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You seem to have a woefully small level of reading comprehension. I am starting to wonder if I'm exchanging messages with a bot, as you don't seem capable of passing the Turing test.
No actually I'm not calling you out for buying something to help you break the law. I'm just pointing out that it is a little bit hypocritical to be complaining about speed traps when you are actively discussing methods of avoiding speeding tickets. If you choose to do this, that's your business, but please don't come to a forum and cry about the fact that you got caught breaking the law. I'm not completely sure what facts I don't have straight, you do complain about speed traps correct? And you do buy equipment designed to help you speed? And speeding is illegal in Texas?
Also, I don't recall telling you "where you are". It would appear that while you were busy not comprehending my previous posts, you were also adding dialogue that I didn't write. Unless of course you are confusing my words with those of the voices in your head...
My pants are rather dry at the moment, as I have apparently not reached the point in life that I struggle with issues of incontinence. Though perhaps you have, considering the long life you seem to have led before I reached my current stage of awesomeness. I hear wet depends can cause anger issues, maybe that is your problem. Btw, thank you for your service, but as was pointed out by another poster, this does not give you a license to speed. I happen to be not only a military veteran, but also a police officer, and I do not take this as a get out of a ticket free card. I too speed, and have received tickets for this behavior. I understand speeding is a bad idea, I just sometimes choose to do it anyways with the full knowledge that if I am caught, I may receive a ticket. The difference is I take my ticket like a rational human and figure that a ticket every once in awhile is a reasonable price to pay for arriving on time at my destination. (I know I could just leave earlier, but my awesomeness hasn't reached that exalted level as of the time of this posting)
I also note that though you are apparently quite clever at coming up with insults of my screen name, and attempting to shut me down with vague hinting at a military career, you are still incapable of answering the question I've posed over the course of the last 3 posts. What is your definition of a speed trap, other than "a place I was caught speeding by police". I await the next incoherent rant with bated breath sir.
This is a free forum and I have no right to shut anyone down because everyone has a right to say whatever they want as long as it is per the guidelines of the forum. It doesn't matter if they are veteran or police or whatever. But since you happen to be a police officer and are usually not accustomed to civilized communication, I will try to be decent without any insults. I kind of understand where you are coming from. Obviously, speed trap doesn't exist in your dictionary. But anyways, I am going to answer your question and will wait for your declarative assumptions about it too. So here it is. I believe anytime safety is used as an excuse to generate revenue for police department to buy more equipment and pay salaries its a speed trap. I will present my case below. Not that it matters since you have already made up your mind but I will try...
The amount of traffic violations I see every day in the city with police nowhere to be seen is astounding. I am sure I am not the only one who has witnessed this. But directly or indirectly everyone of us is a victim of these rash drivers who cause accidents and emotional/mental distress to all of us. Off course that doesn't give me an excuse to break the law. But I feel that instead of standing in street corner and targeting people for going 5-10 mph over speed limit on a road which doesn't have residential traffic ( people rarely walk on that back road, its not even properly lit at night to see any signs on road properly) is a bit too harsh. I was not the only one who got a ticket that time. There was a big line of cars getting tickets. What is the probability of 4-6 cars getting tickets at the same time. And guess what, when I was pulling over there were more cars behind me getting a ticket. This is what I mean by speed trap. I am not saying all were right. Every one of us was at fault. But close to 10 cars getting speeding ticket within a matter of 10-15 mins, something isn't right about this picture. The exact same thing happened more than a year ago. You would think one would slow down at the same spot if they got ticket a year and a half ago. Thats exactly what I did. But I am pretty sure in this case even if I was going 5 above, I would still have gotten a ticket. Which if you go by the books is still right for all those go by the books folks. Its a two way street where 2 streets each way merge into 1. I know for a fact that you will back up lot of traffic if you drive at 30 on that road. Everyone with tailgate you or try to overtake you without realizing it will become one way street and it will further risk an accident. Thats the reason I keep saying if you know this street you will know what I am talking about and I am sure the cops know it too. Quick look at the speeding fines, 5-9 mph over speeding $205, 10-20mph = $239 and the list goes on. 10 cars in 10-15 mins. What is the probability they were all within 5-9 or 10-20 mph? You do the math. So I didn't really want to get into these details here but what can I say some people like getting into details or else they accuse you of being a criminal when all you did was try to rant about a speeding ticket on a public forum.. Btw these are approximate figures so plz don't pull my leg on that one
So my point is that that the constable guy sitting on Sam Houston is busy watching cars and bikes go 90+ mph and they don't bother stopping them. I used to drive 140 miles every day for work. The kind of things I saw on highways here, I have rarely seen in other places with the exception of few cities. But even in those cities the cops don't have a good reputation. So I won't jump into conclusion here yet but this has been my experience so far. People driving at 100 mph+, constantly harassing people who drive speed limit on right hand lanes, illegal street races on new grand parkway 99 etc. The list is long. You call me hypocrite for buying a radar detector trying to imply I am one of those guys whose looking for ways to break law... I tell you its the radar detector which assisted me in finding ways how most of these cops are probably chilling on highways trying to act as if they are really going to go after the speeders. Almost every day, I would come across cops on Sam Houston and I-10 who didn't even have their radar guns or laser guns on. Most of the time they are standing as if they are trying to monitor your speed on the road way but simply their equipment's were off. Offcourse people who commute every day know that. Thats the reason why many are driving like maniacs every day right infront of the cops on the highways here. They knew they could easily manage giving tickets to people in these speed trap zones and other places and generate revenues for city instead of risking a chase on the highway. Or its lot easier to give someone a ticket driving on HOV by themselves. This is my experience and based on that I was pissed about being in a situation twice in 3 yrs. Its lot easier to come online and call out someone and say man up, pay your fine, this is america, you suck because you speed etc. I am sure I asked for it when I posted it here.
