Tickets, Citations, Police action, Automotive law, Speed limits and other things (toll, biggest)

[Soviet]

Originally Posted by dazzleman

Hasn't your friend ever heard of peeing in a cup?

All kidding aside, good luck on your trip, man. I'm a speeder myself, so I won't give you the whole lecture about being a raving lunatic. Have a safe drive, whether you're within the legal speed or not.

Thanks! Much appreciated. America's a beautiful country despite being riddled with pockets of revenue generation & it's always delightful to criss-cross it. This will be my 3rd cross-country trip since June. Looking forward to it!

[dazzleman]

Originally Posted by Soviet

Thanks! Much appreciated. America's a beautiful country despite being riddled with pockets of revenue generation & it's always delightful to criss-cross it. This will be my 3rd cross-country trip since June. Looking forward to it!

Have you found that tickets come in bunches?

One time, I got 2 tickets within ten minutes of each other. I was a little pissed, mostly at myself for letting myself get tagged like that. If you're playing the game right, you can get away with a lot of speeding most of the time, and only get busted relatively infrequently. I generally get tagged when I let down my guard and get a little careless.

[Soviet]

Originally Posted by dazzleman

Have you found that tickets come in bunches?

One time, I got 2 tickets within ten minutes of each other. I was a little pissed, mostly at myself for letting myself get tagged like that. If you're playing the game right, you can get away with a lot of speeding most of the time, and only get busted relatively infrequently. I generally get tagged when I let down my guard and get a little careless.

Started driving in my Power Wheels Porsche: October 1993
Started driving legally on Texas streets: October 2002 (driving permit)
1st citation: August 2009 (tailgater was FREAKING ME OUT & middle lane was full, so I accelerated to 80 mph to get out of the freak's way and get in the middle lane....got cited by Austin P.D.)
2nd citation: September 2009 (driving in a podunk enclave of San Antonio with artificially low speed limits)
3rd citation: never gonna happen if I get my way

Notice how both of these citations occurred with extenuating circumstances? Guess I'm not as much of a law-breaking maniac as some people like to label me.

[linicx]

If you happen to go near Amirillo, take a short side trip to Palo Duro Canyon. They call it the Little Grand, and if you go off season there is no charge. My trip was the one and only time i saw a Roadrunner (for about 30 seconds) that was not a cartoon bird.

[Soviet]

Originally Posted by linicx

If you happen to go near Amirillo, take a short side trip to Palo Duro Canyon. They call it the Little Grand, and if you go off season there is no charge. My trip was the one and only time i saw a Roadrunner (for about 30 seconds) that was not a cartoon bird.

I have to get off the Interstate to get to Amarillo & I'm not dealing with any little podunk towns if I can help it. The fewer chances for harassment, possible lies & revenue generation, the better.

[dazzleman]

Originally Posted by Soviet

Started driving in my Power Wheels Porsche: October 1993
Started driving legally on Texas streets: October 2002 (driving permit)
1st citation: August 2009 (tailgater was FREAKING ME OUT & middle lane was full, so I accelerated to 80 mph to get out of the freak's way and get in the middle lane....got cited by Austin P.D.)
2nd citation: September 2009 (driving in a podunk enclave of San Antonio with artificially low speed limits)
3rd citation: never gonna happen if I get my way

Notice how both of these citations occurred with extenuating circumstances? Guess I'm not as much of a law-breaking maniac as some people like to label me.

Honestly, I think your problem is not that you drive too fast, but that you take getting a ticket, or the threat of it, too seriously.

Lighten up, man. Driving should be fun. If you get a ticket every so often, so what? Have a good laugh about it and move on. Your angst about tickets is far worse than a ticket itself would be. You're giving the "revenue collectors" a major victory of sorts by letting them get you so upset.

[stillkit]

Originally Posted by Bydand

He will sit behind his keyboard and smite them down with well chosen words and his own ideas through internet postings! He shall arise out of his Momma's basement and unlatch from the breast of anonymity provided by the internet... oh wait, that might be pushing it a little. Better to stay hidden in the basement behind that anonymity and just post thread after thread of how much he hates cops and all they stand for on C-D.

That sorta reminds me of the two guys who got stopped by a speed cop.

The cop walks up to the drivers side window, reaches in and smacks the driver. Then, he walks around to the other side and smacks the passenger too.

The passenger said, "What'd you do that for? I haven't done anything!"

The cop says, "That's for up the road when you say, "Man..if that SOB had done that to ME..."

