paulo

Guitarhacker 
 
previously clean driving record for many years .. in my daughters case, her first, in my case it had been 35 years.....
 
 

 
 
Dunno what it being a long time since you got caught committing the same offence should have to do with anything really. All it proves is that you haven't been caught for a long time, not that you didn't do it.

 
35 years without a ticket shows that for the most part, I obey the laws. Folks who tend to speed will get caught a bit more often than every 35 years.  Several folks I know  disregarded the speed limit laws and were getting tickets on a fairly regular basis.  Some people keep points on their insurance and their license.... not me.
 
I drive at or below the posted limit most of the time and use cruise control to keep it there.... If I'm listening to music or thinking about the job I'm headed to,  it's easy to let that foot get heavy so cruise control works for me.... however,  everyone gets distracted from time to time and looks down to find themselves uncomfortably over the posted limits.... it just so happened on that day that there was a patrolman with radar running during that distracted time.

I once knew a guy who used to be a police officer in Louisiana.  I'll call him, Biff.  Biff told me a story about one guy that desperately needed a ticket.  All the police officers in the area knew this guy.  They all wanted to nail him.  Very badly.  I don't know his name, but I think it was Ferdinand.
 
Ferdinand drove a red Ferrari.  There weren't a lot of those in that area.  He stood out.  Anyway, he had a tendancy to blow past the local constables and vanish before they could brush off the crumbs and turn on their radar guns.  They hated that.  Ferdinand's car was so much faster than their cars, the cops just couldn't catch him.  He would sometimes pull up next to a police car at a traffic light, watch the officer frantically fumble with his gear, and the slowly drive forward, well below the speed limit.  They hated that, too.
 
This went on for quite some time.  One day, Biff pulled up behind Ferdinand at a traffic light.  Ferdinand made eye contact in his rearview mirror and waved.  Biff knew Ferdinand would drive below the speed limit, so Biff pointed his radar gun at his own cruiser's fan blade.
 
Biff gave Ferdinand a ticket for going 90 mph in a 25 zone.

I worked at a factory in the past and a friend of mine came in one morning stating he got a speeding ticket the day before.
 
I asked him was he going to pay it off or fight it. He stated he'd love to fight it but couldn't afford a lawyer or know what to do to fight it.  After talking with him he decided to fight it. A few weeks later he went to court and came back the next day saying the judge had dismissed the ticket.  He asked the cop 2 questions on the stand that I had told him might work.
 
Did the officer know the proper calibration procedure for the radar unit and did he complete that procedure immediately before he allegedly clocked my friend going over the speed limit?
 
And could the officer explain exactly how the power lines overhead influenced the radar unit's calibration and readings?
 
He said the cop stammered a few words before saying No to both questions. My friend then asked the judge to dismiss the charges, which he did.
 
Years ago in high school, we had a state trooper come in and demonstrate the radar unit they were using at the time in NJ (I used to live there).... and that they had to use a non-damaged tuning fork to ensure the unit was properly calibrated to clock the actual speed of the vehicle. Now I'm sure modern radar and laser units don't need calibration any more using a tuning fork..... but that poor cop didn't know that and therefore couldn't answer the questions in front of the judge.
 
You only get to use stuff like that one time.

UbiquitousBubba
I was driving an old Corolla in a blizzard one night a few years ago.  We had about a foot of snow on the ground, high winds, and a lot more snow pouring down.  I was driving on a tollway outside of Chicago with very little traffic.  I was maintaining a speed of 45-50 mph due to the limited visibility and road conditions.  A police SUV swerved across all three lanes multiple times before the driver managed to get enough control and pull me over. 
 
He said I was driving too fast for the conditions.  I told him that I did not believe this to be true and that I had complete control at all times.  I explained that I had not been skidding or driving erratically.  He said, "You're driving a front wheel drive little car and I'm driving a four wheel drive SUV and I could barely stay on the road."
 
I answered, "I think that has more to do with the skill of the driver, doesn't it?"  There was an uncomfortable silence.  He went back to his SUV for several minutes.  Eventually, he came back, ordered me to slow down, and let me go.  I think I may have hurt his feelings.
 
They can be touchy about things like that.

Love it!  I give this post the "Stones of the Moment" award. 

Edit

I said I received a ticket for 56 in a 45. Nowhere have I admitted to that. I also suggested that I could have been given a warning.


Anyways..

I don't live in France.

Here in the States we have an easy to understand system.
 
If the police think you are actually paying attention while driving they usually give you a lot of leeway with regards to a posted limit.
 
If the police think you aren't paying attention while you are driving they pull you over.
 
If they pull you over and you treat them with respect and act as if you realize what is going on you usually get away with a warning or at worst a ticket that documents a much lower speed than they actually observed while you were driving.
 
