/dev/null Posted May 4, 2008 Posted May 4, 2008 That may be true in Virginia Take a drive thru Emporia, VA sometime Myself, I've never had a speeding ticket
justnzane Posted May 4, 2008 Posted May 4, 2008 I'm never one to speak negatively about police officers, but seriously, don't they have anything better to do than sit in a spot where it is next to impossible to stay under the speed limit (at the bottom of steep hills) and give people tickets who are ONLY speeding at that particular moment? I agree with you there, and really i think speed limits are super conservative in some situations. ie.) a country road only being 55 when it could easily be 75, or an expressway/Thruway being 65 when it could be 85. However, my personal belief is that police should be protecting, serving, and solving real crimes; instead of waiting around at a certain spot to harass people as they drive on a road for going "too fast". There should not be room in a police budget for nitrous in every car and should have no reason to have a Corvette police car on the Thruway. In all, I think that there are too much police roaming around, especially with all of the silly drug laws. Legalize and tax the drugs, then we aren't spending billions on a war that we are losing; rather, we'd be making money off the druggies to put them in rehab programs. This would also mean less prisons. Oh yeah, my best was going 95 in a 35 (I was really wanting to get home for a piss). I was going to get pulled over for someone stealing my license plate and for going 50 in this 35. So I gunned it, zigged and zagged thru side streets. The cop couldn't get close enough to get my back plate number. I intelligently fooled him into thinking I pulled out of my apt. complex's parking lot by making a couple quick turns, then killing the lights as he blew by me. FWIW, I spent the next couple minutes stealing a license plate temporarily and scratching off bumper stickers
VABills Posted May 4, 2008 Posted May 4, 2008 That may be true in Virginia but where I work as a police officer almost 90% of the fines collected on traffic tickets go back to the state in the form of surcharges and fees. I work for a 15 man department which runs a minimum of two officers 24/7/365. Last year our department wrote over 1000 tickets which netted the municipality a total of about $10,000 in fines collected, the state got all the rest. Apply this $10,000 to the cost of maintaining and operating a court (a full time court clerk who makes over $30,000 per year and a part time judge collecting $20,000) and suddenly one realizes that this municipality isn't making any money off of writing tickets which is a very good thing. I was trained to believe that issuing a traffic ticket is a means of educating the operator of their driving violation(s), not a means to collect money. I only issue a traffic ticket when I feel that a verbal warning and some discussion is not going to help coach the violator to become a safer driver. Well it came to light a lot in the budget last year when VA implemented the bad driver fees, seems the state wanted a cut as well. Local courts charge about 90 in court costs. One of the local towns still runs their own police depertment and they are a huge ticket writing machine. They pretty much tell everyone it is a revenue generator, pays for the town police depertment rather than using the county police. Plus I belive they said it puts several hundred thousand more into the town budget yearly. It's one place you don't even want to be 1 MPH over or they pull you.
Wacka Posted May 4, 2008 Posted May 4, 2008 That may be true in Virginia but where I work as a police officer almost 90% of the fines collected on traffic tickets go back to the state in the form of surcharges and fees. I work for a 15 man department which runs a minimum of two officers 24/7/365. Last year our department wrote over 1000 tickets which netted the municipality a total of about $10,000 in fines collected, the state got all the rest. Say hi to Davis and Karen for me! (Corner gas reference)
Wacka Posted May 4, 2008 Posted May 4, 2008 I used to live in CT and would come back on some weekends for Bills games. I would go to bed at 9 PM, get up at 3 , and get to CT by about 11 AM, go right to work, and work until about 7 PM. Sometimes I would go out 20A to Mt Morris and get on 390 at Geneseo, go to 17 and over to CT. I knew to go slow in Mt. Morris. I had a radar detector and was on the final road (about 1 mile) to 390. It was about 4 or 4:30 AM and I decided to rev it up so I was going pretty fast when I hit the highway. I was going about 60-65 in a 30 zone. The instant my detector went off the cop turned on his lights, he was sitting in a used car lot. I told him I was headed to CT and that I had been in town for the Bills game. He wrote me up for 45 in a 30, a lot lower fine and told me to not get caught elsewhere in NY.
