Help Defining Meaning of this Traffic Sign - Case Dismissed! VICTORY

A Happy Panda

A Happy Panda

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So I recently got a ticket for going the wrong way on a one way...but it's not entirely my fault. See. The thing is that there was no sign at all to indicate that the street was a one-way-left, whereas I turned right, which was the wrong direction of traffic.

Long story short, the cop made the smug remark of "Hard to see those big white one way signs huh?" I just apologized and assumed I must've missed it. So after I got my ticket I thought to myself...no fucking way I missed a sign like that. I've never gotten a ticket in 6 years of having my license and wasn't going to believe I was going to get one now. So I circle around the block again and to my surprise and wonder...there's no fucking sign. ANYWHERE.

But anyways, before I go and fight this in court does anyone know if this sign below can double as a one-way sign? I've talked to numerous friends and family who have said no, a sign like that simply signifies that you cannot park after this sign marker.

Below is a photo of where I made the violation. The street is a one-way left, which is where I took a right turn and got immediately pulled over:

stopsign.jpg


This photo is from the other side of the street where cars would be allowed to only take a right turn to go with the one way flow:

stopsign2.jpg


BTW This was in downtown Portland, OR.
 
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Wow that place must be ass backwards because anytime and I mean anytime theres a one way, it is indicated by

r6-1.gif


Yes. I'm pretty sure he established what a stop sign is. Now on the other side of the street in the first picture it looks like there is a one way sign but that doesnt help people on your side of the street. I have never seen that sign mean one way. If I saw that, I would think no parking in that direction
 
[quote name='crystalklear64']That would be a stop sign. You're supposed to stop at those.[/QUOTE]

This guy's got jokes.

Actually slickkill, the second photo is from the opposite side of the street of that first photo and as you can see, again, no one way sign to indicate that traffic can only flow one way. The first photo just looks like there's a sign beneath the stop sign, but thats from the background sculpture thing.
 
[quote name='A Happy Panda']But anyways, before I go and fight this in court does anyone know if this sign below can double as a one-way sign?[/QUOTE]

Given that it's pointing in the direction opposite the apparent flow of traffic on the one way street, I'm going to say no.
 
i'm here all week

aight, messaged my friend in bend (was just in portland this weekend too), just incase it was some crazy oregon only law or something, he agrees with the sign meaning no parking there

Crysto: http://img15.imageshack.us/img15/1408/stopsign.jpg
Crysto: http://img35.imageshack.us/img35/9027/stopsign2.jpg
prestonkyle13: yay stop sign
Crysto: recognize?
prestonkyle13: no
Crysto: in portland apparently
Crysto: the question is
Crysto: that first one
Crysto: is there anything in that picture
Crysto: that would indicate a one way?
Crysto: like.. does that red arrow mean you can't go that way?
prestonkyle13: no that means no parking
prestonkyle13: the one way sign probably just isn't in the picture
Crysto: the two pictures
Crysto: are facing each other
Crysto: the back of the stop sign in one
Crysto: is the front in the other
Crysto: so it gives a pretty wide view
prestonkyle13: hmmmm
 
[quote name='Gothic Walrus']Given that it's pointing in the direction opposite the apparent flow of traffic on the one way street, I'm going to say no.[/QUOTE]

Right. But the thing is with that first photo, the flow of traffic is supposed to only go left, like that Silver Civic is doing so a sign that says "No Parking Right" makes sense...sorta...you can't turn right to park. But really, I just need to know if it is worth my time to fight it or am I going to go into the court during my hearing and hear the judge say "Nope...that sign doubles as a sign indicating the flow of traffic on a one way street"

I have like 7 other photos to capture all angles just so I wouldn't be questioned. I actually might go back there and take even more from further distances out just to make sure.
 
[quote name='A Happy Panda']Right. But the thing is with that first photo, the flow of traffic is supposed to only go left, like that Silver Civic is doing so a sign that says "No Parking Right" makes sense...sorta...you can't turn right to park. But really, I just need to know if it is worth my time to fight it or am I going to go into the court during my hearing and hear the judge say "Nope...that sign doubles as a sign indicating the flow of traffic on a one way street"

I have like 7 other photos to capture all angles just so I wouldn't be questioned. I actually might go back there and take even more from further distances out just to make sure.[/QUOTE]

I don't think any of us can say anything definitively, but in my experience I've only seen one way signs that look like the black and white ones posted earlier.

I'd probably fight it.
 
[quote name='Gothic Walrus']I don't think any of us can say anything definitively, but in my experience I've only seen one way signs that look like the black and white ones posted earlier.

I'd probably fight it.[/QUOTE]

Ya. You know the really fucked up thing is that I used Google Street View to look at that intersection and the photos in Google Street View have One way signs on both stop signs...IDK how old those photos are but they aren't there anymore.
 
