Yet another retarded Speeding Ticket on the LIE. NICE!

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isaacmacdonald

Platinum Member
Jun 7, 2002
2,820
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Originally posted by: Squisher
Did you ever watch Jacques Clouseau with all the baby turtles trying to return to the sea and being picked apart at random first by seagulls and then by all the other predators?

This image typifies the daily drive of the typical commuter.

I was picturing zebras and lions (and thus the requirement of selective enforcement to insure the continuing food supply), but the turtles is probably a bit more accurate in as far as randomness goes.
 

isaacmacdonald

Platinum Member
Jun 7, 2002
2,820
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Originally posted by: PipBoy
I always enjoy reading whiny "why me" speeder posts.

perhaps you misread the post. I dispensed with "why me" in the first sentence. I'm not so astoundingly stupid as to lack an understanding of the present traffic laws. My point (which was only facetiously posed as a question) was that selective enforcement undermines any sort of pretense of utilitarian morality which presumably seperates law enforcement from extortion.
 

Ornery

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
20,022
17
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I was actually a straggler in the left lane from the last grouping of cars, so the cars behind me were just catching up. The cop just pulled into the hov lane and pulled over the person at the front (me, though 30 seconds later and I would have been passed on the right by a black escalade).

Dogging along in the high speed lane, eh? Some folks around here would be happy to see you ticketed! What kind of car were you driving, and what color? As eakers mentioned, that does play into it. Some cops go after minorities, or ricer-mobiles with ballcap wearing drivers.
 

dmurray14

Golden Member
Feb 21, 2003
1,780
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Originally posted by: Lithium381
they just need to set up a FAT camara system and just start snaping photos and sendin' 'em in the mail.....instant budget!

uhh....no, they don't need to do that.

how about we just send you all our tickets?
 

isaacmacdonald

Platinum Member
Jun 7, 2002
2,820
0
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Originally posted by: Ornery
I was actually a straggler in the left lane from the last grouping of cars, so the cars behind me were just catching up. The cop just pulled into the hov lane and pulled over the person at the front (me, though 30 seconds later and I would have been passed on the right by a black escalade).

Dogging along in the high speed lane, eh? Some folks around here would be happy to see you ticketed! What kind of car were you driving, and what color? As eakers mentioned, that does play into it. Some cops go after minorities, or ricer-mobiles with ballcap wearing drivers.

that actually came to mind. In the space of five minutes I initially passed a couple people and was waiting for a good time to move to the middle lane (my usual home). I was driving a green 98 stratus, wearing a sports jacket and tie with my fiancee in the passenger seat. I don't think that had anything to do with it. As I said before, given that the cop didn't have a radar reading and that he pulled abruptly into the hov lane, I'm fairly certain he was just pulling over the car at the front.
 

GagHalfrunt

Lifer
Apr 19, 2001
25,284
1,998
126
Originally posted by: PipBoy
I always enjoy reading whiny "why me" speeder posts.

ROFL, me too. Wahhh, I was speeding. Wahhh I got caught. Wahhh, other people were speeding too. Wahhh, they're picking on me!! Wahhh Wahhh Wahhh.

Grow the hell up people, you know speeding is illegal and you know by doing it that you risk getting a ticket. You CHOOSE to accept that risk, nobody is forcing you to speed. Either slow down or take the consequences like a man. Nothing more pathetic than a crybaby who refuses to accept responsibility for his actions.
 

isaacmacdonald

Platinum Member
Jun 7, 2002
2,820
0
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Originally posted by: GagHalfrunt
Originally posted by: PipBoy
I always enjoy reading whiny "why me" speeder posts.
Nothing more pathetic than a crybaby who refuses to accept responsibility for his actions.

I'm not entirely sure that nothing is more pathetic. perhaps a person who willingly abdicates his right to an egalitarian existence, in favor of jeering at random people is slightly more pathetic. perhaps I'm wrong.
 

isaacmacdonald

Platinum Member
Jun 7, 2002
2,820
0
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perhaps all of this is too cryptic to understand.

given: our representatives make the law.
given: the majority of the constituents believe they are safe exceeding the speed limit.

there's an obvious disconnect here, and its heart lies in selective enforcement.

