22-10-2002 02:56									#31
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I always love how people whine when they get caught breaking the laws... typical. It's always the cops who are wrong... heaven forbid they should take responsibility for their own actions.

If I get caught when speeding, I'm usually very polite, and more than willing to pay the fine, go to traffic school, or just take the ticket on my record. I broke the law, so I pay the price.

In many cases, they are so surprised with my overall attitude, they end up not giving me a ticket...

	22-10-2002 02:58									#32
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Speed traps are a crime. It is a source of income and a crooked way for a town to make money. Of course legitimate speed limits in residential neighborhoods etc. are necessary. I heard a radio interview once with a guy who made those radar dector things and he had quite a few facts about speed traps that are set up all over the country. No wonder some people hate cops.

	22-10-2002 03:13									#33
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quote: Originally posted by tandeetaylor I'm sorry, speeding is not a "crime" unless you are driving recklessly and much faster than the rest traffic so that you are legitimately putting others' lives in danger.

I'm sorry but if you are going fast enough to earn a 300$ speeding ticket, that qualifies as reckless driving.

	22-10-2002 03:24									#34
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quote: Originally posted by Lincoln Speed traps are a crime.

Do they not have signs saying "Speed cameras in operation"? That's what they do here.

	22-10-2002 03:29									#35
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I love how people call them "speed traps"... All that means is that cops strongly enforce the "posted" speed limit. People who are silly enough to be speeding through it are caught. They have broken the law, but all they do is whine that they were caught... and that the cops are wrong for arresting them...

The speed limit is POSTED... It's not a "trap"... If you want to ignore it, that's your problem.

	22-10-2002 03:30									#36
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Did you see Top Gear the other night SD? Apparently it is possible to go so fast that you don't even set the speed cameras off ..... the only catch is you have to do about 170mph.

	22-10-2002 03:35									#37
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A speed trap is properly thought of as the situation where the cops hide behind some object, completely obscured from view. That is the (illegal or at least unethical) part of a speed trap (well...that and speeding). Plenty of cops will slime their way around that rule by hiding behind a billboard or something like that where technically they aren't hidden. Problem is that if you're driving (speeding or no speeding) and you strain to see the mostly-hidden cop, you're taking your eyes of the road. Bad cop, no donut!

	22-10-2002 03:35									#38
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That is fine, the cameras but occasionaly you have the cops waiting for people speeding... and I am not sure over 80 mph... 90 is thoo high.... 100 you can lose the licence, i think. Many people do 90, but it is tricky. I have not been caught yet, as well as having a Citroen AX that cant go over 95 , and being careful for cameras on the normal roads, does it for me so far.

	22-10-2002 03:42									#39
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The speed limit is POSTED... It's not a "trap"... If you want to ignore it, that's your problem.


I could see it as a trap if they have a sudden decrease in the limit, especially at the bottom of a hill, and then rigorously enforce that.

	22-10-2002 03:42									#40
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ha-ha!

	22-10-2002 03:44									#41
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It is not unethical or illegal for cops to hide in order to catch SOMEBODY THAT IS BREAKING THE LAW... oh please. You can whine all you want about "speed traps"... but to get caught, you HAVE TO BE SPEEDING... so who's fault is it the YOU got caught...

	22-10-2002 03:48									#42
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Speed limits are there for a reason you know.

I was given a speeding ticket once in a school zone (45 km/h in a 30 zone, at 4:50 when it ends at 5:00) But the day was a frickin professional development day so there was no school in, and it wasn't in effect. Anyway, I explained to the cop that there WAS no school that day and I was actually going 5km/h UNDER the speed limit when he pulled me over, and he told me that I shouldn't speak to him with that attitude.

So I let him write me the stupid ticket, at which point he actually checked off that I VOLUNTEER to pay the fine rather than challenge it. I told him there was no way I'd pay a ticket when I wasn't speeding, so he ripped up the ticket and wrote me a new one and gave me a date to challenge it.