I have numerous other experiences with the city cops. I used to stay in an apartment when I moved here originally from Dallas. Most of the city cops were doing over time in those SW side apartments as night security. Some of them became good friends. We discussed things that I would rather not post on this board so all I am saying that while you can try to portray me as person who doesn't follow law, over speeds and then complains about tickets, doesn't man up bla bla bla but at the end of the day these city cops are not angels either and you should know that too. If that was the case there won't be all these settlements happening with the PD every other day in the city. So yea as a police officer I can understand why you want to make these statements but my experience with cops in the city has been completely different as compared to the ones in suburbs. I have had city cops tell me no part of Houston is safe, how understaffed they are and how reluctant they are going to a burglary call and car break in issues. Most of the time they would rather resolve over the phone for insurance purpose because there is no way they will investigate the break ins that happen every minute in a city as like Houston.
Again its your assumption saying that being a military veteran makes me above the law. That is not what I said or implied. I am not protesting the ticket and I will pay it as I have done in the past. Actually I did contact a lawyer and as expected he informed me how notorious that location was and how easily he could get the ticket dismissed but I am not going to fuss about $200. Neither am I going to order a traffic engineering study at that location. I would simply avoid using that street. I have spent time in towns where you get a speed ticket going 5 miles over speed limit because you are speeding and that's fair. But then those places have ticketing policies which are universal and not biased based on location vs traffic vs reluctance of cops based on their mood etc.
So there you go. I hope I have answered your question. The day I am incapable of answering a cop, that day would be be my last day in 'Murica...
This is a free forum and I have no right to shut anyone down because everyone has a right to say whatever they want as long as it is per the guidelines of the forum. It doesn't matter if they are veteran or police or whatever. But since you happen to be a police officer and are usually not accustomed to civilized communication, I will try to be decent without any insults. I kind of understand where you are coming from. Obviously, speed trap doesn't exist in your dictionary. But anyways, I am going to answer your question and will wait for your declarative assumptions about it too. So here it is. I believe anytime safety is used as an excuse to generate revenue for police department to buy more equipment and pay salaries its a speed trap. I will present my case below. Not that it matters since you have already made up your mind but I will try...
I appreciate the sudden change to civility, though I don't recall being the one who said I had "wet my pants" or came up with dubiously clever insults to my screen name. And since you're actually trying to have a decent conversation, I will answer you in kind. I do have one minor point of contention, and it does seem like you (still) have trouble understanding this.
I am not against the idea of the existence of speed traps. I am not against the idea of the existence of speed traps. I am not against the idea of the existence of speed traps. As I've said in the past few posts and said here 3 times in case you miss it again. A speed trap is generally found in a small town that has a highway run through it. Small town PD's seem to enjoy setting egregiously rapid speed drops from 70mph to 35mph or lower in the space of such a short time that it is nearly impossible to comply with posted speed limit signs. There is usually a unit running radar/laser waiting to pull over and ticket unwary out of town drivers somewhere along this stretch of road, and this is generally to create revenue for the town. This is to me, as speed trap. I am willing to amend my generalization of speed traps if you would tell me your definition of one, but I still haven't heard it. But as you can see, and should have seen three posts ago, I am not a speed trap Atheist
What I am against is the assumption that every time someone is stopped and ticketed, that they were somehow caught in a speed trap, and not just unlucky. No matter how wary a speeder is, sometimes they're gonna get caught, plain and simple. This is why I repeatedly asked you your definition of speed trap, and still haven't heard one.
