[Petertherock]

Where I live here in Maine the police won't stop you unless you are going 10 or more over. Then if they do stop you then most likely you will get a warning. First of all, the money from tickets goes to the state and not the towns so the police don't feel like giving money to the state. Then, the last thing an officer wants to do is spend his or her days off going to court for traffic tickets.

[Floridabound09]

Waldo, the home of the big horse at the antique mall.

Been there hundreds of times over the years and have seen someone pulled over more often then not. Got the message long ago when I stopped to get some oranges before Waldo and they told me to go way under the speed limit if your heading that way.

The only reason I ever go through is the antique mall.

[FLTPR]

Edvard, You Sound Like A Disgruntled Police Or Ex-police Officer. You Are Wrong!!!! They're Not Quotas, But Standards. The Reason The Judge Is Seeing 6 Over Tickets Is Because The Cops Are Helpking Out The Speeders By Lowering Their Speeds. The Department Has A Good Idea, Don't Ruin It By Talking Smack. These Speeders Are Killing Inocent People. Besides Heart Attacks, Motor Vehicle Accidents Are #2.
Do Your Homework.

[FLTPR]

In The State Of Florida, Law Enforcement Is Not To Write You A Ticket If You're Traveling Between 1-5 Mies Per Hour Over The Speed Limit, Unless It's Special Zone (contruction / School). Nonetheless, We Are Allowed To Stop You For 1 Over And Write A Warning. People, We Make Many Good Felonious Arrests For Stupid Little Violations. It All Works Out. Good People Get Warnings And A "be Careful, Slow It Down Speech" Criminals Will Have Something Wrong With Them That Will Land Them In The County Hilton (jail).

[adder70]

Originally Posted by FLTPR

In The State Of Florida, Law Enforcement Is Not To Write You A Ticket If You're Traveling Between 1-5 Mies Per Hour Over The Speed Limit, Unless It's Special Zone (contruction / School). Nonetheless, We Are Allowed To Stop You For 1 Over And Write A Warning. People, We Make Many Good Felonious Arrests For Stupid Little Violations. It All Works Out. Good People Get Warnings And A "be Careful, Slow It Down Speech" Criminals Will Have Something Wrong With Them That Will Land Them In The County Hilton (jail).

This law was written specifically for Waldo, Hampton and Lawtey (regardless of propaganda), and as a Gainesville native, I have heard directly from several people who got tickets for less then 5 miles over the speed limit, including one ticket I actually saw for 37 in a 35.

If I am ever travelling along 301, I first kick myself for poor trip planning, then I make sure to eat and get gas in Gainesville or Jax so I avoid giving any business to any town along 301, on the chance that they might be like the 3 towns mentioned here. I know about a year or two ago Hawthorne (not far south of Waldo on 301) was proposing starting a local police force. THey had to state to the county (or state) how they would fund the force. Guess what their answer was? 100% funding from traffic enforcement revenue! (To be fair, I couldn't find the reference, although I am 99% sure I directly read it in the newspaper. I did confirm that the Hawthorne PD was formed only recently.)

As for the speed limit signs, that required court to get the cities to stop fighting them. They tried to block "strictly enforced" signs and any other special speed warnings, even outside the city limits and forced the issue until a court mandated the signs.

[adder70]

Originally Posted by FLTPR

People, We Make Many Good Felonious Arrests For Stupid Little Violations. It All Works Out.

Yes, it is quite a common practice to lower speed limits to unreasonable levels in order to circumvent (violate!) the fourth amendment for vehicle searches.

I've got more about police searches that I heard directly from a Florida officer concerning perjury to protect evidence found in violation of the constitution, but that's for another forum.

"Basically, who cares about some stupid piece of paper they wrote over 200 years ago. If it was so great, they wouldn't keep changing it, right?" (That's a reference to the constitution and its amendments, in case you didn't figure it out.)

I do love police integrity! (kind of like Military Intelligence)

Yes, I do realize there are officers with integrity out there. Someday I may meet one of them!

[mquintana]

When I lived in G-ville from 2002-2004, Waldo was always known as a speed trap. Nothing has changed, just a little hole in the wall town....

