Beware.....Lake Havasu is a tourist trap (Bullhead City: car rental, rentals)

[Andrejoan]

Thanks for sharing your experience with us......people will surely take care before trapping in Lake Havasu

[kdog]

I was in LHC yesterday. There's some sort of big fair going on, and the city was jammed with people from out of town. No speed traps, and didn't see one cop. They keep a pretty low profile. It was an enjoyable visit as always.

BTW, I drove on Highway 95 though town like I always do -- cruise control set to 8 MPH over the speed limit. I was passed several times by impatient pickup trucks moving at a much higher rate, which means they were going way faster than the 10MPH buffer cops will usually give you. Funny, all the speeders were from CA. Go figure, huh?

[ArizonaBear]

Originally Posted by kdog

I was in LHC yesterday. There's some sort of big fair going on, and the city was jammed with people from out of town. No speed traps, and didn't see one cop. They keep a pretty low profile. It was an enjoyable visit as always.

BTW, I drove on Highway 95 though town like I always do -- cruise control set to 8 MPH over the speed limit. I was passed several times by impatient pickup trucks moving at a much higher rate, which means they were going way faster than the 10MPH buffer cops will usually give you. Funny, all the speeders were from CA. Go figure, huh?

Many years ago Judge Conn made an (slightly) derogatory comment about the 'crazy Californians' appearing before him in court so where there is smoke, there tends to be fire.

[observer53]

Originally Posted by desertrat86406

Misconception sunday here!
First, Havasu is the largest city not to require its magistrates to have a law degree. The minimum standard is nothing to be proud of, and a police officer cannot possibly be fair. In fact, THIS particular man was reprimanded for not being fair and has never, I repeat never, ruled against the LHC police even when they clearly violated the law.

The notion that you just obey the law and you are safe has also been proven wrong repeatedly by the facts. There are documented cases of the police writing tickets to make qouta, or what ever reason can only be speculated, knowing the magistrate has never ruled against them.

Also note that this new surcharge was approved after a private closed door executive session between the city council and this reprimanded magistrate.

Things that make you go hmmmm....

It is too bad that the city is run by corrupt people because it is a nice place, but BHC and Parker are just as nice and BHC has a Magistrate who is lawyer and knows the law.

Never mind magistrates... JUSTICES OF THE PEACE, who have much wider jurisdiction than city/town magistrates, don't have to be lawyers. Most of them are not. There's nothing magic about a law degree. There are nonlawyers who can do this job very well. And as far as that "gray area" you asked about is concerned, it doesn't even have to involve out and out lying. Sometimes it is just the person's perception.recollection of a particular event.

I'm not going to get into a big discussion here with you about police officers lying in court. It's a bit off topic, for one thing. For another, it sounds like you have a particular ax to grind that is not in my tool box. You are entitled to how you feel based on your experience. It happens, I'm sure, but it is, I believe, hardly the norm.

Rick Lee-- don't punish the merchants and other businesses who are just trying to make a living by not coming to a nice place to visit and spending money there. The merchants and businesses are not to blame for these policies.

[Rick Lee]

Originally Posted by observer53

Rick Lee-- don't punish the merchants and other businesses who are just trying to make a living by not coming to a nice place to visit and spending money there. The merchants and businesses are not to blame for these policies.

Sorry, but when tourism is the main goal of politicians, boycotting a place is the only way to get their attention, especially for people who don't get a vote in local politics. Why do you think hotel and rental car taxes are so outrageous? Because the people most affected by them cannot vote for or against the people who levy those taxes. VA Beach is another place on my boycott list because of a police incident there a few years ago. LA would be on that list, but I can't avoid it because of my job. Fortunately, the city agency I most recently wrote a check to (parking ticket a buddy got who was giving me a ride, I paid it for him) just became a client of mine. So I will make more money off them than they got from me.

[observer53]

Only a very organized boycott really gets the message across in a situation like this. No one in authority in the city will know WHY you aren't coming (or why anyone else isn't coming). In this day and age, they will just chalk it up to the lousy economy, and the first thing they think of to stimulate tourism is NOT going to be lessening the penalties on lawbreakers.

