Up here the cops are out and about in force also. Its a double with Memorial Day weekend and the end of the month. They'll be doing a lot of checks just to make sure people aren't drinking and driving. How do they get people when they're in the opposite direction? Radar? Just curious.

 

Yeah its hard to fing a group of people that on hand can be so easy to respect and on the other, so easy to loathe... I get pulled over about once a week at least, because I have a newpaper route for a second job... most of the time they dont even have a reason to pull me over, and when they do its something hard to prove, like that I didnt have my turn signal on for a full 100 feet... despite the fact that there wasnt 100 feet between that turn and the turn I made before it, so what could I do... and then theres the flat out lies, such as them smelling a "strong scent of alchohol" BS... there has never been alcohol in my truck and the last time I drank was my wedding last june... or when I get pulled over for driving suspiciously... they followed me and watched me deliver papers for 30 mins, then pulled me over and said I was driving suspicously when they clearly saw me throw papers and putting them in boxes. Then he actually made me take my glasses off to do the lil test where you're supposed to follow his finger with your eyes... its the middle of the night and I have my glasses off, I cant even see his finger. He then asks if I want to do the breathalizer test now, or save the time and be arrested, because he knows I was intoxicated.. I of course opted for the test... all in all he took up 45 mins of time that I could've been sleeping before heading to my regular job... now THAT's a crime!!!

 

Ok that's downright STUPID. I've heard stupid things but that's ridiculous. My mom got pulled over last summer because she "entered the turn lane too early". Wasn't difficult to talk her way out of that one.

Most of the time, cops here are cool. As I said before, we have Chevy Monte Carlo SS police as well (I know...it's a Chevy, but damn those are nice cars). Most of the month, if you can find them (they typically run the highway from one end of town to the other), they'll race you. Get them at a light and they'll flat out drag you until the next one. Been there done that they OWNED me lol. Provided that you slow down as soon as you're done, they don't mind. Quite fun in fact.

But then comes the end of the month, and they step it up. Plus Memorial Day, plus Prom season, plus graduation, etc. You get the idea.

RP
Zach

 

No offense, if you were doing 65 in a 45 and cut infront of a truck, most likely over a solid line, then you were rightfully ticketed. Sounds like you deserved it.

Also, I am pretty sure coasting is not the same as engine braking. The term "engine braking" usually refers to actively selecting a lower gear to slow the car, versus simply lifting off the accelerator = coasting = "engine drag". In either case it is just semantics, but you know what the law is intended to mean, I am sure of it.

Tickets suck, drive safe.

I used to speed a bunch and one time even got the explorer (1992 4X4) to 137 mph, on a downhill. After getting a 102 in a 65 ticket, at night, I cooled off for about a year, but speeding bit me in the *** again when a motorcycle cop was hiding next to a bush and I blew by at 90. Any way, I don't speed anymore, I never cut people off or tried to accelerate to take a position (like you did), but I definately would go way too fast. I saw 90+ everyday I took the car out. There is something about that 4.0L that makes you want to speed like mad. Strange isn't it.

 

It's the power. Definetly. And the stick shift has an element of speed to it's own (and an element of "hey this truck is actually used productively").

It wasn't a solid line thankfully!

A guy at my high school got a ticket for 129 in a 60 in a Lightning racing another kid at the HS who was driving his dad's Corvette (which he didn't ask to borrow). The Corvette kid tried to run, one of our Monte Carlo cops caught him, 163 in a 60. Not pretty.

RP
Zach

 

What is a police officer doing keeping up to a 163 in a 60? Aren't there pursuit rules there? Or pehaps the corvette was beating the lightning by 40 when the cop quickly switched back and forth, radaring both vehicles! I think the police use the radar guns to say whatever they want. We all ought to read a book called "A Speeder's Guide to Avoiding Tickets" written by Sgt. James M. Eagan, a retired police officer. He let a little light shine on the other side that "NEVER MAKES MISTAKES". HAH!

 

It was on the highway in the middle of the night. I'm not sure on the high speed pursuit rules here. I know Dallas has really tightened down on them, but no clue on ours.

I'll have to look into that book lol.

RP
Zach

 

My neighbor at the time was the mayor and she told me that this is a real law.

 

I don't think it is the power that makes me want to smash. Since the explorer only has 145hp heh. The stick probably has a bunch to do with it. But the real reason is not something I can quantify. Maybe it is because you can feel the road so well compared to modern cars which feel like a perfectly smooth velvet ride. Any way, 4,400 rpms in 5th is definately an experience, especially because the tires are rated to 112mph... heh.

PS i think in california the pursuit is supposed to stop interceptors at 130mph at which point helicopters are supposed to follow.

 

Our state troopers here are getting the new Dodge Chargers, so they can keep up with the speeders. The thing I like about our troopers is they are fair. They will not pull you over unless you do something wrong, and if they pull you over - you're getting a ticket. Not bad though, because they are professional about it.

I have a couple good car chase stories.

Years ago, when my oldest was about 8, (he graduated college last year), we bought the wife a Prelude and decided to take a weekend trip. The first night we ended up in Eastern Oregon at a little town in the middle of nowhere. At breakfast, I'm looking at this old map and it shows an old ghost town a little over 100 miles away, (with not much in between - Eastern Oregon's like that; deer, antilope and sage brush.)

We took off and made the trip in a little under an hour. We never actually got to the ghost town, we could see it, but the last two miles were 4x roads.