[flapiggy]

With a clean driving record for over 40 years and driving over 50,000 a year the record is no longer blemish free thanks to a doofus officer in Lawtey. Now I'm facing a ticket for going 10 over (no way, I was going exactly 45 mph in a 45 mph zone) in the amount of $181, points and increased insurance rates. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE SPEEDING TO GET A TICKET. So, to those of you who say if you aren't speeding, don't worry. Dream on. Will I drive through Waldo, Lawtey or any town on 301 -- H_ _ _ No!!! No longer will the gas stations on 301 get my business, no longer will the antique stores get my business (I buy for resale at my own antique store), no longer will I stop to eat and I will do everything in my power to get other snowbirds to boycott this county and area. Do you know how many snowbirds reside around Tampa and it doesn't take much to spread the word AND spreading the word will be my main goal this winter season!!! Business owners in the area ---- get your town politicians to change the policies or your business will decline even more than it has. Wake up -- don't shut up!!!

[DanBev]

Originally Posted by macguy

That stuff about quotas is a bunch of bull, cops spend the day turning their heads not writing tickets, have you ever seen how people drive? Cops don't have to look to hard to write tickets, if they didn't turn their heads all they would be doing is writing tickets all day.

I haven't gotten a ticket in like 35 years and that was for a light being out. Try not driving like a maniac and you won't have to worry about it.

For me at 75 and 34 years with Bell,never a ticket nor accident.A couple over speed limit with cruise.Like the poster says you generally get what you deserve.Here they drive fast and have no care in passing,hill,double solid,school zone,workers on side of road etc.almost anarchy.Been to flea market and Gainesville when Lowes was on 24 many times thru Waldo.

[dannl]

Originally Posted by flapiggy

With a clean driving record for over 40 years and driving over 50,000 a year the record is no longer blemish free thanks to a doofus officer in Lawtey. Now I'm facing a ticket for going 10 over (no way, I was going exactly 45 mph in a 45 mph zone) in the amount of $181, points and increased insurance rates. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE SPEEDING TO GET A TICKET. So, to those of you who say if you aren't speeding, don't worry. Dream on. Will I drive through Waldo, Lawtey or any town on 301 -- H_ _ _ No!!! No longer will the gas stations on 301 get my business, no longer will the antique stores get my business (I buy for resale at my own antique store), no longer will I stop to eat and I will do everything in my power to get other snowbirds to boycott this county and area. Do you know how many snowbirds reside around Tampa and it doesn't take much to spread the word AND spreading the word will be my main goal this winter season!!! Business owners in the area ---- get your town politicians to change the policies or your business will decline even more than it has. Wake up -- don't shut up!!!

( Wake Up ) ya, ok smarty pants!
How is it the Business owners fault that people are getting tickets for speeding! If any of the Business owners in Waldo are to be blaimed for people getting speeding tickets it would be the business on the North End of Town that allow the police officers to hide behind that white building 24/7 in front of the Waldo Farmers Flea Market and shoot their Radar Gun at you from behind the building where they can not be seen. If you tell everybody to boycott any Business, tell everybody to Boycott the Businees that allows the police to use there property to sit on and shoot there Radar Guns 24/7 as not all the Business Owner allow the police to use there property as I am one of them and I know for a fact that all of the Businesses that are left here in Waldo are hurting big time because of all the ticket writing in this small town. The police also harrass almost all of my customers asking them who they are and what business do they have to be here in Waldo saying they have never seen there car here in this town before and run there lic. plate for no reason at all. After being harast by the Waldo Police they tell me they are getting the heck out of this town and won't be back.
There was a write up in the paper a while back about the Waldo Chief leaving and at that time the City Manager was asked if the police officers were going to keep writing all those speeding tickets here in Waldo and she said she is all for writing all those tickets and the Police Officers will continue writting them which tells me that it would be like trying to talk to a brick wall if the Business Owners here in Waldo were to bring up this to the City Manager as I am sure this will be read by the City Manager and will not talk to the business owners in Waldo about this matter as all the City Manager is concerned about is all the money coming in from all of the tickets.