speeding tickets

[Mister Bushice]

Got one last month. $199 bucks. for going 75 in a 55 zone, like everyone else in front of and behind me on that highway.

When I went in to pay it I told the clerk after I would have felt a whole lot better if she had pointed a gun at me over the counter. She looked at me like I was nuts, but asked why anyway, so I said "Well, it makes it so much easier to get sympathy from others when you tell people you were robbed, and the thief had a gun"...

I believe if she had the power to do so, she would have issued me another ticket right there and then.

Fucking thieves is what they are, though. 2 large for speeding, plus traffic school brings it to two-fitty.

[Bobby42]

This is interesting. Wife just called me and said she got a speeding ticket this morning enroute to work. 75 mph in a 55 zone. Second ticket in five years. Back then it was $100.00 so this time it should be close to what you had to pay.

Here, too she could have dropped my name and said I was five-o. She didn't. I'm proud of her for taking responsibility but she can slow down anytime now.

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

If I was the clerk, I would've asked you to give me another clever quip about how it was my fault you were stupid enough to go 20 over.

[Dinsdale]

'Round these parts, we'd call that a "very cheap ticket."

They can get you for up to $600, and if my memory works, they can double that in a "safety corridor."


I think for 20 over, it probably would have been about $300, or something like that...unless it was in a "doubled up" zone, or if there was any road construction in the area.

[Mikey]

Fucking cops are running rough shot all over the sordid clambake up there.

[Mister Bushice]

stupid enough to go 20 over.

No, just stupid enough to get caught. However the other 15 cars in my general area at the time that were going the same speed got away. Just not my day, I guess.

[OCmike]

If I was the clerk, I would've asked you to give me another clever quip about how it was my fault you were stupid enough to go 20 over.

Well, you have to understand how SoCal is. The generally understood rule between cops and drivers is that there are enough idiots on the road doing 80+ that they won't pull you over if you keep it at or below 75. I drove that way the entire time I lived in SoCal and never got a ticket.

I did get pulled over a few times when I was going 85 or so, but got off each time, as I was in the Navy at the time. The CHP is somewhere around 80% former military, so if you're not an asshole and flash them your military ID, they'll usually let you go with a "slow it down, mkay?"

I learned veeeeeeeeeery quickly that Texas is not California when it comes to the frequency of cops pulling you over. I got pulled over for doing 75 in a 65 last October and got pulled over again doing 70 in a 60 in Houston on my way back from LA in January. Thing was, I learned my lesson after the first ticket and had my cruise control set on 70 because that was the last sign that I saw...I just missed the sign when the speed limit lowered to 60. I went to court to fight that ticket, since like Bushice, I was driving in a pack of cars and was going the speed of traffic. Fortunately for me, the cop didn't show up, so my ticket was dismissed. Scoreboard, baby! :D

[Shoalzie]

The only ticket I got...back when I was 17...I was clocked for 52 in a 35 but the cop ticketed me for just 10 over and the ticket was $70 or $75.

[Diego in Seattle]

Got one last month. $199 bucks. for going 75 in a 55 zone, like everyone else in front of and behind me on that highway.

Rack Mgo. Ya reap what ya sow.

Although I will add that you're not telling the whole picture. In order to get that sort of fine you have to have other court convictions or was going faster than 20 over.

[Mississippi Neck]

Here in TX, you can take an online course to get rid of your ticket, if the judge is so inclined. And they are a joke.

After listening to a little video, the first question:


Was the narrator a man or a woman?



And shit if I didnt have the fucking sound down.

[Money Shot]

Nice sunglasses and moustache.

Regards,
Jeff Kent

[Wolfman]

hey 88 or any other Ohioan--
is the truck speed limit on interstates still 60 mph ??
I remember going along I-80 years ago and noticed
that I was passing all trucks and that no truck had passed me-- found out that a lot of truckers avoided
Ohio if they could because of the clamp down !

[Ken]

Fucking cops are running rough shot all over the sordid clambake up there.

It was only MARGINALLY funny the first time... probably even teetering on the UNfunny. Keep it up though if it entertains you.

[Mikey]

I've been trying to type something else but that phrase keeps popping up. I don't get it.

(And while you're at it, go back to jamming your rhetorical finger up Goob's ass. I'm not interested.)

