* You can actually get a ticket for honking your horn improperly. That happened to Glenn Schultz of Tampa when he honked at a van that suddenly stopped in front of him as Schultz was turning onto the I-275 ramp off of Big Bend Road. The officer said he created a hazardous situation, while Schultz argued his Honda Civic horn was no threat to safety. Although visibly amused by the story, hearing officer Damon Glisson found Schultz guilty.
"You can only use your horn to warn in an emergency situation," he explained. "You're making a good case, but you're not quite there."
* You can't blame your car for a ticket. One man charged with running a red light blamed his sputtering car when he ran a red light. "You're responsible for the condition of the car," Glisson told the man before finding him guilty.
* The more you confuse the hearing officer, the better chance you have of beating the ticket. This happened on a few occasions when the defendant created "reasonable doubt" about what actually happened on the road. "I'm not understanding this," Glisson said during one case. "You're going to have to draw this." After a few minutes of explanations from the police officer and the man, the ticket was dismissed.
* Police officers can call ahead to reschedule. If an officer knows he or she will not be able to make the court date, the officer can call and have it continued to another date. But if an officer neglects to call and does not show up, your ticket is dismissed.
* Your attitude can play a part in a hearing officer's decision in your case. "That's part of what the hearing officer can consider," Glisson says. "So is the truthfulness or candidness."
This article appears in Apr 4-10, 2007.