Didn't go a single week....

[TurboDuane]

...before I got a blasted ticket in a school zone , a full two blocks from my house:o:. My street pours into a school zone, but I can't see the zone signs from my street. Anyway went down a block, noticed the flashing light, slowed down, but it was too late . The :pig: got me doing 33 in a 20 school zone. I'm so PO'd, as there was NO ONE on the street, It was almost 9AM and the schools were all in session at 8:45, so there was no crossing guard, and no students in sight, no cars going 20 to tip me off, nothing.

Oh yea, I had a flat tire when I went to leave the house this morning as well.

I should have stayed in bed.

I know there are come of you PD or ex-PD guys here and I don't mean to offend you, but I've got to be honest. Except for on TV, I've never seen an officer do anything but right tickets. Nothing ever gets recovered when its stolen, I rarely here of theives getting busted, when I've called them for help it's never there. I really see today's PD's as being little trols out collecting money on the streets, from otherwise law abiding citizens.

[RX7-2nr]

a friend of mine had just gotten a new SE-R Spec V, he got it at around 7pm the day before. it was around 4pm and he got a ticket doing low 30s in a school zone. he hadnt even had the car a full 24hrs. LOL.

[Billy Blaze]

I will second that, I even had one handcuff me and beat the crap out of me once(before Rodney King) for something I didnt do.
I have never gotten anything out of my tax dollars except for a wanna be Barney Fife with a chip on his shoulder, remember there is a very fine line between cops and crooks (someone very wise told me that a long time ago, and it has proven to be true).
Sorry to hear about your run in, I was also pulled over on the 4th of July for changing lanes 100Ft from an intersection, again there was just me and the cop on the road and I used my turn signals and was not speeding.
Funny thing is I knew he was going to pull me over regardless, it cost me $275. to keep it off my driving record.
At least my insurance wont go up for the ticket though.

[Kestrel]

All those on this Forum who don't know that cops are extra tough on speeders in school zones, please go directly to Drivers Education.

Turbo, you were going over 50% higher than the speed limit in an area (only two blocks from your house) that you are very familiar with, in a zone that everyone in the known world knows the police are particularly unforgiving in. I don't understand why you are surprised and PO'd about the result. The policeman (or :pig: as you so colorfully put it) could have let you off, but was under no obligation to.

If this was a "D'oh, I did a dumb thing, and now I gotta pay for my stupid mistake" thread, I'd be sympathetic. But it appears to be one of those "It wasn't my fault, and look how stoopid the other guy was" cop-bashing threads that I have little patience for. I see this one heading for the Locker real soon... ??:

[onething]

When's the last time you encountered a really happy and polite garbage collector?

I've known some really stupid people in law enforcement. I've also known some really good people in law enforcement. Unfortunately, most of the good people eventually get messed up by dealing with really bad people. They have the worst job I can imagine and most are never given the tools to deal with getting all day long.

Genuine courtesy seems to go a long way with all of them. Guilty or not, every time I've been stopped, I've tried to remember that. Every ticket I've been given covered 10 others I should have gotten.

IIRC, in most states, speeding in a school zone is considered not just speeding, but Wreckless Driving, and it can cost you the privilege of driving. Remember, the kid who is running late is the kid most likely not to look both ways before running across the street or not using the pedestrian crosswalk.

I used to teach those classes that cleaned offenders' driving records. My favorite excuse for 'why I was speeding' was 'I was in a hurry'. My favorite reply was, "After the officer gave you the ticket, how much later were you?"

You can choose your actions, or you can choose the consequences.




My company's new safety slogan is

STUPID
HURTS

[Dave04]

I have to agree with Onething on this one...

I got a speeding in a school zone (recently)... While being polite didn't get me out of the offense (hey... I WAS guilty after all), he was very cool and carefully walked me through all the needed steps to have the ticket dismissed through defensive driving.

I personally think that being polite back to the guy made him not notice that I didn't have a front plate.

Remember, I was once married to a lady police officer and I got to hear her side of things quite often.

My advice, give 'em a brake and be polite.

[riverracer]

I also agree with one thing....just slow down....and be polite

[blackzx3_13]

I have been pulled over 8 times in my few years of driving. One time I was on my way to a race, and I told the cop that. The only ticket I have ever recieved is one for my sticker being out of date, and it got dismissed. All I had to pay was a $10 court fee. I have found if you are perfectly honest with the policeman, you will stay on thier good side. 8 times and no tickets, all for being honest.

[Treibenschnell]

I was once married to a lady police officer...

[Way Off Topic ON]

There's a joke here somewhere about Dave04 and handcuffs.... but I'm not going there right now.

[Way Off Topic OFF]

[Billy Blaze]

Blackzx, where do you live?
in my neck of the woods court fee's have went up by $165.00 and you can be nice all day long it aint getting you out of a ticket.
LOL
Before everyone freaks out!, I know court fee's are not the same across the board, in some towns the fee's are higher = crooked elected officials...who empower crooked apointed Judges who set fines.... but that can be fixed, and I plan to cast my vote next election for anyone but who is in office now.

Rant off

either way you can take defensive driving OR take differed adjudication probation to keep it off your insurance.

[blackzx3_13]

Whitesboro, Texas 3,000 people. It's inbetween Sherman and Gainesville

[Dave04]

[Way Off Topic ON]

There's a joke here somewhere about Dave04 and handcuffs.... but I'm not going there right now.

[Way Off Topic OFF]

You, sir, are too kind...

[riverracer]

[Way Off Topic ON]

There's a joke here somewhere about Dave04 and handcuffs.... but I'm not going there right now.

[Way Off Topic OFF]

I don't know Dave so I won't make a joke....I'll just post this pic!

