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So today, as I'm pulling out of the car wash (I do most of my own washings but I've been lazy recently ), I drive out into the street and into the left-left turn lane. So I change my mind and want to go straight on the street instead of turning left, and there's a truck immediately to my right, also wanting to turn left. I look behind me and there are no cars for 1500-2000 feet, all sitting at a red light. So without a second thought, I shift into reverse, back up about 10 feet (just enough to get around the truck), and merge into the left of 3 traffic lanes. Who happens to see this? A motorcycle cop who just finished citing some jaywalkers. (They're really cracking down on this in Las Vegas right now - $190 a pop)The traffic citation is a misdemeanor, for $190. Good news is a local attorney does a service to the community free of charge and takes the ticket for you. They're reducing it to the value of a parking citation, $67, and NO dimerits on the license, NO traffic school. I got off lucky this time.

dont remember if its illegal here in cali, but i do it here or there. not often though... id think IF ITS SAFE... why not.I know there are REALLY dumb drivers out there... so i could see a ticket if your tryin it with traffic and making traffic worse or end up gettng/hittin someone.At least you got a break.

Quote, originally posted by Mrizzle05 »dont remember if its illegal here in cali, but i do it here or there. not often though... id think IF ITS SAFE... why not.I know there are REALLY dumb drivers out there... so i could see a ticket if your tryin it with traffic and making traffic worse or end up gettng/hittin someone.At least you got a break. Logic tells me that, when in reverse, you're actually driving the wrong direction

LOL... duh.But it happens.... and when certian WOMEN are in the passanger seat while you drive for them, it happens often!

Quote, originally posted by Mrizzle05 »LOL... duh.But it happens.... and when certian WOMEN are in the passanger seat while you drive for them, it happens often! LOL I hope the "Mrs." isn't watching

Quote, originally posted by Mrizzle05 »LOL... duh.But it happens.... and when certian WOMEN are in the passanger seat while you drive for them, it happens often! Did I mention I had a certain female passenger? When I said "so I change my mind," I really meant "my mind had been changed for me"... This is the 4th time I've been pulled over since March 2005, all four times WITH passengers.

from now on..drive alone lol..i've never heard of this..as im a canadian

I agree with the "if it's safe.... why not?" idea.... however, just like most laws, they are only for a few people. We all know there are people that would do this without looking, or do it when there are cars behind them ECT. It is like warning labels on hot coffee, we ALL think they are stupid, and a person would know it was hot, but low and behold there was that ONE person out there that didn't, and now we are overrun with warning labels.I don't like that law (but I bet azsapphire87 hates it more), but I can see why they did it.

Just make the left, pull around and get back on the road. a whole 2 minutes of your life may be wasted doing this but its safer. Whose to say someone coming from the other direction did not want to turn left right after you but did not see you about to backup. Or the people who want to pull out from a parking lot into your lane. I dunno, for me if the road is absolutely dead, i.e. not a multilane throughofare, go ahead.

take the left, hit the gas, snatch the wheel then the e-brake, swing around and go about your merry way ... at least that way you couldn't get a "unsafe backing" ticket I've never heard of this but it makes sense that if you back up where you not supposed to and a cop sees you.... haha

but see... when your alone or only have 3 cars in your area, and you can SEE PERFECTLY that theres no one behind or on the side... why not. ive done this a few times. of course i wish i was there already, but mistake happen. and like speeding... you get a ticket cuz people before thought they were cool and flew by another car and wreck or hit someone or something.I mean short spurts on the freeway seem OK, if you were clear for a mile or too, but of course its STILL not safe. but its to help enforce the people who cant make that move you pulled not to do it.

I wouldnt risk the minute chance of someone seeing me and thinking I'm an amateur or lost driver. I get like that with directions too. I dont drive 5mph down a 40mph road to find an address. I pay attention and make sure I'm in the lane I need to be in to turn, and if I pass it, great. Now I know where it is, I turn around somewhere and go back.

Quote, originally posted by Whelan »I get like that with directions too. I dont drive 5mph down a 40mph road to find an address. I pay attention and make sure I'm in the lane I need to be in to turn, and if I pass it, great. Now I know where it is, I turn around somewhere and go back. This is true and happens A LOT out here... old people and NO offense asian drivers. (nothing against them, just happens way more then any others out here) but if their not doin 15 below the limit, they go the speed limit then outta no where brake and try and make a last minute turn and cause either a trafic delay or an accident. sure everyone does it and its happened to me before,but i learned my lesson. if i miss it obviously i gotta turn around and get it right next pass. but its the common sense in drving that some just dont have... and it makes my insurance so high and drivin experience poop.

I've been pulled over for being stopped in the left turn lane and changing lanes and going straight through on a green light. I used my signal and there were no cars near me when i did it. So what happened to you doesn't seem that outlandish. And like somebody said here, technically, you are going the wrong way on the street.Some cops are just pricks.

Well technically if you are changing lanes at an intersection the lines are usually solid where the turn only is. But Im not nit picky cause I've done that before.

Quote, originally posted by Whelan »Just make the left, pull around and get back on the road. a whole 2 minutes of your life may be wasted doing this but its safer. Whose to say someone coming from the other direction did not want to turn left right after you but did not see you about to backup.Yeah, I was gonna make the left turn and then turn around or something, but of course, the left turn light was red and I wasn't thinking.Quote, originally posted by ANO_Vibe »take the left, hit the gas, snatch the wheel then the e-brake, swing around and go about your merry way ... at least that way you couldn't get a "unsafe backing" ticket I've never heard of this but it makes sense that if you back up where you not supposed to and a cop sees you.... hahaDonuts in the intersection? Who knows, the cops might've let me off for originality/creativity!Quote, originally posted by redlava »I've been pulled over for being stopped in the left turn lane and changing lanes and going straight through on a green light. I used my signal and there were no cars near me when i did it. So what happened to you doesn't seem that outlandish. DONE THATAnd like somebody said here, technically, you are going the wrong way on the street.YEPSome cops are just pricks.VERY TRUE.Quote, originally posted by Whelan »Well technically if you are changing lanes at an intersection the lines are usually solid where the turn only is.No solid line here.Quote, originally posted by Whelan »But Im not nit picky cause I've done that before.The change lane and go through thing or the back-up thing?

The change lane thing I have done. I maybe have backed up twice in my life but havent in years.

Well, let's see...I've heard of it, and I'm kinda against it (no offense). I'd have to say it can be a pretty stupid move, but I will give you credit - it sounds like you were sure no one was behind you or anything.I like to think of it as this - you spend more than 95% of your time in a car moving forward. Just because you are a good and safe driver moving forward, doesn't automatically mean you are good driver going backward...Then again, I try to back as little as possible, pulling through parking spaces such that I can just pull out. I'll even prefer to back into a space because I'm usually paying more attention in the parking lot when I pull in than when I pull out (not that I don't pay attention).I haven't always been this way, but my company has this relatively new "attack backing" rule at work for personal and work vehicles. What they have found is that by avoiding backing up, accidents in company cars and on company property have reduced 20 fold. That's significant enough to indicate to me that backing is indeed a problem that can reduce traffic accidents when best avoided.So, sorry you got cited, but it was a dumb move...you are out 2-3 minutes max by taking the left and turning around at a different intersection.