Traffic Violations/Tickets

[MedPR]

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Was looking at the pre-allo secondaries thread and found a few schools that require you list any speeding/parking tickets you have received. I was not charged with a misdemeanor (or felony) for any of them, so I'm not worried about it hurting my chances.

I am worried about finding out when exactly I got these tickets. I remember ball park month/state, but how would I get more details than that?

Does my car insurance company keep that kind of stuff on file?

 

[costales]

Some insurance companies pull your driving record every year, others do it only after a collision. If your company doesn't want to share, your state may have a website where you can download your own record for a few bucks.

 

[donkeykong1]

your local DMV

 

[PanicMoon]

X

 

[NeuroLAX]

Was looking at the pre-allo secondaries thread and found a few schools that require you list any speeding/parking tickets you have received. I was not charged with a misdemeanor (or felony) for any of them, so I'm not worried about it hurting my chances.

I am worried about finding out when exactly I got these tickets. I remember ball park month/state, but how would I get more details than that?

Does my car insurance company keep that kind of stuff on file?

Just to make sure I wasn't missing anything, I was able to get a full license report on-line. Just had to put a few bits of info in and got a report sent to my email. I think it's worth it if you don't remember when they were, as was my case. I don't recall having to put parking tickets... those are extremely minor, unless your neglected to pay them and they were somehow escalated, but I doubt that is the case.

 

[NeuroLAX]

Why would a medical school care about moving violations & parking tickets?

I have a quite a few of both (primarily parking), mostly from my late teens/early 20s, but I still probably get a few parking tickets a year & get stopped for minor violations every couple of years.

Really? I can't say for certain, but this could be what adcoms are looking for. If you continue to get pulled over and cited for minor infractions, that could send the wrong message, like you're a honey badger and just don't give a $h!t.

As long as you can explain yourself, you should be fine. But I remember for schools like UCinci it was like they were asking for anything you've ever been ticketed for... LAME.

 

[MedPR]

Just to make sure I wasn't missing anything, I was able to get a full license report on-line. Just had to put a few bits of info in and got a report sent to my email. I think it's worth it if you don't remember when they were, as was my case. I don't recall having to put parking tickets... those are extremely minor, unless your neglected to pay them and they were somehow escalated, but I doubt that is the case.

Well I've only gotten one speeding ticket, and it was back in 2006 when I was 17. I was going 56 in a 35, but wasn't charged or anything. Just had to pay the ticket ($167.41). Since then I've gotten a red light camera ticket for turning right on a no right on red, and a couple of parking tickets for expired meters.

I can probably guess the year I got them all in, but not the month. I guess i'll check the DMV and online just to be sure.

Thanks everyone.

 

[MedPR]

Why would a medical school care about moving violations & parking tickets?

I have a quite a few of both (primarily parking), mostly from my late teens/early 20s, but I still probably get a few parking tickets a year & get stopped for minor violations every couple of years.

Why do you get so many tickets? You might be exactly what ADCOMs are looking for.. someone who makes "minor" infractions every so often. They're minor, but it could be seen as a character problem by ADCOMs.

 

[NeuroLAX]

Well I've only gotten one speeding ticket, and it was back in 2006 when I was 17. I was going 56 in a 35, but wasn't charged or anything. Just had to pay the ticket ($167.41). Since then I've gotten a red light camera ticket for turning right on a no right on red, and a couple of parking tickets for expired meters.

I can probably guess the year I got them all in, but not the month. I guess i'll check the DMV and online just to be sure.

Thanks everyone.

Were those expired-meter parking tickets on public roads or something? I got my first expired-meter ticket a few months ago. I was on-campus at the library copying journal articles for a manuscript and my boss kept requesting more for me to copy, and I lost track of time. I probably could have appealed it, but it was only $15.

 

[MedPR]

Were those expired-meter parking tickets on public roads or something? I got my first expired-meter ticket a few months ago. I was on-campus at the library copying journal articles for a manuscript and my boss kept requesting more for me to copy, and I lost track of time. I probably could have appealed it, but it was only $15.

