#@k, I mean. Heh, in California you can get your license suspended for being really unlucky. My brother, a police officer, was telling me that you get a point every time you are in an accident, even if you aren’t at fault. Get hit ten times in a year, iirc, and you could get your license suspended. ---
**Author:** ![JBDivmstr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b4bc9f/32.png) [@JBDivmstr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JBDivmstr)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2011, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-traffic-ticket-mean-need-answer-kinda-fast/592137/26 "2011-08-11T15:32:07Z")
> [@kidchameleon](#): > > Heh, in California you can get your license suspended for being really unlucky. My brother, a police officer, was telling me that you get a point every time you are in an accident, even if you aren’t at fault. Get hit ten times in a year, iirc, and you could get your license suspended. Well, that’s just f\*#ked UP! I always suspected that California was a little bit screwy, now I’m convinced. 😛 😉 ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2011, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-traffic-ticket-mean-need-answer-kinda-fast/592137/27 "2011-08-11T21:22:26Z")
Mystery solved! The kid said he was driving, suddenly got a horrendous nosebleed all down the front of his shirt, and he kind of freaked and swerved while trying to find a tissue in the glove compartment. Cop pulled him over for driving erratically. The cop saw the mess, checked him out, and decided not to give him a ticket for anything except ‘not wearing corrective lenses’. The kid is going to traffic court and thinks the charge will be dropped. ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2011, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-traffic-ticket-mean-need-answer-kinda-fast/592137/28 "2011-08-12T02:50:36Z")
> [@salinqmind](#): > > Mystery solved! The kid said he was driving, suddenly got a horrendous nosebleed all down the front of his shirt, and he kind of freaked and swerved while trying to find a tissue in the glove compartment. Cop pulled him over for driving erratically. The cop saw the mess, checked him out, and decided not to give him a ticket for anything except ‘not wearing corrective lenses’. The kid is going to traffic court and thinks the charge will be dropped. I think the kid is telling a bit of a stretcher. hh ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2011, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-traffic-ticket-mean-need-answer-kinda-fast/592137/29 "2011-08-12T05:02:37Z")
Ya think? ---
**Author:** ![kittenblue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ba8739/32.png) [@kittenblue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kittenblue)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2011, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-traffic-ticket-mean-need-answer-kinda-fast/592137/30 "2011-08-12T13:42:30Z")
Did the mom ever see a blood-soaked shirt? If not…well, I’m in doubt. It’s possible he has had another ticket/incident she doesn’t know about and his license has been restricted, perhaps he’s only allowed to drive to and from work. ---
**Author:** ![md2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@md2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md2000)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2011, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-traffic-ticket-mean-need-answer-kinda-fast/592137/31 "2011-08-12T14:29:02Z")
At least he’s more creative than the usual “dog ate my homework”. I still think it’s a case of “glasses make me look uncool”, regardles of whether he needs them. Should be obvious - does the kid habitually refuse to wear his glasses? I know I don’t wear my glasses around the office or at home, because my vision is fine close-up (except in low-light); but I do fail the minimum requirements in one eye, so I need to wear them driving and unless I forget them (rarely) I always do. ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2011, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-traffic-ticket-mean-need-answer-kinda-fast/592137/32 "2011-08-13T01:30:13Z")
It could have happened, but it does sound contrived. I know he had to have been pulled over for something, not just driving without glasses or contact lenses. I mean, come on! ---
**Author:** ![Sparky812](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Sparky812](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sparky812)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2011, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-traffic-ticket-mean-need-answer-kinda-fast/592137/33 "2011-08-15T14:30:27Z")
AHA! The violation was actually for picking his nose while driving, everyone does it but it sucks when you get caught! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2011, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-traffic-ticket-mean-need-answer-kinda-fast/592137/34 "2011-08-15T15:30:25Z")
You just can’t go past your second knuckle when you’re picking your nose while driving in CuomoLand. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-traffic-ticket-mean-need-answer-kinda-fast/592137.md?page=1)