Attn WWU Police...

You aren't alone, but this probably won't happen. 

Here's how the speeding ticket game works: There is basically never enough evidence to support any sort of civil driving infraction in court.  So, since simple civil driving infractions are simply mailed in without being contested about 85% of the time, this is a safer revenue stream than giving out citations like endangerment/reckless driving which carry mandatory court appearances where said lack of evidence is likely to show up.

As an aside, if you wish to beat the game, learn the appropriate non-incriminating word tracks for when you get pulled over, and pay a lawyer $200 to get the ticket expunged.  This will almost always be less money in the long run than paying and getting higher insurance premium. 

This information is straight out of a Pierce County district court judge's mouth.

Specifically drivers around the ridge.
Nobody cares about your stupid riced out piece of shit car, honestly.  You're not cool because of what kind of car you have, you either:
A.  Wasted money and bought a car that you don't really need for college/highschool
B.  you are a spoiled shit with a trust-fund.  Congrats on not supporting yourself
C.  Hahahahaha have fun paying off your car for the next 10 years, I'll graduate and have a nice whip before your highschool/college car is paid off

To the kid with the newer clean looking Passat with the goffy ass rims on it, ya I'm talking specifically to you!!!
you've almost hit me at least 3 times, and you are always going waaaaay faster than you need to be.  not to mention you are always blasting to the stupidest mainstream rap with your windows down.  I swear sometimes you just drive around Kappa area so other people can hear your music.  Seroiusly grow the fuck up or I'll let you hit me and bring a massive lawsuit down on you.
/rant~

if anyone needs help getting out of a speeding ticket and doesn't want to pay to get a lawyer pm me.

+1. take those wheels off

What happened to the good ol' days when the police actually cared about enforcing the rules to protect our safety regardless of how much money they will bring in from it. Really, isnt that why we have campus police?

I've almost gotten hit so many times by careless drivers AT THE CROSSWALKS and its really frustrating that nothing is being done about it. I'm guessing  once someone actually gets hit they'll take some action. It's sad how things work like that.

A woman was hit about a year and a half ago at the crosswalk by 25th street. 

That's very unfortunate. I wonder how many more will it take before they actually do something about it.

two people were killed in that bt cross walk just last year. or maybe only one dude died and the other broke his neck really bad. but im pretty sure they both died. pretty messed up. thats why theres always cops doing speed traps there. i also watched a chick wrap her suv around one of those trees in the median right before the cross walk. that roads deadly. i think two guys have laid down their motorcycles and died on that road in the last 4 or 5 years too.

I don't think that all of the blame should be placed on the drivers.  The light by the rec center is far too notorious for pedestrians and poeple on bikes who think it their right to just walk or bike across the street when the light is against them.  One time in particular I remember when I was trying to turn left onto Bill McDonald and I definitely had the light and a biker decides to cut between me and the car in front of me AND in front of the car that was coming the other way.  The car coming the other way had to slam on his brakes because Mr. Biker came out of nowhere.

And that is most definitely not the only situation that has happened there.

I'm sorry, but not everything is the driver's fault.  The pedestrians have to show some common sense when crossing the streets. 

 Oh my gosh, I complain about this ALL the time!
I have a car and I am a pedestrian too. I ALWAYS stop for people at crosswalks because I know how hellish it is standing there waiting for someone to show a little kindness and respect.

I always thought it took massive balls to drive through a crosswalk in your warm, dry car while someone stands in the rain. It's so frustrating as a pedestrian and as a driver, because it gives us a bad rap! There are a few polite drivers out there.

Unfortunately, its hard to be seen amongst all the jerks who thing driving a car makes you superior to walkers and bikers. 

I am a driver mainly....i walk on campus too but that is not a big deal. The thing is people who want to cross the street almost NEVER wave or show me that they are walking. I stop for people when i see them and when they look at me. SO many people practically run out in the street without even looking assuming drivers will see them and stop, just like those drivers who dont care to stop for people. I think that if both drivers and walkers started being smarter they would work together. People would slow down and stop for people crossing the street and people crossing the street would 1. be patient and realize that drivers cant always see them 2. make eye contact that helps and 3 hurry across the street so drivers dont get mad that they let you cross lol.....basically I wouldnt completely drop the bomb on the cops....although it is a little ridiculous how freaking SLOW we have to drive through campus and they are around every corner all the time

The other day I was almost hit by a WWU police car when I was crossing the crosswalk outside of Birnam Wood. I had to literally jump out of his way as he screeched to a stop.

There's just no pleasing you, is there?

 Crossing Billy Mac is how I wake up in the morning

Heh
There is, I just don't point out things I like on the forum, I point out things that need to be fixed.

Just to say something good: The teachers at WWU are amazing, 11/10, the best aspect of Western....BY FAR!!

Unfortunately, bikers feel that they have both the rights of pedestrians and the rights of motorists... Basically that added to the egos and the feeling of invincibility in high school/college makes for some very dangerous bikers

A couple of weeks ago, I was arriving at a crosswalk at about the same time a WWU police officer was pulling up.  Instead of stopping for me he just zoomed through the stop sign right with the car ahead of him so he wouldn't have to wait for me to cross.

