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mrken30 Dec 30th 2016 12:01 am

Re: All I want for Christmas is..
 

Originally Posted by johnwoo (Post 12138648)
I've been stopped three times in fifty years, each time justifiably. If you get caught fair cop, pay up and move along.
About the same number of time I have been stopped in the UK, except I the UK I just got a warning.
I think from the cops POV they have to deal with a far more dangerous environment.

I think some of that is perception aswell. A lot of cops have seen active duty and being prepared for the worse is in their psyche But the US is not a war zone on the whole.

Wintersong Dec 30th 2016 9:48 pm

Re: All I want for Christmas is..
 

Originally Posted by SultanOfSwing (Post 12138635)
I've only been stopped twice. First time, I was stopped for speeding, they asked me that and I knew I was speeding so I was able to answer it. I was nice to him, especially because I could tell he was in a bad mood but I still got the ticket. Doubt I'd have got out of it anyway, I was doing 78 in a 55. Even if he'd just been sucked off by Scarlett Johanson right before getting out of his car, I wasn't getting off with a warning for 23 over :D

Second time was for a dead headlight bulb and I had no idea why he stopped me. That one was nice from the start though and he didn't ask me why I was stopped. Needless to say that I just got a 'get it fixed soon' for that one and was sent on my way.

I was stopped once for speeding. If I'd have immediately noticed the police car right behind me and had slowed down and changed lane, I doubt I'd have been pulled over. Unfortunately she followed me for a good 5 miles at 80mph on a 65mph freeway and I didn't realise she was there until she put her lights on to pull me over.

Here's a question, though: when a police officer asks if you know what speed you were doing, do you give a truthful answer, thus incriminating yourself, or do you say you don't know and potentially open yourself up to additional charges because you weren't paying enough attention?

SultanOfSwing Dec 30th 2016 9:53 pm

Re: All I want for Christmas is..
 

Originally Posted by Wintersong (Post 12139368)
I was stopped once for speeding. If I'd have immediately noticed the police car right behind me and had slowed down and changed lane, I doubt I'd have been pulled over. Unfortunately she followed me for a good 5 miles at 80mph on a 65mph freeway and I didn't realise she was there until she put her lights on to pull me over.

I was done from the moment I noticed the cruiser parked up under a flyover. Didn't have time to slow down, saw them pull out and I knew they were after me.

There were faster cars but I was in the closest lane (left lane) to them, so I was done for :D


Originally Posted by Wintersong (Post 12139368)
Here's a question, though: when a police officer asks if you know what speed you were doing, do you give a truthful answer, thus incriminating yourself, or do you say you don't know and potentially open yourself up to additional charges because you weren't paying enough attention?

I answered semi-truthfully. I said 'about 75', though I know I had been going over 80 farther back. Turns out they had me at 78 on the radar so it split the difference.

Most of the time when I'm speeding I know I'm doing it because I set cruise control on a 70mph interstate to 80. I always make sure there are faster cars in the same lane as me, with space for a police car to get in in front of me to pull them over but if I'm caught I suppose I have nothing to lose by being truthful. I mean, they know I was speeding, I know I was. I'm at the mercy of the policeman's mood, and the condition of my license (which is 'clean' now because I took supervision for my citation all those years ago.)

Wintersong Dec 30th 2016 10:01 pm

Re: All I want for Christmas is..
 

Originally Posted by SultanOfSwing (Post 12139376)
I was done from the moment I noticed the cruiser parked up under a flyover. Didn't have time to slow down, saw them pull out and I knew they were after me.

There were faster cars but I was in the closest lane (left lane) to them, so I was done for :D



I answered semi-truthfully. I said 'about 75', though I know I had been going over 80 farther back. Turns out they had me at 78 on the radar so it split the difference.

