[mkfarnam]

Originally Posted by Blue Skies

My only speeding I have ever received was a year ago, in a town called Shamrock, Texas. I was moving out from California. I was on Rte 66/I 40. On Sunday morning, the week before Thanksgiving, I was pulled over for driving 77 in a 65 zone. I had on an OU sweatshirt. I was not aware that the night before, OU beat the hell out of Texas Tech in a football game. There was no way I was getting a warning....he wrote the ticket out in about 30 seconds.

I took Rt#66 from SoCal to SW OK,...

[tijlover]

After reading any number of these threads on state forums on speed traps, I decided, come next month, I'm going to take a vacation (OK & TX) for the first time without adding stress to my trip, a rental car. Fly-Greyhound bus (haven't been on one for 25 years--isn't going to kill me) and light rail where available.

I'd rather contribute to the OK/TX economy via hotels/restaurants/attractions than hand money over to some local government agency for a parking ticket or moving violation.

Who needs that stress on vacation, trying to escape the stress of your job, stressing out by constantly looking in your rearview mirror, focusing your eyes on the speedometer and missing the scenery!

Here's one time I'll wave to the Highway Patrol officers from a Greyhound bus window.

That great corrupt, Mexican bribery system I've experienced driving in Mexico, where art thou?

[stillkit]

Originally Posted by Blue Skies

My only speeding I have ever received was a year ago, in a town called Shamrock, Texas. I was moving out from California. I was on Rte 66/I 40. On Sunday morning, the week before Thanksgiving, I was pulled over for driving 77 in a 65 zone. I had on an OU sweatshirt. I was not aware that the night before, OU beat the hell out of Texas Tech in a football game. There was no way I was getting a warning....he wrote the ticket out in about 30 seconds.

Dude! (Or, dudette as the case may be) You were 12 mph over the speed limit! I doubt your OU sweatshirt had anything to do with that ticket. Most cops, even the DPS, will allow a little latitude, but 12 mph is really stretching it, don't you think?

[stillkit]

Let me say something in defense of those little speed traps up Hwy-69.

In the first place, I've driven that road literally hundreds and hundreds of times from the Texas line to Big Cabin or beyond and the only tickets I ever got were from the OHP. Yes, the small town cops were usually out in abundance, but they never bothered me and I routinely drive 4 or 5 mph above the speed limit, except inside the city limits.

"Except inside the city limits" is the key. It's not too difficult to slow down going through those little towns and it makes sense anyhow, especially in places like Atoka, Stringtown, Kiowa, McAlester, Choteau and Wagoner where the highway is little more than a widened city street. With traffic going in and out of parking lots and cross streets, who in his right mind would try to just blaze right on through anyhow? Heck, in Atoka, the speed limit is 45 and that's too fast for the congestion!

Back in "the day" when the limit through Stringtown was 35, the OKC paper did a story on the towns reputation as a speed trap and discovered something nobody knew: They wrote a LOT of tickets, but the huge majority of them were for folks traveling 70 mph or better! How much latitude do we think they oughta give?

Why just a couple of weeks ago, I was moving along north of Durant at about 75 when a Texan in a black Mercedes came floating by at a high rate of speed. He must have been doing 90 or so. Not surprisingly, I saw him again parked in front of a Caney cop. The highway there is 4 lanes wide, but it's not controlled access, so even I, the world's worst speeder, understand that when there are crossroads, such a high speed is not only unsafe, it's foolish. It wouldn't surprise me if that guy isn't telling all his friends right now how BAAADDD the Caney cops are, but he brought it on himself.

So do most people who get tickets up that road.

And, by the way, another poster suggested the speed limit signs may not be compliance with the standards. That may be so, I don't know, but I DO know there aren't any hidden signs. The information is there, clearly visible, if anyone cares to look.

[sippio]

[quote=EarthBound?;11771867]

Originally Posted by ionstott06

Only problem is that Kiowa, OK has got some kind of scam going. Either they have their radar calibrated wrong for the purpose of collecting revenue or they are clocking people in the 60 and 70 MPH zone and then stopping people coming out of the 50 MPH zone and giving them a ticket.

I know my speedometer to be correct as I have checked it several times. I was showing 54 MPH and the officer said he clocked me at 62 MPH.

I intend to notify the Attorney General about this matter and hope more people will do so to put a halt to this misjustice.

Does Oklahoma require the departments to register the callbration on the L.E.A.D.S, Law Enforcement Automated Data Systems. If so, then a good lawyer can request those calibration registrations to prestent in court. And here in Ohio the Officers Must be state certified to do those calibrations. These numbers and test once put into the LEADS, can not be removed or changed. Plus, how old is the system they are using and when was the last time it was sent in for state calibration? Again, a good lawyer would know how to find this information and use that against the department.

I once heard a Judge tell an officer in his court, "Its my job to interpret the law, its your job to infoced the law and its a lawyers jobs to sway the law". [/i][/font][/color]

[Crew Chief]

Originally Posted by Bobby H

US-75 and US-69 need to be upgraded to full fledged Interstate highways and simply bypass those speed trap towns. Honestly, I-45 needs to be extended at least to Tulsa.

US-69 needs to be upgraded to an Interstate from the intersection with the Indian Nation Turnpike clear up to Big Cabin, OK where it intersects I-44. There is an unreal amount of heavy truck traffic on US-69. Much of the semi truck traffic coming from the direction of Dallas-Fort Worth headed to destinations like St. Louis, Chicago and further will take US-69. Same goes for the opposite direction. Look at aerial views on Google Earth or Bing Maps if you don't believe me. LOTS of trucks. More than a 4-lane road with at-grade intersections has to handle that stuff.

Oh, I certainly believe you because i've done it When I was in our long haul fleet, we'd frequently get routed (or at least paid) on running U.S. 75 & 69.

I knock on wood; I was never ticketed on those highways...

[tator89]

where is stringtown?

[stillkit]

Originally Posted by tator89

where is stringtown?

North of Atoka.

[Lawman_Kyle]

I got stopped in Stringtown this weekend on my way home from Indiannapolis and the officer stopped me for going 3 over. I showed him my duty weapon and told him I was an officer and he let it go. 3 mph over.....thats ridiculous.

[mkfarnam]

Originally Posted by Lawman_Kyle

I got stopped in Stringtown this weekend on my way home from Indiannapolis and the officer stopped me for going 3 over. I showed him my duty weapon and told him I was an officer and he let it go. 3 mph over.....thats ridiculous.

My first ticket ever was in Duncan, Ok. Going 39 in a 35 . The judge gave me a break because my record was clean.