"God I love it when people whine about the concious attempt to subvert the rule of law and democracy"
 

Ornery

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
20,022
17
81
Well, I got out of more tickets in my old beater-mobiles, than I did with my 'arrest-me-red' GTO, by far. Did your fiancee say, "I told you to slow down!" That would earn a good HARD spankin' from me!
 

cavemanmoron

Lifer
Mar 13, 2001
13,664
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Originally posted by: PlatinumGold
guy goes before the judge regarding his speeding ticket.

he says to the judge, "judge, EVERYONE was speeding. many people were even going faster than me. but the officer only pulled ME over".

Judges says to the officer "is this true".

Officer replies "yes your honor. I did everything i was supposed to, turned on my lights, turned on my siren and this guy is the only person that stopped."

:)

;)
 

isaacmacdonald

Platinum Member
Jun 7, 2002
2,820
0
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Originally posted by: Ornery
Well, I got out of more tickets in my old beater-mobiles, than I did with my 'arrest-me-red' GTO, by far. Did your fiancee say, "I told you to slow down!" That would earn a good HARD spankin' from me!

actually, my humorously naive fiancee decided to get out of the car after a few minutes and question the cop as to why he choose to pull over one of the slower cars when a myriad of people not only "were" speeding, but actually continuted to cruise by at excessive speeds as the guy ran my license. Naturally, I tried to dissuade her from this useless act of seeming rationality, but she has a strong will. I doubt she really hurt anything though. The guy just wanted to get out of there and stop someone else.
 

25 over isn't anything to be sarcastic about. It's a pretty serious violation. You're lucky you didn't get a ticket for reckless driving and get your license suspended. Slow down. I don't care what traffic is doing. If you don't want a ticket, don't speed.
 

kaizersose

Golden Member
May 15, 2003
1,196
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in order for this ticket to be legal, he had to have a radar reading or have tailed you for three seconds. otherwise, he has no proof that you were speeding. check your state laws but i am pretty sure this is the case.
 

hjo3

Diamond Member
May 22, 2003
7,354
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> Did you ever watch Jacques Clouseau

No one watches Jacque Clouseau. Cousteau was the diver/ inventor of the aqua lung. Clouseau was the funny inspector from the Pink Panther movies.

> ...in favor of jeering at random people is slightly more pathetic. perhaps I'm wrong.

Yeah, you're wrong.
 

isaacmacdonald

Platinum Member
Jun 7, 2002
2,820
0
0
Originally posted by: jumpr
25 over isn't anything to be sarcastic about. It's a pretty serious violation. You're lucky you didn't get a ticket for reckless driving and get your license suspended. Slow down. I don't care what traffic is doing. If you don't want a ticket, don't speed.

A: I was going about 19mph over a speed limit that not only applies to the local 8 lane expressway, but also the local 2 lane road with traffic lights. In my humble judgement, a road with traffic lights every 1/4 of a mile probably requires a lower speed limit than one with no traffic lights and 400% more road space. Maybe I'm wrong.

B: I don't want a ticket (obviously) but if "25 over isn't anything to be sarcastic about", why are the police afraid of some substantial measure of enforcement?
 

Originally posted by: isaacmacdonald
B: I don't want a ticket (obviously) but if "25 over isn't anything to be sarcastic about", why are the police afraid of some substantial measure of enforcement?
They're not. But I'm willing to bet you're afraid of a substantial city tax increase/millage levied in order to fund a 25% increase in police staffing + police department upgrades + speed control equipment + vehicle leases + maintenance + fuel + computers in order to file paperwork. Ticket revenues don't even come close to funding police expenditures.
 

Ornery

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
20,022
17
81
"...useless act of seeming rationality..."

Hell, she deserves a spankin' for that, too! At least she was on your side. My wife would have said, I told you so, at some point! Hmmm, maybe she likes getting spanked. :confused:

Better luck in the future...
 

isaacmacdonald

Platinum Member
Jun 7, 2002
2,820
0
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Originally posted by: jumpr
Originally posted by: isaacmacdonald
B: I don't want a ticket (obviously) but if "25 over isn't anything to be sarcastic about", why are the police afraid of some substantial measure of enforcement?
They're not. But I'm willing to bet you're afraid of a substantial city tax increase/millage levied in order to fund a 25% increase in police staffing + police department upgrades + speed control equipment + vehicle leases + maintenance + fuel + computers in order to file paperwork. Ticket revenues don't even come close to funding police expenditures.