I turned around and started heading back. There was a little hill a bit up the road and when I crested, here's this state cop car flying the other way. Just before I lost sight going down the back side, I saw him lock up and do a 180, so we pulled over to wait.

Since we were on the back side of the hill, the trooper couldn't see me till the crest and, of course, he was doing over 100 mph by then - so he shot right past us. We watched him hit the brakes, but he didn't slide this time and the road was narrow with soft shoulders, so it took a 5 point turn. He drove back behind us and did another 5 point turn. I felt like getting out and guiding him, but didn't.

He said he got the call just after we left town and had been in high speed pursuit ever since. The road we were on is a back way to California and is a good way to leave the state quietly. He wasn't angry or anything, (troopers are too professional for that), and when he wrote the ticket the speed on it was 74mph.

He said he clocked me at 80, but anything 20mph over the posted would get me a free ride to jail. It was more than fair, since I did remember slowing down to 80 a few times on corners.

He gave us the safety talk and I pointed out he was the only car we'd seen that morning, so we talked about that cow 50 miles up the road and I said I'd be careful.

I tried to catch a cop once and couldn't.

We did a job once at a remote radio site for the county. It was about a couple hours from the motel, up a bunch of back roads and the guy that showed us the way was the Sheriffs second-in-command. We worked till about dark and when we left, the deputy wanted the boss to ride back with him. So I piled the guys in the bosses new Duramax and headed down the road.

We got to a point when nothing look familiar, so we pulled the GPS and got back on the main road.

We see the tail lights of the sheriffs truck about a mile ahead, somehow they passed without seeing us, so I hammered it to catch up. We never could. I drove as fast as I could for over 20 miles and could never catch that cop. I'd see tail lights every once in a while, but I couldn't close the distance. Finally got to the point that I was afraid of breaking the bosses plastic Duramax, so we slowed down and headed to the motel at 70mph.

When we got there the boss was more than hot and he had to check the oil on his new toy before he would listen, then he thought it was pretty funny.

The next morning the Deputy had a few words to say to me, but the smirk I gave him kind of threw him off. I told him, next time he should slow down for safety... He finally understood. I guess he'd been doing pursuits for over 25 years and had never seen anyone drive those roads like I did - he was driving as fast as he could and never even saw me. I imagine since I was chasing him, his honor was still in check.

I'm old now and always drive 5mph under the posted speed limit - safety first.

 

My mom and I were coming back from a car show a couple of years ago in her '72 Corvette. We went over a hill on the Turnpike, we were doing probably 70 or so, as was everyone else on the road. Traffic wasn't too bad though.

Anyways, we go over this hill and are coasting down the other side, when this car comes flying over the top, doing 110, 120 maybe. We didn't even think twice other than to change lanes until we saw all the police behind him, then we got over and waited. I love that when there is a high speed pursuit, they send 15 or 20 cops, like it's going to make the idiot go slower or something.

Anyways, they flew right by us and everyone else and kept going, and we got back on the highway. Less than a year later, we'd be in a wreck not a mile down the road and total that Corvette after another idiot speeding rear ended us.

RP
Zach

 

Just my opinion...but...

Grow up. You violated the law and got caught. You admit to going faster than the officer wrote the ticket for. You can bet his report states your actual speed so the judge can see that you've already been given somewhat of a break. You can say you were profiled all you want, but good luck on proving it. Seems everyone wants to say they were violated because they are of another race than the officer, yet when the roles are reversed, its okay.

Enjoy the second chance they've given you and don't give them a reason to second guess it.

 

That's a disgraceful thing to say. I have no idea where "Aberdeen" is, but where I live racism is still present. Both ways. And neither side makes a great effort to fix it. There are the few like myself who find it all to be a disgusting thing to hate people for the color of their skin. In case you didn't notice, the topic had far moved on past that to other conversation. Or did you not read the topic? Perhaps it's time someone else grew up?

On a more positive note, I get to go "donate" $103 to the police tommorow lol. Then defensive driving and that's the end of it.

RP
Zach

 

I agree with the post before rangers. It is pretty disgraceful to violate the law and then say you were profiled for it AFTER YOU GOT A BREAK. I am not racist at all, I live next to SF. I like everyone, but it is just disrespectful to even hint at such a thing. I have moved on though, good luck with the break you got.

 

LOL, I remember my first ticket. I was in my 85 Mustang GT and the local hard case cop that nails everyone was a block down the street and hit me for squeeling my tires even though it was just the cheepy front tires squaling when I turned a corner, wasn't even going fast. If that was the least of my troubles with tickets I would have been in great shape. I just turned 28 and have been pulled over 1 time in the last 7 years and I got a ticket for doing 36 in a 25 zone. Only problem was that where I turned onto the road the only speed limit sign I could see said 35....just wasn't quite there yet I guess.

Anyway, I have had 12 or so squeeling tires tickets, 18 seatbelt tickets, wreckless driving, failure to maintain control ( donuts in the Hardee's parking lot LOL), 2 speeding tickets (above mentioned and a 40 in a 25 when I was caught doing over 70 but officer was a friend of mine), and the grand daddy of them all I was caught doing 134 mph in a 25 zone but I got off with a failure to yield to an emergency vehicle. Along with a few exhaust tickets I have had quite a run and 95% of those tickets all came from the same officer. I got booted from my insurance, had to take driving school, and learned my lesson...now I watch my P's and Q's. You got a long way to go to catch up with me :-)

Now I don't mind paying a ticket if I was caught red handed screwing up but I have had some B.S. tickets that I didn't deserve but it probably balances out with all the stuff I did and got caught but didn't get a ticket.