Pulled over for speeding

[GaryS]

Night school?

There's a school zone sign at the elementary school near me. Every once in a while one of the two signs starts flashing at about 11:00PM. I always wonder if I got pulled over if I should ask the officer if they are running night shift kindergarten.

From the age of some of the newer officers, they might qualify.

Happily I never got caught up in this, but for a while one county in Maryland decided to collect a little extra money by running the school zone flashing light signs in the middle of the night. People were getting pulled over and ticketed long after the school day was over. There was a conservative morning program on Baltimore radio that put the warning out to everybody. I guess enough people must have raised enough static with the county that it stopped doing this.

 

[K Frame Keith]

Once upon a time Volvo was considering breaking into the American law enforcement market. Our county got a couple of test cars to pass around and "test drive". One dark night on a deserted section of interstate I got that car up to 140.
In the distance I saw tail lights and applied the brakes. Harder, then harder still until I was pressed against the seatbelt harness. I checked the speedometer and I was still dropping past 90.
I think that car had a five cylinder turbo; I'm no Motor head but I do know that was fast.

 

[GaryS]

I think that was the Volvo 240. A couple of police departments in New Hampshire had them to test. At least that's where I remember seeing them in the mid 1980s.

They also had a taxi package, which had most of the same components except for the engine.

Police and Taxi packages offered by the major manufacturers were very similar because police and taxi duty for automobiles is not all that much different except for the speed part.

Once upon a time Volvo was considering breaking into the American law enforcement market. Our county got a couple of test cars to pass around and "test drive". One dark night on a deserted section of interstate I got that car up to 140.
In the distance I saw tail lights and applied the brakes. Harder, then harder still until I was pressed against the seatbelt harness. I checked the speedometer and I was still dropping past 90.
I think that car had a five cylinder turbo; I'm no Motor head but I do know that was fast.

 

[Grimjaws]

My son got out of a speeding ticket at 17...kinda

We signed up my son for the USMC early at 17 and he went into the poolee program (sp?). Every weekend he reported to the recruiting station for PT at the local park. He did a lot of push ups, sprints and runs.

He was on his way to high school one Wednesday driving his truck when he spilled his coffee. He reacted by pulling the wheel a bit, hitting the accelerator and veering off the lane. Luckily no cars around him but a female officer saw this and chased him down and pulled hm over.

He sat very still with his hands at 10 and 2 and window rolled down. She asked,"Do you know why I pulled your over?"

"Yes, ma'am. I spilled my coffee and it caught me by surprise. I sped up and swerved a bit."

She asks,"Have you been drinking?"

He turned to her and looked her right in the eyes, 'NO MA'AM!"

She noticed his Olive Drab USMC sweatshirt.

She asks,"What's with the sweatshirt?"

"I ship out to Parris Island in two months after I graduate from High School next week, Ma'am. I am going into the US Marine Corps"

She looks him square in the eyes and asks,"Would your recruiter happen to be Staff Sgt Colley? And you do some PT on the weekend if I am not mistaken, correct?"

He replies,"Yes, ma'am. Yes we do PT."

Then she says,"I happen to know your recruiter. And I know you cannot ship out with any outstanding tickets. So I'm gonna give you a warning and let you go BUT Staff Sgt is gonna owe me a BIG favor. Also I happen to have his cell number and will let him know I think one of his recruits owe the citizens of this town some push ups."

My son groaned and actually said,"Couldn't I just have the ticket ma'am?"

He said she just laughed the most evil laugh he ever heard and walked away.

That Saturday night he came home looking like he ran all the way to South America and back. He was filthy, he moved very slowly, and stunk to high heaven of earth and sweat. He showered, ate dinner, and went to bed at 6 pm. Didn't see him get up until 11 am the next morning! A few short months later we picked him up after he earned title of United States Marine.

 

[Golddollar]

I had an amazing day at the race track yesterday.I was there to instruct a private student in a Porsche. Just before lunch a transporter arrives and unloads a Ginetta LMP3 car. WOW. It's pretty much the top of the food chain in race cars. The owner asks if I would like to take it for a few laps. It's on new tires.

Holy hot rod, Batman! What a Batmobile that would be!

 

[raljr1]

I used to manage a company that had a facility in Oakdale, California. When my boss came in to town, we would go up the mountain towards Sonora for dinner at the National Hotel that has the original bar from the 1800's.

One night, on the way back, three of us, my boss in the back seat, I get pulled over.

