Highway Trooper got me doing 88 in a 65 early this morning

[MoneyJohn]

I also agree with the low speed limits. On long island we have the Long Island Expressway. The speed limit is 55, but everyone is going 65-70. Its a 3 lane highway so I always stay in the middle and make sure I'm not the fastest car.

On a lucky day, 70mph will cut it but on HOV lane, you go 70mph and beemers, audis and similar will stay close to kiss your rear end. Many overtake you on the entrance ramps. It is remarkably frustrating to drive on LIE. I try to avoid it like plague but the alternatives aren't that great either.

When I lived in Sweden, you don't see traffic patrol at all. All you see are cameras by the roadside, literally anywhere on the road. They are kind enough to warn you before the light so you have an option to slow down. If you don't, you get the ticket at home, no court, no discussion. You sped, so pay the ticket. But also, passing a driving test is not as easy as in the US.
AFAIK, the same is Finland. The fine calculation is automatic, like Sweden, but the fine calculation formula is different.

 

[BISCUT]

I'm not even sure why there's an LEO involved.

Put up a camera, mail a fine. Base the fine on the difference between the speed limit, the speed recorded, and the speeder's income level.

Simple and inexpensive to employ.

Sure, Gov't is efficient and gets the job done correctly.....some of the time. Time and time again these cameras systems have proven to end up corrupted. Often percentages of false positives "grow" with each year of implementation as the scrutiny lessens by watchdogs. Not coincidental. Won't comment on the ending as it would end up political.

 

[dlundblad]

20 over here gets you that online defensive driving course.

Can you get your insurance info on your phone? I’m assuming that’d be good enough. I’ve never heard of them asking for insurance here though unless there was an accident.

 

[aquariuscsm]

Waze seems less useful now that you can’t report a police sighting while moving, and I’m not going to pull over to report every time I see one, or never get to where I’m going!

I suspect that’s the reason they updated Waze’s behavior in the first place.

When you log in Waze,log in as "passenger".

 

[odotb]

These police guys and gals do this for a living. No sense in lying to them, telling the truth will usually get you a break.

 

[Donald]

Don't drive crazy and you will not get pulled over. Its that simple.

 

[supton]

All I can think when I see the thread title is, "he hit 88 miles per hour and nothing happened--what a let down". Whenever I hit this speed I always pause, just in case anything happens...

 

[Tdbo]

I was doing 88 miles per hour early this morning on the Turnpike in a 65 mph zone. I see the dreaded blue lights of an FHP Trooper and quickly pull over to the side of road a far as possible so he is not near the roadway exposed to passing traffic.

My insurance card and registration was old and didn’t have the newest paperwork (everything is valid and paid) so I’m thinking I will get 2 tickets. I apologized for speeding and he ran my license and gave me a warning.

He asked me why I’m speeding, I told him I’m headed 50 miles away and theres little traffic on the road. Luckily he gave me a warning and let me go. I was very surprised he didn’t give me a ticket.

I'd say Christmas came early for you this year.

 

[xBa380]

My one and only speeding ticket (in my 15 years of driving) was 34mph in 25mph zone... A street near my house that was ALWAYS 35mph (4-lane road, commercial) all my life, until they decided to make it a speed trap for that particular city. Now they just constantly pull people over because it's literally impossible to go 25mph without riding your brake the entire time (it's on a hill). Just horrible.

Perfectly clean record, pulled off the main street.... I was of course polite/friendly, but there was no leniency at all with that cop. $180 fine or so. I was 1mph away from having to go to court here for that... Oy.

The second time I was pulled over but no ticket, was literally up my street. Made the turn off the freeway and floored it a bit. Got me going 38mph in the 25mph zone, but thankfully I remembered by "Get out of jail card" given to me by my dad, who worked as a corrections officer for the city. Cleveland still honors those at the officers discretion, so when I gave that with my license/insurance, he immediately gave back and said slow down. Thankfully!

So yeah, plenty of speeding on the highways but I tend to get caught in the 25mph zones... ha

 

[Astro14]

Because it levels the playing field. A $250 fine isn't going to deter someone making $250,000/yr like it would someone making $25,000/yr.

But $2,500 might.

Or, it would cause the person at that income level to lawyer up and beat the ticket.

The fine is only the surface cost, there is three years’ worth of insurance premium increase after the conviction.

If I’m facing a $2,500 fine, you bet I’ll lawyer up. It will cost me a lot less than the ticket and save me the insurance increase.

Potential net result from that policy: the wealthy have a lower conviction rate for various traffic infractions.