Most of the time when I'm speeding I know I'm doing it because I set cruise control on a 70mph interstate to 80. I always make sure there are faster cars in the same lane as me, with space for a police car to get in in front of me to pull them over but if I'm caught I suppose I have nothing to lose by being truthful. I mean, they know I was speeding, I know I was. I'm at the mercy of the policeman's mood, and the condition of my license (which is 'clean' now because I took supervision for my citation all those years ago.)

I answered truthfully, as I didn't want to potentially get into more trouble, but she seemed surprised that I did...

I did traffic school - more expensive than the ticket, but at least it keeps your record completely clean.

SultanOfSwing Dec 30th 2016 10:06 pm

Re: All I want for Christmas is..
 

Originally Posted by Wintersong (Post 12139381)
I answered truthfully, as I didn't want to potentially get into more trouble, but she seemed surprised that I did...

I did traffic school - more expensive than the ticket, but at least it keeps your record completely clean.

I suppose there are as many people who claim they weren't as ones who tell the truth. I'd figure you're more likely to get the one optimum day where you get a warning if you tell the truth, but maybe I'm wrong.

I did the traffic school too, it was part of the conditions of my supervision. The online one - 4 hours of answering stupid questions on the computer. Mind numbing.

johnwoo Dec 30th 2016 10:46 pm

Re: All I want for Christmas is..
 

Originally Posted by SultanOfSwing (Post 12139392)
I suppose there are as many people who claim they weren't as ones who tell the truth. I'd figure you're more likely to get the one optimum day where you get a warning if you tell the truth, but maybe I'm wrong.

I did the traffic school too, it was part of the conditions of my supervision. The online one - 4 hours of answering stupid questions on the computer. Mind numbing.

My wife did the online traffic school, well I did it for her. :sneaky:

lansbury Dec 30th 2016 10:54 pm

Re: All I want for Christmas is..
 

Originally Posted by Wintersong (Post 12139368)
Here's a question, though: when a police officer asks if you know what speed you were doing, do you give a truthful answer, thus incriminating yourself, or do you say you don't know and potentially open yourself up to additional charges because you weren't paying enough attention?

I had a very simple criteria for issuing a ticket. If the person admitted what they had done, there was no danger caused to others and they were receptive to words of advice, that got a bollocking and no ticket.

If the offense was serious, or danger and inconvenience had been caused to others, they got a ticket.

If they denied what I had clearly seen with my own eyes, my comment was to the effect you are very welcome to call me a liar and may do so in court. At which point they got reported for every traffic offence they had committed.

SultanOfSwing Dec 30th 2016 11:08 pm

Re: All I want for Christmas is..
 

Originally Posted by lansbury (Post 12139423)
I had a very simple criteria for issuing a ticket. If the person admitted what they had done, there was no danger caused to others and they were receptive to words of advice, that got a bollocking and no ticket.

If the offense was serious, or danger and inconvenience had been caused to others, they got a ticket.

If they denied what I had clearly seen with my own eyes, my comment was to the effect you are very welcome to call me a liar and may do so in court. At which point they got reported for every traffic offence they had committed.

What was your tolerance for a speeding ticket? I know there was no way I was getting off with 23 over, but most of the time I'm within 10-15, usually less if I'm out of state and only if the road and traffic conditions allow (plus I don't hog the left lane). Just curious to know if I'm in line with what you might have deemed the cut off point before you pulled someone over.

johnwoo Dec 30th 2016 11:35 pm

Re: All I want for Christmas is..
 

Originally Posted by SultanOfSwing (Post 12139430)
What was your tolerance for a speeding ticket? I know there was no way I was getting off with 23 over, but most of the time I'm within 10-15, usually less if I'm out of state and only if the road and traffic conditions allow (plus I don't hog the left lane). Just curious to know if I'm in line with what you might have deemed the cut off point before you pulled someone over.

Best not to speed out of State, especially with California plates.
My son and a couple of friends traveling to Florida were pulled over in a deep southern state, Alabama or some such state. The cop told them he had specifically pulled them over for CA plates and that one of his friends had long hair, whom he referred to as Goldilocks. Had his dog sniff out the SUV but found nothing, disappointed, he told my sons friend to get a hair cut before he came back to 'his' state.

