The day started pleasantly. I decided to join a Millburn friend for lunch in Maplewood, and would be driving to the town for the first time ever. Little did I realize that before any forks approached our mouths, I’d be gaping at a $180 traffic fine.
Driving to Maplewood was easy enough and my lunchmate had warned me that parking would be thin on the ground. I swung by her home to pick her up and, lo, as I approached Maplewood’s very attractive town center, the sole parking spot beckoned to me. All I had to do was wait for the oncoming traffic to ease up, or better still, a kind driver to allow me to proceed instead.
As it turned out, Maplewood drivers were no more generous than Montclair ones. A cop car then showed up, going the opposite way to me, and just waited. And waited. I waited, too, for surely his duties were more urgent than the impending union of my car and this inviting parking spot.
Finally, with the impasse looking ridiculous, I gave in, and, since I’d already indicated my intentions, turned left on the small two-way street, and parked with satisfaction in the spot. In my excitement over lunch and catching up, I hadn’t noticed a few salient signs earlier in my journey, reading “Don’t cross double lines,” or that I had traversed those very lines to park.
Thirty seconds later, I saw the flashing lights of the cop’s big SUV near my car, and a large policeman appeared in his full, alarming regalia of helmet, badges, gun, baton, and uniform. (I don’t know about you, but just the sight of the scary uniform is enough to keep me on the right side of the law.) More alarming still, he approached my window.
I wound it down.
“Can I help you, officer?”
“I need to see your identification, registration and insurance, please.”
Fumbling around in my overstuffed, multi-carded wallet and glove compartment nervously, I produce all three, including, unknowingly, my recently expired reg card. The renewed card still lay hidden in the wallet.
“Did you know you crossed the double line ma’am?”
“Er yes, officer, but I wasn’t sure how else to park in this spot.”
(To get into my son’s school in Montclair, incidentally, everyone traveling north has to cross the double lines.)
“There are signs telling you not to cross the lines. Where do you live?”
“Montclair, and this is my first time driving in Maplewood. I’m so sorry, I honestly didn’t see the signs!”
Cop goes away to check on my details and comes back to the window.
“Ma’am, your registration is expired.”
What?! I explain that my registration is up to date but that I can’t find my new card.
“I know you have the updated registration, maybe somewhere at home,” says the cop, who had already done his checks on my car. “But I’ve got to give you this ticket. You can contest it in court and if you produce your registration card, they’ll let you off with just court costs.”
Tough day’s work done, he turned on his heels and returned to his car.
I look at the ticket in shock and what stares back at me? A fine of $180 for not having produced one’s registration. Further down on the list of possible offenses, I see that not being registered altogether carries a more palatable fine of just $55. Huh?
Did I contest the ticket? Heck, yes.
So, my second appearance in Maplewood was unfortunately in court, a month later, an edifying experience in itself and an indicator of taxpayer money at work (and waste).
Several other individuals were there for not having one of their three pieces of ID when pulled over by a cop. One group of five teenagers was hauled into court because their driving companion was found to have had a few grams of weed on him. Another young male of African American extraction was shackled for a minor harmless offense relating to documentation – he had apparently ignored two prior summonses to appear in court.
A young, white male, already caught twice before for drunk driving, pleaded successfully to have his appeal against a sentence for a third similar offense heard in court. And right at the start, a mother with a restless infant and two young children in tow was forgiven her entire, minor offense, and told to pay just the court costs.
I was called up by Judge Stanley M. Varon, who appeared to be very fair, non-verbose, and so entertaining I’d happily watch him on TV.
Mine was the briefest case Judge Varon handled that day; I uttered just one word.
He called my name, I walked up to the front of the court and said “Yes.” He asked if I brought my registration card with me. I had it ready and handed it to a waiting cop, who then handed it to the judge. “You’re free to go; pay the $33 in court costs out front.”
And that was it.
I didn’t get to use a long, impassioned plea I’d prepared in my head begging for leniency and a less expensive penalty.
