[dannl]

The police officer that work for Waldo do not even live in Waldo. They all live in Gainesville and surrounding areas.

Originally Posted by Johnny727

Waldo, along with Starke, and Lawtey are nothing but broke hillbilly towns. People in the north know these people as nothing but hillbillies who write tickets for no reason other than to harrass people and take their money. They are known for setting up excess tickets and checkpoints ticketing UF students on their way to the Georgia/Florida World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party every year. They are also known for ticketing out-of-state people with their speed signs that change every 1/8 of a mile. This is why all their businesses are out and it looks like a horror scene from Unsolved Mysteries. The only reason why they get away with it is because Florida doesn't come down on them. The state of Texas had similar towns a few years back and they put a stop to it and told them no more than 25% of your revenue can be based off of tickets. Florida needs to build a highway around it or just turn 301 into a major interstate that goes from I-10 to the Turnpike. Teachers at UF say to avoid these redneck backwards towns and stay away from these people. I know black people who are afraid to drive down 301 because of the backwoods people that run it and fear they will be pulled over for no reason. Also, they use school zones to trap people such as when you are coming down a hill you have to hold your break or if you go over 15 mph they will pull you over. These people who defend these anal probing practices are unamerican. And these cops also show preference to "Alachua" plates. So if you are not wearing an "Alachua" on your plate, just beware when you go through this poor excuse of an existance.

[dannl]

Maybe one should avoid stopping at the Waldo Antique Mall & the Waldo Flea-Market as the owner of the Waldo Antique Mall & the Waldo Flea Market apparently allows the Waldo Police to sit on there property and use there radar every day. In order for a police officer to sit on private property and use his radar to issue tickets that police officer must have written permission from the property owner.

Originally Posted by Sunny-Days90

I agree, the biggest business in town is the Flea Market and Antique Mall with the iron horse out front.

If it is still there, have not been through Waldo in a couple years but always stopped at the antique mall in Waldo.

[plantluvr]

About 100 miles se of Waldo is the hillbilly town of Crescent City. Hwy 17 aka Summit St. goes right through town. Also CR 308 by the school these are speed traps. The cops hide behind buildings and bushes. If you're coming into town from the south the speed limit goes from 55-60 to 35. They don't give you much time to slow down and are waiting near the 35mph. My husband got a ticket that should have been for 42 in a 35. The car in front that was going faster or the car behind was not stopped. Just my husband in the middle. The ticket wasn't for speeding it was for violation of traffic control device. What the hell is that ? Also the cop is black I'm wondering how many tickets are given to white people and if he's racial profiling. How can I check his record ? There are lots of crack dealers in this town (by the elementary school on 308). Why doesn't he do something about them ? He just became chief of police and should be investigated for possible discrimination and payoffs from the crack dealers.

[tractteamjax]

[LEFT]If you have ever been to Florida, then you have been told to watch it around certain areas.
Some are more infamous than others.
Most notable is a city north of Gainesville and south of Lake City called Waldo.

It is hard to miss.

Yes, you can drive too fast and pass right by without noticing, but rarely will this be possible.
[/LEFT]
[LEFT][/LEFT]
For you see Waldo is a speed trap……Yet, not your ordinary speed trap…WHY?

Because several miles, before you reach Waldo, there is a huge billboard that clearly states:
[CENTER]
Warning: Waldo SPEED TRAP.

If this weren’t enough, just around the city limits there are white speed limit signs superimposed on larger bright yellow signs that signify the rapid reduction in speed allowed. From 65 to 55 to 45 to 35…within several hundred yards of each other.



SCENARIO #1: You are doing 65mph still, or 49, or even 37 miles per hour while in this town, and you are pulled over and the police officer gives you a ticket.



They say, “You are speeding, here’s your ticket, pay your fine”. Do you have anything that you can say in your defense? More than likely NO.
[/CENTER]
[CENTER]

O.K. let’s try something



SCENARIO #2: Let’s take down all of the signs from the billboard to the 55mph, 45mph, and the 35mph.

NO SIGNS!…Now you are driving the same way. So when the police officer pulls you over and says “You are speeding, here’s your ticket, pay your fine”.




What!!!? Wouldn’t that make you outraged that they could give you a ticket, yet you never knew what Waldo’s legal speed limit was?
What’s the point?



Let me ask you, have you ever had anyone say to you, “You’re a sinner, you need to accept Jesus, or you are going to hell!”? Doesn’t that sound judgmental? I mean, who are they to say who goes to hell and who doesn’t?
Exactly the point.
Where are the SIGNS?
Have you ever heard of the Ten Commandments? The Bible says that God wrote them with His Own Finger. That is how you can know if you broke His law…not just what a person thinks.
Shall we? PLEASE No Speeding through this section.


[/CENTER]
[LEFT]There will be a test.
Have you ever told a lie? Have you ever stolen anything in your life? Have you ever lusted after someone? Premarital sex? Have you ever used God’s name as a curse word? Have you ever created a god to suit yourself? (I believe…) Have you dishonored/disobeyed your parents at anytime in your life? Have you always set aside 1 day a week to honor God?

If you answered yes to all or any of these questions…you have violated God’s laws.

On Judgment Day…when you stand before God. If God judges you based on the 10 Commandments would you be innocent or guilty? If you are honest with yourself, you know you’d be guilty and go to hell.
So what can you say for yourself?…Nothing.
Sin is transgression of the law.

But God is rich in Mercy in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

[/LEFT]
[CENTER]
Repent (turn away from sin), trust in Jesus Christ alone for your salvation…


DRIVE SAFELY: FOR DIRECTIONS: read the Bible and obey what you read.



God will sustain you and keep you in this life and the one to come.[/CENTER]

[samh388]

New Years Morning at 5AM going back to NY, Knowing Waldo I was going about 62 when I seen the 45MPH ahead I started to brake a little only car on the roar at that time, my radar detector goes off. I get pulled over and the officer says you have to be going 45 at the sig, my question was how can he be sure at the sign I was not doing 50 or 45 he was ahead of me. He said before you started to slow down you were doing 62. I was trying to be carefull with the limit, so all the people saying that I drive like a maniac this is not the case. This happened on 24 not in the congested area.

[samh388]

I will not go on 24 in Waldo again. Will Make my trip longer from NY TO New Port Richey but it is better then getting another ticket. So no more stops along the way on 301 or 24.
PS I have stopped for gas, food and such but no longer, BYE WALDO

[chrls.7]

A person (or a thing) gets a reputation for a reason. Waldo has worked hard to get the speed-trap reputation. It not get it by accident. Go figure.

[chrls.7]

Waldo worked hard to get the "speed-trap" reputation, why would someone want to take it away?

[chrls.7]

Everyone needs to avoid Waldo, unless it is really necessary to go there. My daughter received a $400.00 ticket for going over the speed limit, and I am not sure she was speeding.

I am having to pay 50% more for our insurance as a result of this. Yes, people should obey the law, but these speeding-up-slowing-down signs so close together, seem to be designed to confuse drivers.

[chrls.7]

AAA does not throw darts at a map on a wall, and say this town is a speed trap.
The town of Waldo really has been treated with kid gloves in this matter. Their ought to be a highway that makes turn around it.
It is a shame that someone would defend the insanity that is perpetuated there.