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

Well, you have to understand how SoCal is. The generally understood rule between cops and drivers is that there are enough idiots on the road doing 80+ that they won't pull you over if you keep it at or below 75. I drove that way the entire time I lived in SoCal and never got a ticket.

I get that. In some areas, 20 over = 10 according to interstate "ettiquette," how much leeway cops give you according to traffic flow, etc.

My point, which I guess I didn't convey well enough, is that if I get busted for 5 over or 50 over, I might swear at the cop. I might swear at the my state, my governor, my county, etc. Hell, I might even swear at myself for knowingly breaking the law. Whoa? Personal accountability? No freaking way?! But the last person I'm going to give a hard time to is some 9-5 desk jockey named Nancy who had exactly ZERO to do with A) the ticket issued and B) the exorbitantly high rate set for the fine.

Although I guess those folks are pretty used to pissed off "customers" by now that it ain't no thang to them.

[Ken]

Haven't had a speeding ticket since I was 16. I should have several since I'm not exactly riding the right lane.

Couple years ago, was heading to Atlanta's airport... from South Carolina. Rather than take the interstate system, decided to take a more direct route on some backwoods roads. Nothing but poverty and yellow pine forests ripe for lumbering along the way. I'm cruisin' pretty good and a cop crests the hill coming the other way. I slow down, but not enough. Lok in my rear view and sure enough, doin' a 180 in the middle of the road.

Thought this yankee in the deep south was gettin' plungered. Gave me a warning.

Not long after, similar story driving up in Maine. Actually, in the town of Buxton ('sup Shawshank). Got off w/a warning.

[Ken]

I've been trying to type something else but that phrase keeps popping up. I don't get it.

(And while you're at it, go back to jamming your rhetorical finger up Goob's ass. I'm not interested.)

... aaaaand you're interested in someone ELSE'S finger up your ass? Shoulda' posted something about a sordid clambake... or something.

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

I've found trees are the best way to avoid speeding tickets.

-TTB

[KC Scott]

One of my best freinds is a captain on Indep PD - The general rule for them is 10 mph or higher and you get the ticket. Don't kid yourself though - name dropping works. And the fact I've played in a couple of their poker tournys. Best money I ever lost.

[Cicero]

RACK 88

[Y2K]

That photo of the radar cop is amusing because regardless of where you are here in the states they all have the generic Marine haircut, moustache and sunglasses. Is it some sort of requirement so officers can quickly identify other officers whether on or off duty?

Hey Rack Fu...

Buzz Cut? Stache?

Fess up.

[Rack Fu]

That photo of the radar cop is amusing because regardless of where you are here in the states they all have the generic Marine haircut, moustache and sunglasses. Is it some sort of requirement so officers can quickly identify other officers whether on or off duty?

Hey Rack Fu...

Buzz Cut? Stache?

Fess up.

Am I a police officer?

Regardless, membership has its privileges:

Officer: Sir, do you know why I pulled you over?
Me: It is my responsibility to inform you that I'm an armed federal agent.
Officer: Can I see some ID?
Me: Yes, sir.
Officer: I have a miserable life and wish I were dead!

I certainly can't look to influence any favoritism but it's certainly my duty to inform the officer that I'm armed. Whatever happens after that is up to the officer. For the record, I've only been pulled over twice. That script that I posted above was the exact conversation both times.

[War Wagon]

..for going 75 in a 55 zone, like everyone else in front of and behind me on that highway.

Ah yes, the old "but everyone else was doing it" lame defense.

During hunting season and there's a flock of ducks flying overhead, at least one of those birds is going down.

Your turn.

[Atomic Punk]

I drive around 70 in a 65 all of the time. OCMike is right about how it is in Los Angeles. The one and only ticket I ever got was when the I-5/I-405 split and a CHP pulled off the ramp to only go right back on and I saw him do it. I was driving the old 1970 Pontiac LeMans at 85 mph and he got my ass fair and square. I told him I knew why he pulled my dumb ass over. He wrote me up for only 5 mph over and was totally cool.

A few months later a CHP pulled me over for having tinted side windows. He saw my military haircut and told me he's going to let me off. However, if he saw me again and that tint wasn't pulled off he would get my ass. That tint disappeared in about 30 minutes later.

Not surprised to see Diego chime in on this thread. The worst thing is... whenever I see fog, I think of a sandal wearing fruitcup faggot from Seattle from the depths of my dome.

[War Wagon]

The rest of the gooslings should suffer along with the goose.