[quote name='A Happy Panda']Ya. You know the really fucked up thing is that I used Google Street View to look at that intersection and the photos in Google Street View have One way signs on both stop signs...IDK how old those photos are but they aren't there anymore.[/QUOTE]

Some jackass probably just stole the oneway signs.
 
[quote name='A Happy Panda']Ya. You know the really fucked up thing is that I used Google Street View to look at that intersection and the photos in Google Street View have One way signs on both stop signs...IDK how old those photos are but they aren't there anymore.[/QUOTE]

Fight it, if you have proof that there was no one way signs there which you do, you have a very high chance of winning.
 
Without a doubt, I'd fight it. Worst case scenario, the judge doesn't agree with you and nothing changes (except a lost day of work/school). Best case scenario, they throw out the ticket and post up one way signs at the intersection.
 
[quote name='A Happy Panda']Long story short, the cop made the smug remark of "Hard to see those big white one way signs huh?"[/QUOTE]
:roll:
 
I would take that sign to mean no parking to the right of that stop sign. Unless there are one way signs further back from the intersection I'd say you should definitely contest the ticket.
 
When I first looked at the photo before reading all of the details you gave, the first thing that popped into my head was:

"No Parking, Turn Right"

Looking ahead at the oncoming traffic, I can clearly see that there is little to no room for driving forward, and even though a car is coming in the opposite direction from the right in your photo, I still have a bit of a hard time determining whether two cars could fit side by side on that road. If there were no cars, I'd consider a right turn fair game.

As for the other side's sign, that really only bolsters your case that the city did a pretty poor job of establishing road signs at that intersection, but does nothing in the way of justifying your initial decision.

Good luck fighting the ticket, I do think you can beat it.

Oh, and as for the cop's remark about it being "Hard to miss those big one way signs", the only sign in your field of view was pointing to the right. So you hit it pretty dead on, and that's the problem.

~HotShotX
 
Looks like you are right to me. I'd fight it, no way does that indicate a one way street.

On another note, wtf is with the road/street in downtown portland? The street directly across from where the first picture was taken doesn't even look like a street. I think Portland needs a new city planner.
 
From the impression I get from friends who live in Portland (haven't made it out there yet myself), it's just not a very driver friendly city.

They really want people to walk, bike and use public transit, so I don't think they'd have much interest in improving the road system.
 
[quote name='HotShotX']When I first looked at the photo before reading all of the details you gave, the first thing that popped into my head was:

"No Parking, Turn Right"

Looking ahead at the oncoming traffic, I can clearly see that there is little to no room for driving forward, and even though a car is coming in the opposite direction from the right in your photo, I still have a bit of a hard time determining whether two cars could fit side by side on that road. If there were no cars, I'd consider a right turn fair game.

As for the other side's sign, that really only bolsters your case that the city did a pretty poor job of establishing road signs at that intersection, but does nothing in the way of justifying your initial decision.

Good luck fighting the ticket, I do think you can beat it.

Oh, and as for the cop's remark about it being "Hard to miss those big one way signs", the only sign in your field of view was pointing to the right. So you hit it pretty dead on, and that's the problem.

~HotShotX[/QUOTE]

The only reason why I took the right turn was because I am admittedly not that well versed with driving downtown. I'm from the suburbs and the only times I do go downtown, I use our lightrail system (The Max) or have a friend drive who knows the city better.

I also got the ticket at about 11:00 PM on a Saturday night so combining my inexperience of driving downtown and it being night time making it hard to see signs and such while adding in the fact that there was no sign all added to why I got the ticket.

Also yeah, it's only that particular section of road that is for whatever strangely paved. They only added that to the Chinatown a couple years ago, and the first time I saw it I thought cars weren't allowed to go through.
 
Not that anyone cares, but I went to court today. Showed the cop the photos. He goes "yeah that is shitty, I'll have it dismissed."

$276 stays in my pocket.
 
You definitely need to contest that. Hopefully the idiot cop will try to defend his ineptitude at writing a proper ticket and you can own him in front of the judge with the pictures. Take several more pictures (try including the street names if they can be fit in the shot) and BE RESPECTFUL in court. Respectful of the judge, the cop (even though he's a moron) and state the facts and only the facts. I was once written a ticket for speeding in a school zone. I did some research and realized that the warning signs were not set at the minimum distance required. The solicitor general listened to what I had to say and dismissed the ticket. I never even went in front of a judge. Good luck on this.
 
[quote name='keithp']Did you smugly say," Kinda hard to SEE one-way signs that AREN'T THERE"?[/QUOTE]

Cop was kind of a burly dude, so didn't exactly wanna mess with him. But no hard feelings, he was really cool about it.
 
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