[Soviet]

Originally Posted by dazzleman

Honestly, I think your problem is not that you drive too fast, but that you take getting a ticket, or the threat of it, too seriously.

Lighten up, man. Driving should be fun. If you get a ticket every so often, so what? Have a good laugh about it and move on. Your angst about tickets is far worse than a ticket itself would be. You're giving the "revenue collectors" a major victory of sorts by letting them get you so upset.

I understand your argument. However, the reason I get so riled up about things is when people get tickets they didn't deserve. If you or I genuinely deserve it, it's one thing. But when we get tickets in places with artificially low speed limits or punk cops (note that I say PUNK cops, not competent cops....if they were competent, they wouldn't be pathetic punks) lie on our citations, THAT is what boils my blood. And while it boils when I see someone else suffering at the end of this pathetic incompetence, it definitely boils over when it happens to me.

And believe you me.....driving is HELLA FUN for me. I'm not giving the revenue generators any victories. I'M the one winning thanks to being careful, utilizing Huge List of Speed Traps | The National Speed Trap Exchange and rabbiting. I love driving, baby, despite needing to coexist with punk revenue generators!

[stillkit]

Waaaal....I guess the master better weigh in here with some cheap advice:

If you really wanna get away with stuff out on the highway, don't make yourself obvious. Try to look the part of a good, solid citizen.

Don't drive flashy, hot-rod cars. That's a cop-caller. Yes, that includes tinted windows too. Cops are naturally suspicious because of their job, and heavily tinted windows make you a suspect of something.

Keep your hair cut short and trim that beard. No beard is even better. Remember...cops are quasi-military and they just instinctively trust people who look like they do.

If you have some gray hair...don't hide it. Older folks are often assumed to be good citizens, so look the part if you can.

Dress like you've got some sense and some money. No baggy jeans, no flip-flops, no rock and roll T-shirts. Slacks or clean jeans, a sport shirt and a good pair of shoes or boots go a long way toward making the difference between a ticket and a warning. A nice suit is even better. To paraphrase an old saying: "Cleanliness is next to ticketlessness."

Watch your language. Be polite, courteous and helpful when stopped. Don't cop an attitude right off the bat and no cussin', especially at the cop. You'll go home with a souvenir if you do that.

When, not IF, you get stopped, do exactly as the cop says. Remember, this is a high-threat environment for him and anything you can do to alleviate his stress is a positive for you.

For instance...don't get out of the car unless he tells you to. Pull over and stop when he turns on the lights, park safely and turn on your 4-ways. Put both hands on the steering wheel where he can see them and LEAVE THEM THERE. If it's dark, turn on the dome light. Do anything you can do to let him know you're not a threat. If he does tell you get out, stand with YOUR back to the traffic so he can watch you and the on-coming cars.

Don't argue with him and don't plead innocence. He's got you on radar or laser gun already, so that's a no-no. Don't admit anything either. Just be pleasant and co-operative. Being stopped for speeding isn't a major crisis for either of you unless you make it one.

Please don't start blubbering. That's a sign of weakness.

When you intend to speed, remember that there's little you can do to avoid being stopped. There are some defensive measures you can take, but eventually they'll get you. What happens next is often the determinate of whether or not you're getting a ticket instead of a warning and your most effective defense is to put the cop at ease, as quickly and in as many ways as you can.

Granted, my driving record doesn't indicate these strategies work, but I learned a little over time. If you go back to the beginning of the "how many tickets have you got" thread, you'll note that even though I've got 60+ speeding tickets over the years, I've only got 1 or 2 in the past 20 years.

Know why? It's not because I've slowed down, but because I've gotten smarter in the post-stop phase.

ps to Soviet: I take it you're planning a trip to SLC? What route do you intend to take?

pps: For most of these strategies, I am indebted to the book, "A Speeder's Guide to Avoiding Tickets," by James M. Eagan, a retired NY State Trooper. His advice is spot-on. Amazon has the book for about 5 bucks. It's a good investment.

[Soviet]

Originally Posted by stillkit

ps to Soviet: I take it you're planning a trip to SLC? What route do you intend to take?

I've got 2 different options: the short way via Gallup, New Mexico (I-10 & I-40, then local highways full of revenue generators) or I can drive to Phoenix and hang out with a friend and EAT AT YOSHINOYA BEEF BOWL! I have such a craving for Yoshinoya right now. And then I-17 to Flagstaff & US-89 to I-15 to SLC. This adds about 250 miles or so. Is it worth it for Yoshinoya Beef Bowl? I'm not sure.