Not near enough hunters out there, Todd.

Barely enough to make a few examples of now and then, and hope the lessons apply to the rest of the flock. Of course, it seldom does.

[SaladTosser]

To summarize; Mister Bushice got a speeding ticket for speeding, Bobby 42s black wife got one, too, and RACK 88 and Dins as usualm. Good thread, actually.

[RadioFan]

The one I was complaing about on this board two years ago was a misscarriage of justice and was the result of an officer who was up for promotion and trying to shoot anything that moved. And this was verified in the local papers a few months later by a story of a promotion greviance in that department, and among the criteria mentioned for promotion was how many tickets each officer wrote. Doesn't take much reasoning to figure out that a whole lot of people got shafted because some prick wanted to make SGT.

Too bad his supervisors didn't see the pileon in here after you started that thread. He would've made lieutenant.

[Mister Bushice]

To summarize; Mister Bushice got a speeding ticket for speeding, Bobby 42s black wife got one, too, and RACK 88 and Dins as usualm. Good thread, actually.

Too bad you fucked it over with empty lame commentary.

Consider yourself issued a ticket for going too stupid in a smart zone.

[Diego in Seattle]

To summarize; Mister Bushice got a speeding ticket for speeding, Bobby 42s black wife got one, too, and RACK 88 and Dins as usualm. Good thread, actually.

Too bad you fucked it over with empty lame commentary.

Consider yourself issued a ticket for going too stupid in a smart zone.

Link?

[Terry in Crapchester]

Here the fines generally aren't quite so bad as they are in other places, apparently. And they're payable to the Courts, not to the DMV, which means that there is some discretion in setting the level of fines.

Having said that, there is a cautionary tale, however. New York has a point system for motorists. Accumulating a certain number of points within an 18-month period can result in revocation of your driver's license. In fact, depending on how fast you were going, a single speeding conviction can (not necessarily will) take you into that realm. And three speeding convictions within an 18-month period will result in mandatory revocation of your driver's license, regardless of total points assessed.

Moral of the story: if you get a speeding ticket in New York, and you're inclined just to plead guilty, pay the fine and be on your way, think again. You're better off trying to negotiate a more favorable disposition, which you can do most of the time. It'll cost you a little extra time, but will be well worth it in the long run.

[Diego in Seattle]

Here the fines generally aren't quite so bad as they are in other places, apparently.

Back in '98 when I was last teaching a traffic violater ('sup Dins?) school class the fines for speed on a first offense (20 or less over posted) ran around $77-$104. Even a second offense would get around $136-$150. And while that was nearly ten years ago, I haven't seen any stories in the San Diego newspaper to indicate that the fines have been raised. So either Bushice was being tagged for the third time in three years, or was cited for going faster than he said.

[Rack Fu]

To expound on Terry's post...

One of my college classmates got a ticket doing 125 mph in a 55 mph zone. He was driving on I-690 around Syracuse. With a clean record to that point, 70 over put him over the points and he lost his license for a year (maybe more).

[Hobbes]

Moral of the story: if you get a speeding ticket in New York, and you're inclined just to plead guilty, pay the fine and be on your way, think again. You're better off trying to negotiate a more favorable disposition

It's been a while since I got a speeding ticket here, but I believe in Colorado paying the fine is one way you can get a more favorable disposition.

Several years ago I got pulled over for doing 77 in a 55. It was early on a Sunday morning on I-25, practically no traffic, and I had just worked all night and was dog tired and only thinking about getting home to sleep. Still, I knew I fucked up and all I could do was take the ticket and be on my way. Colorado has a point system also, and if I remember correctly, it was a 3 point offense, but if you paid the fine without trying to contest the ticket, it was reduced to a 1 point offense on your record. I was more concerned with the hike to my insurance premiums than I was with the $75 fine, or whatever it was, so I scratched a check.

[See You Next Wednesday]

Don't you know that everyone was speeding, everyone in jail is innocent and everyone was at Wilt Chamberlin's 100 point game.

[Dinsdale]

One of my college classmates got a ticket doing 125 mph in a 55 mph zone.

WAR 1985. When I was just out of high school, I got tagged for 110. Pretty generous of him, really, since I was going around 140 or so. Cost me about $80. Now, they recently passed a law that says if it's over 100, it's an automatic $1000 and possible jail. A couple more like that one eventually landed me in "driver improvement training," but back in those days, traffic school was more like a right-of-passage for young men.

