Today I was given my sentence for 115 in a 55 on a suspended license | Page 8 | FerrariChat

Today I was given my sentence for 115 in a 55 on a suspended license

Discussion in 'Ferrari Discussion (not model specific)' started by Nick85, Sep 12, 2006.

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  1. asianbond

    asianbond Formula 3

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    Serious speeding (over 100) is like having an extra marital affair. Most of us have done it, but you tend to keep it very discreet and count your blessings for getting away with it. It's not something you brag over the web and expect pact on the back.

    It's just bad taste to hear this guy describe how he beat the system.

    Btw, at 140 you're barely in control of the vehicle, laws of physics take over.
     
  2. CornersWell

    CornersWell F1 Rookie

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    Glassman,

    Montana was an interesting experiment, and I applaud your State legislators for having the gumption to try such a thing. Interesting twist, though, as you described the law (relative to the difference between in-stater v. out-of-stater). That was kind of a silly rule. I understood that the issue was with knucklehead drivers who showed up with the hottest car they could find and proceeded to drive it right off the road. Darwinism at work, I guess. I guess there were at least two problems at work here.

    First, you can't prevent Darwinism from doing it's thing (and this is important).

    And, Second, there is a mentality issue about things that were once illegal but are legalized. Kind of a feast or famine attitude. For example, the first thing an average 21-year-old does is goes out and has a few drinks legally. But, exactly how much do they know about drinking and their tolerances? Probably not much (ok, for the sake of this post, assume that there are no underage drinkers). So, they go a little wild and have a little too much, maybe.

    Now, contrast that with the European mentality about alcohol. For example, I was raised in a European household where there was always a bottle of wine on the table for dinner. There were beers in the fridge and there was a fully stocked bar at my discretion. All of this while I was growing up. I just viewed alcohol as something that was natural and a part of your daily lifestyle. It was not something that was abused, and if I wanted some, I was allowed to help myself. My parents were there, so there was always some sort of adult supervision, and if I had a little too much to drink, they'd step in. As a consequence, I learned that it wasn't evil or taboo, and when I finally reached drinking age, I didn't see what all the fuss was about.

    It's the same with nudity and driving fast. It's our American attitude of excess that gets us in trouble. We instantly put our judgment on pause as soon as we can. It's very frustrating to be treated like a child by our government and courts. Yes, some deserve to be treated as such, but just because I choose to drive fast doesn't mean I have bad judgment. There certainly are those who do dumb things.

    Moreover, and if this is really going to work here in the US, a high-speed interstate speed limit would require a total re-design of the licensing process, law enforcement and the insurance industries, which is completely unlikely. We need to TRAIN drivers, and we need to ensure that their equipment is up to par. This requires even more expenditures of our tax dollars. And, the States are very unlikely to want to voluntraily give up a cash cow. The insurance companies will fight to the death to prevent this, too. After all, what ever will they do if they can't adjust the premium on those with nice cars who regularly drive at speeds 10-15mph over the speed limit?

    Unfortunately, it will take a very strong lobbying effort to change the speed policies and enforcement in this Country. And, this will be against the vocal, sensationalistic, and emotional argument of "Speed kills." I can't think of many politicians who would be willing to take on the various political interest groups that would scream bloody murder. Maybe our best chance is if the petroleum companies sponsor the bill, as we all know that driving fast consumes more fuel, right?

    This thread may admittedly have gotten a bit off topic, and for that I apologize. If it gets moved to the political section, so be it. I still say it's absurd to lock someone up for driving fast. Especially where there is no harm done.

    CW
     
  3. Artvonne

    Artvonne F1 Veteran

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    I often wonder, looking at todays scaredy cat and sue happy society, how we ever got out of the cave. And then whats the point? Is this Ferrarichat, or Simcachat? Wanna know the truth? I could go over to the airport, climb into a turbocharged Mooney, and fly along down ANY empty road as fast as the plane would fly, right up to 250 knots (a mooney wouldnt go that fast at low altitude), and as long as I stayed 500 feet away from any structure or human, would basically be entirely legal. And you know what else? They cant lock up everyone. Laws only work as long as the population excepts them. If every car owner showed up in VA. and did 110 down open roads until they got arrested, how many could they put away for a year? My bet is it wouldnt go very far. As long as your not hurting anyone its simply speeding. And as far as 140 being out of control, you probably wouldnt have wanted to ride along with Fangio back in the 1940's or 50's. I would have though.
     
