I Was Going How Fast?

[smokeytheclown]

I was recently pulled over in Florida by a state trooper for speeding. I was doing 64 mph in a 55 zone. This I readily admit. However, when the trooper who passed me going the opposite direction turned around, turned on his damn christmas tree show, and approached me, he said he clocked me at 75 miles an hour.
I know how fast I was going. I know the law. But I also know my speedometer isn't fucking broken.
I told the speed cop that my speedometer registered 64 mph. After a bit of " consideration " on his part, he decided to accept that declaration, and he gave me a ticket for $111.00 instead of $250+, which is what it would have been if he had pressed the 75 mph bullshit.

I have had one other speeding ticket in my life, in 1984. My Toyota Corolla is less than 5 years old, and I believe it when it gives me necessary mechanical information. Was this cop deliberately jacking up the actual speed to find out if I woud tell the truth, or was he just being an intimidating asshole?

Smokey, the Scourge of Hwy. 331

[Sapphire]

TOTAL CRAP !

I had that once too. I think they LIKE jacking up the speed to see if you have the balls to argue.

[K1024]

i had a friend that got pulled over for speeding...cop said he was going 90 on the highway

funny thing, his truck only goes to 75.


yeah cops are jackasses Edited May 7, 2009 by K1024

[Voski]

Most people say I don't know how fast I was going so they try to screw you over. That is really cheap though compared to California.

[Vampy6997]

I had a cop tell a guy I was seeing that he was going 99 mph on cali mountain passes in a toyota 93. um...my toyota went up to 110 on straight aways, but turns on that mountain pass (in the fog) would've equaled us in the ditch well before the cop pulled us over. :-p

The cop messed up though putting his name for my insurance, and his name for my car, so when my bf went to court, it was dismissed for being filled out improperly. lol...

[RingsMaster]

they do jack up the speed when you argue with them, which they love lol, you can usualy get it down from what you were actually doing, ive gotten several tickets knocked down 5-10 mph just by arguing.

[Tom1]

Only time I've been pulled over was 80 in a 55 while passing, state trooper said he clocked me at 70. No ticket.

[fineout]

ive gotten probably 6 tickets in my life, only one of them actually counted to my driving record. The cops in my town always act like since i was speeding i just slapped their mother...although i did almost make one cop crash chasing me (55 in a 25, evading police, running stop sign was the ticket i almost ended up with). alas i didnt pay that either, gotta love being friends with the prosecutor in your town.

[smokeytheclown]

they do jack up the speed when you argue with them, which they love lol, you can usualy get it down from what you were actually doing, ive gotten several tickets knocked down 5-10 mph just by arguing.

The thing is, the first words out of his mouth was that he clocked me at 75 mph. I said nothing until that little faux pa. I'm willing to admit my disobediance (sp) but I was worried that somehow my speedometer was hopelessly fucked up. I told him politely that I saw 64 mph on my instrument panel. What the fuck does he think gives him the right to bend the shit outta the truth when he has his frakking radar emitting sex toy to back him up if should I question its validity?

I admitted to him I was speeding. Nine mph over the speed limit. I'm just pissed that a TRUSTED OFFICER OF THE LAW has the authority to willfully play God with my wallet.

We were alone at the time of the incident. What if he had said, " I clocked you at 100 mph, you're going to jail! " In front of a judge, who would they believe?

[AKammenzind]

TRUSTED OFFICER OF THE LAW

Trusted?

I trust just about anyone I meet more than the police.

[Vladimir]

Possibly visually estimated your speed at 75mph.

I find it funny that people are bitching when you got the ticket you deserved and nothing was inflated.

[Bye bye now have fun]

dont officers have to be stopped for them to shoot radar? also you should have asked him for the proof that his gun was calibrated before he started using it. most of the time they will let you off because they dont have it

[RingsMaster]

it is no longer to protect and serve, its to ticket and harass

[Scoop]

should have asked him to show you the reading.

if they clock you, it stays on the gun and can be used for proof. no proof = bullshit.

they ask "do you know how fast you were going" because that way, without proof, you incriminate yourself.

I never argue with the cops, I'm very polite and honest... Last time I got pulled over, cop said I was doing 50 in a 25 zone. Said he clocked me, I asked for proof, after his dodging the question for a while he let me go.

[Vladimir]

State laws may vary but generally...

Cops can ticket you on visual estimate of speed.

Cops can radar you while moving, its a device called moving radar and it includes variables like the radars speed.

I have never heard of cops having to prove to you that their radar is calibrated on the spot. Instead in court it can be contested, in which case it is pretty hard to get at these days. There used to be easy loopholes thanks to new technology, but as it becomes mainstream this becomes less and less of a reality.

[Scoop]

you were right vlad.

for some reason i thought they did (and the cop that pulled me never discussed that with me).

but i read that :

You can ask during discovery phase in court the make and model of the radar and its serial number and the date when was the last calibration completed and the serial number of the calibrating unit.

[Vladimir]

My dad's a cop, I'm no expert but for 22 years I have witnessed the inner workings of police work so I know some of my stuff .

[Bye bye now have fun]

Cops can ticket you on visual estimate of speed.

they might as well let hear-say evidence in courts then

[Charley]

I don't know if he was joking or not but one of our state troopers told me once they get a % of the cash for the tickets they write. I do not know if he was just referring to seat belt violations or any ticket or like I said just joking. he did however say it like he was serious,and he did not seem like the type to tell a joke.

[Vladimir]

I don't know if he was joking or not but one of our state troopers told me once they get a % of the cash for the tickets they write. I do not know if he was just referring to seat belt violations or any ticket or like I said just joking. he did however say it like he was serious,and he did not seem like the type to tell a joke.

Joking. There are occasionally incentives for enforcement emphasis details, like when they haul out the signs and say "Saturday will be seatbelt enforcement day" kind of thing. But these are always strictly informal. May vary by state of course.

[Bye bye now have fun]

they could have quotas, it always seems like the last weekend of the month here cops are swarming around town

[Vladimir]

they could have quotas, it always seems like the last weekend of the month here cops are swarming around town

There are no real quotas, I believe this is mandated by Federal Law. There are "unofficial quotas", for example my dad needs to write around 13 tickets a day. To put that in perspective, he once wrote over 100 in seven hours.

[Bye bye now have fun]

they could have quotas, it always seems like the last weekend of the month here cops are swarming around town

There are no real quotas, I believe this is mandated by Federal Law. There are "unofficial quotas", for example my dad needs to write around 13 tickets a day. To put that in perspective, he once wrote over 100 in seven hours.

and you are proud of this why?

[Vladimir]

they could have quotas, it always seems like the last weekend of the month here cops are swarming around town

There are no real quotas, I believe this is mandated by Federal Law. There are "unofficial quotas", for example my dad needs to write around 13 tickets a day. To put that in perspective, he once wrote over 100 in seven hours.

and you are proud of this why?

I never said I was proud of it, I said it to put that "unofficial quota" of 13 in perspective because I figured you were going to bash how cops will just make things up to come after people for you to get there tickets in, but its possible to get 10 times that in legitimate tickets so 13 is nothing.

EDIT: Oh and yes, I am proud of my dad who puts his life on the line every day, and works harder than most people could even dream of working. Edited May 8, 2009 by Vladimir

[Bye bye now have fun]

i put my life on the line every day when i get on the bus to go to campus. i could get the swine flu!