Calling All C5 Police Officers

[usmc8411]

Originally Posted by Dr Jkel

Just remember this valid point.

Now here is the kicker to this, last week State Troopers pulled over a Semi for making an illegal lane change, no turn signal, once they pulled him over something seemed funny and they searched his truck. 5 million dollars and 6 kilos of cocaine later he was arrested. All because of an illegal lane change.

Im not impressed. Its called fishing. I used to do it all the time. Except I wouldnt write people for dumb ass tickets that didnt impact anyone. I used it as p/c to make contact with vehicles with the intent of finding a more serious infraction...i.e. dwi...warrants ect ect. Then after everything checked out....it was "drive safely".

I never understood people that get their rocks off writing for 7mph over in a 40...or slightly rolling a stop sign. Highway speed traps are a joke too. So they have all these cops at one spot...so if something serious happens elsewhere....they have a huge response time. GOOD IDEA.

Oh and the speed laws enforced by helicoptors...thats not a waste of money at all. LOL. Hey why dont we use helicoptors for j walking tickets too.

[Dr Jkel]

My point wasn't that it was right but in some places they ae being told to clamp down on tickets, especially around here many are losing their jobs because the city budgets are shot. Kind of a catch 22, either write tickets or it could affect your livelihood.

[2ndgenz28]

Originally Posted by usmc8411

I never understood people that get their rocks off writing for 7mph over in a 40...or slightly rolling a stop sign. Highway speed traps are a joke too.

They have been pulling that kind of crap in Hazzard Country for over 20 years its just now catching on.

[2ndgenz28]

Originally Posted by Dr Jkel

My point wasn't that it was right but in some places they ae being told to clamp down on tickets, especially around here many are losing their jobs because the city budgets are shot. Kind of a catch 22, either write tickets or it could affect your livelihood.

While increasing the chances that the local voters will say no to any new taxes to help.

Close by local town northwood is one giant speed trap and they boast as such proudly, while folks boycot business there and its citizens shoot down every new tax, they still havn't got it. Once there is no one left to ticket what will they do for money??? Ticket each other.

[mrray13]

If I stop you for speeding, that means I got you at 11mph over the speed limit, and if you have a detector, I get a good laugh out of it. Chances are you are getting cited, regardless of if you have a detector, modded car, or not. Your attitude is what will get you out of it, and if you have a unique reason for your speed. "I've got to go pee" or "I'm going to a funeral" will not get you out of the ticket. Just how many people are dieing in Mississippi everyday anyway?

As to other violations, the same rules apply. I can care less if you have a detector when I got you for illegal lane useage, or something. You getting cited for it will be mostly determined by your attitude once again. Also, "I didn't see the signs" isn't usually the truth, so it won't get you out of the ticket.

[Dalefj]

Originally Posted by CamaroSkooter

There are multiple places near where I live that have a devoted left-turn lane, straight-through lane, and the right lane as a right turn only even though the other side of the intersection has two lanes. If everyone is obeying the posted signs, the straight-through lane ends up really backed up whenever the light turns red. Then you get a bunch of people that fly down the right lane and either try to cut into the "middle" lane to go through the intersection "legally" or they just blast through the intersection staying in the right lane.

I consider both instances extremely dangerous and there should be no leniency when it comes to being ticketed in these situations.

What it boils down to is impatience. You realized the right lane was a turn-only lane, but you disregarded it instead of doing the right thing by going ahead and turning right and finding a safe place to make a U-turn. I'm not sure why they set up intersections that way, but always assume that they're set up in that manner for a reason typically associated with safety. I see this happen too often and it annoys me that 95% of the time the offenders get away with it because there simply aren't enough officers out there to enforce stuff like this.

Pay the ticket, take defensive driving or get deferred disposition (probation), and move on. You're never going to win in court on this one.