I wrote down his name and badge number and showed up a month later in court with evidence from the schoolboard that the day was a PD-day. Lo and behold I wasn't speeding at all.

I wonder if the Cop would pay more attention next time...

He was probably just giving me a hard time because the car I was driving at the time cost more than his annual salary.

	22-10-2002 03:48									#43
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No, the cops are legitmately allowed to hide. Illegal speed traps are places where the speed limit is lowered suddenly, without warning, and for the sole reason of catching people speeding. You're doing 55 and suddenly you're in a 35 mph zone and bam you've got a cop on you. That's a speed trap.

	22-10-2002 03:48									#44
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quote: Originally posted by Garth Vader I could see it as a trap if they have a sudden decrease in the limit, especially at the bottom of a hill, and then rigorously enforce that.

Even if that is the case... the speed limit MUST BE POSTED for them to pull you over. If you don't see it, or respond quick enough (and every big decrease like that comes with a "reduce speed ahead" warning sign), who's fault is that?

I know many people get pissed off when they get pulled over for speeding... probably because you can get away with 9 out of of 10 times... but that doesn't change the fact that it is against the law, and if you get caught, you are the one responsible.

	22-10-2002 03:50									#45
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Speed limits in highways are basically unnecessary. Tail-gaiting, not speeding, should be punished.

	22-10-2002 03:57									#46
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You can argue all you want on whether speed limits are right/fair/reasonable... but the fact is, they exist. Break em, and you deserve to get a ticket.

Interestingly enough, when they reduced the speed limits on US highways to 55 mph, the number of deaths on highways dropped dramitically... when they were raised again... so did the death rate... Hmmmmm...

	22-10-2002 04:09									#47
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I'm with Ramo, the worst thing on motorways is tailgating, dangerous as well as incredibly annoying. And people who just can't do the driving, who aren't aware of how important it is to observe.

I got pulled up on the M18 for doing about 98mph. Got a lecture but he didn't nick me. What a relief that was

	22-10-2002 04:23									#48
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quote: Originally posted by Ming You can argue all you want on whether speed limits are right/fair/reasonable... but the fact is, they exist. Break em, and you deserve to get a ticket.

I wonder what Ming would be saying if it happend to him.......

	22-10-2002 04:28									#49
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Someone earning a $300 fine must be driving extremely recklessly. I was one day driving 57 in a 35 zone, and near an elementary school. The fine I got was only $50 and 4 points.

	22-10-2002 04:31									#50
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Well there would be a good chance you'd wind up in court for that particular level of speeding (in light of location) over here...

Now don't get me wrong, I don't have an objection to the urban speed limits that stand, for the most part, they make sense. But as for motorways, I consider the 70mph limit completely and utterly pointless (and ignored). The police wouldn't hassle you unless you were going way, way above that speed...

	22-10-2002 04:42									#51
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quote: Originally posted by Tassadar5000 I wonder what Ming would be saying if it happend to him.......

He already mentioned what he would say.

I generally don't speed. The sole exception is when I go to Penrith, which is about an hour away. It has an 80 k.p.h limit, I do 90, but a year ago the limit was 100. Police enforce the speed limit there quite often, but cars coming the other way warn us, so I never have been caught.

	22-10-2002 04:45									#52
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quote: Originally posted by Provost Harrison I'm with Ramo, the worst thing on motorways is tailgating, dangerous as well as incredibly annoying.

I hate that too. I normally slam my brake on hard, very briefly - enough to make the person right behind me think "Oh, ****, I'm going to have an accident." I normally only need do that once before they leave a decent gap between their car and mine.

	22-10-2002 05:05									#53
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But how many tickets have you talked your way out of? I can think of three. The first I was on my motorcycle coming back from the gym, not much traffic. I'm pumped and the light ahead (1/8 - 1/4) mile goes yellow. I gun it and I'm going about 90-100 as I go through the 'just red' light. Unfortunately, theres a cop sitting at the intersection. By the time he caught me near the base I was driving at normal speed (he couldnt have clocked me before). As it turned out my learners permit was the wrong one (for cars instead of bikes) but it wasnt my fault so he let me go

	22-10-2002 05:19									#54
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quote: Originally posted by Tassadar5000 I wonder what Ming would be saying if it happend to him.......

