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I had far more tickets between the ages of 16 and 30 than I care to admit (15+, at least, costing me thousands in fines and insurance penalties). But around the time I turned 32, I realized that I had gone almost two years without a ticket...the longest I'd ever gone without one! So I started trying to drive a little slower and do things to make myself less noticeable by police (like staying out of the left lane when possible). I'm now 41 and recently passed the 10-year mark without a ticket.
But I have been pulled over twice during those 10 years. The first was in 2012, when I driving my 92-year-old grandmother from North Georgia to Anderson, SC to visit my aunt (her step-daughter). In Georgia, you're safe as long as you don't exceed the speed limit by more than 14mph on major highways. That means 65mph becomes 79mph for most of us.
We were driving my 2012 Mazda CX-9 and I had the cruise control set on 82-83mph in a 70mph zone. I failed to notice a drop in the speed limit to 65mph, which put me at 17-18mph over the limit! Immediately following this speed limit reduction were two State Troopers waiting for speeders like me. They were parked just over a small hill and I couldn't see them until I topped the hiil and they had already clocked me. Sure enough, one of the cars turned on its lights as I passed them and pulled out behind me. Knowing that he was coming after me, and hoping it would diffuse the situation, I went ahead and turned on the right turn signal indicating that I was pulling over for him.
My grandmother was a very religious (Pentecostal) woman, but she could usually take a joke...especially from her favorite smart@ss grandson. I turned to her and said, "Go long with me! I'm going to tell them you're in labor!" She cracked up laughing and didn't believe I would actually say something like that. When the trooper appeared at my window, I told him that I was trying to get her to the hospital before she gave birth. Both the cop and my grandma laughed hysterically, which I thought was a good sign. Then I explained that we were heading to visit my very sick aunt and he thought it was nice that a grandson would take his grandmother on a seven hour round-trip like that.
I told him that I was still getting used to my new vehicle (2012 Mazda CX-9). It was deceptively fast and very easy to get going faster than it 'felt'. Between that, my apology for speeding, the joke about 92yr old grandmother being in labor and (I think) just being friendly and polite, he let me go with a warning! In the 20-21 years of driving, I had been pulled over many times and ALWAYS got a ticket...that was my first warning.
I think that humor, politeness and honesty all played in my favor. Having a sweet little old 92-year-old lady in the passenger seat probably didn't hurt either! =)
This isn't so much funny (ha-ha) as it is funny (in the small world, unlikely sort of way).
I was driving to work at my part-time job last Sunday and I got stuck behind a very slow-moving van for the first 12-miles of my trip. There is only one opportunity to pass during those 12 miles and with the oncoming traffic, it wasn't going to happen. I was stuck doing 35-40mph (with intermittent braking for no reason, swerving and even a sudden increase in speed out of the blue) behind the van.
When I reached the interstate, I was running late for work (which I've never done in the six months I've worked at this job). So I was flying, faster than usual and a cop clocked me doing 'over' 85mph in a 65mph zone. I was driving my 2006 Mazda3 (which I've owned since new) instead of my larger, gas-guzzling Mazda CX-9. That turned out to be my saving grace!
My parents loved my CX-9 so much when I got it in 2012 that they wanted to buy one. Mazda had a special $2k Owner Loyalty Bonus Cash offer for anyone who currently owned a Mazda vehicle. To get my mom the discount, I added her to my car title and she was the co-owner of a Mazda. Due to changes in state laws (I'd have to pay 7% tax on my own car to get it back in my own name), we've just left it in both names. The insurance company knows and that's all that really matters.
So the cop who clocked me going 'over' 85mph in a 65mph zone pulls me over. I pulled over as soon as I saw that he pulled out with his blue lights on right after me. So I was sort of there waiting for him and not someone he had to chase down or catch up to. I hoped this would work in my favor. Initially, he came to the window and asked for my license (insurance info is electronic in GA), then he asked me if the (Insert My Mom's Name here) was the same (mom's name) that drove a school bus for almost 30 years. I told him that was her and she is my mom. I briefly explained the co-title situation to save her money on her new car, etc.
He was smiling like a school kid, asking all about my mom and how she's doing since she retired. He asked me to send his regards and told me how much he loved her back when he was in high school and rode her bus. Then he changed voices and became "pseudo-cop" for a moment and told me to PLEASE slow down because he couldn't look away if it happened again. But since I hadn't had a speeding ticket in over 10 years (and he knew my mom) he let me go.
Sometimes, moving back to your hometown (or at least, your home county) can be very beneficial in ways you don't think about. My parents and my sister's connections have been very useful and helped in ways I wouldn't have ever imagined!
I had far more tickets between the ages of 16 and 30 than I care to admit (15+, at least, costing me thousands in fines and insurance penalties). But around the time I turned 32, I realized that I had gone almost two years without a ticket...the longest I'd ever gone without one! So I started trying to drive a little slower and do things to make myself less noticeable by police (like staying out of the left lane when possible). I'm now 41 and recently passed the 10-year mark without a ticket.
But I have been pulled over twice during those 10 years. The first was in 2012, when I driving my 92-year-old grandmother from North Georgia to Anderson, SC to visit my aunt (her step-daughter). In Georgia, you're safe as long as you don't exceed the speed limit by more than 14mph on major highways. That means 65mph becomes 79mph for most of us.
