Is this legal? Speed Trap. (Fredericksburg: felons, live, price)

[Mom2Feebs]

I realize it's February 28, and everyone has to get their quotas ("Quotas? We don't know what you're talking about."--SAPD) in, but this was ridiculous and I wonder about the legal merits. This all happened within less than 1/2 mile on 410.

I was driving past Babcock on 410, when I noticed right there on the Fredericksburg Rd overpass, a man all in black with a black cap on. He was standing right in the middle of the bridge pointing something, down, toward the cars. I was like, "WTH is that?!" because it looked like a rifle, and honestly, when you're driving 68 mph, can you tell what it is? I couldn't, and I couldn't tell if this guy was military, a cop, or a NUTJOB taking people out on the freeway.

I go under the bridge and continue, when just ahead at the IH-10 interchange there, an officer had someone pulled over. Lights, everything. Unmarked car.

On the other side of the road, another.

Up ahead just a few feet, two more on the left. Two more on the right.

One more then on the left.

A total of 7 that I could count. All unmarked, all lights flashing, all with people pulled over, writing tickets.

I realized after I passed it all, I was mad. I was mad because that guy on the bridge was using a radar on people, but that's not what it looked like at all. There were no identifying features that he was an officer. To me, that's distracting and very dangerous. It also scared the crap out of me.

I don't like those kind of tactics for a class C misdemeanor.

[WilGar]

Originally Posted by Mom2Feebs

I realize it's February 28, and everyone has to get their quotas ("Quotas? We don't know what you're talking about."--SAPD) in, but this was ridiculous and I wonder about the legal merits. This all happened within less than 1/2 mile on 410.

I was driving past Babcock on 410, when I noticed right there on the Fredericksburg Rd overpass, a man all in black with a black cap on. He was standing right in the middle of the bridge pointing something, down, toward the cars. I was like, "WTH is that?!" because it looked like a rifle, and honestly, when you're driving 68 mph, can you tell what it is? I couldn't, and I couldn't tell if this guy was military, a cop, or a NUTJOB taking people out on the freeway.

I go under the bridge and continue, when just ahead at the IH-10 interchange there, an officer had someone pulled over. Lights, everything. Unmarked car.

On the other side of the road, another.

Up ahead just a few feet, two more on the left. Two more on the right.

One more then on the left.

A total of 7 that I could count. All unmarked, all lights flashing, all with people pulled over, writing tickets.

I realized after I passed it all, I was mad. I was mad because that guy on the bridge was using a radar on people, but that's not what it looked like at all. There were no identifying features that he was an officer. To me, that's distracting and very dangerous. It also scared the crap out of me.

I don't like those kind of tactics for a class C misdemeanor.

Police tactics get more and more suspect.

But wait, wait , wait for it...............The usual chimers that will say if you speed, it is your fault.

[Azure110]

Originally Posted by WilGar

Police tactics get more and more suspect.

But wait, wait , wait for it...............The usual chimers that will say if you speed, it is your fault.

And cite Texas penal codes.

[Azure110]

Originally Posted by Mom2Feebs

I realize it's February 28, and everyone has to get their quotas ("Quotas? We don't know what you're talking about."--SAPD) in, but this was ridiculous and I wonder about the legal merits. This all happened within less than 1/2 mile on 410.

I was driving past Babcock on 410, when I noticed right there on the Fredericksburg Rd overpass, a man all in black with a black cap on. He was standing right in the middle of the bridge pointing something, down, toward the cars. I was like, "WTH is that?!" because it looked like a rifle, and honestly, when you're driving 68 mph, can you tell what it is? I couldn't, and I couldn't tell if this guy was military, a cop, or a NUTJOB taking people out on the freeway.

I go under the bridge and continue, when just ahead at the IH-10 interchange there, an officer had someone pulled over. Lights, everything. Unmarked car.

On the other side of the road, another.

Up ahead just a few feet, two more on the left. Two more on the right.

One more then on the left.

A total of 7 that I could count. All unmarked, all lights flashing, all with people pulled over, writing tickets.

I realized after I passed it all, I was mad. I was mad because that guy on the bridge was using a radar on people, but that's not what it looked like at all. There were no identifying features that he was an officer. To me, that's distracting and very dangerous. It also scared the crap out of me.

I don't like those kind of tactics for a class C misdemeanor.

Mom2Feebs. I live right near that area and it is pretty common for me to see the police do this type of mass ticket writing event. Fortunatly I have never been trapped into it, but I do see a lot of people getting busted. It is nothing new and they have been doing it randomly for years now.

[Me007gold]

This is a very common practice. Where I lived before here, cops would hide in cherry pickers and do the same thing. I feel its far more sneaky to used stealth cars(cars with paint covered reflective stickers)

[sa dave]

It's been done before in many parts of the city, so I suspect it's legal.

I'd imagine this type of tactic would present a conundrum for the right wing: in the one hand they want safety on the roads; yet pooling so many officers into one sector seems like government waste, intrustion and bullying.

I would like to see this type of tactic employed for other offenses. Joe Blow that passes me on the left lane going 80 doesn't matter to me as much as Joe Blow making meth. I guess I pick my devil differently than others.

[Mom2Feebs]

Originally Posted by MattTx

Mom2Feebs. I live right near that area and it is pretty common for me to see the police do this type of mass ticket writing event. Fortunatly I have never been trapped into it, but I do see a lot of people getting busted. It is nothing new and they have been doing it randomly for years now.

I've just never seen anything like it before. Very coordinated effort, obviously, and apparently successful; too bad they can't get it together and find some felons. Perhaps they did when they pulled some of the speeders over, who knows. In any case, it doesn't seem legal but I really have no idea. I know it's very intimidating, at least it was to me, and perhaps that is the message, one of intimidation.

That said, I am not a big speeder, I would speed a bit when I was younger, but dang, get a minivan and you're suddenly freaking if you're 5mph over. lol

P.S. I'm not posting this as anti-police sentiment, just FYI!

[ashbeeigh]

I remember a few years in the past they were doing this between Huebner and UTSA. It was reported on by the news that same day as a heads up.

[majormadmax]

Completely legal.

As a matter of fact, I've seen this same tactic used in numerous other states and even many other countries.

And yes, if you are willing to risk speeding, you should be equally willing to pay the price if caught. No one is forcing you to exceed the posted speed limit, so you've got no one to blame but yourself; and blaming the police for doing the job we pay them to do is equally ridiculous.

[staunchcharacter]

... All the more reason I have a wonderfully working radar detector on my vehicle

They have their radar and I have mine.