| Author | Message | ||
     Ray_maines |
I was out for a pleasant 350 mile ride this morning and saw no less than four Highway Patrol cars in the act of giving tickets and six other State Patrol cars waiting for their next victims. It seems obvious to me that despite all of their talk, the State Patrol isn’t concerned with our safety and their primary mission is to levy a speed tax. And you know what, I’m OK with that! My issue with the speeding tickets is that our insurance companies use these as an excuse to jack our rates out of sight. How about if we could buy a $500 plastic card that was good for four speeding tickets on any road patrolled by the State Patrol. When you were stopped for speeding you could give the card to the State Patrol cop and he would punch a hole in the card. When you got the fourth punch hole your card would no longer be valid. If your speed got you into the negligent Driving zone you would be liable for two tickets, or two punch holes. Other causes of negligent driving, reckless driving, DUI arrests, running red lights, failing to yield the right of way and other forms of dangerous driving would not be covered by the punch card. I don’t smoke cigarettes, don’t gamble, and don’t drink very much but I would like to speed much more than I do. In other words, I don’t pay very much voluntary tax and would be willing to pay to speed on the highways. I don’t believe that going 75 in a 60 zone is dangerous and hate the insurance hike that goes along with a speeding ticket. What thinkest thou? | ||
| Prof_stack |
Hey Ray, doncha think that WA state's finest were trying to make sure you didn't slide on any of the %*&#$ sand which still remains from last week's snow? ![: ]](http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/clipart/proud.gif) If speeding is in your blood, you should dump that limey bike and get a Blast. You'd have more fun wringing the last of 28hp out of it and still be legal (well, sorta). Prof | ||
| Ray_maines |
Here's something I hadn't thought of. | ||
| Sportsman |
That would be OK if there were a test or a course to take prior to getting a card. Every kid in the world thinks they are an invinceable A.J.Foyt but are unaware of the consequences. 10 sessions on a track would wake them up a little. Personally, I think cops could use more discretion. | ||
| Spudman |
Ray, The Washington State patrol is over zealous about controlling speed in your area, even worse than my wife. I was passing through Olympia last week on the way towards Redmond driving my Durango on I5. The speed limit had dropped to 60, so I set my cruise control to 60 mph on the dot because I know there is constant radar being shot here. I see a Washington State patrol car come off an onramp ahead of me, but I don't worry I'm doing the speed limit. This patrol orificer hauls ass, gets on my tail and starts flashing his high beams at me. Oh he wants to get by I think, so I move over to the next lane. He then pulls up next to me and starts flashing 55 with his right hand and shaking his finger at me. We pass a speed limit sign that says 60 mph so I point at it, he just keeps shaking his finger at me then flips on his siren but no lights. I figure this guy is on a power trip so I slow and keep pace behind him but in the next lane at 55ish. After about a mile maintaining this pace, the patrol officer stomps on the gas and hauls ass away from me, no lights or siren. It was a surreal experience to say the least. I adjusted the cruise control back to 60 mph and continued on my way. I also saw many people pulled over getting tickets. And I also passed many patrol cars shooting radar but was never pulled over. The stretch of I5 between Olympia and Tacoma is very heavily patrolled and most likely generates a lot of revenue. Keep it safe Ray and avoid the known speed trap areas. Wait for the back roads then haul ass. | ||
| Chainsaw |
On my way to work I travel in the HOV lane (motorcycles are legal there) a Denver cop got right on my ass, I'm doing the speed limit cause I saw him coming. I move one lane over to the right and the cop goes blasting past me, no lights or siren. I got right back on his bumper doing 70 mph in a 45 zone. I figured he's is either breaking the law or on his way to something important. Either way, I'm not getting pulled over for speeding. If the cop pulls me over, he's gonna have to explain to a judge what he was doing speeding. If he had somewhere to be, he wouldn't have the time to pull me over. I could always argue that I assumed the officer's speedo was more accurate than mine, cause there is no way a cop would be doing 25mph over the limit. Needles to say I keep up this behavior until my turn. I didn't get pulled over. | ||
| Innes |
I'm a Truck driver & the Union I was in when I lived in England used to reimburse fines for traffic offences such as speeding, driving thru a weight limit etc up to £100 twice in any 1 year but only if driving a company vehicle.  | ||
| Sportyeric |
Doesn't always work, Chainsaw. My riding bud, Jim, did the same sort of thing last year, in Washington state, coincidently. Followed a cop at 65mph into a 60mph zone. She pulled him over a mile later for a ticket. At the time, and in court, I think, Jim argued that he assumed her speedo was more acurate. The cop said she was speeding to respond to a broken-down car on the shoulder ahead. That justified her speeding and her lack of lights and siren. And Jim's arrival presented a more important safety issue, which is why she could delay attending to the initial problem while she wrote up the ticket. What a crock! That said, I have managed to avoid a lot of tickets by being polite. Both to the officer after being pulled over and to surrounding traffic when I am getting on it. I'll bet Jim got her goat by following too close. Stay four seconds back and I bet you could cruise there all day. I had a cop a couple of years ago follow me for five miles when I was late getting to work. He had me at 85mph in a 55, then 70 in a 35 (construction zone on a Sunday, so no construction.) But he told me that he was impressed at how I slowed down at merges and as I picked my way through and only got the velocity up when I had a clearing. Not even a written warning! | ||
| Spike |
Be careful doing that Chainsaw. I got pulled doing the same thing a year or so ago. I had a pair of them go by me at at least 10mph over, so I rolled on it and stayed with them. I kept my distance for the first few miles, but after a while I got lazy. I followed them for over 7 miles at speeds up to 90mph (in a 55). No lights, no siren, not even turn signals. Eventually one of them got tired of me and locked up his brakes. He told me he was on his way to an accident (wtf!?!). I went home that night with a ticket for 70 in a 55. Luckily, the NC traffic system is complete and total BS. I got the ticket reduced to 9 over and only had to pay a fine. Mike L. edited by spike on January 19, 2004 | ||
| Dullorb |
Hey Sporty, your friend should have demanded a record of that "disabled vehicle". Not that I like people speeding, but I like cops lying even less. |