Quote:
Originally Posted by TexasTony
The amount of traffic violations I see every day in the city with police nowhere to be seen is astounding. I am sure I am not the only one who has witnessed this. But directly or indirectly everyone of us is a victim of these rash drivers who cause accidents and emotional/mental distress to all of us. Off course that doesn't give me an excuse to break the law. But I feel that instead of standing in street corner and targeting people for going 5-10 mph over speed limit on a road which doesn't have residential traffic ( people rarely walk on that back road, its not even properly lit at night to see any signs on road properly) is a bit too harsh. I was not the only one who got a ticket that time. There was a big line of cars getting tickets. What is the probability of 4-6 cars getting tickets at the same time. And guess what, when I was pulling over there were more cars behind me getting a ticket. This is what I mean by speed trap. I am not saying all were right. Every one of us was at fault. But close to 10 cars getting speeding ticket within a matter of 10-15 mins, something isn't right about this picture. The exact same thing happened more than a year ago. You would think one would slow down at the same spot if they got ticket a year and a half ago. Thats exactly what I did. But I am pretty sure in this case even if I was going 5 above, I would still have gotten a ticket. Which if you go by the books is still right for all those go by the books folks. Its a two way street where 2 streets each way merge into 1. I know for a fact that you will back up lot of traffic if you drive at 30 on that road. Everyone with tailgate you or try to overtake you without realizing it will become one way street and it will further risk an accident. Thats the reason I keep saying if you know this street you will know what I am talking about and I am sure the cops know it too. Quick look at the speeding fines, 5-9 mph over speeding $205, 10-20mph = $239 and the list goes on. 10 cars in 10-15 mins. What is the probability they were all within 5-9 or 10-20 mph? You do the math. So I didn't really want to get into these details here but what can I say some people like getting into details or else they accuse you of being a criminal when all you did was try to rant about a speeding ticket on a public forum.. Btw these are approximate figures so plz don't pull my leg on that one
I agree with you, there are plenty of violations that occur without police around. Contrary to what the Libertarians would have you believe, big brother is not always watching. There are a finite number of officers, and even the ones who are working, are generally too busy responding to calls for service to care much about someone breaking a traffic law. To a certain extent you are right, it makes more sense to be up on the freeways stopping the street racers. I'll give you a long answer, but it will hopefully cover everything.
I am not a traffic cop. I don't like to write tickets, I'm not radar/laser certified, and I don't make traffic stops on the freeways so I can't speak with authority on the methods of all those guys you see on the freeway, but I will try to explain some of the methods I've run across over the years. I know everyone slams on their brakes every time they see a police car, and thinks that every cop writes tickets, but that's not really true. Most agencies have an assigned traffic division, and these guys usually drive around in slick top "ghost cars" without light bars on top. Be aware that these officers comprise a tiny percentage of the officers on duty at whatever time you are seeing them. These officers usually have a certain amount of time they must run traffic on the freeways, and they are usually assigned a specific freeway. So you might have one or two officers for say IH45 on patrol at a given time. One or two officers isn't a lot, so this will hopefully help explain how many violations go unticketed. You might ask "where is everyone else?" We are down in the neighborhoods responding to calls and being parents overgrown children.
From what I've heard, the traffic officers on the freeways have to spend a certain amount of time on the freeways writing tickets, and can then move off and conduct operations based on where they think the most traffic violators are. Contrary to popular opinion, a lot of cops aren't that dumb. Just like you wouldn't just drop a line anywhere in a lake while fishing, they're gonna look for areas where lots of traffic violations occur, or where there is a lot of traffic. Your "speed trap" location sounds about perfect. Lots of people speeding and committing other violations. These guys write tickets, that's all they do, and they aren't gonna sit on the freeway waiting to stop one car when they can stop 6-7 in a row. The point is to be visible and ideally to act as a non present deterrent "if I speed is a cop gonna pop up and ticket me?". If you've got that worry in the back of your mind every time you speed, half their job is already done.