Yea, public roads. One was outside the building my physics lab was in. I went in to turn in a report and came out to a ticket. The other was outside subway 😎

 

[PanicMoon]

X

 

[NeuroLAX]

Yea, public roads. One was outside the building my physics lab was in. I went in to turn in a report and came out to a ticket. The other was outside subway 😎

That's rough MedPR, you must go to an urban university/college. Where I went to school, there are only a couple of places where you can get a public parking ticket directly outside of a classroom, everything else is campus property. Must suck to be a meter maid...

Please allow me to digress a little: Which would you rather be? A meter maid or a tow truck driver?

 

[NeuroLAX]

Yeah...this is awkward. My friends have been calling me honey badger since that video hit the internet. I can't help it I'm a BAMF.

I knew it!

Well, I get a lot of parking tickets because I live in the most awful area of Chicago for parking. It's not like I intentionally do it, but the hours for when paid parking is in effect vary & sometimes I just don't get home in time to pay for more time on the meter.

Moving violations...it's complicated. Part of it is that I really just don't care. My uncle (a Chicago cop) & my aunt (EMT/drives an ambulance) taught me how to drive, so that's where the attitude comes from unfortunately. I drive safely, I've never been in an accident & sometimes I just want to get to where I need to be ASAP.

A lot of tickets came from when I was living ~140 miles away from my family for work & was driving back & forth a lot when my grandmother was in hospice for months & the RNs were twitchy& calling all the time because they were worried about her. Some are from trying to get to my parents to deal with their insane issues: bipolar mom/alcoholic dad, NOT a good combo.

I guess I just don't really think of my driving record as being a good example of my character. I'm not hurting anyone/anything but my bank account balance by carrying on this way, so who cares?

I think you could put your situation into some eloquent words. Good luck with that.

 

[CopToEM]

Court records are public so you can just call the local courthouse and ask how to access that information. They may be able to make you a copy of it or direct you to a website to access it online. The State of Virginia, for example, has an online record of court hearings and you would be able to find it there.

Alternatively, as recommended, you can go to the DMV and ask for a copy of your driving record. There's usually a small charge. However, if the traffic infractions were dismissed in exchange for driving school or anything like that you likely didn't take a hit on your record. Only the court would have the dates it happened.

Once you have that information make a Dropbox.com account and keep it handy.

Unrelated below:
Oh, and also go ahead and dig up a copy of your immunization record this Fall to put in your Dropbox as well, you'll need that soon enough and it's a pain in the ass to track down for most.

 

[NightGod]

Maybe contact Certiphi and run a background check on yourself? Then you'll know EXACTLY what shows up and what is dismissed?

 

[MedPR]

That's rough MedPR, you must go to an urban university/college. Where I went to school, there are only a couple of places where you can get a public parking ticket directly outside of a classroom, everything else is campus property. Must suck to be a meter maid...

Please allow me to digress a little: Which would you rather be? A meter maid or a tow truck driver?

Tow truck driver for sure 🙂 They don't have to walk around all day.

 

[NeuroLAX]

Maybe contact Certiphi and run a background check on yourself? Then you'll know EXACTLY what shows up and what is dismissed?

There are cheaper options. I got a full driving record online for $30.

 

[NeuroLAX]

Tow truck driver for sure 🙂 They don't have to walk around all day.

Lol that's funny considering your build. I would probably choose tow truck driver too, they bank on taking your car away. Meter maid would be pretty easy though, and the ones at my school were sneaky. Wrote the ticket, put it on the car, and briskly walked away!

 

[Night Hawk]

Yeah...this is awkward. My friends have been calling me honey badger since that video hit the internet. I can't help it I'm a BAMF.

Samzies!

 

[NightGod]

There are cheaper options. I got a full driving record online for $30.

You could always apply for a volunteer shift at a hospital, too. Mine ran a background check for free before I could start 😉

 

[SnowyRox]

Part of it is that I really just don't care. I've never been in an accident & sometimes I just want to get to where I need to be ASAP.

I think you could put your situation into some eloquent words. Good luck with that.

This is definitely a fantastic explanation for speeding 🙄. "I wanted to get somewhere really fast and I think that I'm exempt from the posted legal speed limits. I haven't hit anyone yet so clearly what I'm doing is safe and police officers should just lay off from enforcing the law."