I've been pulled over often for speeding.. and out of the last four times, I've been given a pass three times for be polite and honest with them, and treating them respect...

And the time I didn't get a pass... I went to driving school... no big deal. I was speeding so I deserved the ticket.

	22-10-2002 05:46									#55
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For one thing! I WAS RESPECTFUL! I was completely swallowed my pride when he had the audacity to ask if I've "broken the law before." The guy just a JERK. Some people ARE JUST JERKS. YES, I WAS driving fast... I was PASSING someone going DOWN a hill, OF COURSE I"D BE GOING FAST. No one was in the left lane, no chance of ramming someone. So the cop caught me at the moment and decided to be a *****! I would gladly pay a reduced fine, but 300 bucks for PASSING someone (I just missed my exit, btw, so if I missed the next one I'd be completely screwed). Its not like I was cruising down the highway at 97mph. And yes, I have been pulled over before.... I was just as nice then, and I did get off, the cop wasn't a pea brain apathetic @$$hole like this one was. Jeeze, so many assumptions were made about my demeanor and attitude while I was away.

	22-10-2002 06:13									#56
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Speed limits are so arbitrary. In my city in particular, there is a four lane road with no hidden entries and is not even a heavily trafficked area, that is a 35mph zone, where cops love to perch. You'd never guess the speed limit, and speed limit signs are so sparse on that road.

In Charleston where I was this weekend, there was a four lane road with a median in the middle, with a sign that said "Speed Limit Enforced by Aircraft," which had NO speed limit signs on the portion that I was driving on!!! Just the speed limit enforced sign! So I was driving 60, and I hope like **** I got it right.

That said, the one time my dad was about to get a ticket when I was there, he talked his way out of it. The cop was nice, and my dad explained that he was from out of town, and hadn't seen a sign, and that we were just going to visit relatives.

	22-10-2002 06:13									#57
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You broke the law... you deserved the ticket... deal with it.

And from reading your post, I can only assume that even though you thought you were showing respect, your body language probably screamed "PIG"...

	22-10-2002 06:34									#58
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quote: Originally posted by Stefu Considering the 'mild rape' trial way back then (guy let off lightly because the act only took 5 minutes)

I can't get over that one

OTOH, perhaps they let him off lightly because the embarassment was punishment enough?

Oh yeah... $300 is a lot for a ticket, but tickets seem to be handed out situationally in my jurisdiction. If you don't realize the 'situation', though, they do seem arbitrary.

	22-10-2002 08:11									#59
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Ming, even you must acknowledge that while the issue of whether or not one is in violation of the law is black or white, the issue of severity of the fine is pretty much the discretion of the officer. And in this case, it seems to me like this officer stepped way over the lines of reasonableness. A $300 fine for speeding, especially if 1 wasn't going 90-100 mph, is ludicrous. This reeks of a cop being an unwarranted *****.

And surely you won't deny that some officers will push the limits of ethics to obtain their tickets. I've seen it myself many times, and heard the stories from other cops. In those instances, just because the speeder was in violation of the law doesn't make the excess of the officer just.

	22-10-2002 08:18									#60
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First... no matter what the cops do, YOU HAVE TO BE SPEEDING in the first place.

Second, in most states and counties, the amount of the fine is based on speed over the limit... NOT up to the cop. Now, if you are being an ass, and the cop wants to nail you for additional things like a broken tail light, or reckless driving (which is an opinion) that's up to the cop. But what I've seen, they will show you the same level of respect you show them. They are just doing their jobs... and their job is to ticket speeders...

Remember, if you don't speed, you won't be pulled over for speeding... IT'S THAT SIMPLE!

Again... all I hear is a bunch of whining from people who are complaining that they get busted when doing something illegal...