Geting pulled over is no fun ! Ticket stories

[zoopa_man]

Let it be put into the record books. I got my first ticket tonight...a dandy too, 56 mph in a 40. I was mad from work, got into a fight with a manager. Was driving home in a hurry just so I could get back and relax, try to calm down. I was driving out of town where it changes from a 30 into a short stretch of 40 and then to 55 on country roads. Being in the rush that I was, I sped up to 55 half way through the 40 about 300 yards from the 55 sign. As soon as I got cruising the car in the other lane lights up like a Christmas tree and whips around. DARN !! cop....so I slowed down and pulled over right in front of the 55 sign. Nice gentleman came up and said good evening and asked for my license and registration. I handed him both and on his way back to the car he nicely said " So you know I pulled you over for speeding sir." never gave me a chance to argue. Ran my stuff and came back with the ticket. Said "I wrote you up for speeding your court date is ****** please watch your speed" and walked back to his car. That was it, never asked any questions and never gave me a chance to explain anything. Didn't matter, plain and simple I was speeding and now I get to pay. It's no one's fault but my own, just kind of mad at my self. Always seems like when things are going bad you hit rock bottom. Money wise i'm done. I've got to pay on income taxes, insurance is due next month (NICE TIME FOR A TICKET) and I still have car payments. Donations will be accepted, call my sectary.

I'll update after my court appearance. There's no way I want to just plea guilty and not try to get it reduced. 16 over has got to be pretty bad. I'll keep you updated. Want to make bets on how much i'll end up paying. lol


So there's the story...let's hear some more.

 

[Stang2Man]

Most states will let you go to traffic school, and you'd just have to pay court costs or some other nominal fee. I did it Kentucky and Tennessee both, should've probably fought the tickets I got cause I could've nailed em on technicalities, but instead of taking a chance I took a few hours of my time to sit in a classroom, plus there were actually some cute girls in the classes when I went. Still didnt' get their freaking numbers though

 

[Xaranthu]

Sounds like a quota ticket to me, they way he pulled that off.

Go buy a cheap digital camera and put it in your glove box.... I would have got out of the car when he came back and said "just need to walk a bit - little ticked about work or make something up about looking at his car - then walked passed his car and took a pic of the cop car, my car and the sign. Can you say thrown out. I did this with a regular camera back in 93 when I got halled over in my 5.0 for doing 80 in a 55. I was 22 feet from the 80 sign. If you can see the sign, you can go that speed.

Good luck.

Z.

 

[98CobraClone]

Right..........

#1: As far as I know, there are no ticket quotas, only stories of them because somebody got pi$$ed for getting a ticket. There is actually a federal ban on them, because it gets cops to write pi$$ poor tickets for frivalous stuff when the real offenders are getting by.

#2: If the cop lets you walk around, it's his F**kup. In training, they are taught to keep the people they pull over in control. If he's gonna let you walk around, especially all the way back to his car, I should go and whoop him. It wouldn't happen unless by some deputy or podunk town cop.

#3: The speed limit begins where you pass the sign. If you're still driving in a school zone at 20 mph and can see the 60 mph sign ahead, does that mean that you can accelerate to 60 with kids along side the road? Would it make sense that you could moderate your speed quicker or slower than me due to your sight? Heck, if that's the case, I could just drive around with binoculars on all day long. "Gee officer, I could see the 60 mph sign on the other side of town."

F**Ktard

 

[Xaranthu]

I was just trying to help out in a constructive way, suggesting what can be done in situations where you think you are given a ticket that is not justified. Everyone colors their story in their favor, but zoopa's description is too well written. That cop was moving in assembly line fashion.

Every city has an un-posted speed limit, usually printed on a sign at the city limits, so signs outside of school zones are usually non-existent or are posted because the area was legislated below the city limit max un-posted speed limit. Unless the school is right on a main highway, you won't see it otherwise. If you speed in a school zone, you should not have a license at all, regardless of how you can skirt the line between other zones. For the most part people have enough logic to drive safely on the roads they are on. From your perspective, it's a clear reflection of insurance rates for people under 25.

In Canada the cops make you come to them when you get pulled over, at least in Alberta they did. Maybe they don't like to get cold? I have been pulled over twice in NY. Once for a warning and once for a ticket. Both times I was able to get out of the car. On my way to Ohio last year me (in my stang) and a guy driving a Honda were pulled over for doing 80/65. We were both able to get out of the cars and chat and the only thing the cop said was stay on the shoulder.

Police use their judgment on every stop, but I don't think they would never allow someone to roam around outside the car during a night time stop. So I'll revise my suggestion. Get the camera. Take a picture out the front window and then out the back window and have a nice day.

98CobraClone: Hey, I'll be coming out for FFW again this year (07-11th to 13th). Why don't you meet me there.

Z.

 

[UmmYeahOk]

You have two options. 1) take defensive driving (you can take it online) you only have to pay for like half the ticket plus traffic school fees, and the ticket stays off your record. 2) you can fight the ticket. Theres a 99.9999999% chance thats theres no way out of it. But they typically reduce the amount somewhat. Its just typically a pain fighting it, cuz its at a very bad time for you, and even then, if you want to continue the fight, they will have to reschedule.

I recall this happening to my mom once. She had explained to the officer that she was just coming home from the speedway. NASCAR was in town. This scared me, cuz such a race causes people to drink, and, um, "race." So I feared what the cop would think. She didnt do any of these things though, just sped somewhat. The cop asked her if she knew how fast she was going, and answered. Like you, he pulled her over next to the increased speed limit sign. So he let her off with a warning.

 

[Alternator]

I just got my first speeding ticket today. Was doing 53 on a 40mph zone. It was on a wide 6 lane road where no one goes below 50mph. Well anyways I was doing 53 in the center lane and there was one car on my left, one on my right at the same speed. After giving me the ticket the cop said "slow down that mustang" so basically I got pulled over because of the car I was driving. Doesnt that piss you off?

 

[Penguin]

My first and only ticket was about... 3 years ago. I was following traffic on a large 4 lane road in my '66. Cop was in the oncoming lane, lights came up, and he pulled me over in a parking lot. My little brother had no idea what was happening (I had just picked him up from school). It was for 64 in a 45. Sadly, my speedometer didn't work at that time... Needless to say, I fixed that problem shortly after. I'm pretty sure it was because the car was vintage burgundy with primer orange front fenders. Yeah.. my car was a piece of crap back then. That was $300 and 4 points, but I got it reduced when I went to the court.
The next night after that happened at around 1am, (in the '66 again) I was going the opposite way on the same road. This time doing the speed limit. My friend and I were arguing about where we should go next and when we decided, I turned onto the road to go whereever. There were no other cars on the road. As soon as I made the turn, the cop turned on his headlights, then his other lights. (he had followed me) He said I was being suspicious, because I didn't use my blinker and I didn't have a liscense plate light (I fixed that too) He searched me, searched my friend, and put us in his car. Then he searched my entire car and trunk. Twice. Then he got us out and searched us again. He didn't even clean up his mess in my car. He became "friendly" with us, and an hour later we got a warning and went home.
A week after this incident, I was with the same friend as before and another one. We were walking back to my house after a nice stroll at around... 1am. (I used to work 10 hours a day and would be awake at night) We made it to my street and got "pulled over" by 3 cop cars. I got searched 3 times by 2 different officers. (I guess I'm just that goodlooking) Then the "bad cop" proceeded to curse at me for about 30 minutes. An hour later we were let go with nothing.
I know some of them are just doing their jobs, but sometimes they piss me off.