Oh, I’ll be visiting pretty Maplewood again. And I’ll have all the right papers on me, but next time, my friend’s driving!
Do you still have to pay the court costs if the ticket was given in error, or if the police officer doesn’t show up or can’t recall the incident?
Ummm……
The line in the middle of the road indicates passing– a double line means no passing on either side. You can cross it all you like as long as it’s not an illegal U-turn. (I’m not too sure about those “no crossing” signs…)
But, your U-turn seems like it was legal…
Other than that detail, I’m not sure I care…..
“Do you still have to pay the court costs if the ticket was given in error, or if the police officer doesn’t show up or can’t recall the incident?”
“Yes. It’s an “adminsitative cost.”
I had a similar experience in the Montclair court last week. My offense, I was holding my cell phone while driving on Bloomfield Ave. I write, “holding” because when the police officer pulled me over while I was stopped at a light, he said I was on the phone, which I was not. In fact, I was changing the song on my iPod.
I contested the $140 ticket. The officer supposedly didn’t recall the incident, but I had to pay the court costs. Among the people n court with me that day were at least five responding to summons for not cutting their grass, ten who had tickets for not yielding to pedestrians in the crosswalk and a man who was on his third drug offense. One young man’s ticket was dismissed because he was “properly attired” and attending Colgate University in the Fall.
I found my ticket to be an attempt to extract fines and fees, since I was not allowed to present proof that I was not on the phone when I was pulled over and it was dismissed without any discussion. If I had not contested it, I’d owe $140 and I think these municipalities count on most just paying the fines. I also found the actions of the prosecutor to be so arbitrary as to be ridiculous. Beware as you drive in the towns of Baristaville. The economic downturn has municipalities creating situations for backdoor taxes.
I would be a lot more sympathetic to Bernadette (read: Sympathetic at all) if she didn’t feel the need to throw in all the snide remarks.
It’s your responsibility to know the laws of the places you visit. It’s your responsibility to make sure you have the up-to-date insurance and registration cards on hand, and it’s the officer’s responsibility to make sure those rules are followed. One of you did what you were supposed to and the other didn’t. Guess who was whom.
Posting your story on the internet in a sad attempt to get sympathy can also back fire on you. If an officer, judge, or prosecutor from Maplewood reads this it would be entirely in their right to not cut you any slack next time and make the penalty stick.
(and yes, the judge and prosecutor both cut you slack. Even the cop sounded like he was sympathetic to your case… Though they might not be next time if they put your rather unique name together with this story on a fairly popular local blog.)
GNM, I had to go to court in West Caldwell for driving without my insurance card. I had gotten the new one and forgot to make the switch in my purse…Like Bernadette, I was let off with just court costs, in fact, everyone in the court room had their charge downgraded, even shoplifters…
Made me wonder what that teaches people…I almost wanted to say, “Why are you being so lenient? I did it!!!” It just seems like, in the court system, even if it’s only a traffic violation, some charges should stick..
With failing to produce documents, it is written into the statute that provided the defendant can produce valid documents to the court, the fines can be dismissed with the defendant paying only court costs.
So it seems to me that the Maplewood officer gave you a break by issuing you a summons that he knew would only cost you $33 if you presented the proper documents to the court instead of a moving violation which I would guess would cost more than the $33 you paid and possibly points on your license.
Not a bad deal if you ask me and certainly not deserving of your snarky remarks.
Some said the ticket was given in error so should they have to pay court fees.
The ticket wasn’t given in error. It is state law that you must have your papers on you. The cop was nice enough to pass along the information on how to contest it.
Generic Mike, you are so right !!!!
I love the line “…..this is my first time driving in Maplewood. I’m so sorry, I honestly didn’t see the signs!”. What does driving in Maplewood for the first time have to do with paying attention to signs? I drive new places all the times and that alone gives enough reason to pay extra attention.