If they pull you over and you get a ticket for the speed, or something greater than the speed, you were actually driving at, most everyone you tell your story too will realize that you have not figured out how easy the system is too understand.
 
 
 
best regards,
mike
 
 
 
 
edited to add a comma.

In Abu Dhabi the speed limit was 120 Km/h but extensively abused. In order to counter the high number of accidents they announced they were dropping the trigger for the speed cameras from 160 to 140 km/h.
 
Radio and television announced the speed limit was now 140, but it was never raised from 120. Now signs have appeared saying 140, almost along side the other signs saying 120. Confusing or what? 
 
At least here on the Dubai side of the border its clear its 120 or 100 depending on the section of road. Most road users stick to the limit apart form locals who regard the fine as a form of taxation, so there is a policy of vehicle confiscation. X Km/h over and you loose your car for x days.

It changes from place to place. Off the interstate, I know the limit and I drive it (unless it is 15MPH or 20MPH, no can do, will usually keep it under 35 and have never been tickted for that) However, if it says 35MPH, I may push 40, if it says 45MPH, I will drive 45, 55MPH maybe 60. There is something about 35MPH and 45MPH in localities that they seem to be picky about. They never wseem to expect anyone to actually drive 15 or 20 MPH or 55MPH. I don't knw why, but that has been my experience. In school zones, all bets are off.. if the lights are flashing, I drive what the sign says.
"Road construction areas", I don't know how many there are in GA but they are everywhere, all the time. There may be workers, there may not be but it don't matter, they can ticket you anyway but you can usually get away with 10 over if orkers are not present (mostly because there are always other drivers who insist on driving 20 over). In Alabama, road construction signs say you get the extra fine if workers are present, in GA it does not matter... on a side note I wish that they would cut back to maybe 15 or 20 cnstruction sites and put all their workers and effort into them and get it DONE. Mst sites have either no one, or maybe two or three workers. (pet peeve there). For example, the Cartersville exits on I-75, north of Atlanta. They decided to "improve" the exit ramps maybe 12 or 15 years ago... it took them over two years to complete work on three exit ramps because most of the time there was nothing there but orange cones and signs.
I agree with Herb, on the interstate anyway... I use the cruise control. I set it on 80/81 MPH and never have a problem. If I don't set it I will look down and see I am going over 85... so I use it. People who don't use it are a PITA, they don't necessarily want to go fast, they just want to go faster than me... until they get in front of me. Then when they get beside other cars or trucks they ALWAYS slow down, I really don't think it is intentional, too many people do it. My cruise control brings me up short of their tailpipe and I have to disengage it to back off. Then once they get past the "herd" they find that they can go faster than 80. That is one instance where I will hit 90, downhill where I can see there is no patrol car, and I will pass them, get a bit ahead and reset my cruise. In any case, at least on the interstates around here, 80 is not enforced, there are always people going 85 or 90 and the officer would MUCH rather catch them because the fines are a lot more. I pretty much ignore them and just go about my business, I don't slow down from 80 either, they never even look at me. They lower the radar gun and keep looking down the highway. For some reason they seem to allow more speeding Between ATL and Chattanooga than they do between Macon and Florida. I think I have gotten one ticket in the last 30 years on the interstate. A stoplight camera got me a few years ago in Cobb county.
About 15 years ago my father in law had surgery for a cancer they found in his lymph nodes. It happened rather quickly so we got our affairs in order and took off for Gainsvillle, FL. From Cartersville, GA to Gainsville, FL the drive took a few minutes over 3 hours... I was flying low and with lady luck that day.
I don't know but, like I said, I think there is something about 35 and 45 MPH. 55, 65, 75... you can get away with driving a bit over in most places. 25 mph and 20 mph... pfffft.
I am just glad that patrol cars never (well almost never) drive the speed limit. They know that they will cause traffic problems around here if they do, so they fly.
BTW, people who slow down to 55 MPH because they see the blue lights flashing because someone else has been pulled over are morons...
 
There is a little town on HWY 319 in SOWEGA named Omega... some use 319 to head to Tallahassee. It leaves the interstate at Tifton and goes straight to Tallahassee. In Omega, the limit drops from 55, to 45, to 35 and they enforce it. I got stopped there one Christmas eve going maybe 10 over. Because it was Christmas eve and already night, we were loaded with presents and kids.. the officer gave me a warning and a Merry Christmas. Since then I have always been careful of the limit in Omega. You should too, again it is the 35/45 thing. Being a GA town it is pronounced Oh mee gah not Oh may gah. There is alsoa little town named Berlin outside of Moultrie, it is pronounced Ber l'n, there is no "in" sound to it. I digress ... again.
 
J