Do you believe that VA feels like a police state? (hotels, felony)

[iNviNciBL3]

Originally Posted by tarp

It's still a police state. I've never seen as many cops on just about every single road, at all hours of the day and night, as I do in Virginia. Honestly, I doubt there is anywhere else in the world outside of an active war zone that is so heavily patrolled by police. If you spend time in most other states in the country and in other countries, you can really see the difference. It's all about revenue and intimidation of the populace. Maryland has a lot of speed cameras, but far fewer police. Pennsylvania has way fewer police and they are far less aggressive and sneaky. I-66 in Virginia is an ongoing 24-hour speed trap with cops sitting in the median at all hours of the day and night. If you drive I-95 from Maryland to the North Carolina line, you'll probably pass by at least a dozen state troopers.

I think it would be funny if you went to an actual police state if you think cops sitting on the side of the road = police state.

[elias9193]

If you think its bad in Va just try driving in MD, there are speed cameras and red light cameras on every corner. Its worse than in Va, but I do agree that the fines and penalties for speeding in Va are a little excessive. It really makes me think, like its mostly about generating revenue for the goverment coffers!

[one is lonely]

As someone from Michigan now living in Virginia, I can tell you it's true: Virginia has a lot of police cars. I'm not saying that's a bad thing. Just stating a fact.

It is strange for me, though, to see the East Coast's obsession with preventing speeding on freeways. In Michigan and other Midwest states people speed all the time on the freeway and nothing particularly bad happens. After all, the speed limit is just a construct of the mind. Germans drive way faster than Americans with little to no repercussions.

All I can assume is that the stringent speeding laws are a clandestine tax to fund the region's robust police departments. Which, from a crime prevention perspective, is great. It's just funny that you can't convince people to fund police through more honest means.

[Jowel]

Originally Posted by one is lonely

It is strange for me, though, to see the East Coast's obsession with preventing speeding on freeways. In Michigan and other Midwest states people speed all the time on the freeway and nothing particularly bad happens. After all, the speed limit is just a construct of the mind. Germans drive way faster than Americans with little to no repercussions.

You're spot on about overemphasizing speeding enforcement on the East Coast (at least the Southeast), and not just the lunatic driving 106 in a 60 zone either; the creation of speed traps where a road is engineered for a safe 60 mile an hour speed with a 45 mph speed limit along with aggressive traffic enforcement in those locations. If they want people to go 45, why are the roads engineered for such a high speed? (straight as an arrow, excessively wide lanes, etc.)

What's interesting to me, when I compare Midwestern and Southern drivers, is that many fewer drivers in the South use their turn singals AT ALL. Here (I'm in NC), someone can be directly in front of a police car, make a dozen lane changes and turns and never use a turn signal (including just stopping in the road before making a turn). The signaling law is never enforced (I'm speaking for NC- I don't know if that's true in VA) and in quite a few areas, many police don't even use their turn signals. But if someone picks up a little speed going down a hill on a straight stretch of highway with no traffic (again, if the road is engineered for a speed much higher than the speed limit), the long arm of the law will be thrust upon them and a ticket will be issued without fail.

[one is lonely]

Jowel, if we're going to bring up driving quirks, it took me a long time to get used to how emergency vehicles drive in Virginia. In Michigan, whenever a vehicle is responding to an emergency, its siren is ALWAYS on and it's LOUD. That way, you can prepare to give up the right of way to the emergency vehicle ahead of time. Here, I'll just be casually driving down the road, when all of a sudden a fire truck or ambulance comes out of nowhere and blares its siren at me momentarily like it's a horn. Then I have to scramble to get out of the way at the last second, and sometimes it's near impossible.

[Bigfoot424]

Originally Posted by one is lonely

As someone from Michigan now living in Virginia, I can tell you it's true: Virginia has a lot of police cars. I'm not saying that's a bad thing. Just stating a fact.

It is strange for me, though, to see the East Coast's obsession with preventing speeding on freeways. In Michigan and other Midwest states people speed all the time on the freeway and nothing particularly bad happens. After all, the speed limit is just a construct of the mind. Germans drive way faster than Americans with little to no repercussions.

All I can assume is that the stringent speeding laws are a clandestine tax to fund the region's robust police departments. Which, from a crime prevention perspective, is great. It's just funny that you can't convince people to fund police through more honest means.

Ever been to Germany or are you assuming this based on what you've heard about the Autobahn? Speed cameras are huge in Germany. The likes of which we've never seen here. Speeding is heavily handled in Germany.

[one is lonely]

I've never been to Germany. I just know that they have roads with speed limits of 81 MPH, or sometimes with no real speed limit. My point was that driving at 80 MPH, then, isn't necessarily an extreme action that requires a severe punishment. It had nothing to do with how the laws are enforced in Germany.

In my experience, people will drive at speeds they are a safe at (of course, there are always a few exceptions). If a highway was designed in such a way that it's safe to go over the speed limit by 5-10 MPH, then naturally it stands to reason that people would end up going over the speed limit.

[Serious Conversation]

I was driving through rural Lee County Friday night on my way back to TN and saw two VSP cars and one local sheriff patrolling between Jonesville and Duffield. This is an extremely rural stretch of highway where the terrain itself limits speed and there is little to no population. It seems odd to be patrolling such remote areas so heavily.

[Bigfoot424]

Originally Posted by Emigrations

I was driving through rural Lee County Friday night on my way back to TN and saw two VSP cars and one local sheriff patrolling between Jonesville and Duffield. This is an extremely rural stretch of highway where the terrain itself limits speed and there is little to no population. It seems odd to be patrolling such remote areas so heavily.

And you have no idea what they were doing or where they were going. How do you know they were patrolloing the road? I had two interstates in my patrol area (66 and 95) and I frequently used them to get from one area to another. I'm sure people saw my crusier on the interstate and assumed I was patrolling it when in fact I was only using it to get somewhere a little quicker.

[CurseOfWilmore]

Originally Posted by Emigrations

I was driving through rural Lee County Friday night on my way back to TN and saw two VSP cars and one local sheriff patrolling between Jonesville and Duffield. This is an extremely rural stretch of highway where the terrain itself limits speed and there is little to no population. It seems odd to be patrolling such remote areas so heavily.

Friday night I was traveling US 23 N and came across a 10 to 12 car police checkpoint at Big Stone Gap checking for seat belts, I myself thought that was a little extreme. I understand it was Memorial Day Weekend, but it felt excessive.

Speers Ferry(US 23) in Scott County is the one of the worst areas to drive thru, the road is nothing but a straightaway for 5-6 miles but you will see a trooper or car pulled over, guaranteed.

I've came across several roadchecks traveling thru SW Va, more so than any other area I've ever traveled thru. I thought it was unconstitutional to set up random roadchecks, that they had to be posted beforehand. I'm no Lawyer, but the Law can do what they please I guess, with little to no repercussions.