 

[PanicMoon]

X

 

[Quester]

And come on, level with me here. Some rules are just MEANT to be broken, am I right?!

LOL...I agree. I doubt no one's that squeaky clean; it's just a matter of getting caught or not 🙄

 

[MedPR]

Say what? I love it when people get all self-righteous over tongue-in-check comments made on the internet.

I equate my speeding to other common things that people do that are technically against the law like jaywalking or rolling through a stop sign. It's not like I'm doing 30 over in a school zone or on a residential street & I'm certainly not going all 2Fast2Furious through busy intersections. If I'm on a fairly deserted highway in bumblef#ck IL early morning/late night, I see no issue with going 15 - 25 over.

I'm taking a calculated risk. I've never put myself or others in a high risk situation when I'm behind the wheel. I've done A LOT of driving over the past 10 years & I've never even had a near-miss accident or harmed an animal, let alone a person.

And come on, level with me here. Some rules are just MEANT to be broken, am I right?!

Imo, that's the kind of thinking that causes accidents. I agree with everything else you're saying though. We all (?) are guilty of minor traffic violations made using what we believe to be sound judgement.

Personally though, if I got caught as frequently as you I would make a change.

 

[TriagePreMed]

Someone tell me this is a joke please. I can't believe schools would care. Either way, my last ticket was 8 years ago.

 

[PanicMoon]

X

 

[MedPR]

Why would a medical school care about moving violations & parking tickets?

I have a quite a few of both (primarily parking), mostly from my late teens/early 20s, but I still probably get a few parking tickets a year & get stopped for minor violations every couple of years.

A ticket every couple of years is considered frequent? I think I have about 6 moving violations over the span of 10 years, only a couple of which are on my record. I haven't gotten a ticket in over a year now & I doubt I will get many more now that I'm not driving nearly as much as I used to at my old location. Now...the number of times I've been stopped is much, much higher, but there's no record of that 😉

Again...I cannot stress enough that the situations in which I was speeding posed virtually no risk at all. It's unlikely I'd get into an accident in clear conditions with NO other drivers on the road. I don't do obnoxious things like texting/talking on my cell while driving & while I may not utilize the 10-2 grip, I've got great control of the vehicle. Like I said, I got most of those tickets while doing a 280-mile roundtrip back & forth between Champaign-Urbana & Chicago. It's a straight, 2-lane highway for almost the entire trip through rural IL. Nothing too treacherous 😴

Where are my Chicago motorists to back me up on this one?!

You originally said you get a few tickets per year, not one every couple of years. Also, in the eyes of the law the ticket is the same regardless of what you perceived the risk to be. I don't really think it matters to ADCOMs, but a few tickets every year is quite a bit imo.

 

[NightGod]

Say what? I love it when people get all self-righteous over tongue-in-check comments made on the internet.

I equate my speeding to other common things that people do that are technically against the law like jaywalking or rolling through a stop sign. It's not like I'm doing 30 over in a school zone or on a residential street & I'm certainly not going all 2Fast2Furious through busy intersections. If I'm on a fairly deserted highway in bumblef#ck IL early morning/late night, I see no issue with going 15 - 25 over.

I'm taking a calculated risk. I've never put myself or others in a high risk situation when I'm behind the wheel. I've done A LOT of driving over the past 10 years & I've never even had a near-miss accident or harmed an animal, let alone a person.

And come on, level with me here. Some rules are just MEANT to be broken, am I right?!

If you're around Northern Illinois, I'd wager you got nailed in the middle of the night in Dekalb county. There's some SERIOUSLY bored cops in that area >.<

 

[PanicMoon]

X

 

[NightGod]

Yeah, a few PARKING tickets per year, not moving violations. I'm not endangering anyone by parking in a city lot where the hours for free parking change all the time & occasionally forgetting to pay for a couple more hours.



No, I'm in Chicago, but almost all my tickets are from Southern IL. I'd venture to say these cops are JUST as bored. I've gotten stopped for going less than 10 miles over & for not keeping my turn signal on long enough while changing lanes...

LOL, yeah, sounds like rural Illinois cops in general. I hate this state so hard.