Speeding ticket WHILE HYPERMILING! I can't win...

[95badbird]

the cop will show up.....he has written many tickets for that court date.

[Christ]

i dont know about your state, but in PA - they can't modulate the number of points that go on your license for a violation... those are set in stone, the best they can do is change the conviction to something that carries less points.

Either way, the goal here is to not be convicted at all. You want to walk away without a scratch, for the best possible effect. The next best thing would be to plead to a non-traffic offense, such as failure to heed traffic control devices (don't ask why it's a non-traffic offense). Most states (that I'm aware of) don't carry a point penalty for that, and it's only about $75 fine here in PA.

[Drive Stick]

Coasting or not, you can't break the speed limit. 1 mph over, 5 mph over, 20 mph over. The police are the authority which keep the majority of us abiding by the rules of the road. Sometimes their personal life and stress off-duty follows them into the cruiser. They may sit and watch you drive past them doing 50 in a 35 and do nothing 6 out of 7 days a week, but on that 7'th day when they are out to hurt somebody's feelings or their quota isn't met you will see a ticket like this get issued.

I was pulled over for going 47 in a 45, by a very angry police officer - quite obviously had nothing to do with the fact that I was going 2 over the speed limit downhill. I got to talking with him, and when he realized I too was working on becoming a police officer he cooled his jets (you can't hate on family) and told me to have a great day.

In this situation, my best advice to you as an ex habitual-speeder and possible future PO, go to court and explain your case after pleading not guilty by phone. The prosecutor will probably hit you with a careless driving ticket which is no points, and maybe $150 in fines. Tis better to lose some cash, that gain some points which will raise your insurance premium and have the state hit you with surcharges for having points on your license.

[1337]

Originally Posted by Drive Stick

Coasting or not, you can't break the speed limit. 1 mph over, 5 mph over, 20 mph over. The police are the authority which keep the majority of us abiding by the rules of the road. Sometimes their personal life and stress off-duty follows them into the cruiser. They may sit and watch you drive past them doing 50 in a 35 and do nothing 6 out of 7 days a week, but on that 7'th day when they are out to hurt somebody's feelings or their quota isn't met you will see a ticket like this get issued.

I was pulled over for going 47 in a 45, by a very angry police officer - quite obviously had nothing to do with the fact that I was going 2 over the speed limit downhill. I got to talking with him, and when he realized I too was working on becoming a police officer he cooled his jets (you can't hate on family) and told me to have a great day.

In this situation, my best advice to you as an ex habitual-speeder and possible future PO, go to court and explain your case after pleading not guilty by phone. The prosecutor will probably hit you with a careless driving ticket which is no points, and maybe $150 in fines. Tis better to lose some cash, that gain some points which will raise your insurance premium and have the state hit you with surcharges for having points on your license.

The ticket is $75, plus $35 for driving school. Driving school removes the ticket from my record.

I should use the "I want to be a police officer" card sometime. I do run firefighter's memorial license plates...those have helped me to get off with warnings a couple of times.

Cop: I see you have firefighter's memorial plates. Is anyone in your family a firefighter?
Me: Yeah, my parents are both volunteer firefighters, an my grandpa was one too.
Cop: have a nice day!

(I'm not actually related to any firefighters. :P)

[Drive Stick]

Originally Posted by 1337

I should use the "I want to be a police officer" card sometime. I do run firefighter's memorial license plates...those have helped me to get off with warnings a couple of times.

Cop: I see you have firefighter's memorial plates. Is anyone in your family a firefighter?
Me: Yeah, my parents are both volunteer firefighters, an my grandpa was one too.
Cop: have a nice day!

(I'm not actually related to any firefighters. :P)

That's very funny! Saying you want to be a cop, and actually showing them your academy acceptance letter are 2 different things though. The first would more than likely get you the ticket. "then why are you speeding, shouldn't you be setting a good example?"

[1337]

Originally Posted by Drive Stick

That's very funny! Saying you want to be a cop, and actually showing them your academy acceptance letter are 2 different things though. The first would more than likely get you the ticket. "then why are you speeding, shouldn't you be setting a good example?"

In my experience, cops usually speed and drive like they own the road. More often than not, I see them recklessly changing lanes without signaling at 80mph.

[rkcarguy]

Most likely the judge in the little town will have his hand out just like the cop, and wont give you a break. We had a school zone area with flashing lights that were malfunctioning(one direction on the other off) and several people got stopped and ticketed for speeding. Despite the fact my wife was doing 28 in the 20 zone(normally 40mph) with the lights her direction off, and saw the policeman, she still had to pay the ticket. The judge cut her every explaination short and said you just didn't see the lights. Same thing with the 2 other people there for the same thing. They just want the money....

[theunchosen]

My right front headlight went dead while I was on my way home one day. I had already bought new bulbs because I buy new ones every once in a while to avoid accidently getting slammed(my headlight beams are VERY close together and unless someone tells me I can't tell the difference).

I had come from autozone ten minutes previous. Cop Pulls me over and and demands my license, insurance registration and all the normal. Walks back to her cruiser. There is another cop standing by his cruiser not too far back and he hops in the car with her. A long time passes before she comes back.

Meanwhile I am sitting there with no clue why I have been pulled over and assume they are looking for someone matching my car. Another officer shows up and parks in front of me and steps out and just watches.

She comes back and asks if I knew why I had been pulled over, I replied no.

She said something along the lines of I was providing a moving traffic hazard because I only had one functioning headlight(I actually have 2 sets of full power headlights and one of the four total was out). I explained I had just been to autozone and had the lights. No dice. I switched it for them to prove that I meant to. still no dice. I was being nice because another officer had been very polite in a similar no reason stop a few days earlier. Gives me the ticket says I have to appear at the Courthouse the next day(its 9:00 P.M.) with a functioning headlight(she can see that its working right now.)

I went in and proved it worked(took a sick day off work) and got a court date because I refused to pay it. TN law is you just have to have 2 functioning lights of no specified brightness or color. the only limitation on lights is you cannot having FLASHING blue AND flashing red at the same time.

The judge made me sit a half hour after my timeslot while he sat there and did nothing. I appealed it and he said that the officers said I had been belligerent and weaving dangerously in traffic. Had to pay ticket, driving school 16 hour class, and court fees.

If I had ever acted like that to any client of any of my employers I would be fired instantly, no questions asked and no guarantee of getting all my recent pay. I have lived in that county and paid local fees for several years(their salary). IF there is a dual standard for people who hold a public office it ought to be they have to jump through more hoops not less.

[theunchosen]

Oh, and if your area gets speed cameras for your red lights you ought to protest it. They work like most electric companies they predict whether or not you will run the light not whether or not you actually do.

For instance if you are going over XX speed within forty feet of the light it snaps your license plate. Even if you stop and bills you for the ticket. Officer signs off on them and you can appeal it but another judge just asked if the officer had lied about the ticket. Unless you can prove the officer lied don't say yes. Depending on the judge you might get away with it or you will get a massive fine. Brother is a lawyer and was there with me for it. I don't run lights its a very good way to get killed when you drive a compact.

[1337]

theunchosen-

I'm sorry to hear that. Traffic cops seem to cause far more problems than they solve.