My favorite cheap shot
“an edifying experience in itself and an indicator of taxpayer money at work (and waste).”
Break the law and find away to take a cheap shot at the system. If someone else would have crossed the double line and hit a kid on a bike , she would probably be complaining that cops don’t enforce the law.
I have a great idea, just follow the law and when people cut you a break be appreciative.
Some said the ticket was given in error so should they have to pay court fees.
The ticket wasn’t given in error. It is state law that you must have your papers on you. The cop was nice enough to pass along the information on how to contest it.
Generic Mike, you are so right !!!!
I love the line “…..this is my first time driving in Maplewood. I’m so sorry, I honestly didn’t see the signs!”. What does driving in Maplewood for the first time have to do with paying attention to signs? I drive new places all the times and that alone gives enough reason to pay extra attention.
My favorite cheap shot
“an edifying experience in itself and an indicator of taxpayer money at work (and waste).”
Break the law and find away to take a cheap shot at the system. If someone else would have crossed the double line and hit a kid on a bike , she would probably be complaining that cops don’t enforce the law.
I have a great idea, just follow the law and when people cut you a break be appreciative.
She made an illegal turn and didn’t have all her documents, and still only paid a $33 fine. I hate to sound like cathar but why is this news?
The line in the middle of the road indicates passing– a double line means no passing on either side. You can cross it all you like as long as it’s not an illegal U-turn. (I’m not too sure about those “no crossing” signs…)
Actually the double yellow line means “do not cross,” which includes passing. You’ll notice on roads with a double yellow where you’re allowed to make a left, the line has breaks in it.
Still, sounds like a silly place to enforce it. I’d prefer if they’d put up ‘no left turn’ signs.
“Beware as you drive in the towns of Baristaville.” Yes, bibba4, if “beware” means obeying the law, I think it’s great advice. If you were just “holding” the phone changing the song on your iPod, how is that different from holding the phone and talking? Shouldn’t people driving be, well, driving?
Another young male of African American extraction was shackled
Shackled? Really? At least he wasn’t noosed.
Another young male of African American extraction was shackled for a minor harmless offense relating to documentation – he had apparently ignored two prior summonses to appear in court.
A young, white male, already caught twice before for drunk driving, pleaded successfully to have his appeal against a sentence for a third similar offense heard in court.
The way Bernadette wants you to read this is “blah blah, AFRICAN AMERICAN was SHACKLED for a minor harmless offense… blah, blah WHITE DRUNK DRIVER SUCCESSFULLY APPEALED”
Honestly I’m surprised she bothered to put the part about the first person having skipped out on two previous court dates (and therefore subject to arrest under the bench warrant I’m assuming was issued).
A little more detail as to what the “minor harmless offense relating to documentation” was and what he was doing to have the arresting officers find out he had said bench warrant in the first place might also shed some light as to why he was shackled… But that would take away from the knee-jerk reactions like you posted above.
(On a related note: I am surprised that a third time DUI suspect can appeal anything unless there was sufficient evidence that he was, in fact, not driving under the influence.)
Yay, Trooper Truth is here! Please please please, Kind Sir, answer me this – is it, or is it not, against the law to make a left turn over a double yellow line? So, if I live on Grove Street, am I permitted to turn left into my own driveway? Or must I turn around on a side street and approach my driveway from the side where I may make a right turn into it?
I have tried to answer my own question and instead got mired in the NJ Statutes, the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, and then the Uniform Vehicle Code. (another prime example of layers upon layers of government all doing the same thing. but I digress.) I did however, find this on http://www.ohiobike.org, which had the entire UVC posted:
11-307. No-passing zones
(a) The (State highway commission) and local authorities are hereby authorized to determine those portions of any highway under their respective jurisdictions where overtaking and passing or driving on the left side of the roadway would be especially hazardous and may by appropriate signs or markings on the roadway indicate the beginning and end of such zones and when such signs or markings are in place and clearly visible to an ordinarily observant person every driver of a vehicle shall obey the directions thereof.