This is the type of post that is just embarrassing on these forums. It accomplishes nothing, and to the poster, it only makes you look jealous and ignorant. Grouping every student that has a car at this university into these three subjects (and don't try to say you were only talking about a specific person, because you obviously weren't) is ridiculous. Not to mention the way it's written looks immature, even if this is an internet forum. It's these types of posts that really seem to bring the quality of this forum down... there are plenty of quality posts in this topic, so I guess I should try to ignore posts like the one I quoted. Unfortunately, it's getting harder and harder.

About the topic, as a driver and pedestrian I have to say I agree with a lot of you that have posted on the issue. I've seen plenty of cars that should be a lot more careful with all the walkers/bikers/etc around, but I've also seen plenty of unsafe walkers/bikers/etc. For instance, pedestrians not using crosswalks and bikers going way too fast and ignoring their own safety and the safety of others.

To put the blame on WWU police really seems like a bit of a stretch. Thanks to them I know I feel a lot safer on campus than I would without them, although I think this whole issue could be addressed and improved.

well said.

People seem way too cavalier with their lives. Simple things like looking both ways before you cross a street, waiting until you know it's safe to cross, and being aware of your surroundings should always be practiced. Consider: Sure, you may have had the right of way on your crosswalk, but that doesn't really matter if you're dead or dismembered.

Take the two seconds to make sure it's safe before you cross a street. We all learned this when we were in kindergarten.

Also, bikers need to understand that they are obligated to follow all of the same traffic laws as drivers. I can't tell you how many times I've seen a bikers go through red lights just because they were on a bike and not in a car. 

I don't think he was grouping EVERY student who drives a car in these categories. I think he was mainly pointing out the people with the ridiculous "tricked out" cars that cost a lot of money and are no different than a regular car other than its aesthetics.

I know this doesn't contribute to the topic in any way, shape, or form but I just wanted to point out that you should really carefully read something before making a generalized statement or judgment about it and/or the person who wrote it. 

 to the OP

WWU police department does not see any revenue for traffic citations. their budget and operating cost is a part of the universities operating cost so they are funded solely by university funds. which is why some people at the university think that the Police Department should be gotten rid of and have Bellingham police department respond to all Western emergencies and have the rest of campus patrolled by security so it would be cheaper. however they do indeed pull drivers over for failing to yield to pedestrians i scan their radio traffic and they do indeed stop people. however when they are sitting there less people are going to speed and fail to yield so it is the job of the pedestrian to stop at a cross walk and see if the car is going to stop. i drive to campus and i sometimes do not see someone entering the cross walk for various reasons and have to slam on my brakes to stop you cant just step out and assume the other person is going to stop. you versus a 2500 lb vehicle. you will never win. you have to see it from both sides there are going to be those drivers you are d-bags who are going to blow through there just like there are pedestrians who are going to step put in the street and risk being hit to make a point. if you feel that this issue needs to be brought to the attention of the police dont post here send an e mail or set up an appointment to talk to the chief or the patrol sargeant he will be more than happy to hear you out and im sure they will have a emphasis on the cross walks. 

AND 

to all the other people complaining about cars modifying cars is just as much as a passion and hobby as photography or something else it is just as much as an expression for them as art so dont bash on them just because you think everyone should ride a bike or they are an unnecessary evil. we all i am sure have cut someone off or pissed someone else off while on a bike or operating a motor vehicle 

So true!
 

There are a lot of good points on this board. Here are my thoughts:

Although the WWU Police are not all to blame, there is a certain responsibility with that job to protect the safety of the people on campus, and that should include better inforcement of pedestrian laws. I know that not much money comes out of that, but it seems more important than stopping somone going 5 mph over.

And I agree that pedestrians should wait for the cars to stop before crossing the street, but I can't tell you how many times i've gotten off the bus by Kappa and waited as like 15 cars speed by. It's very frustrating! One time, it appeared that all the cars had stopped, but as i got halfway into the street, a car coming from the opposite direction sped out of nowhere and had to slam on the breaks to avoid hitting me. I think both sides need to be more responsible in their actions.

I absolutely agree.

Harmony among the travelers. :]

That's my problem!
Bikers are the WORST!
And I'm not saying that all bikers are the same, because that would be redundant and stupid, but more often than not, I find that bikers want to be a pedestrian and ride on the sidewalk, but if someone is too slow for them, they move into the road and cause traffic problems!
I would like to see some tickets for those bikers, please!

Bikers are legally allowed to be on both the sidewalks and the roads.  What traffic problems are they causing in the road that necessitates a ticket?

Did you miss this?  That guy should have gotten a ticket. 

Since when have bikers been allowed to be on sidewalks?  Perhaps things are different here in Bellingham, but where I'm from it is illegal as sidewalks exist for pedestrians.  The rule (like hand delivering mail into mailboxes such as birthday invitations) is not enforced (at least where I'm from) and there's probably some exception to it being ok if there isn't an adequate shoulder.

