[Pencil.Fight]

Ok, an old co-worker of mine told me about a trick you can use to reduce the effects of a speeding ticket. I debated whether or not I should post this, for fear of it getting in the wrong hands and the loophole fixing itself, but it may not even be true, so here goes.

So you're driving down the road, going 75 in a 60 mph zone. The cop pulls you over and walks up to your window. What do you do? You're polite as can be, you thank him for watching out for your safety, and tell him to have a nice day. This has nothing to do with the loophole, but it's always nice to be courteous, they're just doing their jobs after all.

When it comes to sending in the fine for the ticket, send in a check for more than the ticket calls for. For example, if the ticket is for $212.37, send in a check for $213. Now, here comes the tricky part. Supposedly my co-worker was told by a lawyer friend of his that the City is now required to send you a refund for the extra amount that you paid. When you get the check, don't cash it. As long as the refund remains uncashed, the ticket is considered open and it will not show up on your insurance (or maybe even your driving record?).

Now, I got pulled over August of last year (my third speeding ticket) and decided that it would be worth the 50 cents to test this, even though there's no way it could be true, right?

Well, I never got any refund check in the mail, but that could be because I moved to a new apartment a couple of months later. However, it's been over a year and my insurance rates have not gone up at all.

Now, don't get me wrong, I don't consider this proof that it worked. I have no idea how car insurance works, and I am afraid to talk to my insurance agent for fear of alerting him to the ticket ("If it ain't broke, don't fix it").

The 3 year mark for my first speeding ticket, before I knew about this, is coming up on October 1st, so when I go in to talk to them about that, I'll test the water and see what else is on my record.

Any one else have any tips on beating the system where cars are concerned: Speeding tickets, radar detectors, insurance in general, etc.?