SultanOfSwing Dec 30th 2016 11:41 pm

Re: All I want for Christmas is..
 

Originally Posted by johnwoo (Post 12139451)
Best not to speed out of State, especially with California plates.
My son and a couple of friends traveling to Florida were pulled over in a deep southern state, Alabama or some such state. The cop told them he had specifically pulled them over for CA plates and that one of his friends had long hair, whom he referred to as Goldilocks. Had his dog sniff out the SUV but found nothing, disappointed, he told my sons friend to get a hair cut before he came back to 'his' state.

I don't speed excessively out of state, but I do find it hard to sit at 70 if the flow of traffic is 75 or above, so I just make sure there are faster drivers than me.

The reason I have is that out-of-state tickets are essentially cash on the spot, which I am no prepared to have to deal with.

lansbury Dec 31st 2016 12:10 am

Re: All I want for Christmas is..
 

Originally Posted by SultanOfSwing (Post 12139430)
What was your tolerance for a speeding ticket?

Rather than a particular speed over, it was more the manor of their driving. Are they driving in a manor that fails to meet the criteria of without due care. There was usually something else other than just a few miles over. Except in the early hours than speed alone was worth a stop to see what they were up to. Maybe drink drive, maybe worth a search.

Unless they were dedicated traffic patrol most of us were to busy with crime stops and dealing with calls to write traffic tickets. Most stops I did the traffic element was just a reason for the stop. Lot of crime arrests come out of traffic stops, the most notable being Peter Sutcliffe (Yorkshire Ripper).

SultanOfSwing Dec 31st 2016 12:20 am

Re: All I want for Christmas is..
 

Originally Posted by lansbury (Post 12139475)
Rather than a particular speed over, it was more the manor of their driving. Are they driving in a manor that fails to meet the criteria of without due care. There was usually something else other than just a few miles over. Except in the early hours than speed alone was worth a stop to see what they were up to. Maybe drink drive, maybe worth a search.

Unless they were dedicated traffic patrol most of us were to busy with crime stops and dealing with calls to write traffic tickets. Most stops I did the traffic element was just a reason for the stop. Lot of crime arrests come out of traffic stops, the most notable being Peter Sutcliffe (Yorkshire Ripper).

Ah, well I suppose state troopers might have different criteria but I certainly don't draw attention to myself on the interstates here. I use the right lane at the right time, never ride anyone's rear bumper and I don't weave.

I'm 99% sure I drove past a Wisonsin trooper at 80 on our last trip up north and he didn't nab me, so I must be doing something right :)

Wintersong Dec 31st 2016 12:25 am

Re: All I want for Christmas is..
 

Originally Posted by SultanOfSwing (Post 12139479)
Ah, well I suppose state troopers might have different criteria but I certainly don't draw attention to myself on the interstates here. I use the right lane at the right time, never ride anyone's rear bumper and I don't weave.

Don't drive like that in CA - you'll stick out like a sore thumb.

SultanOfSwing Dec 31st 2016 12:28 am

Re: All I want for Christmas is..
 

Originally Posted by Wintersong (Post 12139485)
Don't drive like that in CA - you'll stick out like a sore thumb.

I've driven in CA. Between (and in) San Franciso and Fresno. I just drove really fast in the left lane. Seemed to match what most other drivers were doing.

lansbury Dec 31st 2016 12:32 am

Re: All I want for Christmas is..
 

Originally Posted by SultanOfSwing (Post 12139479)
Ah, well I suppose state troopers might have different criteria but I certainly don't draw attention to myself on the interstates here. I use the right lane at the right time, never ride anyone's rear bumper and I don't weave.

I'm 99% sure I drove past a Wisonsin trooper at 80 on our last trip up north and he didn't nab me, so I must be doing something right :)

State troopers, at least in Oregon, are mainly there for traffic.


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