Got a speeding ticket

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Originally posted by: Cruisin1

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello

Originally posted by: dug777
watch out for the 'holier than tho' dickhead crew on atot Like they've never sped in their lives :roll:

I haven't

You must be that prick on the road who drives slow in the fast lane and causes a crapload of accidents, thanks jerk.

Read the thread

 

[EatSpam]

Originally posted by: KrillBee
officer said he clocked me at 78 in a 55.

What he clocked me at was probably accurate. I told him i figured i may had been doing up to 80, when he asked how fast i thought i was going.
fine is $135

is there any way to fight this in court? Is they only way that they would let me off easier would be if I pleaed as not guilty?

Like I cant just lie in court, that would be purgery and i could get in serious trouble for that.
so what are my options??

You need a good radar detector. Today, I was doing 90 in a 65 on my little road trip to Peoria...no problems.

 

[EatSpam]

Originally posted by: BurnItDwn

Originally posted by: randomlinh

Originally posted by: Snagle

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello
pay it since you were speeding?

QFT

WTF were you doing going 78 in a 55?

heh, guess you're not from the DC area.

OR the Chicago area .....
78 in a 55 is right lane speed at 2am.

Speeding in Chicago is no challenge. The cops are right beside you doing 85mph.

 

[EatSpam]

Originally posted by: wchou
is this guy for real? is this guy alright? 78 over 55 is excessive. they are pretty lenient letting others who do 5-10 over the speed limit and often even 14 and under. maybe ya need to respect the speed law? maybe ya need to slow down like the cop says. there is a reason why they set the speed limit, please think why it is not safe to drive too fast.
speeders are impatient, speeder think they have a right to go fast then most others cutting in lines, following closely. are ya like that?

As others have probably said, the purpose of the speed limit is to generate revenue for the police Christmas party among other things. 78mph on an empty 3 lane highway is not excessive.

 

[HomeAppraiser]

Over here you have to ?post bail? in the full amount of the ticket in order to plead ?Not Guilty?. I had to do this for a girlfriend when I was younger. We went to court with pictures and maps prepared to argue that the cop must have clocked a truck on the freeway overpass behind us and not her car. We listened to the case in front of hers with a trucking company lawyer questioning a cop about when was the last time he calibrated his equipment, good stuff but the judge did not buy it. The cop who wrote the ticket never showed so the judge slammed the gavel ?Not Guilty? and told us to hurry out before the officer showed up! Got my "bail" money back a week later.

What happened to my wife was an unsuccessfully argument with the judge and a bitter jerk of a cop (20 years and still driving a squad car) that she could not have been going 36 in a 25 because the van would really be listing from side to side through the ?S? curves at that speed and how the hell did this cop catch up to her if she was going that fast. That judge entered a ?No Contest? plea for her where she did not admit guilt but agreed to pay half of the fine. While this did not raise our insurance rates it kept us from being eligible for a lower ?Perfect Drive? rate. If things aren?t going your way in court, bring up your perfect driving record and maybe you can get the fine cut in half. Good Luck.

PS Always ask to see the reading on the radar gun if you are pulled over.

 

[KrillBee]

Originally posted by: wchou
is this guy for real? is this guy alright? 78 over 55 is excessive. they are pretty lenient letting others who do 5-10 over the speed limit and often even 14 and under. maybe ya need to respect the speed law? maybe ya need to slow down like the cop says. there is a reason why they set the speed limit, please think why it is not safe to drive too fast.
speeders are impatient, speeder think they have a right to go fast then most others cutting in lines, following closely. are ya like that?

yes, i am real.

78 in a 55, excessive? depending on the conditions, yes it could be. in normal conditions (during the day between 7 am to 10 pm at night, I agree you really shouldnt be speeding that much, but at night when no one is on the road its a whole different story.

Not all states are so lenient to give you 5-10 mph of breathing room. our state is cracking down more for sure on small speeding, and wisconsin will pull you over if you go 2 mph over the limit.

I suppose you could say speeders are impatient (id prefer to use a different word to avoid the negative connotation), but impatience is not always a bad thing. An 'impatient' ambulance safely going 100 mph on the highway is completely fine by me. an 'impatient' driver safely going 80 on an empty highway is fine by me.

