Back on July 17, 2016. I wrote about MoviePass as a loyal subscriber since 2013. I cancelled my subscription to MoviePass as the convenience and our love of going to the theater 2 times a week waned. We were originally paying $29.99 each (for two) for a movie a day. No reruns. Then it went up to $34.99 a month for 6 movies max. Then you had to start taking photos of your ticket stub. Fail to do this and you would get charged full price for your ticket and subscription suspended. Then they made it so it's impossible to watch new releases by blacking them out on opening and many times on following weekends. It became too difficult to use MoviePass to get into a movie.
I wasn't against paying my fair share, the $34.99 for 6 movies a month worked for me since I saw 6 movies mostly on Friday nights and Sunday afternoon. It was still working for me in terms of numbers. However, all the other problems added up and we ditched MoviePass as it got caught by Helios and Matheson Analytics, Inc. which became infamous for making the service $9.99 a month for unlimited movies. A completely unsustainable maneuver. Now MoviePass is almost gone with only $1.8 million value, the company can't even support a weekend of movies for its subscribers.
Well move on over as there's movie theater subscriptions popping up EVERYWHERE.
The best deal thus far is AMC Stubs A-List at $19.99 a month for 3 movies a week. That's 12 movies a month! Not a bad deal if you live or are near AMC theaters anywhere. With it comes extra points for concessions and goods purchased with your AMC Stubs A-List subscription.
Second is Cinemark Movie Club at $8.99 a month you get one ticket and then all tickets are $8.99, including two additional tickets at $8.99. In addition, get 20% off concession for everyone! If you skip a month, it rolls over to the next month. Not bad and only good at Cinemark theaters.
Sinemia has (which is what we now use as a couple) a multi tier subscription program where you pay for the year in advance and can view from 1 to 3 movies a month. We have a couple's plan and we can purchase 2 tickets for 2 movies a month at $15.99 a month. In our area one adult ticket is $16.99 each so this works as long as we watch 2 movies a month. Also since they essentially give you a credit card number, you can use it to purchase tickets from Movietickets.com and Atom for any movie at anytime in advance. After using Sinemia for a month, it works for us. We never received a card in the mail but we can use the Advanced Ticket feature to get a number to purchase tickets. Then at the theater you need to check in on the app to prove you went to the theater. That's it! The check-in was a little quirky at times but works.
Look for more of these movie theater subscription services come to life as theaters look for additional ways to retain customers and revenue as superhero movies and Star Wars slow down and online subscription services like Hulu, Prime Video, and Netflix keep stepping up their presence in the feature film and television series world.
Monday
Wednesday
Review of YouTube TV (July 2018)
If you're a Google and Android fan, this is a no brainer. The quality of the video stream is top notch and I've never had buffering or issues like I've had with SlingTV. The video stream quality is also noticeably better too. However if you're a shopper like me then stick around a minute.
YouTube TV offers DVR mode, records new episodes, and has playback of old episodes of many shows. It also carries the major television networks for your local area. The quality is very good and the platform is quite stable (aside from a couple app outages which are rare). They also have add on networks and programming like many of the other live TV streaming services.
There is good competition in this space and everyone seems to be settling for the $40 range on their products. SlingTV even raised their price on the Orange package by $5 as the competition stays above that range.
Now available to nearly anyone with a good network connection or cell phone service...
SlingTV
Youtube TV
Hulu TV
DirectTV Now
Spectrum TV Stream
and more to come.
YouTube TV can have 3 simultaneous streams at once, and it also can be shared in the family sharing feature on Google so you can let a family member log in with their own credential and have their own saved shows and such.
YouTube TV is constantly adding new networks and recently raised their prices from $35 to $40, as new networks were added. I tried Hulu TV during the beta and there were some streaming issues with the app crashing or streams stopping. Also the Live TV feature was only found using the desktop browser platform. It was much more difficult to get to Live TV on the mobile app and on the Xbox One. They have updated their menus and should be easier to get to the live TV features on the Hulu app now.
I have not tried DirectTV Now or Spectrum TV Stream but imagine since those are from big cable television players they have good competitive products as they play catch up to the cord cutting wave as cable subscribers diminish and the number of cord cutters increase.
Video content consumers want choices and to able to make choices without stuffy bundles that are wasteful to end users and the content providers. It seems like the tide is finally in and when it goes back out; the early adopters, both the provider and consumer are defining the market. However as more jump on board, the market is seemingly look like the old cable bundles. Where is my a la carte choices? Not yet... but someone somewhere will think of a way soon.
