Putting the Motorist in the Driver's Seat

The indignation that seems to unite people of all ages, classes and races stems not from rising gasoline prices or the plight of the homeless, said Mulroy. It's traffic tickets. As a longtime traffic school instructor in San Diego, Mulroy has witnessed an untold number of tantrums over citations for moving violations. "I can't begin to tell you the amount of anger I've had to deal with," he said.

But now Mulroy is hoping to capitalize on that wellspring of ticket anger. The 36-year-old has left the classroom to become the "Ticket Assassin," with the help of his Web site, http://www.ticketassassin.com.

As the name suggests, the site's purpose is to help motorists "put a hit on" their tickets by understanding key and often little-known passages of the state's motor vehicle code. However, its ultimate mission is not to help guilty drivers weasel out of citations.

Rather, Mulroy wants "to return the state's money-corrupted traffic courts to their legitimate function as courts of justice," he said, noting the cost of running a red light has nearly tripled, to $271, in the last few years.

Ticket Assassin is one of dozens of Web sites dedicated to beating traffic tickets. The sites carry similar information and themes, although they range broadly in their colorfulness. (More than a few place an expletive near the letters DMV.)

Naturally, Department of Motor Vehicles officials are less than enthusiastic about such Web sites. DMV spokesman Evan Nossoff said the sites are usually equal parts legal advice and anger.

"Well, there's nothing illegal about giving advice," Nossoff said. "People take bad advice all the time." But rather than stew about any perceived injustice, Nossoff hopes that motorists use the occasion of a ticket as the impetus for self-reflection. "Sometimes a person doesn't deserve a ticket and they should pursue their rights," he added. "But most of the time, they deserve it and they should think about how to drive more safely."

It's that kind of attitude that drove Mulroy to establish his Web site--and with one notable difference from his online competitors. Users don't have to pay him upfront for the information. It's all on the honor system.