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They ticket the person whose name is on the title no matter who is driving.

The systems I've seen also take a shot through the windshield. If it's clearly not you driving, you can go to court and contest the fine -- or you can go to court and sue the person who got the fine for you.

It works the other way around sometimes. I bought my uncle a car so he could take care of my grandmother. It's registered and insured in my name. I failed to get the tag updated in time, and he got pulled over and ticketed. The ticket was in his name, but it was my fault, so I did the menschy thing and paid it.

In most cases, it will take a lot more time, effort and money to fight a ticket than to just pay up. That is the way traffic offenses are stacked -- due process is available, so the courts won't overturn it, but there are so many hurdles that 99% of drivers will simply pay the fine.

A few years ago, I got my first-ever speeding ticket in the city of Atlanta. 56 in a 35. Right at the razor's edge, because 20 mph over the limit gives you two points instead of one, a much bigger fine, and a ding on your insurance.

My plan was to go to traffic court and basically try to strike a plea bargain, pleading to 19 over the limit, to reduce the damage. I consulted a lawyer friend, who said that it would likely work and definitely wouldn't hurt. I could show the judge my driving record with no previous speeding tickets and throw myself on the mercy of the court.

So I went to traffic court. When my case was called, the cop who wrote the ticket wasn't there, so it was dismissed and I walked out scot free. Many, if not most, police departments are too stretched to have officers sitting around waiting to testify for a minor traffic offense.

The cop will show up if it's DUI, more serious offenses like reckless driving, or if there's an accident. That was my observation as I waited for my case to be called.