Re: Keeping cool in the Dog Days of summer

[Robert Silas <robert.silas@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Steve,
You are right, I considered all that, but at the end I didn't want to continue the whole thing.  If it would have happened in my town, yes I would have gone to court.  I do mined the merit points, but paying, I consider as extra taxation and the easiest way out is to pay.

In the USA not all states correspond on merit points with Quebec, I don't know about Ontario.  For example New York and Vermont states are reporting to Quebec but New Hampshire does not.  Last year I've got a ticket in Utah and I did not hear anything from the local license bureau.  I pay all out of province tickets, now in the age of computers, I do not want to be caught next time at the same place. 
Bob Silas
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Steve Makohin 
  To: oilheads@xxxxxxxxx 
  Cc: Robert Silas 
  Sent: Thursday, July 14, 2005 12:14 PM
  Subject: Re: Keeping cool in the Dog Days of summer


  Hello Robert,

  Robert Silas <robert.silas@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

  > Thanks for the write up, interesting.
  > Is there any chance to find a helmet which offers some kind of cooling 
  > system???
  >
  > On my way from Montreal to Detroit, I got into a traffic jamb at Kingston 
  > on
  > the 401.  One lane was closed and the open lane blocked solid.  We were
  > standing without any rolling for 25 minutes.  Of course I turned the boxer 
  > off
  > and eventually I took my helmet off too, to prevent fainting.  It was 
  > bright,
  > sunny weather and 33-35 C.  (93-96 F.); I have a thermometer on the bike.
  >
  > I hung my full-face helmet on the mirror.  Slowly, we started to crawl, 
  > 5-8
  > feet at a time. As lucky as I am, a police car was parked in the closed 
  > lane
  > in the middle of the construction.  A young and eager officer turned on 
  > lights,
  > flashers, sirens, jumped out of the air-conditioned police cruiser and 
  > pulled
  > me aside, thinking that "I'll get this 79 years old bustard".
  > He gave me a $110.- ticket saying: "today you rode without a helmet".
  > He carried the law to the extreme.  I could have used a cooled helmet.

  I don't know if an unpaid US ticket or a conviction on a US ticket will have 
  an impact on your Canadian record, or on you subsequent visits to the 
  States. If they do, consider challenging the case as follows:

  o Show up in court! I recently got a ticket (my first in over 15 years).
    The charging officer never showed up, so the charges were
    dismissed due to "no evidence". Interestingly, around two thirds
    of the charges that occurred in the two hours I waited in the court
    room for my case to come up, were similarly dismissed for the
    same reason.

  o If your accuser is actually present to give testimony, listen carefully
    to his *exact* words. A possible defense is that your vehicle was
    in stopped traffic without *any* movement for close to half an
    hour in 96'F temperature. During that time, you removed your
    full-coverage helmet and shut your engine off. After waiting for
    almost half an hour, the traffic moved forward approximately 10
    feet, so you *pushed* your vehicle forward that distance, at
    slower than walking speed, only to wait again for another ten
    minutes (or some other specified time). This process repeated
    for over an hour (provide an approximate time), during which
    the accusing officer charged you with riding without a helmet.
    Ask the court to consider these extreme circumstances in light
    of the charge that is being presented, and the purpose for which
    that law was created.

  I believe that when the court hears your testimony, and it comes from a 
  well-spoken, polite, "elderly" gentleman, they will hopefully take these 
  facts into consideration and recognize that the charges are truly unmerited. 
  Good luck.

  -Steve Makohin
   '01 R1100S/ABS
   Oakville, Ontario, Canada

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