(b) Where signs or markings are in place to define a no-passing zone as set forth in paragraph (a) no driver shall at any time drive on the left side of the roadway within such no-passing zone or on the left side of any pavement striping designed to mark such no-passing zone throughout its length.
(c) This section does not apply under the conditions described in 11-301 (a)2, nor to the driver of a vehicle turning left into or from an alley, private road or driveway.
So if this is indeed the law of the land, (c) would indicate you may turn left over the double yellow line into your driveway, but not onto a street, parking lot, McDonald’s, or anything else.
And reading these rules only aggravates me since it points out just how many routine traffic laws are being broken daily! … Yield to highway traffic at the entrance ramp? Bah! I am a garbage truck, I don’t yield for anyone! Stop, you lowly people on the freeway, or Die!
~:|
(This is why I think we should continue to test NJ drivers…..)
From the NJ MVC Driving Manual:
PASSING
A motorist must know the proper lane for normal driving and how to change lanes safely. The rules for passing depend on the type of road. Stay to the right of the Passing
roadway’s center lines. Passing is only safe when there is no oncoming traffic.
Watch for the following lane markings: (N.J.S.A. 39:4-86)
• Both center lines are solid: No passing allowed.
• one center line is broken: Passing is allowed only on the side with the broken line.
• Both center lines are broken: Passing is allowed on both sides.
You can “cross” a double yellow to do a U-Turn IF the U-Turn conditions are met (look them up yourself) and/or there is no “NO U-TURN” sign or to turn into a driveway, etc. (ask anyone who lives on Grove, Watchung, Valley or Ridgewood Ave.)
You mean flashing that card in the front of the pile on the left with the photo of a nude sculpture “reclining” didn’t automatically get you absolved of all crimes? What the heck else is it good for?
Some good posts from Generically named… and the always estimable and sensible Trooper Truth. Some very bad, very arch writing and whining (as usual) from a member of BAristanet’s crack editorial staff.
It was also way too looooonnnnnngggg an item. (You folks haven’t yet heard of a marvelous verbal tool called “line editing?” It’s really, really good, and the more “hyper-local” the writing, the better it works!) Especially compared to the short shrift issues of genuine political and economic relevance are given here.
Herb,
If you were responding to my question at the top of the comments:
Just to clarify, I was asking a general question about the fees. It wasn’t in relation to this incident. In NYC, when I contested a ticket, I didn’t have to pay the fees after being pronounced “innocent.” In fact, I think the ticket even stated that I would pay the additional court fees only if I was found guilty.
As far as I can tell, provided that it is only a single set of double yellow lines (like the one on Grove St.) and not a double set(like those on Bloomfield Ave from North Mountain Ave to the Verona line), you can cross over them to turn into a driveway. At least I haven’t found anything in motor vehicle laws that specifically states otherwise.
I haven’t been through Maplewood recently so I don’t know what type they have there but municipalities can make ordinances prohibiting such turns as long as it is posted.
It sounds as if the author made an illegal left turn into the diagonal spots on Maplewood Ave. There are multiple signs saying that this is prohibited. Furthermore the spaces are angled so that the only safe way to do this is from the other direction. The officer did her a big favor by not citing her for the turn.
Oh, by the way, parking in Maplewood is free–unlike Montclair.
There are over 5 signs that state “DO NOT TURN INTO PARKING SPACES FROM THIS SIDE OF STREET”
I know. I am there 2 to 4 times a week.
You had a very nice officer, and once you park properly, you can stat as long as you want, free of
meter-feeding.
I will warn you of something else. Maplewoodians
parking at the required slant (aerial view here:) ////// are notorious door bangers, especially
those with humongous SUVs !
A much better place to park is in the BANK parking lot. You can park there (even if not going to the bank) for 35 minutes.
Tune in tomorrow when a Barista gets the wrong change from a bank, only to find out it was her error.