YouTube TV offers DVR mode, records new episodes, and has playback of old episodes of many shows. It also carries the major television networks for your local area. The quality is very good and the platform is quite stable (aside from a couple app outages which are rare). They also have add on networks and programming like many of the other live TV streaming services.
There is good competition in this space and everyone seems to be settling for the $40 range on their products. SlingTV even raised their price on the Orange package by $5 as the competition stays above that range.
Now available to nearly anyone with a good network connection or cell phone service...
SlingTV
Youtube TV
Hulu TV
DirectTV Now
Spectrum TV Stream
and more to come.
YouTube TV can have 3 simultaneous streams at once, and it also can be shared in the family sharing feature on Google so you can let a family member log in with their own credential and have their own saved shows and such.
YouTube TV is constantly adding new networks and recently raised their prices from $35 to $40, as new networks were added. I tried Hulu TV during the beta and there were some streaming issues with the app crashing or streams stopping. Also the Live TV feature was only found using the desktop browser platform. It was much more difficult to get to Live TV on the mobile app and on the Xbox One. They have updated their menus and should be easier to get to the live TV features on the Hulu app now.
I have not tried DirectTV Now or Spectrum TV Stream but imagine since those are from big cable television players they have good competitive products as they play catch up to the cord cutting wave as cable subscribers diminish and the number of cord cutters increase.
Video content consumers want choices and to able to make choices without stuffy bundles that are wasteful to end users and the content providers. It seems like the tide is finally in and when it goes back out; the early adopters, both the provider and consumer are defining the market. However as more jump on board, the market is seemingly look like the old cable bundles. Where is my a la carte choices? Not yet... but someone somewhere will think of a way soon.
How to get your bicycling ticket dismissed in Tempe, Arizona
Tempe, Arizona
If you have been cited for a City Code or Title 28 Moving violation, while operating a bicycle, you may be eligible to attend a Bicycle Diversion Class instead of paying the fine. If your complaint contains more than one charge, you must appear or pay those fine(s) at the Court on or before the appearance date on the bottom of the complaint.
Advantages:
The charge will be dismissed.
You will not have to pay the fine for that charge.
Eligibility:
The violation was committed while operating a bicycle.
Your bicycle charge has not already been set for a trial/hearing.
What to Do:
Appear in Court to pay a $50.00 Diversion Fee and retain the receipt.
Visit the Arizona State University Bicycle Safety website HERE to register, pay the class fee and complete the Bike Diversion Class.
You MUST have the following to register for the class:
Copy of the complaint.
Receipt for payment of Diversion Fee.
$18 Class Fee (paid by credit or debit card only)
Failure to complete the bicycle diversion class AT LEAST THREE BUSINESS DAYS PRIOR to your court date may result in additional monetary penalties being imposed.
https://www.tempe.gov/city-hall/city-court/bicycle-diversion-class
Cycling: Get your traffic ticket dismissed in South Bay: Palos Verdes, Torrance, Hermosa, Redondo, Manhattan Beach
South Bay - Southern California Beach Cities
(Manhattan Beach, Redondo, Hermosa, Palos Verdes, and Torrance Police)
The pilot program for the South Bay Bicycle Safety Class is a project spearheaded by the South Bay Bicycle Coalition to foster safer bicycling practices in the South Bay.
South Bay Bicycle Coalition is a California registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization TIN 45-5578685. SBBC, PO Box 3441, Manhattan Beach, CA 90266.
Email address: info@bicyclesafetyclass.org
It will reduce your fine to the $50 fee for bicycle traffic school. You can attend within 90 days of getting the ticket (even before it's in the system which takes up to 30 days). Just present your certification of completion at the court clerk's office. They will give you a walk-in slip to for the traffic court. Present the certificate to the judge, then voila. Dismissed as proof below.
http://www.southbaybicyclecoalition.org/bicyclesafetyclass/
(Manhattan Beach, Redondo, Hermosa, Palos Verdes, and Torrance Police)
The pilot program for the South Bay Bicycle Safety Class is a project spearheaded by the South Bay Bicycle Coalition to foster safer bicycling practices in the South Bay.
South Bay Bicycle Coalition is a California registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization TIN 45-5578685. SBBC, PO Box 3441, Manhattan Beach, CA 90266.
