Speed Traps (Howe: vehicles, ticket, deal)

[High_Plains_Retired]

Those who automatically fall to the side of law enforcement in every case probably would like to see Texas using Obama's drones with heat-seeking rockets to control speeders. I can guarantee that places like Muleshoe, Texas wouldn't go for that. There's no revenue in a dead speeder and there would be road damage to contend with.

[TexasHorseLady]

Originally Posted by High_Plains_Retired

Those who automatically fall to the side of law enforcement in every case probably would like to see Texas using Obama's drones with heat-seeking rockets to control speeders. I can guarantee that places like Muleshoe, Texas wouldn't go for that. There's no revenue in a dead speeder and there would be road damage to contend with.

ROFL! Nope, I'd like to see people take personal responsibility for the consequences of their actions and not whine and blame other people when those consequences occur. Pretty much the opposite of what you're describing above, in fact.

In other words, if you're actually violating the posted speed limit and you get a ticket, be an adult and deal with it.

If you think the posted speed limit is inappropriate, instead of just changing the law for yourself in your own head and thinking the police should accept that, figure out how to get that speed limit in that place changed. (Hint from someone who's been a legal assistant to an attorney who did exactly that and so has a clue: start by checking the statutes on how speed limits are required to be set and what information is required to be used in setting those limits and go from there.)

These are two separate and distinct actions, not mutually exclusive for any reasoning adult.

[Carlito Brigante]

Originally Posted by Soviet

This is a beautiful state, as I have learned over the past decade of my life living here. However, despite that beauty, it has an insidious, evil malignancy: speed traps.

What are some cities that like speed traps and harassing innocent motorists? Let's list 'em here. The disgusting parasites of this amazing and beautiful state.

Any of those country, backwoods little East Texas cities or towns on Highway 59, ESPECIALLY the closer you get to Houston on 59 South.

[Soviet]

Originally Posted by TexasHorseLady

ROFL! Nope, I'd like to see people take personal responsibility for the consequences of their actions and not whine and blame other people when those consequences occur. Pretty much the opposite of what you're describing above, in fact.

In other words, if you're actually violating the posted speed limit and you get a ticket, be an adult and deal with it.

If you think the posted speed limit is inappropriate, instead of just changing the law for yourself in your own head and thinking the police should accept that, figure out how to get that speed limit in that place changed. (Hint from someone who's been a legal assistant to an attorney who did exactly that and so has a clue: start by checking the statutes on how speed limits are required to be set and what information is required to be used in setting those limits and go from there.)

These are two separate and distinct actions, not mutually exclusive for any reasoning adult.

The reason that speed limits should be correct in the FIRST PLACE is because having inappropriate limits anywhere increases contempt for speed limits everywhere. If they are appropriate everywhere, people are significantly more apt to take them seriously. There is no excuse for inappropriate speed limits.

[High_Plains_Retired]

My wife is at this moment headed into Muleshoe then Littlefield with her New Mexico license plates. I just called her to tell her to be extremely careful. Both towns stay perennially broke and both have many years experience using their law enforcement for revenue enhancement. I've had the Littlefield Sheriff's office make a U-turn then follow me into town on occasion. Muleshoe is just Muleshoe. It has become a legend among out-of-state travelers on U.S. 84 as a place to avoid.

[TexasHorseLady]

Is that because they enforce the traffic laws in Muleshoe or because they stop people who haven't violated the traffic laws? Big difference there, you know. (Though some people just do not want to accept that they have to obey the same laws everybody else does even if they don't agree with them - I blame this whole entitlement culture we seem to have developed from Mommy telling little Johnny that the world revolves around him and he can do no wrong and if he does do wrong, it's not his fault and he shouldn't have to feel bad about it or anything at all, really.)

[kenshi]

Originally Posted by TexasHorseLady

Is that because they enforce the traffic laws in Muleshoe or because they stop people who haven't violated the traffic laws?

It's because they prey on people passing through for revenue for the town like was said. It's pretty obvious when cops are stopping people for money and not for public safety as they're supposed to do.

[TexasHorseLady]

Obvious how? Obvious because the people being stopped AREN'T breaking the law?

You'd be amazed how many people drive through little towns going hell bent for leather and then think they're not doing anything dangerous because it's not THEIR neighborhood someone is driving like a bat out of hell through, causing risks for the people who actually live there. Then claim that it's "revenue generation", not safety, because it's not their personal safety that's being threatened or because THEY are good drivers and can "handle it" at those speeds. The only people I've personally known who actually COULD handle it have been folks who dealt with it on the race tracks, and they drive VERY conservatively on the public roads, with good reason. The ones who claim that they can handle excessive speed on the public roads are more often the very ones who are most dangerous because they are nowhere near as good a driver as they think they are.

So, if the people being pulled over are actually violating the speed laws, by definition it IS public safety, not revenue generation. The latter may be a side benefit to the town, but as long as the folks getting tickets are getting them legitimately (which is to say, yes, they were speeding), then that's not the primary reason. Even if it were, it doesn't matter, because the predictable consequences of breaking the law are that you will get a ticket, at least. Crying about that and calling it revenue generation is just trying to shove the blame that you deserve onto someone else.

[TexasHorseLady]

Originally Posted by Soviet

The reason that speed limits should be correct in the FIRST PLACE is because having inappropriate limits anywhere increases contempt for speed limits everywhere. If they are appropriate everywhere, people are significantly more apt to take them seriously. There is no excuse for inappropriate speed limits.

And the speed limits generally ARE correct in the first place. It's a very interesting exercise that I suggested, because it makes it pretty clear that speed limits aren't set by pulling them out of a hat and that the person who just insists that the speed limits are incorrect because they want to go faster is blowing self-serving smoke and trying to make (pretty easily seen through) excuses for their own behavior rather than owning up to it.

[kenshi]

It's obvious because they're stopping everyone they can and not giving out any warnings. People driving a couple of mph over the limit are not "hell bent for leather" nor are a danger to society so it's obvious if cops are pulling them over and giving them tickets, not warnings, they're just trying to make money.

As for racers not speeding, that's ridiculous. There is a list of Nascar and Formula 1 drivers who have gotten tickets for doing at least 30 mph over the limit. If I remember correctly, one of them was doing over 100 mph in a 30 mph zone. People who are speeding are usually the better drivers. When I'm on my motorcycle, I'd much rather be around them than the slow ones who oftentimes aren't paying attention to what's going on around them.