  4. Nick85

    Nick85 Karting

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    Is english a second language for you? I'm not trying to be a smartass but everytime you reply to someone you seem to have mis-interpreted the tone. When did I say I beat the system? The system beat me! I went to jail remember? What else do you want from me? I'm not slowing down.


    btw Paul Colberg....awesome post!
     
  5. junkreader

    junkreader Rookie

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    Yeah right...

    well well, you're a big boy now...NOT...
    pray you don't find me on your way, speeding...
     
  6. Nick85

    Nick85 Karting

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    no no...you're the big boy now. Very tough response.


    Are you a cop? So intimidating....
     
  7. junkreader

    junkreader Rookie

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    Yeah right...
    if I were a cop, you'd be easy to trace, and there would already have been charges against you....
    next time in court you wouldn't get of so easy...this was just to let you know how it could be in jail, for a longer period, amongst real criminals...they would be happy to have another fresh pet ...

    are you that easy intimidated??? thats why you have to prove yourself by driving fast...looks cool, I'm a rebel, I'm a patriot, I do what I want, when I want it, and let anybody try to stop me...that's tough....

    you'd better learn a little respect for other people, instead of being so selfish and call it freedom...what a misuse of the words of the first patriots of america...shame on you...
     
  8. Nick85

    Nick85 Karting

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    140mph...was this in Texas? What was the max you were facing?
     
  9. DGS

    DGS Seven Time F1 World Champ Rossa Subscribed

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    Oh lordy: you're not one of those self-appointed kamekazi hall monitors that swerves into the path of anyone travelling faster than the rest of the sheep, are you?

    I've never understood people who would rather die than see anyone else living large.

    You might not agree with what he's doing. But would you want to cause a wreck to prove he's out of control?
    Or are people who do that really counting on his actually being in control, and just hate to see someone who isn't being just like everyone else?

    There's a difference between "egalitarianism" and "hiding in the middle of the herd".

    I've been passed by people going faster than I thought they should be doing. I get out of their way.
    Once in a while, I find them further down the road in a ditch.
    But usually I don't .... so they weren't as bad as they looked.
     
  10. junkreader

    junkreader Rookie

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    Yeah right...
    please, leave religions beside...

    I was just trying to get trough his thick scull and get his tiny brain working...I've never been or wanted te be a cop, nore ever did anything that stupid as you discribe...

    but I do have seen speeders kill a friend ...and if i had a chance to get to those bast*rds at that time, I would have killed them...so please don't tell me how to react to assh*les like that...they lack all respect to life, and don't deserve anything like back-up from some "freedom-fighters"
     
  11. Nick85

    Nick85 Karting

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    Tell your friends to stop playing in the street :)
     
  12. Ricard

    Ricard Formula Junior

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    Couldn't agree more, dangerous drivers should be prosecuted with the full weight of the law. Even if they havn't caused any harm "this time", they should be forced to receive training and not be allowed to drive again until their skills/attitude have been developed sufficiently to make them safe drivers.

    However I fail to see what this has to do with exceeding some arbritrary speed limit imposed by people who are frequently not qualified to have an opinion. Simply exceeding a speed limit is not dangerous unless the drivers lack of skill/perception, vehicle, the road or weather conditions cause it to become dangerous, and even then exceeding this limit becomes dangerous driving rather than simply "speeding".
     
  13. junkreader

    junkreader Rookie

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    Yeah right...
    pretty sad answer...he's dead...he was 18...he was crossing the street and had green light, those speeders had red but couldn't stop because they were having a race and going too fast...

    you can be proud to be one of them...big boy.
     
  14. DGS

    DGS Seven Time F1 World Champ Rossa Subscribed

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    I was responding to your reference to prayer. Or did you mean "prey you don't find me ..." ;)

    Okay, that one I have to take exception to. 140 can only be safe if you know that nothing is going to come out of a blind spot inside your reaction distance (limited access). For that matter, you should be aware of your reaction distance at 14 mph, as well.