No I dont follow too closely or cut others off.

Originally posted by: EatSpam

You need a good radar detector. Today, I was doing 90 in a 65 on my little road trip to Peoria...no problems.

I never use a radar detector. your right, it probably could have saved me from both the tickets ive encountered.

i think Im done with speeding for good now. The next time a cop pulls me over, will probably be because I'm doing 5 under the speed limit, and pissing him off accidentally by doing so, lol.

Originally posted by: EatSpam


As others have probably said, the purpose of the speed limit is to generate revenue for the police Christmas party among other things. 78mph on an empty 3 lane highway is not excessive.

a divided highway none the less, and the roads were dry, no ice.

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: KrillBee

yes, i am real.

78 in a 55, excessive? depending on the conditions, yes it could be. in normal conditions (during the day between 7 am to 10 pm at night, I agree you really shouldnt be speeding that much, but at night when no one is on the road its a whole different story.

Not all states are so lenient to give you 5-10 mph of breathing room. our state is cracking down more for sure on small speeding, and wisconsin will pull you over if you go 2 mph over the limit.

I suppose you could say speeders are impatient (id prefer to use a different word to avoid the negative connotation), but impatience is not always a bad thing. An 'impatient' ambulance safely going 100 mph on the highway is completely fine by me. an 'impatient' driver safely going 80 on an empty highway is fine by me.

No I dont follow too closely or cut others off.

It doesn't sound like you were driving unsafely, but I don't think you'll ever see an ambulance driving 100 mph.

Around here they can barely do the speed limit because of all of the retards who don't yield to them (newsflash, you're supposed to yield on BOTH sides of the road)

Originally posted by: KrillBee

I never use a radar detector. your right, it probably could have saved me from both the tickets ive encountered.

Or it could give you a false sense of confidence. The thing about radar detectors is, they detect radar and not radar guns. If the cop is sitting there with his gun turned off, you'll keep driving along at 90 mph as he flips it on and nails you. And if it detects laser, he probably already got you.

My experience with a radar detector is that it was really good at detecting highway construction signs.

 

[KrillBee]

Originally posted by: mugs


It doesn't sound like you were driving unsafely, but I don't think you'll ever see an ambulance driving 100 mph.

Around here they can barely do the speed limit because of all of the retards who don't yield to them (newsflash, you're supposed to yield on BOTH sides of the road)

ha, no kidding! this other day a police car with its siren and lights on was stuck behind a car for about 20 seconds. ANd it was like the car didnt know what to do, they kept cutting the police off by accident when the cop car tried to go around them, LOL. finally the car figured it out and pulled over in the shoulder.
It was funny to watch, but the officer must have been really pissed off I would have imagined.

 

[Mrfrog840]

speeding is overatted

 

[Sukhoi]

78 in a 55 isn't excessive, when the 55 MPH limit is far too low for the road conditions. Downtown Indianapolis has their speedlimit down to 50 MPH, and when I went through there today the average speed was probably 75 MPH.

 

[Reckoner]

He already admitted to the cop that he thought he was going 80. Bad move. There's no way you can plead not guilty now.

 

[cubby1223]

Instead of "guilty" or "not guilty" you have the option to plead "no contest"

 

Not bad, 20 over and above can be a misdemeanor here in NY.

 

[KrillBee]

Originally posted by: Sukhoi
78 in a 55 isn't excessive, when the 55 MPH limit is far too low for the road conditions. Downtown Indianapolis has their speedlimit down to 50 MPH, and when I went through there today the average speed was probably 75 MPH.

there are some parts on the highway where there are streets and lights and stuff, but the stretch that i was on used exits for the last 5 miles of stretch, and was essentially a freeway.


I'm not sure if this matters much or not, but I'll say it:
the part of the road where i was caught was 2 lanes. (4 total if you count the opposing lanes on the other side of the divider.)
there were three cars in the right lane doing about 65, and I was going to pass them.

the cop caught me as i was speeding up to pass these cars. he then pulled out of where his trap was, and chased after me.

