That was one speedy haircut

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 29/06/2015 (3932 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It was time for a haircut. My five year old son’s thick, wavy brown hair had grown longer than his eyebrows and had become more than difficult to brush. 

So we jumped into the car and headed to our local hair salon, in a strip mall off of Reenders Drive. It is a draw for the kids, as they get to choose a small toy as a reward for sitting nice and still in the chair.

Wait times are never certain for walk-ins. But that day it was particularly lengthy, so we decided to try an alternate salon and drove down Panet Road towards Grassie Boulevard. I was looking for the next closest location and recalled seeing one in that area previously. 

Next thing I knew, flashing blue and red lights were signalling me to pull me over and my car came to a stop in the curb lane.  All of that looking around had gotten me into trouble. I didn’t realize there is a reduced speed limit of 30 km/h in the school zone located in front of The King’s School. I had been going 56 km/h.

That mistake earned me a hefty ticket. Ouch!      

So, what do you do if you receive a ticket?

I phoned up Rodney Bolianiz, better known as Radar Rodney of Radar Rodney Traffic Ticket Services, for some guidance.  He was with the Winnipeg Police Service for 27 years and had some good advice to offer.

According to Radar Rodney, there are two types of tickets that can be issued for speeding — photo radar tickets and police issued tickets. He does not recommend challenging photo radar tickets because but said you have a chance with police-issued tickets. Challenges to these types of tickets primarily stem from usage of the radar devices, such as technical issues related to testing to see if it is working properly.

Radar Rodney tells me that that the biggest misconception the public has about tickets stems from “the charge of speeding itself.”

The ticket received is for the charge of speeding but the actual speed listed in the grey box of the ticket does not form part of the information used in court.

Several people have argued before a judge that they were only going 13 km/hover the posted limit instead of the  20 km/h stated on the ticket. By doing that, they are admitting to speeding and are setting themselves up to pay hundreds of dollars. How many kilometres you are over the limit just determines how much money you are going to pay.

How many warnings are issued?

There are no statistics, as thwarnings are not recorded. But,  according to Manitoba Public Insurance Corporation’s document titled “Put the Brakes on Speeding,” “the faster you go, the harder it hits your wallet.” Not to mention the demerits against your drivers license.

If you are driving between 1 and 49km/h over the limit there is a two-demerit penalty.  If you are driving in excess of 50 km/h over the speed limit, the penalty is 10 demerits and MPI will suspend your license.

To fight a ticket, it is best to consult a professional, as they have the expertise and experience proven to help you succeed in court.

For a free 15-minute consultation, visit www.radarrodney.com for more information.

Charlene Kroll is a community correspondent for North Kildonan. She can be contacted at krollcharlene@gmail.com