I find that hard to believe. My ticket will most likely exceed $120.00, and took approx 12 minutes to issue. Assuming it takes the cop 8 minutes to find another car (that would be extremely generous), we're talking one guy in one car generating $360.00 worth of tickets per hour. Only gross mismanagement of the most substantial kind could make that unprofitable.

 

Originally posted by: isaacmacdonald
Originally posted by: jumpr
Originally posted by: isaacmacdonald
B: I don't want a ticket (obviously) but if "25 over isn't anything to be sarcastic about", why are the police afraid of some substantial measure of enforcement?
They're not. But I'm willing to bet you're afraid of a substantial city tax increase/millage levied in order to fund a 25% increase in police staffing + police department upgrades + speed control equipment + vehicle leases + maintenance + fuel + computers in order to file paperwork. Ticket revenues don't even come close to funding police expenditures.

I find that hard to believe. My ticket will most likely exceed $120.00, and took approx 12 minutes to issue. Assuming it takes the cop 8 minutes to find another car (that would be extremely generous), we're talking one guy in one car generating $360.00 worth of tickets per hour. Only gross mismanagement of the most substantial kind could make that unprofitable.
Many police departments pay for their officers' police academy training. Additionally, many departments have periodic (monthly, at the one I worked at) training off-site for officers in areas like crowd control, weapons, and personal combat. Factoring in uniform allowances, breaks for the officers, court time, and benefits for officers (which are well-known to be VERY attractive), I'm willing to bet that tickets represent a small part of a department's revenue. At the university police department I worked at, something like 5% of ticket revenues actually went back to the department's coffers. The rest padded the city's budget.
 

isaacmacdonald

Platinum Member
Jun 7, 2002
2,820
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Originally posted by: jumpr
Originally posted by: isaacmacdonald
Originally posted by: jumpr
Originally posted by: isaacmacdonald
B: I don't want a ticket (obviously) but if "25 over isn't anything to be sarcastic about", why are the police afraid of some substantial measure of enforcement?
They're not. But I'm willing to bet you're afraid of a substantial city tax increase/millage levied in order to fund a 25% increase in police staffing + police department upgrades + speed control equipment + vehicle leases + maintenance + fuel + computers in order to file paperwork. Ticket revenues don't even come close to funding police expenditures.

I find that hard to believe. My ticket will most likely exceed $120.00, and took approx 12 minutes to issue. Assuming it takes the cop 8 minutes to find another car (that would be extremely generous), we're talking one guy in one car generating $360.00 worth of tickets per hour. Only gross mismanagement of the most substantial kind could make that unprofitable.
At the university police department I worked at, something like 5% of ticket revenues actually went back to the department's coffers. The rest padded the city's budget.

err... city's budget. exactly.

I realize officer O'mally isn't actually getting a commision on the tickets he issues, but ultimately, there's an incentive to keep this kind of defacto taxation instrument functional.
 

yowolabi

Diamond Member
Jun 29, 2001
4,183
2
81
You never catch everybody with any crime. That's not feasible. Ticketing random people is supposed to have both a punitive and and preventative effect. You know that it could be you, therefore if you don't want to be ticketed you slow down. You also act like it's a foregone conclusion that the majority of people want the speeding laws to be changed. I don't think that's true.
 

isaacmacdonald

Platinum Member
Jun 7, 2002
2,820
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0
Originally posted by: isaacmacdonald
Originally posted by: jumpr
Originally posted by: isaacmacdonald
Originally posted by: jumpr
Originally posted by: isaacmacdonald
B: I don't want a ticket (obviously) but if "25 over isn't anything to be sarcastic about", why are the police afraid of some substantial measure of enforcement?
They're not. But I'm willing to bet you're afraid of a substantial city tax increase/millage levied in order to fund a 25% increase in police staffing + police department upgrades + speed control equipment + vehicle leases + maintenance + fuel + computers in order to file paperwork. Ticket revenues don't even come close to funding police expenditures.