Those double yellow lines are perplexing as regards left turns. I encountered a similar situation a few weeks ago out in Netcong, where I was trying to make a left turn into a gas station across a double line & a bunch of yahoos in back of me started honking as I waited for a break in oncoming traffic.
There were no signs posted regarding turns across the lines. However, after I purchased gas & got back on the road, further along I found that there were breaks in the yellow lines at certain points where one might want to make a left turn. So perhaps I was in the wrong at the gas station, though I don’t see how I was supposed to know that.
Prof, I went to give your an “Up” Thumb for your last comment, but Alas, no Thumbs.
crank, unless there is a sign forbidding it- you can CROSS a double yellow line as it is a PASSING line.
So let the fools (and a certain poster here from the year the Giants beat Tampa Bay in Superbowl XXV) fill you up with wrong info, you were right– cross the double yellow all you like!!
Moreover, the line usually have a “break” in it at an access (a street usually) point. Think about it, how often do you see a double yellow line with a “break” in it that is not at a street?
Most of the people on this thread are missing the point. The point is that the poster could have been fined $180 for an infraction that is hardly worthy of such a fine.
The poster did get a break from the officer but the ordeal of having to go to court and to also pay $33 is still extracting too much of a price for such a minor offense.
Ask yourself what the worst possible consequence of this action could be. I’d be hard pressed to come up with anything serious.
On a different topic, one of the most common complaints found in municipal court is driving without the required papers. If they decide to throw the book at you, you can be fined for something close to $600 and they do give out such fines. As a college teacher, one of the things I teach my students is to get an envelope and label it “Drivers License, Registration, Insurance.” Then I tell them to make sure all three documents (or at least two, with the DL being in a wallet) are there. Most of the time about 3/4 of the class admits to not even knowing where some of these documents are. I make them get all three together at the beginning of the class.
When they’re stopped, they are to keep their hands on the steering wheel in the 10 and 4 position until the officer asks for the documents. Then they can get them out of their glove compartment. By having the documents organized and in one place and by quickly producing them, they make themselves look more organized. The officer appreciates not having to wait while someone paws through their wallet or glove compartment.
I usually do this in the beginning of the semester and invariably I have 3-4 students tell me that my having asked them to do this saved them a ticket. That’s because I think students are stopped more often than other age groups (JMHO).
Other things I teach my students are what to do about plea bargaining and how to look up the statute themselves and analyze it for a possible defense.
Bibba4 gets it: “I found my ticket to be an attempt to extract fines and fees…I think these municipalities count on most just paying the fines. I also found the actions of the prosecutor to be so arbitrary as to be ridiculous. Beware as you drive in the towns of Baristaville. The economic downturn has municipalities creating situations for backdoor taxes.”
Most posters on this thread condemn the OP for not knowing the law and not carrying her papers while ignoring the more important issue: that NJ municipal law has turned on its citizens and is gouging them and harrassing them over minor, petty violations of the law. People deserve to be free of such petty intrusions into their lives.
“Charlie….the Bedbug took my thumb!”
If this happened on Maplewood Ave The OP forgot to mention the said signs also say NO LEFT TURN INTO THE PARKING SPACES… Same for sloan street in South Orange.
Not sure about the police in Montclair, but the officers in Maplewood do not wear ‘helmets.’
If the OP’s incident happened on Maplewood Ave; she forgot to mention the signs say NO LEFT TURN INTO PARKING SPACES (or something like that).
You’re lucky you didn’t get a ticket for making the illegal turn. I think the police officer was giving you a break. You were in the wrong. You didn’t have a valid registration. Would you have posted this story if it happened in Montclair? I think not.
Considering the Az law, everyone here has no problem with knowing that we should have our “papers” at all times……
And Caustious, YES. It would have been posted if it happened in Montclair because as cathar notes often….. it’s the middle of the Summer and not much else is going on.
Though considering the number of comments here, we should expect more boring posts like this in the future.