Eh.....well yeah, i forgot about that.  Plus i had to read it a few times before i could imagine what was happening in the situation.  But what else?  Bikers get a bad rap in general because there a few bad ones, or sometimes they make mistakes.  But drivers make mistakes all the time as well, and it seems as if they are more immune to criticism.  Seeing a biker make a bad move can make someone automatically dismiss all bikers as bad, but i do not see that as much when people witness bad drivers.      

I've had a couple sources for this rule in bellingham, but haven't read the primary source.  In seattle, i'm positive that bikes are allowed on sidewalks, because some roads just aren't bike-friendly. However, if bikes are on sidewalks they have to be doing a relatively low speed and can't affect the safety of pedestrians. 

Try not to get all uppity about bikers Mr. Sir.  I'm not dissing all of you; in fact, I'm a biker myself.  I just dislike the ones that think they can do whatever they want because they're on a bike and "saving the environment". 

Try not to get all uppity? Talk about offensive miss "Im a biker too so it's ok for me to say what i feel", simply riding a bike occasionally makes you just that, someone that happens to have a bike. There are populations of bikers at this school who truly use their bikes as their own small contribution to "saving the environment". I'm hardly an enviro nut and even own a pickup truck, but I try to ride my bike for that exact reason as much as I can. Driving a truck and riding a bike for environmental reasons may be conflicting, but honestly its a step in the right direction. Kudos to you for poopooing those that are at least cognizant of the fact that they have some form of responsibility. I know it’s a bit off topic but honestly think before you write.

And yes, rude bikers suck, but lets face it, i'd rather get hit by someone on a bike, than any sort of car.

From a driver's standpoint, it is REALLY ANNOYING when you're late to class and someone talking on her (or his) phone walks right across the road when you clearly have a green light to go straight...
But I just solve the problem by getting really close to them and looking at them like they have a large parasite on their face.
Just because there's a crosswalk there, doesn't mean you can walk across it any time you want. And the flashing red hands... those mean STOP WALKING because the light is about to turn red and the people who want to turn left need you to stop taking your sweet time making the 20 foot trek from one side of the road to the other.
I am more than happy to wait the 27 seconds it takes for the crosswalk to turn before walking across, as a courteousy to drivers.
I expect the same when I am driving.

bikers are allowed on the sidewalk. however the law states that pedestrians always have the right of way on a sidewalk.

Wow. Reading through this thread (out of sheer boredom) made me realize just how unnecessarily sensitive people can be. Seriously, grow thicker skin. The comments about drivers with tricked out cars and overindulged, egoistic “green” bikers were hilarious- allow yourselves to laugh about it. Jesus Christ, It is ridiculous how people are offended/influenced by any harmless sentence that has a hint of mockery. If a clever comment like that bothers you, maybe you should go cry about it in a bathroom and come back to the forum to post when you’ve gotten a hold of your erratic emotions.

Stop looking for ways to play be the victim.

What if I need to bring out my societally oppressed Asian side by manifesting it in the coolest looking beater car with my thousand dollar spoiler that goes out past the sides of my car?  And maybe I like putting hundreds of dollars worth of green neon underneath my car, just because it matches my yellow and purple decals?  Let's not be racist man, I feel that your hatred towards my ricer is racist to the every molecule of my being.  Next time I see you, I'll rev my turbo-charged 4 cylinder engine to show you how peeved I really am  >:o

Playing the victim gives me a rush that nothing short of yayo can quench.

It's a rough life.

A. Why do you care/why is it your business where they spend their money?
B. Since when does the fact that your family can/does support you make you a spoiled shit? If it's available to you, why not use it?
C. Again, don't worry about how other people spend their money.

And I like those rims on the Passat haha

bahahahaha~

Why the hell are you scanning police frequencies?  You are not Batman.  You are not the last line of defense against the tyranny of the police force encroaching upon civil liberties, like wolves in the night approaching a sheep pen.  That's just...wrong.

As far as the OP is concerned, I don't even know where to begin.  Police have better things to do than make sure dumbass pedestrians aren't stepping into traffic; actually, I take that back, since last year people like you were grumbling that police were issuing jaywalking tickets.  Hmmm... Issuing jaywalking tickets would seem like a pretty effective way of making sure pedestrians are crossing with signals instead of just RUNNING INTO THE F***ING ROAD.  If you don't want to get hit by a car, don't walk where they drive.

who knows?  maybe he is Batman, the vigilante B-ham Knight.  perhaps he goes around taking down eco-terrorists and protecting hippies.

Try at the begining, but this time read the whole thing. I plainly said that while crossing in the crosswalk I find myself playing frogger with all the impatiant people who can't plan their day well enough to allow for 30 seconds extra in their commute for a pedestrian that, by all legal rights, has the right of way.

I have literally dove for cover after looking directly into the eyes of a driver who made an illegal turn that both denied me and other cars their right of way. As soon as the traffic stopped and I started crossing, this moron shot out from the opposite side of the road and tried to shove his way past everyone. This is the kind of crap I am sick of. Either put up some crossing lights, an intersection with lights, or start upholding the law.

Though maybe batman could spend less time in his "batcave" and more time on the beat?

I fucking like you, friend.