Well end of month, lots of very unhappy cops trying to meet their quotas. I was coming home from the store this evening after going to see one of my friends with another friend. Heading down a local highway, in front of the high school. The right lane dead ends into a turn at the high school that forces you off the highway, so I accelerated to get in front of the truck next to me. A cop headed down the road the opposite way cuts off a couple of people, does a U-turn, and comes after me. Follows me a little ways down the road then flips his lights on.

I pull into a parking lot, he comes up to the car, gets my license and registration. No talking, no "do you know why I pulled you over". Real (insert FTE blocked word here). Doesn't even tell me why he pulled me over or how fast I was going.

I'm going to step out on a limb here, and probably going to get flamed about it. But oh well. Two things come to mind first. A) I live in the south, and racial predjudice is still sadly somewhat prevelant. And this guy sure did not seem to like me. And B) between the headlights, clear corners, and alteeza taillights, I just stand out as one of those high school kids that speeds everywhere. Profiling, IMHO.

Goes to his truck (all of our police except the high school leison drive Chevy Tahoes), runs the stuff, comes back a minute or two later, tells me to sign the ticket, then rips my copy off and walks away after that little record perfect spill about "you have ten days to contact the court, blah blah blah".

So I got 10 days. I'm calling tommorow morning, since it's my first driving offense I can get out of it with defensive driving. I'm 100% positive the 60 in a 45 crap was BS, as I know I was going faster (probably 65 or so) and I've had my speedo radar checked by the very same police department.

I'll get a pic of the ticket on here later. Anyways thanks for letting me rant.

RP
Zach

EDIT: on another note, I've never seen as many cops out as I did today. They were EVERYWHERE. All I can figure is end of month, plus high school getting out, lots of opportunities for them. And also, little trivia, there used to be a law in Texas that if a police officer got out of his car and didn't put his hat on, you didn't have to pay the ticket, because he was not in uniform.

 

Hmmm, if you did it then you did it. Pay them and chalk it up to learning. 20 over the limit will get noticed.

*BTW, I use profiling as often as possible when I drive . It's a very useful tool that helps me fly under the radar .

 

Go to court and see if you can go to defensive driving school to prevent it going on your record. Pay a little for school or pay alot more on insurance for years to come. You're still young, you'll need all the $$$ you can get. I'm sure your parents would be happier to go with that too. BTW, don't keep it from your parents. I've tried it before with absolutely no success.

 

i suppose it's also the cop's fault you were intentionally speeding? in this state, we hang agressive drivers speeding and driving recklessly by the *********

 

How does the cop know how fast you were going? Did he have you on radar? Or is he guessing?

 

Zach,

They are probably more likely making an enforcement push for Memorial Day weekend. It's the kick off of the summer driving season AND one of larger drinking holidays of the year. I'm guessing that their hope is that if people see that they are out and giving summons, they'll think twice about getting blitzed at their brother-in-law's house then driving home slopppy drunk all over the road.

Sorry you had to pay the price, but it's a good lesson. Watch your speed/driving habits around major drinking holidays (ie New Year's, Memorial Day, 4th of July, Labor Day) and while crossing state borders. There are always more police out.

-Jim

 

Well Zach", instead of putting hopup parts on that 4.0, maybe you should run with a couple of plug wires off hee hee. Welcome to, "I'm not a court virgin anymore club"! Don't sweat it, it's just part of growing up, and for us grownup's, just part of life. Life is just one big learning experience, this will be just another chapter in your lifes book. A year from now you'll look back, and laugh about it.

 

Just another reason not to do performance mods to be "profiled"!!

 

Last april, I got my first ticket. It was 11:00pm and I was driving my sister's car. I got lucky though. The cop clocked as I was coming over the hill at 88 in a 65. The lucky part is that he didn't catch me on the other side of the hill. I was doing just a tick under 100. Either way, as soon as his lights flipped on, I knew it was me and stopped. By the time he walked up to the car, I had all my information ready and I was extremely polite (not to get out of the ticket, that was inevitable, but to get out of going to jail). I got a $300 ticket. Luckily, a friend of mine taught defensive driving and I got out of the ticket. Didn't even have to take the class. Or pay for it either. But, I still learned my lesson. Now, the fastest I go I maybe 5mph over.

 

Let us read what you have said:
Paragraph 1 - You were speeding and got caught.
Paragraph 2 - Cop provided all necessary info, but failed your personality test.
Paragraph 3 - You admit the offense, but claim your headlights/taillights are to blame.
Paragraph 4 - Cop provides you with information re the ticket.
Paragraph 5 - You again admit guilt, but the cop sites you for less speed.
Paragraph 6 - Rants are free, but no sympathy earned. A picture of a ticket?
EDIT - The "Click It or Ticket" campaign is on in most communities. As for opportunities, you made this one.

You are a bright young man and you got your first ticket doing something not so bright. You can choose to moan like a child caught in the cookie jar or you can be a man and take responsibility ..... your choice.

 

Good God people...I didn't say I didn't accept the ticket. It's Texas, I take defensive driving, end of story. Big deal. I didn't here to whine and moan and bitch about it.

Either his radar is off, or he just said I was going 60. I don't know. And frankly I couldn't care less anymore, apparently making a statement is frowned upon now?

Whether you want to believe it or not, profiling DOES happen here. If you're in a group of trucks speeding in a rice burner, who do you think the cops are going to pull over? And here, white cops are more likely to pull over African Americans speeding. And vice versa. It's pretty much the general rule down here. If you want to argue that, come find out for yourself.

Is it going to make me not speed? Of course not. Especially in some of the stupider places around here (wide open country roads at 30 mph).

Good point, I didn't think about that.

RP
Zach

 

He might have written it as 60 because it's "only" 15 over. I know in Maine they can, and do, arrest you for anything more than 20 over; perhaps in Texas anything more than 15 over nets a bigger punishment.

 

Only difference I've seen is 15 over is where the judge decides what you pay and you can't take defensive driving.

RP
Zach

 

*slaps head in disbelief*
A speeding ticket isn't a big deal, I'll agree with that. However, if you stick your finger in a light socket, and it shocks you, why keep trying to see if you can get away with it? I think most people speed, and at times speeding isn't dangerous (like 30mph open roads), but the law is the law just the same, if you feel you can/need to break it, you take the risk upon yourself to suffer the consequences. Besides, lower speeds generally result in better fuel economy, save yourself the fuel costs AND the ticket costs by slowing down, that'll show 'em!

 

I usually go about five over. As does virtually everyone around here. The 15 over was becuase I was stuck in a turn lane and wanted to get in the other lane. (Yeah I know I coulda slowed down...well I didn't feel like letting this guy get in front of me)

RP
Zach