Not that the post is any good, it’s US who have decided to take this Barista version of “The Decision” and continue to talk about it.
So, I guess the Barista’s ARE brilliant.
Driving without documents is a state law !! It has little to do with municipalities in only that when pulled over you produce them to the local officer. As with many driving laws the local town gets very little of the funds from the fine, most of it is turned over to the state.
Is your college level course “Into to Driving 101”?
What a pity that you deem it necessary to take up class time with his kind of chatter.
I applaud you, NJ-Cher, for giving your students such practical advice. Based on the skills of NJ drivers in general, it’s apparent that new drivers need to be taught properly, not by their ill-advised and possibly misinformed parents.
On Route 21 in Newark (where it becomes McCarter Hwy) there is a double yellow line and signs that say “U and Left Turns keep right” or some such. At the cross streets there are signs hanging from the signal lights that say No Left Turn. I believe there is only one sign that says “no turns”. Both in the morning and afternoon there is invariably someone who wants to turn left at a light (beneath the sign, d’oh!) or into a gas station. It nearly sends people over the edge. If you haven’t been on the road before, it would be easy to make the mistake, since it really isn’t that obvious especially if you are driving in the left lane (3 lanes each direction) – the ‘keep right’ signs are on the right hand side of the road, and might be easy to miss in heavy traffic (which is pretty much constant). There are of course, the people who do it on purpose because they don’t want to wait in traffic. (And yes you can tell the difference between a mistaken person and a scofflaw, especially when you spot the person making an illegal left every morning.) I find myself wishing that they’d just line up some “Jersey barriers” and be done with it.
Crank, given the overall disarray of NJ’s signage, it’s guite possible you may have missed a small sign 5 miles up the road that said no left turns (probably blocked by untrimmed shrub). Or you may have gotten onto the road sometime After the sign, in which case you’d have never seen it. Don’t beat yourself up.
But I am glad to know if a certain educator ever invites me to bask in their palatial water feature, I’ll be able to turn left into the gated driveway!
(This is why I think we should continue to test NJ drivers…..)
This is where I think we should mandate lessons in logic.
Of course there’s no passing in a lane with double yellow lines, because there’s no crossing the line at all except at intersections where the line is broken. The last paragraph isn’t in the manual, I wonder why?
Oh and most Giants fans would say that the Giants beat Tampa in 1990, since Superbowls are assigned to their season, not the year they’re played in. So, kinda wrong there too.
Oh, and Prof, here’s the relevant title section:
Gee, I’ve seen the police blotter for Maplewood and Montclair — seems like the police should be focusing on real crime. (oh wait, but that doesn’t generate revenue in the way that ticketing middle class residents does, just makes things safer, what was I thinking?)
There are folks in Maplewood who think making a Left into a parking space on Maplewood Avenue in Town ought to be a hanging offense. The signs prohibiting this are large and all along the stretch of the street. The Officer was over generous in not writing a ticket for the actual offense. Under State Law you must carry Licence, Registration and Insurance Card at all times. Failure to produce same results in fine of $180.00 Under State Law. However the Law says that if you bring the requires document to Court the Judge has the power to dismiss the charges but you must pay $33.00 costs.
On another point. Anyone in custody must be handcuffed when being transported anywhere, including to Court. If someone is summoned to Court for anything and fails to appear a Warrant will issue for that person’s arrest. For a minor offense they will probably get a letter telling them a warrant has issued and they can take care of it immediately by contacting the Court, explaining why they did not appear and asking for a new Court date. If the person continuall fails to appear there will be an outstanding Warrant and if that person is stopped by the police for anything the Warrant will show up.
Bottom line. If you can’t do the time, don’t do the crime.
prof And Caustious, YES. It would have been posted if it happened in Montclair because as cathar notes often….. it’s the middle of the Summer and not much else is going on.
Good point! The same thing happens on maplewoodonline.com
LIM There are folks in Maplewood who think making a Left into a parking space on Maplewood Avenue in Town ought to be a hanging offense.