    You should already be aware that in Arlington county, "go play in traffic" isn't just a figure of speach anymore: it's a way of life.

    Pedestrians worry me in liberal towns: towns that have decided to repeal the law of intertia tend to result in pedestrians blindly walking directly out into traffic without looking. The law may give them right of way, but when two tons of metal meet 180lb of flesh and bone, the law isn't much comfort. Doesn't anyone know what a crosswalk is, anymore?

    But street racers hitting a pedestrian in a crosswalk should be harshly punished -- leaving speed to the driver's judgement doesn't eliminate the responsibilty to keep control.

    However: a couple of months back, I was stuck at a red light in Alexandria by a driver who slowed down, waited for the light to turn red, and then ran it.

    He almost clipped two pedestrians in the crosswalk.

    The Alexandria cop stopped at the light in the other direction did nothing, despite the protests and gestures of the pedestrians.

    After all, he wasn't speeding. :rolleyes:
     
  15. wetpet

    wetpet F1 World Champ BANNED

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    another ferrari owner for speeding! did over 100 3 times on sunday. on a surface road. didn't cause any trouble and loved every minute of it. don't think i should be in jail today either. sorry to hear about your freind being killed by a car.I had a freind get run over and killed a few weeks ago in front of his house on a residential street. i have to say though, i feel confident i will never be run over by a car. even if i have the walk signal.
     
  16. ArtS

    ArtS F1 World Champ Owner Silver Subscribed

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    Asianbond,

    I was impressed with Nick85's tone at the beginning of the thread, I am less impressed now.

    However, my argument that the situation is defined by the circumstances remains. If the run was done on a known, open stretch of road, with no other traffic in a car designed specifically for this kind of speed (remember, a modern Ferrari isn't designed for drag racing like a Mustang is, but rather its chassis configuration and aerodynamics give it good stability and control at high speed). With a competent driver it is not inherently reckless.

    Nick85's initial comments led me to believe that this was was the case. I've made some high speed runs on open roads and I was thinking his approach was similar to mine. His more recent comments have left me wondering.

    Regards,

    Art S.
     
  17. Nick85

    Nick85 Karting

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    Well I apoligize for my change in tone but as soon as the internet tough guys showed up I had to laugh a little.
     
  18. whart

    whart F1 Veteran Honorary Rossa Subscribed

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    Passions are running quite high on this thread- obviously, this issue has alot of meaning for people here. A few observations:

    our society has indeed changed- what used to be written off as harmless 'fun' is now a criminal offense. Consider the issue of driving while intoxicated. Thirty or more years ago, driving after having had a few drinks was tolerated- if someone could control their vehicle, and had done no other wrong, they were just as often sent home to sleep it off. Today, based on blood/alcohol measurements taken in the field, one can suffer serious criminal penalties, an immediate suspension of license, get overnight jail time until bailed out, etc. for violating the rule of the law.

    In large, most people would probably agree that this is good thing- sensitivity to drunk driving, the unnecessary death and injury it has caused, and the selfishness of the drivers- many of whom are repeat offenders, who keep driving drunk behind the wheel until they do kill somebody- makes most of us recognize that these laws are a good thing. I suppose that this kind of enforcement catches up some who are not really drunk, or habitual offenders, but on balance, it is a risk we generally accept given the greater good that comes from it.

    I drove in the sixties here in the States, when cars were far fewer, and yes, they were bigger, heavier, less wieldy and far more deadly in a crash at any speed. Given the sheer number of people on the road today, and the fact that it takes less skill to drive a modern car than one of those humongous iron boxes of old, there is good reason to be concerned about high speed, at least on crowded highways- where the majority of people are driving almost mindlessly, in packs.
    I think drivers today are less involved in driving, generally, between all the electronic distractions, and the cocooning effect of modern vehicles, they are not really plugged into the driving- we are at a stage where I think most people would probably prefer an autopilot driving experience, freeing them up to do other things in the vehicle while they are commuting or travelling. (Obviously, I'm not talking about people out for the enjoyment of the drive, but look at the majority of folks around you on the daily commute- they are not behind the wheel because they are having 'fun.')