I find that hard to believe. My ticket will most likely exceed $120.00, and took approx 12 minutes to issue. Assuming it takes the cop 8 minutes to find another car (that would be extremely generous), we're talking one guy in one car generating $360.00 worth of tickets per hour. Only gross mismanagement of the most substantial kind could make that unprofitable.
At the university police department I worked at, something like 5% of ticket revenues actually went back to the department's coffers. The rest padded the city's budget.

err... city's budget. exactly.

I realize officer O'mally isn't actually getting a commision on the tickets he issues, but ultimately, there's an incentive to keep this kind of defacto taxation instrument functional.


Try this one on for size.

If your local town had a murder epidemic, and the local enforcement office had the capacity to prove that a large majority of the culprits were guilty, but only chose to prove that a minority were, what would you think?

The "foregone conclusion" to which you allude is of course my presumption of the local population that averages (as someone earlier stated) approx 20mph over the speed limit.
 

GagHalfrunt

Lifer
Apr 19, 2001
25,284
1,998
126
Originally posted by: isaacmacdonald
Originally posted by: jumpr
25 over isn't anything to be sarcastic about. It's a pretty serious violation. You're lucky you didn't get a ticket for reckless driving and get your license suspended. Slow down. I don't care what traffic is doing. If you don't want a ticket, don't speed.

A: I was going about 19mph over a speed limit that not only applies to the local 8 lane expressway, but also the local 2 lane road with traffic lights. In my humble judgement, a road with traffic lights every 1/4 of a mile probably requires a lower speed limit than one with no traffic lights and 400% more road space. Maybe I'm wrong.

Okay, you admit to breaking the law, but refuse to accept any punishment for it? Are you freakin 12 years old? Your "humble judgement" is meaningless. Many people humbly judge that abortion docs deserve to die, so they kill them. Others humbly judge that it's okay to rip off a gas station at gunpoint, so they do it. You are not entitled to choose which laws don't inconvenience you and obey only those. Nobody forced you to speed, that was done of your own free will. You knew the law, you knew the penalty for breaking it and you knew the potential that you could get caught. YOU DID IT ANYWAY. Grow up, stop crying about it and learn from the experience. You're not going to get a single shred of sympathy from anyone here by adopting such a whiny, pathetic, self-centered attitude. You CHOSE to break the law. You CHOSE to speed. You're not some freedom fighter standing up for a cause and you're not an unemployed father stealing bread to feed his family. You're a spoiled child who thinks the laws don't apply to you and that you should be given a free pass to disobey the ones you don't like. I'm glad you got caught, sounds like you deserved it and I only wish I could forward this thread to the cop who nailed you, I bet he'd get a good laugh out of your petulent bleatings.

On a 15 mile highway trip, the difference between going a nice safe ticket-free 65mph and a "come and get me" 75mph is about 2 minutes. TWO MINUTES!! What were you speeding for? You have 3 options:
1) Slow down, the laws apply to you too, your mommy telling you you're the center of the universe has no legal merit.
2) Get smarter. Learn where speed traps are and how to drive without attracting notice. Contrary to your belief that they're picking on you, that's pure garbage. You got snagged by attracting attention, either an abupt lane change, tail-gating or going NOTICABLY faster than everybody else around you. Almost nobody gets nailed for keeping up with traffic, that's the ticket excuse equivalent of "the dog ate my homework". Nobody is buying it.
3) Learn to deal with the tickets. If you speed and are not smart enough to blend in, you're going to get more of them.
 

Kelemvor

Lifer
May 23, 2002
16,928
8
81
No way he can make that stick if he has no reading. Especially if he specifically he said that line about the estimation. All you have to say is that you were driving the speed limit and people were flying past you so fast you felt unsafe and had to speed up to try to keep up with the rest of traffic. But, that you were still going slower than ll the other cars so you were completely confused as to why you got pulled over.

Assuming you have a decently clean record, shoudln't be very hard to get it dismissed or at least knocked way way down.