So, the businesses that are already hurting will keep right on sliding, the policies won't change any time soon, and you can visit all those closed stores when and if the policies ever change and you decide it's ok to go there.

The fact remains, if people would just FOLLOW the speed limits and other traffic laws, there'd be nothing to assess those 100 dollar penalties against. I go to Havasu once a year on business, never see a problem, never have one.

[Arizona Bound]

I do not think all the complaints are from folks driving on the
LHC streets. It's from the problems being on the lake/river. There
are 4 different law inforcements policing the lake/river. With that
many police, being bombarded with so many rules and regulations,
which some folks may not be aware of... especially with watching many
episodes of that TV show, I would not spend a day on that lake.. and
believe me, my wife and I are very far from being party goers, but still
would be afraid of being sought out, given a bogus ticket just because
they need to meet a quota. Some will say there is no such thing pushed
as needed to meet a quota... that I would never believe. because we have
had many cops in our family over the years.. so I know. Watching that tv
show, there was many incidents where the cops could have handled a
situation better, nicer. I can not verify how true all the stories I have
read about on how bad people have been treated while visiting LHC..
and I am not talking about the college party goers, I am talking about
family folks with children. Even the city itself is aware of it's bad image.
We only have read up on the city because of our research in looking
for a nice town to relocate to. I am sure not all the bad comments about
the city is accurate.. but with so many bad reps.. some have to have
truth to them. So until the city decides to look elsewhere for revenue
other than unsuspecting tourists.. we will not be going there, or anyone
else that I know.
I do NOT have a problem with police.. I have never got a ticket, never
been in trouble with the law, don't drink, never did drugs.. so I don't
come here and rant because of those types of things... I just do not
like it when a city puts greed ahead of it's people. LHC had I don't
know how many cops fired awhile back for misconduct. The city lawyer
is on probation with the bar association, the magistrate has been up
on charges for misconduct and he was found guilty. We are looking
at the big picture.. and it doe not look pretty... it's just wrong, you
shouldn't treat people like that.
JMHO

[desertrat86406]

First, the cop convicted was from out of town, that made him a tourist and even the deputies OWN department has so far refused to accept the conviction until it does its OWN investigation. That means it does not believe the court's decision on it's face.

This Judge has NEVER ruled against the city, has been CENSURED by the State Supreme Court's commission on Judicial Conduct yet still has not been removed. In fact, after stating that his little court is the MOST PROFITABLE court in Arizona was unanimously rehired by this council, the same one that on the same night voted for the $100 surcharge.

Not EVERY PERSON who comes to town gets a ticket, but do you want to chance that it is you then have to convince people it was unjust. Remember that tickets issued in question ONLY require the officer's testimony that the offense took place.

So, if you come to Havasu you might as well roll the dice in Laughlin, your odds are better in Laughlin.

[kdog]

[Sam Shaw]

Originally Posted by desertrat86406

First, the cop convicted was from out of town, that made him a tourist and even the deputies OWN department has so far refused to accept the conviction until it does its OWN investigation. That means it does not believe the court's decision on it's face.

This Judge has NEVER ruled against the city, has been CENSURED by the State Supreme Court's commission on Judicial Conduct yet still has not been removed. In fact, after stating that his little court is the MOST PROFITABLE court in Arizona was unanimously rehired by this council, the same one that on the same night voted for the $100 surcharge.

Not EVERY PERSON who comes to town gets a ticket, but do you want to chance that it is you then have to convince people it was unjust. Remember that tickets issued in question ONLY require the officer's testimony that the offense took place.

So, if you come to Havasu you might as well roll the dice in Laughlin, your odds are better in Laughlin.

I'll have to give you credit for being a one man army. Most of your information is wrong or half truths. I'm not in favor of the $100.00 surcharge either, but the fact is they got the idea from Bullhead City. So while you take your chances in Laughlin be very careful if you cross the bridge to Bullhead. The cop was out of town and therefore a tourist just won't hold water. Out of town or not, he found the deputy guilty. If he had found him not guilty you would have been beating your chest about that. You can't have it both ways. Keep on posting though, the more you post the more people see what your real deal is. Carry on...