Why is my speeding ticket so high $440? (taxes, live)

[JohnPaul]

Driving 21 miles per hour over the speed limit, in California, and it was only 440.00?? You got damn lucky.. In most states that is considered reckless endangerment, and can have your vehicle impounded and six month loss of driving privileges. Driving 17mph over the posted limit in a commercial vehicle in Cali will get you exactly that, but you lose your license for a year, and the ticket would be well over four digits.

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by tijlover

Wrong!!! Anyone who's ever driven the Autobahn in Germany at 140MPH will have lots of sympathy for you and then wonder why you were driving so slow!

No matter what the case, witch-hunting Americans will never go to the dictionary to look up the word compassion! Or empathy, for that matter!

No one is talking the Autobahn in Germany. Most of us do know about the speed people travel on it, but we are talking CA, which last I knew was in the United States and the OP was exceeding the speed limit by 20 plus miles an hour. There is no reason for compassion here, only a bleeding heart liberal would think there was.

Nita

[Bideshi]

Don't do the crime if you can't pay the fine...

[Frank-solo]

Originally Posted by sav858

True, I don't like people that bob and weave through multiple lanes but at the same time that is partly caused by people going too slow in the fast lane and not yielding to faster traffic.

There is no fast lane on California freeways. If you are doing the speed limit or keeping up with traffic, people don't have to yield to drivers that want to speed.

[Bandon]

I'm on the OPs side. The police everywhere it seems are only too ready to toss speeding tickets around like candy, but I NEVER (and I'm not exaggerating) see them pulling over the slow drivers that are the cause of road rage.

Why don't they target THESE slugs as they are the ones who need to be removed from the roads.

But at the very LEAST, be grateful that you at least get to GO a decent speed. Around here people take 20 minutes pulling away from a signal to get up to the breakneck speed of 25. And THIS is in a 45 zone.

The police don't give a flying frogs fat butt about curing road rage. I once honked at an elderly man (who shouldn't have been driving in the first place) who pulled out in front of me from a parking lot, WITHOUT even glancing in my direction, proceeded to slow me down from 45 to like 15. He didn't even NOTICE my honking. But an effing cop did. MoFo was a real ass too. When I pointed out what had actually happened, he didn't even want to hear it. He said he could arrest me right now for road rage. Well, unfortuneatly I'm one of those people who use my head for it's intended purpose (makes me a nightmare citizen, I know) and asked him if cops really wanted to reduce road rage, then they should be willing to reduce the CAUSES of it (makes sense, right ?) such as pulling over drivers like the one who earned the honk I gave him. He didn't even RESPOND...as if how DARE this taxpaying citizen speak up about the things that are wrong in this world. I couldn't believe it. In the end I just got a ticket. But I pissed the judge off good when I told him that the roads needed be removed of the elderly and other slow drivers. Oh Well. I for one am sick of holding my tongue over the stupid spit that goes unchallenged in this world in the name of social order. Screw that. I speak up even if it costs because that's what I pay my TAXES for.

Speaking of slow drivers that NEED to be told the way it is, but PCness has too many terrified to speak out: Certain cultures (you know who you are) seem to always drive like slugs, they routinely go 20 miles or less below speed limit and do the take-forever-to-get-up-to-the-breakneck-speed-of-25 thing at lights. I'm here to say that THAT PISSES Americans OFF so KNOCK IT UP AND step on your gas pedals !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[PollyGlott]

Originally Posted by nmnita

No one is talking the Autobahn in Germany. Most of us do know about the speed people travel on it, but we are talking CA, which last I knew was in the United States and the OP was exceeding the speed limit by 20 plus miles an hour. There is no reason for compassion here, only a bleeding heart liberal would think there was.
Nita

Wrong. I'm a bleeding-heart liberal and I have absolutely no compassion for the OP.

[PollyGlott]

