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Police cancel $368 ticket given to B.C. senior for having cellphone in cupholder

The woman was ticketed and then her son took to Twitter to ask if the fine is just
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Randi Kramer is fighting a distracted driving ticket she received for having her phone charging in her car’s cupholder while driving on Oct. 1, 2019. (Trevor Kramer)

An elderly woman who got a distracted driving ticket for having her cellphone in her cupholder has reportedly received an apology from police.

READ MORE: B.C. senior’s $368 ticket for cellphone in cupholder sparks debate

Randi Kramer, in her 70s, was driving along West Georgia Street in Vancouver when she stopped at a red light on Tuesday, her son Trevor told Black Press Media, and a police officer tapped on her window. He ended up fining her $368 for distracted driving because her phone was not properly secured.

But according to defence lawyer Kyla Lee, who was retained by the Kramers, Randi won’t have to pay the ticket after all.

“I am happy to report that Vancouver police have cancelled the ticket issued to Ms. Kramer this week,” Lee tweeted, adding that she was impressed with how the woman’s son advocated for her.

The incident sparked outrage online after her son, Trevor, tweeted about the ticket and how arbitrary he thought it was.

READ MORE: Having phone within sight while driving does not violate law, B.C. judge says

Holding a phone or “operating one or more of the device’s functions” qualifies as distracted driving in B.C.

At the time, a Vancouver police spokesperson had said there was a precedent for ticketing a person for “using an electronic device even if they are not touching it,” if it’s turned on and within the reach of a driver.


@ashwadhwani
ashley.wadhwani@bpdigital.ca

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About the Author: Ashley Wadhwani-Smith

I began my journalistic journey at Black Press Media as a community reporter in my hometown of Maple Ridge, B.C.
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