 

[DwightFrye]

I was ticketed a year ago for 74 in a 55 zone. It was on a desert highway about 7:30 AM with no traffic. A CHP unit was hiding in the shade up ahead and had his radar gun on. I was new to the area and told the officer that I didn't realize that the speed limit was only 55. He said OK but I clocked you at 74 so you will be getting a ticket. It cost me over $400 in fines and online traffic school fees.
It is really difficult to only go 55 on that stretch of highway but I have seen the CHP set up radar on various stretches of it since receiving my ticket so I really keep a light foot on the pedal.

 

[CincyDavid]

When I lived in STL there were "traffic law" offices on every street corner. Let's say you got a speeding ticket with $100 fine. The attorney would charge a flat rate of say, $50 for his time with the court and the fine would magically double but it would become a loud muffler or some other non-points violation. Worked for everyone. Alas, doesn't work like that in OH.

 

[JustinH]

My junk cars don't feel safe over 80mph anyways.

 

[ARCOgraphite]

10 over here doesn't even get you stopped. 23 over gets you no slack at all.

It doesn't seem right that the LEO has that much discretion at his disposal because someone is polite. Caught is caught.

Catch and release.

 

[Kira]

SMALL JOKE HERE:
A poster above commenting on "photo evidence" said, "There was no doubt who was driving the truck in the photo."
What was he thinking of doing, reporting the truck stolen to beat a speeding ticket?
Me? I wear a fake beard and big, fuzzy eyebrow glasses so I can do just that.

ON HORSE MANURING A COP:
Years ago I figured any officer "has seen this before", so I am simply polite.

PERTINENT ANECDOTE:
3 days after registering a posh car (sister's hand me down) I noticed I may have been plummeting down a familiar mountain a tad fast. IndeedI was doing 80...ish.
I saw a state police car and INSTANTLY pulled over. So quickly in fact, the policeman didn't have length to make a long, lazy and safe U-turn.
He had to turn the wheel hard in order to get behind my stopped car.
After telling him the car was new (reg was dated and still on the master printer page) and that I'd like to keep my record clean he told me I pulled over so fast he couldn't "beam me". He added that if he ever saw me speeding again he'd write me one "by eye".

 

[ARCOgraphite]

23 over is a trip to the grey bar hotel here.

Really? Dopes. The highways are overburdened in the Boston area. The only way to give them capacity is to increase the speed limit and open the breakdown lanes. Guess which one is more dangerous? On Interstate -93 going South, if you aren't doing 85 or so in the left two lanes you are impeding traffic. I think Its posted ^% but I dont pay attention to that. The State Police appear allow this during rush hour.
Failure of State and Federal Govt to provide appropriate infrastructure or Mass Transportation like HS rail.

The public should not be punished for this failing. Plus this is 2020 not 1950. Speed limit should be 80 on interstates in the left two Thru Traffic lanes.

 

[Al]

Being polite and respectful will get you a reduced charge or no charge almost always. I was speeding and go "disobeying" a legal sign" Once the officer reduced my actual speed" Cops are human.

 

[ARCOgraphite]

Got pulled over by a State Cop in my Tomato red Yugo GV in the late 80's commuting to work. Late for a DEPT meeting. Was blasting down 495 -S in Haverhill, MA at about 75mph or so in the open left lane. Then I notice the cop in the middle lane. I had to take the next exit. Ward hill connector.

He followed me and hit the lights. I though I was toast. He walked up and lectured me for "embarrassing him" when he was trying to pace traffic.
Then he tells me he "doesn't care WHO I am." (!?) And to "get outta here!"

Now, I couldn't figure out that exchange, then I remembered I had 3 police booster decals on my DS vent window. I cut the "booster" part off the bottom and it just showed the Derry Police Dept.
Saved by the 25 dollar donation!

 

[THORROMIG]

You got a major break on that one. My Uncle Karl a retired Pennsylvania State Trooper told me years ago about going over the speed limit -- "three your fine -- five your mine!!!" That has stuck with me since he said that many many moons ago.
Ps. In the state of Pa. "only" State Police are permitted to use radar guns.

 

[supton]

That's the thing, ain't it? Every state is different. When I was young and living in Maine, 9 over was "the limit". Here in NH I'm pretty sure I've gotten away with 15 over (or the officer was napping). Wouldn't be surprised if some states "allow" 20 over. But just following the limit will get you run over in some places, and fighting with merging traffic causes my blood to boil (easier to just drive faster and stay legitimately to the left in cities).

I'm not sure there is a limit down in MA during rush hour--either it's crawling or it's flying. Thankfully I rarely go that way. Although it was fun doing over the limit--in the breakdown lane.