Officer asks me if I know how fast I was going, I say 72, he corrects me and says 74. He asks if I know the speed limit, I say I think it's 65, he says no, it's 55...I figure I'm toast.

He asks where we are coming from, and I tell him that we have a plant in the valley and come up the mountain for dinner each month when we are here.

He asks where we ate, we tell him and he gives us a few other suggestions for next time....He tells me that the limit is 55 from point a to x, and please be more careful...

AS he goes to leave, he turns to my boss in the back seat and says, "Sir, buckle your seat belt." My boss asks, " In the back seat?" to which he replied, "Yes, Sir, California law requires all passengers to be seat belted."

As I pull away, my boss says, "I can't believe you got away with 74 in a 55, and I got yelled at for no seat belt."

I told him, courtesy pays....

 

[bobcat]

It's good to avoid a smitation...

 

[GaryS]

A Massachusetts fun fact on speeding in construction zones. That applies ALL the time, not just when workers are present. So, if you speed through a work zone on a weekend when there is no work going on, you'll still get whacked with double fines.

A friend found that one out the hard way on the Mass. Turnpike.

 

[Eagle 477]

Years ago i used to work the early morning shift and started at 4am, there was no direct way to get to the place I worked and had to all back roads.
at least once a week i would get stopped by the State Police in this one area. always the same old thing "You crossed the double yellow line.(actually Looking For Drunks at that time in the morning) after a few times he recognized the cars i was driving and would just flash the blues and go back to what he was doing.

Rob

 

[meaneyedcatz]

This has to be better than 40 years ago. Got pulled over by Missouri HP.
K now how fast you are going?
The only thing I know was that I was flying low.
He chuckled and still gave me a ticket but I earned a discount. He knocked some off.

 

[Racer X]

No need to go to the race track, just try out one of Oklahoma's turnpikes.
OHP stopped a Dodge Challenger doing 167 mph last month. Fine was
only $450.00, it seems every mph over 40 above the limit, (75mph), was
free. The news did not explain how they caught the Dodge.

more than 20 over is an automatic reckless driving charge in Washington. I'd love to wind my Buick GSX up and see if it hits 170. Mine shipped with the ultra rare 200 mph speedo.

 

[biku324]

The New Mexico rule for reckless driving is two hazardous moving violations in rapid succession. Folks running over 90 or 100 mph very often are swapping lanes without signal, cutting others off, passing in no passing zones etc. I only dealt with a few of these - reckless driving is a mandatory appearance (arrest) offense. No discussion, no nothing; off to jail.

Dealing with these offenses after they are 'discovered,' not directly observed, usually involves a Rolatape or laser measuring tool and a black, zippered bag. Sometimes you pay to learn.

 

[Bald1]

Around 1980 or so, I witnessed a traffic accident and was summoned to court to testify. While I waited for my case to be called, I was watching the other trials...

One middle-aged woman had been charged with speeding...something like 41 in a 25 on a local residential street.

The judge asked her when she'd last gotten a ticket. She replied it was about 1955...

He looked at her and said "Well, you're due then!"...and found her guilty!

Sometimes judges are the worst. I got a ticket one morning on a 2 lane country rd while taking my son to school. 56 in a 45. At court I went in to see the prosecutor before judge and a Deputy friend of mine was there. After busting my chops for a min he tells prosecutor I'm his friend and could he help me out. Prosecutor says plead guilty and we'll reduce it to $100 parking ticket. I said thanks and waited to see judge…….. thats when things went sideways. Judge sees I have a class A CDL. He starts lecturing me on how I'm held to a higher standard as a professional driver. He says he's tired of CDL drivers begging him to reduce ticket so as to keep their license clean….. he asked me what I had to say for myself. I said I didn't come here for a lecture. I came to pay a ticket. I said I'm not guilty of doing anything that everyone in this room hasn't done, including yourself judge. He looked at me and said $250. Pay the clerk……… best $150 I ever spent. My depth friend just smiled and shook his head.

 

[DesertFox]

Not involving speeding but last encounter with LEO was rolling into Vegas after an 11 hour drive in a 335d. Trying to figure out which exit, I had to make a hasty move across a solid white line. Cherries and berries appear in rear view, pull over right away. Officer approaches passenger side where wife is sitting. Seeing a grocery bag on the floorboards, he inquires and wife shows him an unopened 6 pack of O'Douls we acquired in St. George. Was informed that crossing solid white was a no no and told that I was going to have to punch it to get back into traffic as it was blazing by.