While I agree with you to a point, the reality of it is the reason for the ‘No Left Turn” into spots on Maplewood Ave is a safety issue. The spaces are on an angel making a left turn difficult.
Traffic on Maplewood Ave is bad enough. If left turns were allowed there would be people backing up trying to navigate getting into the spaces. This increases the chances of cars being hit.
YAWN…….
Did someone say something?
The same one who cannot understand “the YEAR the Giants…” So, ah, regardless of what a “Giants Fan” might think, the YEAR is the YEAR. And that’s what I wrote.
I stand by my posts about the law as the link to “Lawguru.com” does not trump the DMV manual.
Moreover, the provided section is wrong for 2 reasons: 1) it comes from a section detailing HIGHWAY driving, and 2) the roads in question ARE NOT marked as NO PASSING– so the sections from the manual is the correct law.
(Finally, when you cite something at the very least, be specific in where you got it- otherwise, it becomes clear that you either have NO idea what you’re talking about or are intentionally trying to deceive.)
Moreover, the provided section is wrong for 2 reasons: 1) it comes from a section detailing HIGHWAY driving, and 2) the roads in question ARE NOT marked as NO PASSING– so the sections from the manual is the correct law.
1) No, it comes from: “New Jersey Statutes – Title 39 Motor Vehicles and Traffic Regulation – 39:4-86 Overtaking and passing vehicles; crossing.” Nothing about highway driving. Not sure if you’re aware, but the DMV manual is not the text of the law. You’d have to be somewhat dense not to realize this, but there you go.
2) There are no roads marked “no passing.” They are marked with a double yellow line that indicates no passing, or crossing. Sheesh prof, let me know next time you get in your car, I’ll stay on the sidewalk.
While I recognize how some love throwing out person slags, some should also re-read their information as the cited law in EVERY paragraph references HIGHWAYS.
So, dense perhaps, I can read and I also understand that in reading a law one must also look to the context and structure of Statues to understand their meaning, rather than simply (and I mean simply) seeing words and cutting and pasting them.
For the sake of those enjoying you making a fool of yourself, I offer this:
39:4-86. Overtaking and passing vehicles; crossing “No Passing” lines
First Paragraph:
“…vehicle shall not drive to the left side of the center line of a HIGHWAY…”
Second Paragraph:
“…vehicle shall not drive to the left of the center of a HIGHWAY…”
From the last paragraph:
“… vehicle shall not cross an appropriately marked “No Passing” line in a “No Passing” zone duly established pursuant to a duly promulgated regulation of the State HIGHWAY Commissioner or an ordinance or resolution duly adopted by a municipal governing body or a board of chosen freeholders, whichever has jurisdiction over the HIGHWAY…”
But I’m dense.
What does this make you?
So, dense perhaps, I can read and I also understand that in reading a law one must also look to the context and structure of Statues to understand their meaning, rather than simply (and I mean simply) seeing words and cutting and pasting them.
By your logic, there are different rules for the same markings on the road, depending on what kind of road the driver is on. That certainly makes more sense than the word ‘highway’ is the word for any road used in this section of law. Or maybe all roads marked with a double yellow are classified as highways?
Funny, though, the law I cited doesn’t make the distinction you do. Hmmm.
I LOVE that you cannot admit you are wrong.
It’s okay to make mistakes, in fact, some of us already know the power of a simple, “I was wrong.”
Others however, have GREAT difficulty doing so as your continued and tortured “reasoning” shows.
In the law, it’s said: “If the writers of the law wanted to make that distinction, they could have easily written that way.”
Here they say HIGHWAY, not roadway. More- it specifies the Agent to oversee it as the State HIGHWAY Commissioner, or the local body where the HIGHWAY passes- this being a HIGHWAY, or I imagine the State ROUTE system.
