| Author | Message | ||
     Tx05xb12s |
I finally got ticketed for speeding on my XB yesterday morning, but it turned out way better than it could have. I was cruising down the superslab on the way to meet up with my girlfriend to take her to watch the Astros spank the Rockies and was mostly flowing with the traffic (80-90 MPH), but you guys know how it is; there were a few incidents of triple digit speeds for 20 second blasts here and there. Anyway at some point a state patrol snuck onto the interstate behind me from an on-ramp and saw me flying along through traffic ahead. He never used the radar/laser to alert me to his position behind me, so I was completely oblivious to his presence. All I know is that at one point the traffic began to bottle neck and I had to slow down to about 65 or so for a few miles. All of a sudden I noted a set of headlights bearing down on my six at a high rate of speed and sure enough, it was a cruiser. He tracked me for a few miles while he queried my plate number on NCIS/TCIS. When he got a no-hit return, he lit me up and I immediately pulled over to the shoulder and turned off the engine. He commented that though he didn't know exactly how fast I was going, his cruiser's top speed was 140 and it took him several miles to catch up with me. At any rate I was polite and professional, handed over my two weapons without complaint while we talked, and let the man do his job. I figured whatever I had coming to me I had earned, so I approached the encounter with the attitude that I was going to accept whatever he dished out. The officer responded to my positive and polite attitude, and decided that though he could have arrested me and impounded the bike, he wrote me for 80 in a 65 and cut me loose. This was a "thank you" for a good attitude I believe because now I am eligible to take defensive driving and maintain a clean record (as long as I don't get another one for 12 months). This just goes to show you that you reap what you sow, and if you're polite to the officer, he'll often meet you half way if not let you off outright. This ticket comes after being pulled over four times in the last three years for speeding, all of which I was let go without a citation. So, be nice out there. | ||
| Spiderman |
but if you rip off their wings they'll eat anything... | ||
| Ratyson |
I haven't been pulled over on my bike (yet), but I have had a couple of tickets, and have had the same experience with officers. I have been let of a few times, and written minor tickets the rest. Only one GSP officer gave me a hard time. I had not gotten my CCW permit yet, and had my .45 on the seat next to me (this was in Georgia). The law in Georgia consideres your car an extension of your home. And as long as you have your pistola in clear view, or in the glove box, it is perfectly leagal to carry it without a CCW. The officer did not agree with my interpretation of the law. I kept a copy of the GA firearms code in my center console, and I handed it to him to read. He didn't read it, wrote me a ticket for MORE than what I was doing (was doing 75 in a 65, he wrote me for 85), handed me back my unloaded weapon, and went on his way. I went to court, officer didn't show, case dismissed. | ||
| Greenlantern |
I have been pulled over more than twice  Always got the same comments as I was let go with a warning. "You're honest", " Your license is clean" and " I did not hear you coming". I have always just told the officer what happened prior to me being pulled over. Not as justification , just as the fact of the moment. when they remind me that such moves are still considered illegal, I reply "no argument there." I don't know if it is this approach or my boyish charms but I have yet to get a ticket on my motorcycle. 20+ years of riding makes that a good stint (I think?) | ||
| Irideabuell |
Stay out of Virginia! Being polite and respectful there didn't prevent a Statey from giving me a reckless driving citation in the fall of 2006 during a trip to Deals Gap. I was behind a semi on the I-95 beltline going around Richmond in the far right lane observing the speed limit when the truck either started throwing a tire or ran over one in the road. Naturally I down shifted and made haste around him and resumed the posted speed limit. I must have gone right by this officer sitting in the median and he raced up behind me and fired up the gumball machine. I pulled over right away and explained to him why I had sped around the truck. He proceeded to tell me that was no excuse and I should have slowed down. I told him that wouldn't have eliminated the danger to me, but quickly realized I was wasting my breath. He didn't waste any time in writing me the citation which required I appear in court in that Virginia county on 12/22 which was the Friday before Christmas. I ended up spending ~$500 on an attorney and another $263 on the speeding ticket the attorney was able to reduce it to. I've resigned myself to avoiding VA entirely when traveling if at all possible. I've heard numerous stories similar to this one about law enforcement in VA. I even spoke with an individual that was head of some sort of State Trooper's organization in VA that is a friend of my brother-in-law's and he told me he couldn't help, but that I should go to court and explain what happened to the judge - yeah, right! | ||
| Hammeroid |
HAHA, I just paid VA $136 for a ticket I got on my way down to MBV. He didn't talk very much but when he showed me where to sign the clipboard I couldn't get it out of his hands fast enough. I've seen way to many people get tased for not signing that thing. | ||
| Tx05xb12s |
Tased?  I'd imagine I'd sign the promise to appear statement in a hurry too then! LOL! Admittedly in addition to being very polite and professional with the state troopers, I also did make sure they got a look at my state government official ID as well as my grad student ID from the local university. I assume it helped. They were already being polite, but I did notice they threw in a few sirs after my little ID stunt. It also tickled me a bit that the backup trooper complimented me on my choice in weaponry (pair of G27's; one in a shoulder holster under my leathers, the other in a fanny pack around my waist) when he gave them back to me and voiced his approval of my carrying Glaser safety rounds in the magazines. This was my first encounter with the police while armed, and was admittedly a little nervous about how I would be treated. They really didn't act like it was a big deal and except for the compliment(s) upon returning them to me, didn't comment otherwise at all. But then again this is Texas. Everybody carries a weapon around here. | ||