Quote:
Originally Posted by TexasTony
So my point is that that the constable guy sitting on Sam Houston is busy watching cars and bikes go 90+ mph and they don't bother stopping them. I used to drive 140 miles every day for work. The kind of things I saw on highways here, I have rarely seen in other places with the exception of few cities. But even in those cities the cops don't have a good reputation. So I won't jump into conclusion here yet but this has been my experience so far. People driving at 100 mph+, constantly harassing people who drive speed limit on right hand lanes, illegal street races on new grand parkway 99 etc. The list is long. You call me hypocrite for buying a radar detector trying to imply I am one of those guys whose looking for ways to break law... I tell you its the radar detector which assisted me in finding ways how most of these cops are probably chilling on highways trying to act as if they are really going to go after the speeders. Almost every day, I would come across cops on Sam Houston and I-10 who didn't even have their radar guns or laser guns on. Most of the time they are standing as if they are trying to monitor your speed on the road way but simply their equipment's were off. Offcourse people who commute every day know that. Thats the reason why many are driving like maniacs every day right infront of the cops on the highways here. They knew they could easily manage giving tickets to people in these speed trap zones and other places and generate revenues for city instead of risking a chase on the highway. Or its lot easier to give someone a ticket driving on HOV by themselves. This is my experience and based on that I was pissed about being in a situation twice in 3 yrs. Its lot easier to come online and call out someone and say man up, pay your fine, this is america, you suck because you speed etc. I am sure I asked for it when I posted it here.
As I said in the earlier paragraph, I'm not a traffic cop. I work in the neighborhoods pretty close to downtown, and I stay off the freeways as much as humanly possible. I can't comment with any confidence on Constables, or their procedures, so I won't. Just remember, cops can't be everywhere, and cops aren't those agents in the Matrix, I can't sense a violators location and take possession of someone else's body to teleport myself to their location and write a ticket. Though that would be pretty sweet.
I again need to address your seeming lack of reading comprehension. I don't care if you speed! I really don't. It makes no difference to me, I don't even have a radar/laser in my vehicle, I'm not gonna stop you. I have said this before and you seem to be remarkably obtuse about understanding this point. This is America, if you want to speed and take the risks associated with that behavior, be my guest. If you wrap yourself around a freeway median, I have a pretty cool fatality wreck to work. That is the sole extent to which your behavior affects me. I will never tell you that you suck because you speed. Go back and read it, (because you clearly didn't read it the first time) maybe someone else did, but it was not me.
As Michael Berry says "you're a grown a$$ man", and I'm not your mother. With that said, I'm gonna call you out if you sit back and try to make excuses for why the behavior you engaged in got you into trouble. Remember, you're a grown a$$ man, I give you the benefit of the doubt that you thought about the consequences before you engaged in said behavior. If you didn't, I'm not gonna have an ounce of sympathy because you got a ticket, wrecked your car, or were subject to any of the misfortunes common to speeding drivers.
I will also call you out for rank hypocrisy when you argue that you were caught in a speed trap, and with the next breath you are discussing buying radar detectors. Rest assured, I am not lumping you into some category of criminals engaging in street races while lead feet press the gas pedal to the floor. I myself speed too often. I am working on this habit because gas and tickets are expensive. I know a large percentage of the otherwise law abiding population speeds. This does not make them bad people or put them in a category previously shared by ISIS and bank robbers. So relax man, just take personal responsibility, realize cops will probably be hanging out there next time, and speed everywhere else! But rest assured, this anonymous internet poster does not think you are a bad person because you speed, he just doesn't like it when you blame other people for getting caught!
Quote:
Originally Posted by TexasTony
I have numerous other experiences with the city cops. I used to stay in an apartment when I moved here originally from Dallas. Most of the city cops were doing over time in those SW side apartments as night security. Some of them became good friends. We discussed things that I would rather not post on this board so all I am saying that while you can try to portray me as person who doesn't follow law, over speeds and then complains about tickets, doesn't man up bla bla bla but at the end of the day these city cops are not angels either and you should know that too. If that was the case there won't be all these settlements happening with the PD every other day in the city. So yea as a police officer I can understand why you want to make these statements but my experience with cops in the city has been completely different as compared to the ones in suburbs. I have had city cops tell me no part of Houston is safe, how understaffed they are and how reluctant they are going to a burglary call and car break in issues. Most of the time they would rather resolve over the phone for insurance purpose because there is no way they will investigate the break ins that happen every minute in a city as like Houston.
Cool story bro! I'm glad you were able to hang with some cops, most of us are pretty decent people, and we will actually chat with you if the first words out of your mouth aren't something related to donuts, ferguson, or profiling!
No offense, but it's also totally irrelevant. Just because people make mistakes and speed, or do whatever, doesn't mean its ok for you to. I've already said I'm not portraying you in any way, other than someone who has abominable reading comprehension. But somehow trying to tie in police corruption with your speeding habits sounds a bit like someone who is shirking his burden of personal responsibility. Also, no part of anywhere is safe! Haven't you been watching CNN? ISIS has a death star from which they can shoot Jihadis riding large Ebola strands like magic carpets down from space, and those guys will drop kick a preschooler just because they can! Everyone should be speeding! A moving target is harder to hit!