[Terry in Crapchester]

One of my college classmates got a ticket doing 125 mph in a 55 mph zone.

WAR 1985. When I was just out of high school, I got tagged for 110. Pretty generous of him, really, since I was going around 140 or so. Cost me about $80. Now, they recently passed a law that says if it's over 100, it's an automatic $1000 and possible jail. A couple more like that one eventually landed me in "driver improvement training," but back in those days, traffic school was more like a right-of-passage for young men.

Fines never get to $1,000 in these parts, but losing your license is tagged to mph over the posted speed limit, not actual speed. Last I checked, and I don't think they've changed it since then, you risk losing your license at 40 mph over the posted speed limit. That could be as little as 55 mph, if you happened to be in a school zone at the time.

And jail is always a possibility in these parts, not just for speeding, but for any traffic infraction. But the maximum is only 15 days, and as a practical matter, it's rarely imposed for a traffic infraction.

[Dinsdale]

And jail is always a possibility in these parts, not just for speeding, but for any traffic infraction.

Wow. Have you guys ever heard of "The Constitution"?


I'll take my several-thousand dollar jury trial, thank you very much. Speedy trials, due process, corroborating testimony....these are things our state Supreme Court seems to think are vital when dealing with a loss of freedom.



Since a person isn't subject to incarceration for traffic infractions, they aren't entitled to jury trials, and all of those other things that would make traffic court very expensive if they were required. This is also why photo enforcement held up in the state SC.



If I never set foot in the state of NY, I think I'll be happy about it. You people really seem to hate America.

[Terry in Crapchester]

And jail is always a possibility in these parts, not just for speeding, but for any traffic infraction.

Wow. Have you guys ever heard of "The Constitution"?

Yeah, and I've read just a little caselaw on the subject.

With respect to the right to a jury trial, the Supreme Court has held that that right applies only to "infamous" offenses. A traffic infraction is a "petty" offense and doesn't count. The U.S. Supreme Court rejected the felony/misdemeanor dichotomy in their decision, and instead set six months as a "bright line" test. In other words, if incarceration for up to six months is a possibility, the U.S. Constitution's guarantee of a right to a jury trial applies. If the maximum sentence is something less than that, the guarantee does not apply.

If you have a problem with that, take it up with the U.S. Supreme Court.

If I never set foot in the state of NY, I think I'll be happy about it. You people really seem to hate America.

If you think New York is bad, try Texas. I think they execute jaywalkers down there.

[Dinsdale]

If you have a problem with that, take it up with the U.S. Supreme Court.

No need, really. I live in a state that has the balls to say "fuck the USSC." We do things our way, by our rules, and if the rest of the country doesn't like it, they can fuck themselves. We couldn't care less what the Fed says about growing marijuana legally. We couldn't give a fuck what Ashcroft Gonzales The Liar or Bush think about assisted suicide(since they're such big "states rights" guys). We can walk around naked wherever we want(although that's coming under fire lately) and we can carry guns almost at will. If a corner is zoned for a bookstore, it's also zoned for a dirty bookstore.


And our Supreme Court says that if you can be incarcarated at all, you are entitled to proper legal process.


And they call us "libs" out here...ponderous

[Terry in Crapchester]

Sorry to burst your bubble, Dins, but your state isn't really thumbing its nose at the U.S. Supreme Court. The parameters outlined by the U.S. Supreme Court were minimum levels of protection to which all the states must adhere. The states remained free to provide greater protections to people accused of crimes, and many do.

For example, New York provides a statutory right to jury trial for all misdemeanors prosecuted by Information except (1) if the case is in NYC Criminal Court; or (2) the Defendant is entitled to a mandatory youthful offender adjudication if convicted. But it's important to note that the word "Information" has a particular meaning under the Criminal Procedure Law. So the particular statute raises an interesting question for me, as a lawyer. Let's say that someone was charged with Driving with a Suspended License. That's a misdemeanor (can be a felony if enough aggravating circumstances are present, but I'm talking about the misdemeanor variety, since there's an obvious right to a jury trial if it's a felony), but it's usually not prosecuted by an Information but by a Simplified Traffic Ticket. Question is, does the Defendant have a right to a jury trial? Funny, but I couldn't find any caselaw on that point under the new law. Of course, most of those types of cases plead out to something less serious.