Email address: info@bicyclesafetyclass.org
It will reduce your fine to the $50 fee for bicycle traffic school. You can attend within 90 days of getting the ticket (even before it's in the system which takes up to 30 days). Just present your certification of completion at the court clerk's office. They will give you a walk-in slip to for the traffic court. Present the certificate to the judge, then voila. Dismissed as proof below.
http://www.southbaybicyclecoalition.org/bicyclesafetyclass/
Beating a cycling ticket for rolling through a stop sign in California (and other states)
So you got a ticket while on your bicycle and you've got some questions. What do you do?
Bicycling citations are treated the same as motor vehicle traffic citations and you will be fined the same amount regardless in a car or bicycle. So why are cyclists fined just as heavily? Because there hasn't been a lot of progress in city, state, and traffic law penal code for cyclists. Awareness must build as there are as more cyclists than motorcycle riders and the popularity is ever growing.
When you get your ticket, officers often start of with a fishing question, "Do you know why I pulled you over?" If you honestly don't know why, say so. This is the first step to having positive contact with the officer. However, if you know you broke a traffic code, like cruising through an intersection with a stop sign in California, admit it. Whether you will receive a warning or a citation differs from officer to officer, as well as city to city. Some officers just don't like cyclists how some people don't like cilantro, it's just unfortunate.
You will be asked to provide your driver's license. Since there is no auto vehicle or vehicle registration involved with the DMV, they will file your citation with your driver's license number. If you refuse or don't have your ID, you will still get a citation. They should put on the citation that it is a bicycle citation, so it doesn't get wrung through the DMV and hit you with possible points and insurance rate hike. Sometimes it still goes through to the DMV and you have to go back to the court clerk to take care of it because it slips by them. A violation for rolling through a stop sign is around $200-$400 where I live, just like a car or motorcycle.
Ok, so you're over with the initial bad part... so how do you get your ticket dismissed or the fines reduced?
If you live in cities with the bicycle safety diversion programs you are in luck. If you don't have a diversion program in your area, stay tuned. As you will have to pay a reduced fine by fighting it in court but keep reading if you want see some of the cities on board and tips in court.
South Bay - Southern California Beach Cities (Manhattan Beach, Redondo, Hermosa, Palos Verdes, and Torrance Police)
The pilot program for the South Bay Bicycle Safety Class is a project spearheaded by the South Bay Bicycle Coalition to foster safer bicycling practices in the South Bay.
South Bay Bicycle Coalition is a California registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization TIN 45-5578685. SBBC, PO Box 3441, Manhattan Beach, CA 90266.
Email address: info@bicyclesafetyclass.org
It will reduce your fine to the $50 fee for bicycle traffic school. You can attend within 90 days of getting the ticket (even before it's in the system which takes up to 30 days). Once your ticket is within the system, present your certification of completion at the court clerk's office. They will give you a walk slip to see the traffic court judge at that time. If you don't want to go to the traffic court clerk's office and wait as a walk-in case, then choose an arraignment online and present the certificate of completion to the judge.
http://www.southbaybicyclecoalition.org/bicyclesafetyclass/
San Francisco - East Bay: UC Berkeley Police only
Bike East Bay, in partnership with the California Bicycle Coalition, helped pass the Bicycle Traffic School bill (AB 902) in 2015. This allows people ticketed for a vehicle code violation while bicycling in California to attend a class and have the fine reduced or removed.
It will reduce your fine to the $50 fee for the bicycle traffic school.
https://bikeeastbay.org/UC101#Day1
Santa Cruz, California
http://www.santacruzhealth.org/HSAHome/HSADivisions/PublicHealth/CommunityHealthEducation/CommunityTrafficSafetyCoalition/Projects/BikeTrafficSchool.aspx
Tempe, Arizona (around ASU Main Campus and in Tempe)
Bicycling citations are treated the same as motor vehicle traffic citations and you will be fined the same amount regardless in a car or bicycle. So why are cyclists fined just as heavily? Because there hasn't been a lot of progress in city, state, and traffic law penal code for cyclists. Awareness must build as there are as more cyclists than motorcycle riders and the popularity is ever growing.
When you get your ticket, officers often start of with a fishing question, "Do you know why I pulled you over?" If you honestly don't know why, say so. This is the first step to having positive contact with the officer. However, if you know you broke a traffic code, like cruising through an intersection with a stop sign in California, admit it. Whether you will receive a warning or a citation differs from officer to officer, as well as city to city. Some officers just don't like cyclists how some people don't like cilantro, it's just unfortunate.