[icepenguin66]

You're right, Police don't do anything but write tickets. All they are is another source of revenue for the city, otherwise Dallas would not have made #1 in crime in the Nation for the 7th straight year!

Last time I got a ticket was around the corner from my house for inspection and swerving around a broken sprinkler head. As soon as he let me go, I came around the corner and scared off 3 cars full of kids that vandalized 3 neighbors' houses.

Between my friend owning a small business and catching people in my car, we have put probably 20 people in jail and the Police did nothing except taxi them to jail. That is all they do most of the time, someone else has to do all the hard work and then they call the Police to pick up the trash.

I've had around 15 tickets dismissed and only 3 on the record. Kind of funny how I went 5 years with no tickets and then within 7 months after buying a sports car I get 3.

[icepenguin66]

I will second that, I even had one handcuff me and beat the crap out of me once(before Rodney King) for something I didnt do.
I have never gotten anything out of my tax dollars except for a wanna be Barney Fife with a chip on his shoulder, remember there is a very fine line between cops and crooks

Don't even get me started on that! lol I'm a gun collector and been harassed and handcuffed a dozen times only to be released after 2 hours of nonsense when a supervisor is called out to tell them they are wrong and I am right! I had one female cop in Carrolton tell me that she didn't know that law and it wasn't her job to know them all! :mad:

[TurboDuane]

Turbo, you were going over 50% higher

% your talking %. Then why do they even bother pulling you over for 71mph in a 65, that’s only 9% over the speeded limit. Give me a break

than the speed limit in an area (only two blocks from your house) that you are very familiar with, in a zone that everyone in the known world knows the police are particularly unforgiving in. I don't understand why you are surprised and PO'd about the result.

While you are of course entitle to your opinion. Let me rephrase this. A full two hours prior to the incident, I took my own son to school, because the H/S starts at 7am. I went and worked out, then went home and showered and left my house at 8:45 am for work. I went half way down my street, only to have to return to my house to put air in my completely FLAT tire. I then left my house and drove to the end of my street which spills right into the middle of the school zone, were no FLASHING signs are visible. It is now right at 9:AM. Crossing guard that is always present at the end of my street is gone, no cars on the road, no pedestrians in sight! In this case it is ridiculous that he stopped me at all as I only went a block and a half when I saw the lights still flashing, where I promptly slowed to 20mph. I didn't see the :pig: until he pulled me over several blocks later.

The policeman could have let you off, but was under no obligation to.


If this was a "D'oh, I did a dumb thing, and now I gotta pay for my stupid mistake" thread, I'd be sympathetic. But it appears to be one of those "It wasn't my fault, and look how stoopid the other guy was" cop-bashing threads that I have little patience for. I see this one heading for the Locker real soon... ??:

You see it your way, I'll see it mine. BTW, at the risk of losing and it going on my record, I will be taking this to court, so we will see how it results. This is not a "protect and serve" case. This is nothing more than highway robbery!

If I was a irresponsible driver then I wouldn't be 10+ years without a "speeding" ticket. And while I respect your opinion, I must say that your "holier than thou" attitude a put off.

As for my opinion on the PD's of this country; I've needed help on several occasions, one of which was when my office was robbed, and have never got squat, nor an even half-hearted attempt; yet the very next day I see a speed trap, utilizing 10 cops, right in front of my business. It's easy to see why they don't have time to investigate any REAL crimes. I find it very offensive when PD's ask for more money to hire more officers, to fight crime, when all they do is hire more highway robbers.

Of couse I could just adopt your attitude and just pay and accept what I find an injustice. I’m sure many did just that in Germany in WWII. However, if your position were to be the popular opinion in 1945 then I suppose we wouldn't have prosecuted the Gestapo officers for what they did. After all, they were all following orders by their government and their lawmakers. ...Where do we draw the line at just accepting the crap that our officials throw at us?

Oh, and while I wasn't rude to the officer, I only answered his questions with short and precise answers. I'll be damned if I'll sweet to a guy reaching into my pockets for $200!

[Billy Blaze]

Turbo Duane you have just earned my respect, it's refreshing to see that I am not the only one that can tell something is a miss with not just this situation but a lot of things.
I wont go there, but I applaud you for standing up for what you believe is right.

[ccage]

Of couse I could just adopt your attitude and just pay and accept what I find an injustice. I’m sure many did just that in Germany in WWII. However, if your position were to be the popular opinion in 1945 then I suppose we wouldn't have prosecuted the Gestapo officers for what they did. After all, they were all following orders by their government and their lawmakers. ...Where do we draw the line at just accepting the crap that our officials throw at us?

Did you really just compare you getting a speeding ticket for speeding to the holocaust?

Wow.

Chuck

[icepenguin66]

Did you really just compare you getting a speeding ticket for speeding to the holocaust?

Wow.

Chuck

Tyranny, oppression, prejudice, and abuse of power no matter how large or small in scale are still tyranny, oppression, prejudice, and abuse of power.

Yes, his comparison may be a bit of an overstatement but not irrational; although traffic police operate very similarly to the Gestapo, especially the infamous Dallas police and their never-ending scandals.

[altiain]

While I wouldn't go so far as to compare revenue generation with the holocaust, I do understand your frustration. To hear DART complain that they can't afford to provide better security at their light rail stations (where a friend of mine was recently brutally assaulted) while I pass at least half a dozen motorcycle cops giving out HOV lane citations every day on 635 makes me want to vomit. And don't even get me started on the "efficiency" of dedicated HOV lanes...

Anyway, back on topic. I probably pay more in "voluntary velocity taxes" than most on this board, but the one place I don't speed is school zones. Yeah, even at 9:30 when I already know the kids are in class. If the light is on, I'm slowin' down.