Either way, this law is certainly NOT calling Grove, Watchung, Valley or Ridgewood HIGHWAYS.
erm, Prof…
“NJSA 39:1-1 Words and Phrases Defined
…
“Highway” means the entire width between the boundary lines of every way publicly maintained when any part thereof is open to the use of the public for purposes of vehicular travel.”
so methinks highway means any kind of public road, not just Route 66!
I LOVE that you cannot admit you are wrong.
And I love that you don’t even know you’re wrong, and therefore can’t admit it.
In the law, it’s said: “If the writers of the law wanted to make that distinction, they could have easily written that way.”
Fine, just show me where in NJ State law it says “on highways, yellow lines mean this. On roadways, yellow lines mean this.” According to you, that second part should be there.
Either way, this law is certainly NOT calling Grove, Watchung, Valley or Ridgewood HIGHWAYS.
They certainly seem to fit the description in Merriam’s.
Baristanet, please investigate this pressing question. It is legal to make a left-hand turn over double yellow lines? Thanks.
You’re right Kay, though in Court cases roadway and highway are often used interchangeably.
But as defined above, you are correct. I was wrong.
So let’s go back to the point before we fell off track, whether or not one can “cross” a double yellow line.
You can. Because despite what was highlighted above, unless there is a NO PASSING zone– you are free to cross it.
THAT is still true.
So let’s go back to the point before we fell off track, whether or not one can “cross” a double yellow line.
Oy prof.
A double yellow line is the indicator of no passing zone, so no that is still NOT true.
Hint: the above law states “no passing line.
I’m dense and read sentences in full.
It says a passing line IN A No passing zone.
Again, to anyone living on a street with a double yellow, we know this is the point– you can cross the line, you cannot pass while driving.
Kay at 4:37 cites the appropriate law.
Moreover, in practice, and from what I was told by the police as a portion of my Palatial UPPER Montclair Estate touches a highway with a double yellow– you can freely cross the double yellow.
And in 10 years, I’ve yet to meet anyone ticketed for doing so.
With that, I hope you have nice evening because I must get to my sockeye salmon, clams, corn and asparagus on the grill!!
Kay at 4:37 cites the appropriate law.
If we lived in Ohio, yes she did.
unmitigated gall Baristanet, please investigate this pressing question. It is legal to make a left-hand turn over double yellow lines? Thanks.
In many cases it is legal to cross a double yellow line to make a left. If it was illegal all the time it would make it very difficult to get to many stores on the opposite side of the road.
However, there are places with signs that will tell you left turns are not permitted. Maplewood Ave in Maplewood Center is one of these places. There are signs that read “No Left Turn into Parking Spaces,” or something like that.
I’m happy to go take photos of the signs if someone wants me to.
Another area you are not allowed to make left turns into parking spots is Sloan Street in South Orange. Can’t remember if there are double yellow lines there or not. There are signs though advising drivers not to make the left turns.
To profwilliams.
“The line in the middle of the road indicates passing– a double line means no passing on either side. You can cross it all you like as long as it’s not an illegal U-turn.”
Apparently not, at least not in Montclair. I live on Bloomfield Ave by the Montclair Kimberly Academy. When school is getting out they have a cop to direct traffic. I got to know one of them, who has recently retired, and he became friends with my now 5 year old daughter.
So I was coming home heading east one day and made a left turn, over the double yellow lines, into my drive way. This seems like a normal thing to do, and they have a large area between lanes that is perfect for doing so.
He came up to me and said you aren’t supposed to do that. You can not cross the double yellow lines even to get into or out of your driveway! Since we were friendly he didn’t do anything, but said one of the younger “hot shot” cops might have.
So now when I leave my home I have to make a right onto Bloomfield Ave, even if I want to go left! I have to go all the way around the block.
While I’m on the subject of lines in the street… I’m surprised there was not a single mention here or anywhere else of the fact someone thought it was OK to pave Bloomfield Ave starting at 1 AM! People live up here and have to get up for work. It could have easily been done during the day when traffic is light. (end of rant)