generaLee83 Posted May 4, 2008 Posted May 4, 2008 Well it came to light a lot in the budget last year when VA implemented the bad driver fees, seems the state wanted a cut as well. Local courts charge about 90 in court costs. One of the local towns still runs their own police depertment and they are a huge ticket writing machine. They pretty much tell everyone it is a revenue generator, pays for the town police depertment rather than using the county police. Plus I belive they said it puts several hundred thousand more into the town budget yearly. It's one place you don't even want to be 1 MPH over or they pull you. That is pathetic from top to bottom, I cannot imagine that police department falling into any sort of favor with the local public. It truly does suck for everyone involved, #1 the motorist who is not being treated with any discretion, #2 for the cop that is probably "coached" by his higher-ups to go out and write more tickets which results in him/her feeling like a piece of garbage and like someone who isn't getting to do any real police work. #3 for the department and community itself, why would anyone want to visit that area and patronize local businesses if they feel that there is a strong chance they will end up getting a ticket.
VABills Posted May 4, 2008 Posted May 4, 2008 That is pathetic from top to bottom, I cannot imagine that police department falling into any sort of favor with the local public. It truly does suck for everyone involved, #1 the motorist who is not being treated with any discretion, #2 for the cop that is probably "coached" by his higher-ups to go out and write more tickets which results in him/her feeling like a piece of garbage and like someone who isn't getting to do any real police work. #3 for the department and community itself, why would anyone want to visit that area and patronize local businesses if they feel that there is a strong chance they will end up getting a ticket. It's right outside a military base, and you pretty much have to if you go to the base, or get off at the exit to get gas. It's really a dive little town with everything around it doing much better.
ExiledInIllinois Posted May 5, 2008 Posted May 5, 2008 Oh yeah, my best was going 95 in a 35 (I was really wanting to get home for a piss). I was going to get pulled over for someone stealing my license plate and for going 50 in this 35. So I gunned it, zigged and zagged thru side streets. The cop couldn't get close enough to get my back plate number. I intelligently fooled him into thinking I pulled out of my apt. complex's parking lot by making a couple quick turns, then killing the lights as he blew by me. FWIW, I spent the next couple minutes stealing a license plate temporarily and scratching off bumper stickers This my friend is "the real crime" you talked about in your first paragraph! I can see the nitpicking about "safety" and going say 20 over... But dude! No need for nitrous? You just proved they need it!
PastaJoe Posted May 5, 2008 Posted May 5, 2008 About 10 years ago on the way to work I got stopped about a mile from my house for speeding and going through a stop sign (I didn't come to a full and complete stop) twice by the same cop within 6 months. I was worried about the points, so I got a lawyer for $300 and got the second one reduced to a faulty muffler. A couple years ago going from Syracuse to Elmira to coach my son's hockey team, on the two lane hilly highway between Ithaca and Elmira, I was going about 75 on a 55. There was no traffic and it's farm country. As I came to the top of one hill, a state trooper came to the top of the next hill. I tried to slow down, but sure enough she turned and followed me for a couple miles and then pulled me over. Gave me a 72 in a 55. As we sat there the other kids on the team were passing us. When I got to the locker the kids chanted, "Coach got a ticket, coach got a ticket". Fortunately for me one of my assistant coaches is an assistant DA in Syracuse. He made some calls for me and it got knocked down to "Failure to obey a traffic control device" with no points.
inkman Posted May 5, 2008 Posted May 5, 2008 Can anyone top that? I got a felony reduced to a misdemeanor, does that count?
justnzane Posted May 5, 2008 Posted May 5, 2008 This my friend is "the real crime" you talked about in your first paragraph! I can see the nitpicking about "safety" and going say 20 over... But dude! No need for nitrous? You just proved they need it! I disagree, cops can't be perfect and get everyone. and seriously, what is the need for cops to be policing traffic so heavily instead of solving real crimes like murder and rape. IMO, we have too much enforcement on stupid crap, like busting potheads and people going 80 on a country backroad.
Just Jack Posted May 5, 2008 Posted May 5, 2008 ...what is the need for cops to be policing traffic so heavily instead of solving real crimes like murder and rape. Not every cop is a detective.
