My first speeding ticket (since the last one)

[BKCowGod3]

Well, I managed to get my first speeding ticket in the 5er. Nothing much, just a 65 in a 50 (highway 17 southbound, by Lexington Res). I'm just so used to the Diesel Benz and flooring it to hit 40 on that stretch...

Anyway, who thinks I can get out of this one because the cop admitted inderectly that he had a quota (illegal in CA)?

He said (to his friend, on cell phone) "I want to get my tickets written before it starts raining"

yah, it's a stretch, but I think I have a chance. If I don't, then I do believe it's bye-bye license.

[Matt]

Do you have any kind of radar detector ? Do you get a lot of speeding tickets? Do you get a wide variety of tickets ?

[Tim in N FL]

Ugh....I feel your pain BK. In the past few years, I've had quite a run of speeding tickets.
~_~

ps.
I've been watching the prices of Valentine 1s on eBay....don't seem to be that much cheaper than buying one NEW. Am I missing something here?

What other detectors are WORTHY of owning at present? I need one soon.

[Edit by Tim in N FL on [TIME]1116530555[/TIME]]

[BKCowGod3]

I'm saving up for a valentine 1, but in my area it's somewhat useless for a number of reasons. Lots of hills block radar signatures, lots of laser and pacing, etc.

As far as my history:
BMW 2002 - 85 in a 45. no way out of this one, dammned Scotts Valley police. traffic school & $300
Audi 4000 - 100 in a 65. got out of it because the ticketing officer was not the clocking officer
Audi 4000 - 95 in a 30. got it dropped to an easy exhibition of speed. $110
Alfa Spider - 90 in a 65. traffic schooled this one too, paid $350
Alfa Spider - 55 in 35. going to court in August.
BMW 535 - 65 in 50, no front plate. we'll see

and (at last count) 8 warnings and talkings-to.

I highly recommend ticketassassin.com and the national motorist's association ( www.motorists.org ). I am members of both.

[Matt]

I guess you could always slow down, or move to a place with less draconian speeding enforcement. If it's that easy for cops to hide and find you, either you aren't paying enough attention, or its not safe to be going that fast there (or the cops are just experts at speed enforcement, and you should move to somewhere where the cops aren't so revenue focused)

[BKCowGod3]

Well, the CHP is known for being the best/most aggressive in the country. The real problem is that highway 17 needs to have 2 speed limits - one for commute time and one for tourist time. Instead, they have one artifically low limit that assumes the lowest common denominator will be driving an SUV full of kids and beach gear. I am not claiming to be a great driver, but I do believe that I am a bit more focused than most. In this case, I actually saw the cop and had plenty of time to slow down, but have seen that most officers on that road won't flinch at anything under 70.

Oh, and a disclaimer - I fully support the actions and efforts of all law officers. While I believe that they are at times a bit overzealous, I do understand that when I exceed the speed limit I am in fact breaking the law. I will take the punishment that I am given, but I will work every angle possible to get that punishment minimized.

[the Tanned One]

Ever think about using the cruise control ?? Set it at 5 or 10mph over the limit ??? Randy/

[BKCowGod3]

Cruise control is great until you have turns that drop you down to 40mph then back up to 70 (commute flow of traffic)

[devin in tampa]

i feel your pain - i was nailed a month ago by one of those new unmarked, big-tire laden maroon merc mauraders, who tailed me on the interstate. saw him, but i figured it was just a pimped out merc. wrong. 72 in a 55. turned it over to a speeding ticket attorney for $99, which i think is a good move in that: worst case, he pleads no contest and the judge sends me to school (doesn't count as 1 of my 5 lifetime elections / 4 already used), no points, and my insurance company is none the wiser. $99 well spent, IMHO. we'll see.

my advice - find an attorney who deals with this regularly, and plead your case. if it's he said vs. she said, you probably don't have a case. of course, the laws/rules are probably very different in FL than CA.

[BKCowGod3]

Yah, in Cali we're allowed unlimited traffic schools as long as they're separated by 18 months (I think it's 18)... I may actually be allowed to go for this one.

[Justin in C'ville]

Consider yourself lucky, any of these four violations could easily land you in jail in VA, and the laws have gotten even tougher. I believe that under the current laws jail time is mandatory for certain levels of infraction.

"BMW 2002 - 85 in a 45. no way out of this one, dammned Scotts Valley police. traffic school & $300
Audi 4000 - 100 in a 65. got out of it because the ticketing officer was not the clocking officer
Audi 4000 - 95 in a 30. got it dropped to an easy exhibition of speed. $110
Alfa Spider - 90 in a 65. traffic schooled this one too, paid $350 "

[John]

I have had my share of tickets and thought a number of them bogus, and my driving is fast, but I don't speed in residental areas, 95 in a 30? Was this some mistake that they put that low limit on the open road? A good car at 120 on the highway, awy from kids and oldies is one thing, but I am I right to wonder about these 30 and 45 mph zones? Some judges don't lke that quota talk, but they do have a copy of your record in front of them and may not like the patern.

[C.R. Krieger]

[QUOTE="John"]I have had my share of tickets and thought a number of them bogus, and my driving is fast, but I don't speed in residental areas, 95 in a 30? Was this some mistake that they put that low limit on the open road? A good car at 120 on the highway, awy from kids and oldies is one thing, but I am I right to wonder about these 30 and 45 mph zones?[/QUOTE]

I'm a leadfoot (OK; maybe not if 'Ten over - all the time except school zones' isn't leadfoot behavior.), I'm a 'CCA instructor, and I'm a lawyer with traffic defense experience. However, in spite of all that, I'm inclined to agree. Maybe you ought to be using public mass transit for awhile - or hoofing it.

[BKCowGod3]

The 30 zone in question is a 4 lane (2 each way) separated by 100' of trees and grass. It is a wooded connector between two residential areas. Oh, and just for the record, I never said I was proud of everything I did in my (even younger than I am now) youth. I still sometimes get nightmares of my 640 spin in my Audi. I am always careful in residential areas, school zones, anywhere where there might be toys or bikes or fat people.