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Old 04-11-2011, 11:28 AM
 
Location: Purgatory (A.K.A. Dallas, Texas)
5,007 posts, read 15,349,894 times
Reputation: 2463

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Quote:
Originally Posted by TexasHorseLady View Post
However, I'd be willing to bet good money that if the speed limit were raised, the very same people that say they're driving 10 miles over the speed limit because in their opinion the limit should be 10 mph higher will continue to drive 10 mph over the new limit.

You'd lose. I drive all the time on the PGB Turnpike. No one started doing 80 after they raised the limit to 70. Most people just continue to do 70-75.
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Old 04-11-2011, 11:31 AM
 
Location: Purgatory (A.K.A. Dallas, Texas)
5,007 posts, read 15,349,894 times
Reputation: 2463
Their is a technical definition of a speed trap. It is not a cop lying in wait with a radar gun. A speed trap is when there is a set speed limit, then it is artificially lowered for a stretch, then raises back up.

However, the reason most people equate a cop lying in wait with a speed trap is because speed limits as they stand are almost always artificially lower than they ought to be in order for cops to pull people over and generate money for the cities instead of doing something useful.
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Old 04-11-2011, 03:50 PM
 
Location: Underneath the Pecan Tree
15,982 posts, read 35,028,608 times
Reputation: 7427
Quote:
Originally Posted by TexasHorseLady View Post
I'm still waiting for someone to explain to me how you can get trapped if you're not speeding, and how, if you are speeding, the officer is doing anything wrong in pulling you over. No matter how many people who are actually speeding get stopped.

Did it ever occur to anyone that the reason that there might be heavier enforcement in some areas than others is that people are known to regularly drive in excess of the speed limit in those locations and they're trying to put a stop to it for safety reasons? Sort of like if you were wanting to stop a bank robber, say, in the act, you wouldn't hang out at the local fishing hole waiting for one to come by?
Within city limits; I understand. On the highway; speed limit needs to be raised. When I'm driving home to Waco; I feel like I'm getting absolutely nowhere going 70.
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Old 04-11-2011, 04:33 PM
 
Location: Houston, Texas
10,447 posts, read 49,508,076 times
Reputation: 10614
Quote:
Originally Posted by TexasHorseLady View Post
Cops shouldn't be running red lights and speeding and should be ticketed, themselves, assuming that they're not on a call and don't have their lights/siren going (in which case you're supposed to pull over to the side of the road, just as for an ambulance or fire truck, something I see a lot of people ignoring these days, too, shame to them). If you see a police officer doing this snag the number off his car and call it in. You might not see anything done, but if enough people do that when they see it, instead of grousing about it online, it might actually be addressed.

.
AH HAH!!!!!! We agree on this. Yes indeed you are right about these issues. But back to the basics again. Do you have any idea what would happen to you if you ratted on a cop? Your pretty little azz would be grazz. You don't know nor would you believe if I told you what these revengeful fat headed gun toting cowboys are capable of. And I ain't willing to go into it here. But one google on police brutality and abuse of the badge will light your PC screen up enough to light up the night sky. And no it's not just a few bad apples. It's all of them. Domestic Terrorists is a more proper description. I wish you luck girl. I so try to like you. I probably would but we agree on nothing.............
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Old 04-11-2011, 04:50 PM
 
Location: Central Texas
20,958 posts, read 45,166,931 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jluke65780 View Post
Within city limits; I understand. On the highway; speed limit needs to be raised. When I'm driving home to Waco; I feel like I'm getting absolutely nowhere going 70.
But speed limits are not set based on your feeling of whether you are getting somewhere or not - that's very subjective and would no doubt vary from person to person or we wouldn't have people having apoplexy because someone in front of them isn't going as fast as they (the apoplectic) thinks they should. There are engineering studies that take things into consideration such as the way the road is constructed, the traffic, accidents in that area, etc. It really isn't pulled out of a hat.

"I feel" as a way of setting speed limits is pretty much what people are accusing TxDOT of using to set speed limits, when what they're asking for is that TxDOT simply substitute their (the complainer's) "I feel" for TxDOT's perceived (but nonexistent) "I feel".

The speed limit does need to be raised on some highways and, in fact, that's being addressed with the speed limit being raised to 85 on some of those long stretches of road where you can see any other traffic (if it exists) coming miles and miles and miles away! Just not on busy roads where it's entirely inappropriate unless your "I feel it should be faster" trumps not only the studies, but someone else's life.
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Old 01-09-2012, 10:28 AM
 