But seriously, again, this is irrelevant. It sucks that crime happens everywhere, and it also sucks that departments are understaffed and overwhelmed with crime numbers, but this doesn't have a lot to do with getting caught speeding.
Quote:
Originally Posted by TexasTony
Again its your assumption saying that being a military veteran makes me above the law. That is not what I said or implied. I am not protesting the ticket and I will pay it as I have done in the past. Actually I did contact a lawyer and as expected he informed me how notorious that location was and how easily he could get the ticket dismissed but I am not going to fuss about $200. Neither am I going to order a traffic engineering study at that location. I would simply avoid using that street. I have spent time in towns where you get a speed ticket going 5 miles over speed limit because you are speeding and that's fair. But then those places have ticketing policies which are universal and not biased based on location vs traffic vs reluctance of cops based on their mood etc.
So there you go. I hope I have answered your question. The day I am incapable of answering a cop, that day would be be my last day in 'Murica...
Actually no, it's not. Why else would you say it? Was it a jibe directed at me in your "pre civility" postings? Or was it an attempt to justify your speeding? Because either way it was irrelevant, but it sure sounded like an attempt to justify speeding. (and I'm not the only one who posted calling you out on it) If I was wrong, then I apologize, but it would leave me wondering if you had some form of military related Tourettes where you just blurted out your service record at odd times uncontrollably.
And good on you bro! That's exactly the kind of attitude I'm talking about. Tickets are basically a speeding tax. If you don't want to ever have to pay the tax, never speed, but if you don't mind paying it every now and then, its really not a big deal. I hope I answered your questions as well.
This is 'Murica, you can speed if you want to, but stop crying about speed traps, man up and take your lumps when you get caught and ticketed.
Quote:
Originally Posted by TexasTony
And please don't tell me where we are. I have paid my due respect and served this country way before you even turned from dumb to awesome in your own world.
I'm late to the party but I read it as, Texas bringing up his veteran status in response to Awesome's comment about this is 'Murica! Not that it was bought up as an excuse to speed.
Back on topic, I live off a street that is 30mph and I see people pulled over at least 2-3 times a week. I personally appreciate it. The problem with raising the speed limit is, people think they can go 5-10mph over that speed limit and won't get pulled over. Sure the street might be able to handle speeds of 35mph but then you'll have people going 40-45mph. The 30mph streets seem to popular spots for cops to write tickets so with that knowledge if it says 30, don't go over 31.
This is coming from someone that loves fast cars, I drive a twin turbo vehicle but at the same time if I get a ticket it won't be for going only 5-10 mph over
I'm late to the party but I read it as, Texas bringing up his veteran status in response to Awesome's comment about this is 'Murica! Not that it was bought up as an excuse to speed.
Back on topic, I live off a street that is 30mph and I see people pulled over at least 2-3 times a week. I personally appreciate it. The problem with raising the speed limit is, people think they can go 5-10mph over that speed limit and won't get pulled over. Sure the street might be able to handle speeds of 35mph but then you'll have people going 40-45mph. The 30mph streets seem to popular spots for cops to write tickets so with that knowledge if it says 30, don't go over 31.
This is coming from someone that loves fast cars, I drive a twin turbo vehicle but at the same time if I get a ticket it won't be for going only 5-10 mph over
Except you know, a village like Spring Valley giving tickets for going 31~32 is a bit exploitive. A friend of mine's brother about 25 years ago was living and helping care for his mom in Spring Valley and got a ticket from them for 31.
M suggestion is this: Avoid doing ANY business in Spring Valley.
And if you travel through Meadows Place, the only business there is Meadows Place cops who neglect to use turn signals giving out tickets. If you have loud mufflers, please race you engines going through there at 30 mph.
I hate to be black or Mexican in my neighborhood. I see so many of them pulled over by the the SL police where is not even funny anymore. Just simple observation. Those folks don't live here, they just work here and try to make an honest living. But I see clear evidence of profiling from the local police. There is also data to support this if you ahem the time to digg, connects the dots and do statistics, It sucks to be black or Mexican I guess
Apology accepted and I apologize for saying anything that might have sounded rude or bad. Couple of things I wanted to point out. I have had a radar detector for a very long time and I have received different traffic violations in the past so this was not my first one & neither did I have any intention of justifying my actions here. I was going 40 mph in a 30 mph zone and I will pay the fine & try not to speed any more. I wanted to give a detailed reply but its not going to take us any where. I guess we would have to agree to disagree on lots of points that we both mentioned.
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