You really are so lucky to be able and enjoy your cars for what they were meant "going fast." I still have a hard time with the fact that I got busted going 80mph in a 65mph zone. We all know that a Ferrari 355 going 80 in a 65 is not unsafe probably have better control than half the cars going 65mph. Anyway I have no defense for the fact since indeed I was technically speeding. I think I am going to go to Open Track day next week at the Miller Motorsports Park and do a little legal speeding.
When you were an officer would you write someone a ticket for going 80 in a 65 if they were in a Ferrari on the interstate and light traffic? I understand the law but I don't think I could be that kind of officer. Clearly some tickets are clearly only to generate revenue. Is it alright to jack my own thread?
Honestly Erick, I only wrote tickets to people who were being dangerous on the road, actually passed my cruiser, or insisted on giving me a hard time. There is no downside to being polite and courteous during a traffic stop. That applies to both the officer and the motorist. Unfortunately, there are agencies out there that measure an officer's productivity by the number of citations he/she writes. Luckily, I never worked for anyone like that. Eighty in a sixty-five zone is a judgement call, but most of our roadways were made to handle the faster speed, so the only mitigating factor for me would have been surrounding traffic or weather conditions that may have deemed it unsafe. At the risk of hijacking this thread yet a third time (with permission from you), I'll let you in on a little secret. The citation you may get during a traffic stop is secondary to the main reason for the stop. Our ultimate goal is to see who and what is in the car that may yield a greater reward. Working near main thruways or freeways is always like a fishing expedition. I can't tell you the number of great drug, robbery, or even homicide cases that have been cracked by making a stop for a loose license plate or a taillight out. Anyone remember Timothy McVeigh? OK, I guess I really went around the bend on that last entry, but thought you might like to know what our mindset is from behind those tinted aviator glasses. Safe travels... Henry
Henry I appreciate your honestly. It had probably been a while since the LEO stopped someone in a yellow Ferrari so it was the highlight of his slow day. It always surprises me how many people running drugs get pulled over for something stupid like speeding or busted taillight and surprise carrying 20lbs of blow. If your running drugs people slow down and inspect your car.
Hear hear! I fight them all unless there is absolutely no way to win. That was once. Believe it or not, but the traffic court system is actually stacked in your favor. My unofficial survey showed 2 out 3 cases that go to the judge get dismissed. It's a good thing everyone doesn't know this!
I just noticed I screwed up the title of this thread. Was suppossed to be " got caught speeding today." Just wasn't a good day for me.