BB27 Posted May 6, 2008 Posted May 6, 2008 About 10 years ago on the way to work I got stopped about a mile from my house for speeding and going through a stop sign (I didn't come to a full and complete stop) twice by the same cop within 6 months. I was worried about the points, so I got a lawyer for $300 and got the second one reduced to a faulty muffler. A couple years ago going from Syracuse to Elmira to coach my son's hockey team, on the two lane hilly highway between Ithaca and Elmira, I was going about 75 on a 55. There was no traffic and it's farm country. As I came to the top of one hill, a state trooper came to the top of the next hill. I tried to slow down, but sure enough she turned and followed me for a couple miles and then pulled me over. Gave me a 72 in a 55. As we sat there the other kids on the team were passing us. When I got to the locker the kids chanted, "Coach got a ticket, coach got a ticket". Fortunately for me one of my assistant coaches is an assistant DA in Syracuse. He made some calls for me and it got knocked down to "Failure to obey a traffic control device" with no points. Unless the rules have changed in NYS. Failure to obey a traffic control device is a 2 point conviction. I would guess it counts as more now. I have never gotten out of a speeding ticket, but I have given out plenty that cost a pretty penny!!!
ExiledInIllinois Posted May 6, 2008 Posted May 6, 2008 I disagree, cops can't be perfect and get everyone. and seriously, what is the need for cops to be policing traffic so heavily instead of solving real crimes like murder and rape. IMO, we have too much enforcement on stupid crap, like busting potheads and people going 80 on a country backroad. You were going 90 in a 35! And STOLE (well at least you put it back... Small consolation) a plate... Not exactly murder or rape, true... But dude? WTF? Ya, I am busting your chops... I am glad it worked out and you didn't get sucked into the legal system. But imagine... 90 is fast for any area, what happens if you would have killed a child?.. You can't possibly react that fast doing 90.
plenzmd1 Posted May 6, 2008 Posted May 6, 2008 Take a drive thru Emporia, VA sometime Myself, I've never had a speeding ticket Just drove thru Emporia yesterday coming home from Mrytle. What kills me is it seems like it is the Sherrif on 95, and I thought only Troopers could give out tickets on the interstate. Must have been 3 of them in a 10 mile stretch.
Tux of Borg Posted May 6, 2008 Posted May 6, 2008 Just drove thru Emporia yesterday coming home from Mrytle. What kills me is it seems like it is the Sherrif on 95, and I thought only Troopers could give out tickets on the interstate. Must have been 3 of them in a 10 mile stretch. What makes you think a sheriff wouldn't have jurisdiction on an interstate?
plenzmd1 Posted May 6, 2008 Posted May 6, 2008 What makes you think a sheriff wouldn't have jurisdiction on an interstate? I dunno, just always thought the interstate was troopers only for some reason, guess it was a faulty reason, but a reason none the the less
Fan in San Diego Posted May 6, 2008 Posted May 6, 2008 I can tell you about the luckiest speeding ticket I didn't get. This goes back quite a few years when I was driving back and forth from San Diego to Anaheim (85 miles approx.) on Saturday and Sunday mornings to get my Appraisers License. Anyhoo, it's early morning and I'm on the isolated part of I-5 passing Camp Pendleton, so I'm going about 100 to 110 mph thru this 5 lane each way section and I'm the only car on the road. So out of no where a white Mercedes blows past me like I'm standing still, so he must have been going about 190 mph. Then about 2 seconds later a CHP blows by me like I'm standing still. I now slow down to a respectable 75 to 80 mph. I must have then driven another 40 miles when I see this white mercedes and the CHP pulled over on the side of the road close to San Juan Capistrano. The guy was going to go to jail for reckless driving, etc., 190 MPH on the freeway is a pretty serious offense. But that guy saved me from a 100 mph ticket.
erynthered Posted May 6, 2008 Posted May 6, 2008 I can tell you about the luckiest speeding ticket I didn't get. This goes back quite a few years when I was driving back and forth from San Diego to Anaheim (85 miles approx.) on Saturday and Sunday mornings to get my Appraisers License. Anyhoo, it's early morning and I'm on the isolated part of I-5 passing Camp Pendleton, so I'm going about 100 to 110 mph thru this 5 lane each way section and I'm the only car on the road. So out of no where a white Mercedes blows past me like I'm standing still, so he must have been going about 190 mph. Then about 2 seconds later a CHP blows by me like I'm standing still. I now slow down to a respectable 75 to 80 mph. I must have then driven another 40 miles when I see this white mercedes and the CHP pulled over on the side of the road close to San Juan Capistrano. The guy was going to go to jail for reckless driving, etc., 190 MPH on the freeway is a pretty serious offense. But that guy saved me from a 100 mph ticket. He probably had Texas plates and a hadicap tag hanging on his rear view mirror, eh?
Recommended Posts