 

[KrillBee]

Originally posted by: cubby1223
Instead of "guilty" or "not guilty" you have the option to plead "no contest"

no contest, implies that you didnt know you were breaking the law, doesnt it?. I did know that i was going over the limit.
so doesnt that mean that I cant plead 'no contest'?

Originally posted by: PaulNEPats
He already admitted to the cop that he thought he was going 80. Bad move. There's no way you can plead not guilty now.

frickin tricky officers.

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: KrillBee

Originally posted by: cubby1223
Instead of "guilty" or "not guilty" you have the option to plead "no contest"

no contest, implies that you didnt know you were breaking the law, doesnt it?. I did know that i was going over the limit.
so doesnt that mean that I cant plead 'no contest'?

If that was the case, I don't think "no contest" would be an option for most traffic violations... because most of the time you know (or should know if you passed the license test) you're breaking the law. No contest just means you'll accept the punishment without admitting guilt.

 

[KrillBee]

Originally posted by: mugs

If that was the case, I don't think "no contest" would be an option for most traffic violations... because most of the time you know (or should know if you passed the license test) you're breaking the law. No contest just means you'll accept the punishment without admitting guilt.

I have to wait a week for my ticket to show up in the system, then i can call in and schedule an appointment with a hearing officer.

I think I will do that, and then find out what my options are.

 

[Injury]

If it is perfectly safe for the conditions you should petition to the city council to have the speed limit changed and review records of the transportation department to consider why they think it's dangerous to go over 55 MPH.

However, until the law is changed, you still must abide by the rules of the road. Don't like it? Don't drive. Don't want to follow the rules? Pay the fines associated with breaking them.

I've had speeding tickets before and I know from experience that the only reason you are pissed is because you seem to think that it's everyone's fault but yours that you got the ticket. You think that the city has somehow singled you out and wronged you because you have to pay a fine that equates to a day or two of work for you. You're pissed that your insurance MIGHT go up, you're pissed that the cop didn't just give you a warning, you're pissed that you can't go back in time and change a damn thing. You think that the cop is an asshole for patrolling an empty road and for wasting his time on you.

BIG DEAL. You broke the law. That's all there is to it. The law existed well before you travelled on the road. Sure, you can TRY and fight it, but if the cop shows up (and there's a good chance he will) are you going to walk away thinking only "well, I gave it my best shot, oh well!"... No. You aren't. You're just going to get more pissed that he's right and you're wrong.

 

[KrillBee]

Originally posted by: Injury
If it is perfectly safe for the conditions you should petition to the city council to have the speed limit changed and review records of the transportation department to consider why they think it's dangerous to go over 55 MPH.

However, until the law is changed, you still must abide by the rules of the road. Don't like it? Don't drive. Don't want to follow the rules? Pay the fines associated with breaking them.

I've had speeding tickets before and I know from experience that the only reason you are pissed is because you seem to think that it's everyone's fault but yours that you got the ticket. You think that the city has somehow singled you out and wronged you because you have to pay a fine that equates to a day or two of work for you. You're pissed that your insurance MIGHT go up, you're pissed that the cop didn't just give you a warning, you're pissed that you can't go back in time and change a damn thing. You think that the cop is an asshole for patrolling an empty road and for wasting his time on you.

BIG DEAL. You broke the law. That's all there is to it. The law existed well before you travelled on the road. Sure, you can TRY and fight it, but if the cop shows up (and there's a good chance he will) are you going to walk away thinking only "well, I gave it my best shot, oh well!"... No. You aren't. You're just going to get more pissed that he's right and you're wrong.

I think the person that I am the most pissed at right now is myself, and the fact that I dont seem to obey speed limits and in the end it costs me money and if it happens enough it could cost me my license. (and if i really speed, it could cost lives, but i dont drive faster than i feel safe doing)

I also didnt appreciate the cops candor towards me (asking my where I was going at that time at not, not believing me, and repeatedly asking why my car smelled like marijuana when no one has ever smoked in it (in the 3 years that ive owned the car)

Nor do I appreciate those who support the current 55 mph limit on this road.