Location: East Texas
1 posts, read 1,964 times
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Ok...for all you people that say that if you are speeding you deserve the ticket...just pay it and take responsiblity...This thread is about "speed traps". There are such things and not a figment of our imagination. Small towns in TX are infamous for reducing the speed limits very quickly and "yes", sometimes to an unrealistic limit. They also use signs very far in advance of a town with a single sign. When someone is driving 75-75 miles per hour and having a conversation with a passenger or it's raining or you blink, you might miss the one sign. I consider myself a safe driver and use my cruise control to keep from driving "too" much over the speed limit. I say, "too" because I think it's safe to say that most(not all) people exceed the posted speed limit on highways. Technically "speeding " is any amount over the posted limit..even one MPH. My issue is with changes in speeds...when does the speed technically change? Most will say that it begins with an "imaginary line at the sign". However, many say they begin increasing their speed when they see the sign. I believe that a large majority of people do increase their speed before they arrive at the sign. So...what does the law say in TX? I looked it up...and as far as I can tell, as an average citizen wanting to know the actual law...SURPRISE it does not say. It is ambiguous at best. Look it up. The space between speed limit signs and when you see the next sign has a name...it's called a "Transition Zone". That word is not even in the law. It's used by law enforcement. After reading several blogs on it, I have discovered that with most officers, common sense does prevail...they say that they DO NOT usually ticket people in this "zone" because they know(and most likely do it themselves) most people are going to do exactly that...speed up when they see the sign. I believe that nearly everyone speeds at one point or another when driving several miles a day. What needs to be utilized by officers is common sense and integrity including one simple question..."Does this traffic infraction truly violate the spirit of the law and/or fall under their sworn duty to protect and serve?" Does citing a person for speeding while they are in the transition zone(within sight of a sign, 55-65mph) and are headed out of the city where there is no businesses or homes? In one town, there are two different speed limits for the same stretch of highway depending on which direction you are going...the kicker...the speed limit headed into town is faster than leaving? Hmmmm.
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Old 01-09-2012, 12:19 PM
 
Location: Central Texas
20,958 posts, read 45,166,931 times
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I've lived in Texas for some 60+ years, been driving in Texas for 47 years. In all that time, I have not seen these speed limits you speak of that are "very quickly" changed and to an unrealistically low speed. What I usually see is the speed limit reduced to 55 as you start to enter the very edge of town (when any reasonable driver would know to drive more sedately in any case), then to 45 as you get closer in, perhaps to 40 (or even 30, in some situations) when you get to the very center of town, and then as you move into the less heavily populated part of town back up to 45, then 55, then 65 or 70 depending on the kind of road.

That's not exceedingly quickly, nor are the speed limits unreasonable for the conditions.

I'm seeing a fair amount of rationalization (read: excuses) in your post. In particular this: When someone is driving 75-75 miles per hour and having a conversation with a passenger or it's raining or you blink, you might miss the one sign. So, you're saying that the speed limit doesn't exist if you carelessly miss the sign?

How about, if you're speeding, yes, take responsibility for your actions?

Interestingly enough, I've discovered that when this is my response, I tend to get a warning rather than a ticket, perhaps because I've acknowledged my error and not made excuses or blamed the officer for doing what I'm paying him to do. Funny how that works.

Last edited by TexasHorseLady; 01-09-2012 at 12:22 PM.. Reason: Left out sentence.
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Old 01-10-2012, 03:37 AM
 
Location: Dallas, TX
1,518 posts, read 3,040,686 times
Reputation: 916
This thread is asking for speed traps. Would all of you arguing about how speeders deserve to get tickets just shut up? Nobody cares.

Back on topic, I usually see several cops on I-20 in the Canton area and they always have people pulled over. It's the area I'm most leery of when making trips to Longview.
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Old 01-10-2012, 08:37 AM
 
Location: Central Texas
20,958 posts, read 45,166,931 times
Reputation: 24736
Quote:
Originally Posted by kenshi View Post
This thread is asking for speed traps. Would all of you arguing about how speeders deserve to get tickets just shut up? Nobody cares.

Back on topic, I usually see several cops on I-20 in the Canton area and they always have people pulled over. It's the area I'm most leery of when making trips to Longview.
Well, obviously somebody cares, or it wouldn't be a point of discussion.

If, however, listing the "speed traps" (which, again, are not traps unless they entice you to do something you wouldn't otherwise do, and I'm still waiting for a coherent explanation of exactly how speeders are "trapped" into violating the speed limit when they otherwise wouldn't ever, ever do so) causes compulsive speeders to slow down at least temporarily, perhaps it's not a bad idea.

Again, I speed. I'm just adult enough to admit that it's a decision on my part, not anyone else's, and not to whine that I was "trapped" when I suffer the predictable consequences of my own actions.
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Old 01-10-2012, 08:59 AM
 
Location: Texas State Fair
8,560 posts, read 11,165,686 times
Reputation: 4257
My experience is to exercise caution - at any speed - when traveling thru Callahan County. This would include a portion of I-20, east of Abilene at about Clyde to Baird and include roadways south of that portion of interstate, primarily Texas Hwy 36.

Troopers will stop and ticket for anything over any limit and might be especially interested in odors such as burning weeds.
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