| Zane |
Good attitude goes a long way. In the short time I wore a star, I don't think I ever gave any unearned grief to anyone. The cop who pulls you over doesn't want to see you wrap your vehicle around a lamp post down the road any more than you do. He/she just wants you to slow down. I think the only time I gave anyone a hard time was when some daddy's little princess would shake her boobs at me and let me know she was too special to get a ticket. I always loved the look on their faces when they realized that just being cute wouldn't get them out of a ticket this time. Here's a little trick that I've used the times when I've been stopped. Have your license and insurance information but be "unable" to find your vehicle registration. Here in Florida it’s a $5.00 non moving violation. If you’re nice, have a good attitude and give the officer an excuse to cut you some slack, he’ll only write you for not having the registration. That way he can show his sergeant he’s making the stops he should, you slow down which is what most cops really want anyway, and you don’t get hit with a couple hundred dollars in fines and court cost. A win for everyone. It’s work for me 3 or 4 times now. It really does pay to not be a phallic head. Edited because I can't spell. (Message edited by zane on April 22, 2008) | ||
| Xl1200r |
Being nice doesn't do crap if you're not from the area. On my way home from MBV, I was traveling through PA on I-81. It was about 32 degrees out and raining. I just wanted to get HOME, a mere 230 miles away at that point. I was stopped for doing 78 in a 55. Speeding, sure, but it's not like I was doing 130, either. Anyways, cop walks up, asks for my docs and goes back to the car. No "Do you know why I stopped you? Do you know how fast you were going? What's the rush?" Nothing. It was a pure "Give me your docs so i can write your out-of-state ass a ticket that you'll plead guilty to and pay because I know you won't drive all the way back here to challenge it." Luck be had, Hammer was behind me in his truck (I thought he was ahead of me), pulled off and talked to the trooper for me and got him to let me off. This was the FIRST time I was ever pulled over speeding in any vehicle. The only ticket I have is from my accident back in 2001 that was reduced to a non-moving violation. I also come to find out, after I was let off, that the cop had a bike himself and didn't plan on taking it out for another month in a half at that point. I wanted to call him a pu$$y, but given the circumstances, I kept my mouth shut. Anyways, after his chat with Hammer, he was much nicer and clearly explained what I had to do in order for things to happen correctly, so I'm grateful for that. Thankfully my record is still clear. | ||
| Ratbuell |
My attitude has always been that if I drew their attention in the first place, I was probably doing something I shouldn't have been doing. I always stop as quickly as is safe (for me and the officer), turn the bike off and remain seated and still, with hands on the bars in plain view. "Here is my license, my registration, and my permit. I am/am not carrying at this time. <if> I'm more than happy to remove my weapon from <location> and hand it to you to hold while we're here chatting". Usually gets a smile. They really are just doing their job. I never understood these schmucks who give them a hard time, when all the officer is really doing is calling them on stupid behavior (or at the very least, bad timing). Last time I was pulled was for 100+ on my Cyclone trying to beat a thunderstorm to work. No radar on me, wrote me for "unsafe lane change" (wet glove, wet button...). Standing in the median (was going to turn left across traffic when I stopped) he took pity and said I could sit in the car as I had failed in beating the thunderstorm by this point and was getting quite wet. "Should I get in front or back", I asked. He laughed, I got in front. He wrote a bit and handed me the board to sign. "If you fill out and mail the white copy I won't be in court, all the judge will hear is what you tell him". "Ah, so you're saying send in the white form". <sigh> "*IF* you fill out the white form..." "Gotcha. White form. THANK YOU". AND, I had a "sorry I'm late" receipt for my boss that day. LOL. | ||
| Corporatemonkey |
Haven't you learned how to get out of a ticket yet??? Just follow the example set by this guy NSFW Or if you are a minority | ||
| Danger_dave |
It's good to be DD. I got pulled over by a bike cop recently, for lane splitting on the freeway. I'm always polite. Took my helmet off and offered 'Licence Sir?' He looked at me and said 'No - I know who you are.' I ended up interviewing him on the side of the road for 45 minutes. 'Now what do you reckon about...' | ||
| Paint_shaker |
Xl, 23 MPH over and no ticket... I'd call that one a "Lucky Dog"! LOL | ||
| Tx05xb12s |
I've seen that first video before. That's got to be the most laid back trooper I've ever seen. If I were in the officer's shoes, I don't know that I would have let the guy go after that little display of intelligence. | ||
| Bosh |
"I got pulled over by a bike cop recently, for lane splitting on the freeway." Sometimes I follow the Highway Patrol motorcycles on the Highway, splitting lanes the whole way! Legal in California. I had TWO cops chase me down one morning on my way to work. Both cars had sirens and lights going, scared the heck out of me. They pulled me over in the parking lot of my work. Kinda embarrassing. We ended up BS'ing about motorcycles and they let me off with a warning. Cool dudes! | ||
| Danger_dave |
Not entirely illegal here either. Overtaking in the same lane on the 'passenger' side is illegal. Drivers side isn't. But not always viable. If you aren't doing more than 20mph more than the traffic they will let it go. NZ has some really stupid road rules. 'You're (^%(#@ kidding' is best way to describe some of the 'give way' rules. | ||
| Mr_grumpy |
I now & again get a tug when I'm in the Dodge, they just want to look at the V8 & hear the pipes. |