You will be asked to provide your driver's license. Since there is no auto vehicle or vehicle registration involved with the DMV, they will file your citation with your driver's license number. If you refuse or don't have your ID, you will still get a citation. They should put on the citation that it is a bicycle citation, so it doesn't get wrung through the DMV and hit you with possible points and insurance rate hike. Sometimes it still goes through to the DMV and you have to go back to the court clerk to take care of it because it slips by them. A violation for rolling through a stop sign is around $200-$400 where I live, just like a car or motorcycle.
Ok, so you're over with the initial bad part... so how do you get your ticket dismissed or the fines reduced?
If you live in cities with the bicycle safety diversion programs you are in luck. If you don't have a diversion program in your area, stay tuned. As you will have to pay a reduced fine by fighting it in court but keep reading if you want see some of the cities on board and tips in court.
South Bay - Southern California Beach Cities (Manhattan Beach, Redondo, Hermosa, Palos Verdes, and Torrance Police)
The pilot program for the South Bay Bicycle Safety Class is a project spearheaded by the South Bay Bicycle Coalition to foster safer bicycling practices in the South Bay.
South Bay Bicycle Coalition is a California registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization TIN 45-5578685. SBBC, PO Box 3441, Manhattan Beach, CA 90266.
Email address: info@bicyclesafetyclass.org
It will reduce your fine to the $50 fee for bicycle traffic school. You can attend within 90 days of getting the ticket (even before it's in the system which takes up to 30 days). Once your ticket is within the system, present your certification of completion at the court clerk's office. They will give you a walk slip to see the traffic court judge at that time. If you don't want to go to the traffic court clerk's office and wait as a walk-in case, then choose an arraignment online and present the certificate of completion to the judge.
http://www.southbaybicyclecoalition.org/bicyclesafetyclass/
San Francisco - East Bay: UC Berkeley Police only
Bike East Bay, in partnership with the California Bicycle Coalition, helped pass the Bicycle Traffic School bill (AB 902) in 2015. This allows people ticketed for a vehicle code violation while bicycling in California to attend a class and have the fine reduced or removed.
It will reduce your fine to the $50 fee for the bicycle traffic school.
https://bikeeastbay.org/UC101#Day1
Santa Cruz, California
http://www.santacruzhealth.org/HSAHome/HSADivisions/PublicHealth/CommunityHealthEducation/CommunityTrafficSafetyCoalition/Projects/BikeTrafficSchool.aspx
Tempe, Arizona (around ASU Main Campus and in Tempe)
https://www.tempe.gov/city-hall/city-court/bicycle-diversion-class
If you don't see your city on here, do a quick search on Google for your city and the term bicycle traffic school or visit the local law enforcement web site for information. If you still don't find one for the city you got your ticket in, you can try to fight it in court.
Remember, if you're guilty of a traffic infraction, ask for a fine reduction from the judge, citing a cyclist is not as dangerous as someone behind the wheel of a motor vehicle and if you were actually being safe and observant while making the infraction the judge may grant mercy and reduce your fines. However, if you were being a danger to yourself and others in a crowded traffic intersection, you may not have much of an argument.
Sometimes the ticketing officer will not show up for the case and the ticket will be dismissed. I witnessed this firsthand when a teenage driver showed up for his second ticket in so many weeks. The ticketing officer did not show up for court and this sometimes happens for various reasons. In addition, the officer's notes may have holes in it, for instance if you were ticketed for stop light and not a stop sign, some lights have a delayed green and the officer needs to have hard evidence you rode through the red and that it wasn't a delayed green light. Use your best judgment and don't try to be a weasel, as weasels don't get sympathy from anyone. I wish you the best.
If you don't see your city on here, do a quick search on Google for your city and the term bicycle traffic school or visit the local law enforcement web site for information. If you still don't find one for the city you got your ticket in, you can try to fight it in court.
Remember, if you're guilty of a traffic infraction, ask for a fine reduction from the judge, citing a cyclist is not as dangerous as someone behind the wheel of a motor vehicle and if you were actually being safe and observant while making the infraction the judge may grant mercy and reduce your fines. However, if you were being a danger to yourself and others in a crowded traffic intersection, you may not have much of an argument.
Sometimes the ticketing officer will not show up for the case and the ticket will be dismissed. I witnessed this firsthand when a teenage driver showed up for his second ticket in so many weeks. The ticketing officer did not show up for court and this sometimes happens for various reasons. In addition, the officer's notes may have holes in it, for instance if you were ticketed for stop light and not a stop sign, some lights have a delayed green and the officer needs to have hard evidence you rode through the red and that it wasn't a delayed green light. Use your best judgment and don't try to be a weasel, as weasels don't get sympathy from anyone. I wish you the best.
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