    In today's society, the highways have become a protectorate for the dumb, the distracted, the average driver. Go back to the opening of the Pennsylvania Turnpike, one of the first highspeed roads in this country- there was no speed limit. But, there were far fewer cars, those cars were not nearly as capable, and driving, in those days, still required some skill and assumed attention on the part of the driver, who was responsible for his deeds. (And, yes, I'd bet that the majority of drivers were male in the hoary old days- not to slight female drivers, but driving was not something that everybody did in those days, even as late as the sixties).

    And yes, the law enforcement effort is clearly focused on revenue collection- 'catching' offenders for the sake of the money it brings.

    Put this together- our society is intolerant of behavior on the roads which puts others at risk, the penalties are now large, and law enforcement is focused on it particularly because of the revenue aspect to driving infractions.

    Which brings me back to the question I raised pages ago in this thread- those of us who own and drive supercars on public roads- what is our rule of thumb? Do we take the risk of a jail sentence simply by letting the car do a fraction of what it is capable of, in circumstances - a clear, open road with no others visible- where we are not likely putting anybody else at risk? It is a game of roulette.
     
  19. junkreader

    junkreader Rookie

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    Yeah right...
    internet tough guys...we'll meet some day...start crying...
    you are a sad person, driving without license and speeding at the same time...(that the charge of driving without license is dropped doesn't mean you didn't drive without it ässhole)
    above all..laughing at the death of somebody been killed by a speeder like yourself...pretty sad imo...

    and all people with at least a healthy dose of IQ wil see it this way.

    Period!
     
  20. Texas Forever

    Texas Forever Eight Time F1 World Champ BANNED Rossa Subscribed

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    Bill, I used to think that than answer was a GT car for the street. You know, just crusing down the road. Then I realized that merely rowing the gears on a Maranello will put you over a 100 before you shift into fourth.

    To give another example, I recently brought a C55 because I have a back road commute that I have to do a couple a days a week. While the car has reaffirmed my faith in AMG, it does like to run.

    So what's the answer?

    My guess is to take it to the track for the fast stuff and buy a vintage car for the street. When you get an old Ferrari or Porsche up to 100, there is no doubt that you're going fast.

    Dale
     
  21. GrigioGuy

    GrigioGuy Splenda Daddy Lifetime Rossa Owner

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    Whoever you are, you're obviously familiar with Fchat -- so you know the rules. No threats. Come back in a week, or go find yet another proxy to bounce through and we'll play whack-a-mole
     
  22. wetpet

    wetpet F1 World Champ BANNED

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    i have a healthy dose of iq and i disagree with most of what you say. and the way you say it.
     
  23. wetpet

    wetpet F1 World Champ BANNED

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    i don't say this to dis you, only to refute your main point. looking at your profile list, i don't see any supercars. of the ones you own/have owned i can say that i do much more than a fraction of what their capable of, frequently. i don't consider it roulette. much more like calculated risk. if i drove supercars, i imagine most here don't, i would probably agree with you. but you can get close to max on most of the cars we drive here on public roads.
     
  24. whart

    whart F1 Veteran Honorary Rossa Subscribed

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    Without quarreling about my use of the term 'supercar' for the moment, are you suggesting that you can wring out a GT2, or even a Maranello for that matter, on public roads, with impunity?
     
  25. CornersWell

    CornersWell F1 Rookie

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    Bill,

    You are exactly right. Driving a supercar, exotic or other high end vehicle at even 50% of it's capabilities is enough to land you in the klink. And, let's look at the "pile on" attitude of the Courts, DMVs and Insurance companies. The Courts fine and imprison you and suspend your license. The DMV counts points against your license (isn't this double dipping, already?). Then, the insurance companies start in on you. Let's not even get into the legal fees. And, if you lose your license for 6 or 12 months, what about all the wasted payments on cars and insurance? And, then, once you've "paid your debt to society", if you're unlucky enough to get pinched again, everyone treats you as a repeat offender (in particular, I struggle with this notion) and goes harsher on you. So, you pay yet again. Amusingly, of course, the Courts say that they have no control over the DMV and vice versa. The insurance companies, despite regulation, do what they want with sophisticated risk management software. Oh, and if you're ever convicted of a reckless speeding ticket, some employers might be unwilling to hire you if you will be driving one of their vehicles. The penalties just don't fit the "crime", so to speak.

    So, how do we change this?

    CW
     

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