Originally Posted by Bandon

I'm on the OPs side. The police everywhere it seems are only too ready to toss speeding tickets around like candy, but I NEVER (and I'm not exaggerating) see them pulling over the slow drivers that are the cause of road rage.
Why don't they target THESE slugs as they are the ones who need to be removed from the roads.
But at the very LEAST, be grateful that you at least get to GO a decent speed. Around here people take 20 minutes pulling away from a signal to get up to the breakneck speed of 25. And THIS is in a 45 zone.
The police don't give a flying frogs fat butt about curing road rage. I once honked at an elderly man (who shouldn't have been driving in the first place) who pulled out in front of me from a parking lot, WITHOUT even glancing in my direction, proceeded to slow me down from 45 to like 15. He didn't even NOTICE my honking. But an effing cop did. MoFo was a real ass too. When I pointed out what had actually happened, he didn't even want to hear it. He said he could arrest me right now for road rage. Well, unfortuneatly I'm one of those people who use my head for it's intended purpose (makes me a nightmare citizen, I know) and asked him if cops really wanted to reduce road rage, then they should be willing to reduce the CAUSES of it (makes sense, right ?) such as pulling over drivers like the one who earned the honk I gave him. He didn't even RESPOND...as if how DARE this taxpaying citizen speak up about the things that are wrong in this world. I couldn't believe it. In the end I just got a ticket. But I pissed the judge off good when I told him that the roads needed be removed of the elderly and other slow drivers. Oh Well. I for one am sick of holding my tongue over the stupid spit that goes unchallenged in this world in the name of social order. Screw that. I speak up even if it costs because that's what I pay my TAXES for.

Honey, you need look no further than IN THE MIRROR for the cause of road rage. Seriously - lighten up!

[Bandon]

Originally Posted by PollyGlott

Honey, you need look no further than IN THE MIRROR for the cause of road rage. Seriously - lighten up!

Lighten up ? So you're saying I should be ok with the elderly man (who shouldn't have been driving in the first place) pulling out directly in front of me without looking and not only THAT, continuing on at a snails pace making me late for work ?

And don't even try the "just leave earlier" nonsense. Becuase if you really think that's a valid arguement then you're more psychic then I am. How much earlier is one supposed to leave if they don't know how freaking fast they're going to be allowed to GO ???

Slow drivers. DIAF please.

Lastly, and to set the record straight as I am so tired of the speeders being vilified while the slow are placed on pedestals:

Road rage does not just suddenly materialize out of nowhere for no reason. It is ALWAYS another driver causing it. This whole idea of nobody-else-affects-us and everything we feel is OUR responsibility alone crap needs to be put to bed.

People need to be held accountable for how they affect other people. Same with accidents if you want my honest opinion. I believe there are very few accidents. Mostly "accidents" are a result of other peoples stupidity, yakking on the phone etc. I believe that if such a person causes a major tie up on a road where others are simply minding their own business trying to get home from work, then THAT person should have to compensate every single one of these innocent bystanders for the inconvenience their stupidity caused.

[Jenkay]

Originally Posted by Bandon

Lighten up ? So you're saying I should be ok with the elderly man (who shouldn't have been driving in the first place) pulling out directly in front of me without looking and not only THAT, continuing on at a snails pace making me late for work ?

And don't even try the "just leave earlier" nonsense. Becuase if you really think that's a valid arguement then you're more psychic then I am. How much earlier is one supposed to leave if they don't know how freaking fast they're going to be allowed to GO ???

Slow drivers. DIAF please.

Lastly, and to set the record straight as I am so tired of the speeders being vilified while the slow are placed on pedestals:

Road rage does not just suddenly materialize out of nowhere for no reason. It is ALWAYS another driver causing it. This whole idea of nobody-else-affects-us and everything we feel is OUR responsibility alone crap needs to be put to bed.

People need to be held accountable for how they affect other people. Same with accidents if you want my honest opinion. I believe there are very few accidents. Mostly "accidents" are a result of other peoples stupidity, yakking on the phone etc. I believe that if such a person causes a major tie up on a road where others are simply minding their own business trying to get home from work, then THAT person should have to compensate every single one of these innocent bystanders for the inconvenience their stupidity caused.

A little bit of patience goes a long, long way. I admit I get annoyed when someone's going slow on the on-ramp and forcing me to merge into freeway traffic at 45 mph, but I just pass them and get on with my life.

And while it's true that everybody's actions affect everyone around them, and some people drive like they're the only people on earth, you seem to believe that everyone should make way for YOU or risk your road rage.. Isn't that a bit hypocritical?

[Bandon]

Originally Posted by Jenkay

A little bit of patience goes a long, long way. I admit I get annoyed when someone's going slow on the on-ramp and forcing me to merge into freeway traffic at 45 mph, but I just pass them and get on with my life.

And while it's true that everybody's actions affect everyone around them, and some people drive like they're the only people on earth, you seem to believe that everyone should make way for YOU or risk your road rage.. Isn't that a bit hypocritical?

It's not like that at all..actually I see it as the reverse: It's the slow ones who decide that nobody elses time is important and decide what speed everyone else is going to be allowed to go who are the selfish ones.

How inconsiderate is THAT ??? At least I don't play road monitor and decide what speed everyone else will go. And you call ME selfish ? HA !!!