My goal in going to court was not to get out of the ticket. I was just hoping that if i go they will allow me to do the defensive driving so that my insurance wont go up. i realize that I screwed up but am trying to minimalize my punishment

[Dalefj]

Originally Posted by TRC-SS

Heres my 2cents on radar detectors.....IN MY OPINON...(no haters)..Radar detectors are used for one reason and one reason only....to detect police running radar because you speed!!!.....people who obey traffic laws dont have radar detectors.....so me being a police officer since i was 19....if you have a radar detector and you have been pulled over for speeding....its an instant citation.... However...radar detectors dont change my judgement on anything other than speeding. I dont like them,.... i caught a group of kids breaking into cars last year and there method of telling if police were around were by using radar detector and scanners...well didnt work so good for them since mine is always on standby mode until i find my pray

But 90% of the time the drivers attitude depics if you will be getting a warning or a citation..the other ten is the violation and your drivers history (Again no haters...he asked for my opionion and i gave it)

You have a good point about radar detectors are only there because you speed. But honestly I do about 5 over everywhere I go. The detector just makes me feel safe every time I do a 0-60 test on the on ramp

[Tessa]

Originally Posted by TRC-SS

Heres my 2cents on radar detectors.....IN MY OPINON...(no haters)..Radar detectors are used for one reason and one reason only....to detect police running radar because you speed!!!.....people who obey traffic laws dont have radar detectors.....so me being a police officer since i was 19....if you have a radar detector and you have been pulled over for speeding....its an instant citation.... However...radar detectors dont change my judgement on anything other than speeding. I dont like them,.... i caught a group of kids breaking into cars last year and there method of telling if police were around were by using radar detector and scanners...well didnt work so good for them since mine is always on standby mode until i find my pray

But 90% of the time the drivers attitude depics if you will be getting a warning or a citation..the other ten is the violation and your drivers history (Again no haters...he asked for my opionion and i gave it)

I'd have to agree -- I don't see the point in having one - if I'm speeding and I get caught I might be mad - but I'm mad at ME (for gettign caught )

Originally Posted by Reaper1a

I mostly agree with TRC....except on the radar detectors - they don't affect whether or not I write someone up (nor do mod's or type of car). I'm pretty lenient on speed, it's more of the circumstance. If the "flow of traffic" is a little faster than posted, ok...if it's 0400 and NO other cars around and you end up going a little fast, ok...it's pretty much about safety for me (anything over 10 above the posted limit is NOT safe btw ). If however you're driving is unsafe, I'll light you up. And as TRC said, demeanor goes a long way. Don't argue, dont get pissy, and don't blame me for your actions...if you do, you just made your own day worse off than it had to be. Sorry if that sounds harsh, but most people don't understand the nature of this job (hence all the blanket cop hating that is so prevalant). Just because I caught you, doesn't make me the bad guy (as I said, be nice or even a little humble about it, and you'll probably only get 2 minutes taken out of your day instead of a citation)As for the OP, kinda sounds to me like even though you're saying it was an honest mistake, there were probably other/better options to deal with being in the wrong lane (no offense). You're probably not going to get very far in court.

I get mad at me - but I tend to be like "ya, I was speeding" -- I have only once played the "dumb card" on the speed limit b/c I really did think it was 55 -- but I accepted that I missed the sign and that was my own fault -- not the cops fault for catching me.
(I was also bummed b/c that "oh I didn't know" is such a BS excuse but it was honest for me that time! )

Originally Posted by Dalefj

My goal in going to court was not to get out of the ticket. I was just hoping that if i go they will allow me to do the defensive driving so that my insurance wont go up. i realize that I screwed up but am trying to minimalize my punishment

Well I would go in and be honest - say you know you screwed up but you figured it was safe, no one was in that lane and you checked before breaking the law
They might go easier on you if you fess up and admit you made a mistake.

[CamaroSkooter]

You don't have to go all the way to court just to request defensive driving or deferred disposition (probation). Maybe it's different in that district, but usually you can just send them a letter respectfully requesting one of those two options after you plead no contest...

[2ndgenz28]

Just make sure its not a tire change throwing off your speed.

in my case my speedo is 5mph to fast, which I like, its helps fools me into not being but a few MPH over when Im trying to be "normal"

I could easily fix that, but I like the cushion.

Though if your is to slow and your 5MPH over the speed you see on the dash.... when your pushing 5 over on the dash, your really 10 over......

[Steve Dallas]

Not much sympathy here.

If you're in a lane, do the right thing and turn. You can always find a LEGAL way to get back on the street you were on.