Ticketed: UNSAFE TOWING DEVICE

[TwoTone]

Gee you wonder why there's a law against it?

Never Tow Your Car Like This!

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[rch75]

Here’s a video of where I came up on the traffic jam that was splitting around the broken down Jeep Cherokee in the center lane. Note: there’s no shoulders on either side thanks to road construction.
It also tracks the path I took it on to get to Buc’ee’s. Yes it’s a couple miles, but it’s also the first parking lot and safe place to bring the broke down Jeep.

 

[rch75]

DA offered $300 deferred adjudication…

DA “Sir you’re charged with unsafe towing, what would you like to do with these charges?”

“I’d like a jury of my peers to convict me of towing an 80 year old lady out of the middle of I-45 on a 90* day.”

“See the lady’s in the window outside for a court date with a jury”

 

[rch75]

I’ll at y’all know when I get a court date of y’all wanna come support me.

 

[rch75]

I got the brakes with hundreds of other I-45 commuters in a traffic jam pulling around a broken down Cherokee in the middle lane. I just pulled around in front of her and pulled the little frightened 80 year old lady off the highway. No shoulders. Like unclogging a toilet. No officers, no tow trucks, no help in site. Not that we needed any.

Or you causing a pile up when the rope breaks and the towed vehicle can't control itself. We don;t KNOW the circumstances here just that the driver was cited. Notice NO picture of the towing arrangement. Easy to post about the ticket, harder to get sympathy if you present the whole picture.

 

[rch75]

I guess that’s why Virginia’s for lovers LOL. Y’all need your “southern” card revoked,.

Here is the law in my state. " In Virginia, a ticket for an unsafe towing device is a traffic infraction, usually punishable by a fine. Specifically, Section 46.2-1003 of the Code of Virginia prohibits the use or possession of defective and unsafe equipment on a motor vehicle, including towing devices, operated on a highway. " In Texas this is likely why you were ticketed. " In Texas, an unsafe towing device includes a drawbar or connection that isn't strong enough to pull the weight, exceeds 15 feet in length, or, if using a chain, rope, or cable, doesn't display a white flag or cloth at least 12 inches square. "

 

[Tiger Dude]

That cop needs their human card revoked.

 

[Walter56]

If you've got the time. Go to court plead innocent Ask for a jury trial.
Court date ask for a continuance. You want to make the cop regret this BS.
It's a shakedown, cop might even be taking money from the towing company.

 

[rch75]

Freedom has been a facade for a long time.

This is one way we claw it back.

 

[rch75]

Depends, was this disabled vehicle at risk?

Some car’s dead in the middle lane of I-45 with no shoulders on an overpass and causing a traffic jam likely to lead to additional rear endings. Turns out to be an elderly driver in 90* weather in a dead Cherokee…

I wonder how many of you bothered to watch the OP's video in post #68, where he re-created the tow. At the 6 second mark, he is off the freeway, and on an exit ramp. At the 8-9 second mark, there are clearly opportunities to move off the road. He continued thru a traffic signal and a couple more turns.
I wonder if he had pulled over earlier, instead of continuing on, if the ticket would have been written? Or, like he mentioned, actually talked to the LEO, rather than waving and continuing?

HRG

No Sir, those are just the traffic lights to get under the freeway to the first parking lot available that offered an air conditioned waiting area for the elderly driver of the stranded Cherokee.

Here’s approximately what the route looked like:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/1givAi8TpQ59FxQy8?g_st=ic

 

[d7602002]

I wish you luck! You are a better man than I as I probably wouldn't have even stopped or called anyone for help. My attitude would have been, rch75 will help her and I would have kept driving.

 

[rch75]

Not sure of the age of the OP - but older guys can do crazy crap without batting an eye ... especially if it was a chance to talk to a lady (married or not ) My dad (RIP) would have used shoe laces to tow a lady with no thought of the law lol His motto was it wasn't illegal until you got caught ... I give the officer the benefit of the doubt

Cheers

Had no idea who I was backing up to when I saw the Cherokee broke down in the middle lane. I woulda offered to tow ‘em off the freeway no matter who they were. Hope all the men driving Mavericks would do the same.

 

[dochawk]

As an attorney, I would love to be sitting in the well and watch a Las Vegas judge react to charge of helping an elderly lady out of traffic . . .

 

[rch75]

Did the old lady see you get ticketed?
Did you get the ladies contact info?
Maybe you could have her make a statement and get it notarized and take the letter to the judge?

Yes, she’s very grateful and gracious and happy to testify

 

[rch75]

I’ll be honest about something else: I don’t believe the officer even knows what kind of “towing device” I used. I think she wrote the ticket without even looking.

I think part of my trial should involve having the officer explain what the towing device was. If she can’t answer that, maybe her case falls apart. How can she accuse me of unsafe tow based on a device she didn’t witness.?

What do y’all think?

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