When an officer tells me to punch it, I do what I'm told. Wife freaks out, I insist that I'm just following orders. Good thing the 335d was a torque king.

 

[Greyman50]

As long as I live I'll never forget out govt. senior class trip to traffic court in Norfolk. By chance anyone was around then ,69-70, Norfolk had a well know judge, Hitchins, AKA " Hanging Hitchins". Anyway there were 2 dump truck drivers cited for Drag Racing dump trucks on Va. Beach blvd in Norfolk. Forget the fine but they both got time in the slammer.

 

[Tubbsy]

Last time I was pulled over was 7-8 years ago... driving a '90 shortbed Chevy my uncle and I had built for the track... was running 130 down a little two lane according to the GPS.... saw the officer come over the hill a quarter mile out and slowed down... he clocked me at 73... told me he saw me slow down, and was just glad I'd stopped, a lot don't... no ticket, being polite and honest definitely helps...

 

[steelslaver]

About 1982, driving a 1975 Trans Am with a built 455 in front of a B&M hydro 400. Late in the evening after 2 weeks on a drilling rig, running across N Dakota to see a girl in Minot. I am going about 80, but slow coming up on some tail lights. Look it over at about 65. Back end of a Dodge with 3 people in it beefy rear tires. No cop car has three people in it, right?. Give it some throttle an start to pass and he bumps the throttle too, figure he wants to go, so pull it down into 2nd and mash it Pull ahead and am hitting near 100 when the lights in his grill come on. Hit 3rd and chirp the 60 series radials and toll up past 150. Flick on quartz lights in my grill. He can't keep up and am pulling away, but not very fast and we are eating up some serious real estate. At 150 a mile goes by every 24 seconds. I figure he will have an HP coming out of Minot running hard. So, I am running out of time. I got maybe 3 miles on him and see the edge of a top sign ahead so I shut it down and took a hard left onto a gravel road. Bummer, dead ended in a farmers yard within half a mile. Cuffed stuffed. Deputy drives my TA while sheriff drives me and the prisoner they were hauling to his county jail. Million questions. He can't believe his 440 would not stay with my car. Finds out I am just a wild roughneck with no criminal record. Calls my home county and they semi vouch for me. Ex Marine as was he. I am showered and dressed in coveralls when he finally relents and lets me bail my self out for $500 if the girl some to get me. She does. They were some interested in the guns in the trunk, but, I had a N Dakota hunting permit. Got that drivers license revoked in N Dakota. But had a spare in another name anyway. The good old days. Now days it would have new way way worse. But hey I had gotten away with it 3 times before only in Montana where I knew all the roads. Ya I was a wild on in my 20s and early 30s.

Last ticket I got was about 7 years ago in Idaho. Driving about 65 on a 2 lane road. Habit because in Montana most 2 lane roads are 70mph. I have been pulled over in Montana a few times since I move back. for speeding but as I am a friendly polite old fat guy with a Sheriff and Peace officer sticker on my bumper, they just give me a warning.

 

[biku324]

I never, ever carry retirement credentials and simply pay any tickets I get. I've had 2 or 3 since retirement. If I got one for every time I was 10 over, I'd have to have a reverse mortgage to pay them.

Promised myself once retired that I would never, ever tell officers who stop me how very important I used to be.

 

[7shooter]

The fastest I ever drove was in my dad's new 64 Ford with the 390 ci engine with a 4 barrel. I was 16 years old. I was driving to the road construction site for I 94 to pick up my check. The road wasn't opened yet but the concrete had been laid for 30 miles . There were no other cars on the road. The speedometer went to 130 and it easily did that. Being young and stupid can be pretty exciting.

 

[RetCapt]

OK, here is one a little different, but it does include LE. In fact, only LE.

Back in the 80s there was a section of state highway being replaced by a freeway. These projects seem to linger on long after the pavement is laid but before the other work is done and the freeway can be opened. Since it was shared jurisdiction, CalTrans notified both my department and CHP that racing was taking place on this new piece of unopened freeway during late night hours, and asked both agencies to monitor the project. It turned out both agencies (the troops) knew who was doing the racing, because it was sheriff's deputies vs CHP officers. It had to have been very close racing since the cars were the same. Since I was the commander of the deputies, I of course was far out of the need-to-know loop. In due time the freeway got finished and so did the racing.

Well after all this had ended, I found out. All I could do was laugh. I had been a young turk once too.