We were driving my 2012 Mazda CX-9 and I had the cruise control set on 82-83mph in a 70mph zone. I failed to notice a drop in the speed limit to 65mph, which put me at 17-18mph over the limit! Immediately following this speed limit reduction were two State Troopers waiting for speeders like me. They were parked just over a small hill and I couldn't see them until I topped the hiil and they had already clocked me. Sure enough, one of the cars turned on its lights as I passed them and pulled out behind me. Knowing that he was coming after me, and hoping it would diffuse the situation, I went ahead and turned on the right turn signal indicating that I was pulling over for him.
My grandmother was a very religious (Pentecostal) woman, but she could usually take a joke...especially from her favorite smart@ss grandson. I turned to her and said, "Go long with me! I'm going to tell them you're in labor!" She cracked up laughing and didn't believe I would actually say something like that. When the trooper appeared at my window, I told him that I was trying to get her to the hospital before she gave birth. Both the cop and my grandma laughed hysterically, which I thought was a good sign. Then I explained that we were heading to visit my very sick aunt and he thought it was nice that a grandson would take his grandmother on a seven hour round-trip like that.
I told him that I was still getting used to my new vehicle (2012 Mazda CX-9). It was deceptively fast and very easy to get going faster than it 'felt'. Between that, my apology for speeding, the joke about 92yr old grandmother being in labor and (I think) just being friendly and polite, he let me go with a warning! In the 20-21 years of driving, I had been pulled over many times and ALWAYS got a ticket...that was my first warning.
I think that humor, politeness and honesty all played in my favor. Having a sweet little old 92-year-old lady in the passenger seat probably didn't hurt either! =)
That's a great one! Like you before this experience, I have ALWAYS gotten a ticket when I have been pulled over. I need to to try to put this trick into use if I get stopped again....
On a serious note, I do think that pulling over easily and not making them chase you, as you did in both the stories you posted here, probably really helped. Last time I got pulled over, I did something similar. I was in front of a group a cars and the cop was angling to try to get close enough to get behind me. I knew he was after me, so I just moved over voluntarily and made it easy for him. While I still got a (well deserved) ticket, the cop put down a speed that was 14 mph slower than the speed I had been driving. I think that the way I pulled over voluntarily and made it easy for him certainly factored into that better outcome.
Like you, I piled up a handful of tickets in my 20s into my early 30s. The funny thing is how when you're in the middle of that situarion, you never consider just slowing down. I never did. It was just speed, get ticket, court, fines, continue to soeed, get another ticket, rinse and repeat. It was similar with many of my friends. Tickets were a badge of honor and to slow down in response would have been to admit defeat.
I never really did slow down, but for some reason I mostly stopped getting tickets after my early 30s. Since then, I have only.had 2 tickets in nearly 20 years. Maybe I drive less than I did then and that made the difference. I don't really know why because I never did slow down.
Last edited by dazzleman; 09-30-2016 at 05:51 AM..
One night I am patrolling a fairly major street running through the center of town.... The street was a 25 MPH zone.
Well, a car goes by doing a bit over 40.
I stop the vehicle a block or two later, and quickly determine that it was being driven by a young man out with his equally young girlfriend.
Very quickly, I decided that he was young, polite and genuinely a "nice" young man.
As, a result, a warning would be sufficient.
Sooooo, I go into a whole sphiel of how because he was traveling faster than the law allowed, he had upset the balance of nature.
This was because he was where he was before nature had intended.
After asking where he had been coming from...
I tell him that based on his time, distance and speed, he was nearly 5 minutes ahead of where he should have been.
I informed him that I would NOT be issuing any summons, but to the due the upset in time and place, he would have to remains stationary for the next five minutes.
Following this I pull away to return to my duties.
A few minutes later, after going around a few block, I again return to the area of the stop.
What do I see.... the young man in the car , waiting out his 5 minute penalty.
All I could do was smile to myself and be certain I made the correct choice.
One night I am patrolling a fairly major street running through the center of town.... The street was a 25 MPH zone.
Well, a car goes by doing a bit over 40.
I stop the vehicle a block or two later, and quickly determine that it was being driven by a young man out with his equally young girlfriend.
Very quickly, I decided that he was young, polite and genuinely a "nice" young man.
As, a result, a warning would be sufficient.
Sooooo, I go into a whole sphiel of how because he was traveling faster than the law allowed, he had upset the balance of nature.
This was because he was where he was before nature had intended.
After asking where he had been coming from...
I tell him that based on his time, distance and speed, he was nearly 5 minutes ahead of where he should have been.
I informed him that I would NOT be issuing any summons, but to the due the upset in time and place, he would have to remains stationary for the next five minutes.
Following this I pull away to return to my duties.
A few minutes later, after going around a few block, I again return to the area of the stop.
What do I see.... the young man in the car , waiting out his 5 minute penalty.
All I could do was smile to myself and be certain I made the correct choice.
That is pretty funny. I probably would have done the same exact thing if I'd been stopped by you in that situation. A five minute penalty is a lot better than an expensive ticket, especially when you're really young, don't have much money, and are probably on your parents' insurance. And why look a gift horse in the mouth? If I had cut the five minutes short, I'd have worried that the officer who was so nice to me would have been waiting out of sight, and would then give me the ticket he could have given me earlier.
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