But mainly I'm pissed at myself. I question whether or not I will be able to drive without breaking the speed limit, and I'm starting to realize how lucky I am that this is the first time I was caught in the last 3 years.

Yeah, showing up in court might be cool, because at least I would get to hear the cops full story (where he pulled out from), (whether or not he thought I was dangerous or if he was just doing this to enforce a law), etc.

But ya, I might just get more pissed off, especially if I ended up with more monetary costs from aranging the court thing. Or if the cop decided to take it a step further and accuse me of reckless driving. Could he still do that?

 

[scarpent]

Pay the fine and get it over with.

 

[bignateyk]

I got an 83 in a 55 @ 5 points, plead not guilty, and got it reduced to 65 in a 55 with 2 points.

It all depends on the judge, the officer, and your previous record. In my case, I didnt have any previous speeding tickets, the officer cut a deal with me before the judge came in. Your best bet is to plead not guilty, go to the hearing, and put yourself at the judges mercy. Take all responsibility.

edit: oh, and no the cop cant add charges on like reckless driving. It really isnt much of a court procedure. You will be in and out within 5 minutes. Its just the judge, the officer, and you. Mine took less than 30 seconds. Just be as polite as possible, dont try to deny anything you actually did.

Even if you think the officer is a dick, chances are he wont remember anything more than what is written on the ticket about you, so be as nice as you can to him.

 

[Shadowknight]

Originally posted by: KrillBee
I also didnt appreciate the cops candor towards me (asking my where I was going at that time at not, not believing me, and repeatedly asking why my car smelled like marijuana when no one has ever smoked in it (in the 3 years that ive owned the car)

Been there, twice. I've never drunk alcohol or done any drugs. Back when I was an idiot in high school, I went 10 miles over the speed limit reguarly (not that any of the cops ever cared in that town). One night I was going 65 in a 55 zone and missed the 45 sign. So instead of 10 miles over I was 20, and didn't realize it. The cop that pulled me over couldn't accept that I had just missed the sign, and hence was going faster than I intended, He asked me over and over again if I had been drinking or doing drugs. I finally snapped and tried to force him to search the car, insisting REPEATEDLY. He refused, and let me off with a warning. Back in college, late at night, I was in a 25 zone, no other cars around, I was going the right speed but one of my shoe strings was laced too tight so I undid the laces a bit while driving. I swerved for a couple of seconds, but otherwise I was going exactly the speed limit with perfect control over the vehicle when it became particuarly twisted and curvy. Despite showing extreme control over the vehicle except when it was STRAIGHT, a cop pulled me over and gave me a sobriety test despite my explaination. While I think him pulling me over for 2 seconds of swerving, was dumb, fine, whatever. But he claimed he smelled alcohol on me. Never drank, made a point of NEVER being around people that did drink, at that time, the last time I was in a room with my brother who was having a beer at the time, was 3 years before.

I don't have a problem with cops pulling people over for saftey's sake, just to make sure someone isn't drunk/high/whatever, but if you're going to say you're going to take my word that I haven't been doing drugs/alcohol, don't ask me the same questions 5 times in a row, or make up lies that I smell like alcohol to justify giving me the sobriety test.

 

[thehstrybean]

just plead guilty and go to drivers ed...

 

[KrillBee]

When I call in a week from now (when the ticket gets posted in the system), I will schedule an appointment with a hearing officer.

Will the hearing officer tell me what my options are? Or do i have to figure that out before hand?

 

[Injury]

Originally posted by: Shadowknight
I don't have a problem with cops pulling people over for saftey's sake, just to make sure someone isn't drunk/high/whatever, but if you're going to say you're going to take my word that I haven't been doing drugs/alcohol, don't ask me the same questions 5 times in a row, or make up lies that I smell like alcohol to justify giving me the sobriety test.

You do realize that the cop is trying to buy time to check for signs of being impared. Whether he smelled alcohol or not, he probably just couldn't be certain simply having a conversation with you.

How many people to you think admit that they are drunk when pulled over for drunk driving without being intimidated into it?

Would you prefer all cops to ask people, take their word for it, then be on their way?