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Automotive News & Views Traffic Laws & Enforcement Tactics
540 messages, Last post on Sep 21, 2009 at 12:22 PM
You are in the Automotive News & Views Forum. Your Hosts are steve_ & claires
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Replying to: paisan (Apr 07, 2007 7:50 am) Getting nailed pulling a trailer is quite a feat, man...  I went to court for my last ticket, and it was pretty entertaining actually. I was almost sorry that they took my case so quickly, since I missed out on listening to a few more of the stories. I was out pretty quickly, and only got my wallet lightened by $35, so I'd say I did pretty well....  How often do you get busted in general? I actually have very long stretches between tickets, though I once got two tickets within 10 minutes....now that was fun... 
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I saw something the other day that aggravated me... Our church parking lot has an entrance that is somewhat odd to get in and out of. To get to it you have to go through a small commercial plot before you enter the parking lot. And to exit you have to go up and around out of the way from the way you came in because where you came in at is a right turn only. This particular right turn only is new because of a new Wal-mart being built across the street.  See more Car Pictures at CarSpace.com On top of that, the road just past the parking lot entrance is closed completely because of the Walmart construction and the re-locating of the roadway. As you can see from my rough drawing you can enter just fine, but to get out, you "must" go North, then west, and the finally south to get back to the highway, whereas before you could just exit, make a left and go to the highway. I understand the reasoning behind the right turn only as when the Wal-mart opens the traffic is expected to be heavy and being so close to the highway, left turns should be minimized. But right now traffic is nil becasue Walmart isn't open and the road is basically closed. Limited to the bank traffic and church traffic. Also light traffic for the road that runs north behind the church. But right now the city seems to be low on funds as they have stationed an officer at the corner of the highway and the bank to catch anyone making a left turn from the right turn only. It is marked and there is a concrete "barrier", but it is still possible with out much effort to still make a left turn. I know why it's there, but at this point in time, there is no need as there is no traffic and no real need to waste time going up and around and out of the way. So a lot of people (including myself sometimes) ignore the right turn only and make a left turn. A few people have been pulled over (this being 9 PM at night when traffic is virtually nil anyway) and ticketed. The officer knows when there will be people at the church and waits for them to leave and make that illegal turn. I would like to suppose that he is trying to teach people that this is not allowed and that when the Wal-mart opens, it can be really dangerous to make that kind of a left turn. But is there really any point to ticketing people at 9 PM at night on a road that has no traffic because is basically closed? Then to top it all off, one night he was sitting there ready to pull people over, but this time he wasn't at the corner, but almost to the parking lot so you would have to pass him on your way to the exit. I was just getting ready to leave and I watched him pull out and leave. And did he make the right turn to go up and around?? NO! He went straight and made the "illegal" left turn like everyone else he had pulled over for doing so! That is what aggrevated me. Okay fine. If you feel you need to fill you city's coffers by pulling people over for commiting a harmless "crime" and teach someone a "lesson" so be it. I don't have a problem going up and around. It takes all of about 30 extra seconds and when the Walmart opens, I'll have to do so anyway because of traffic. But if you are going to do that, at least have the decency to do the same your self....
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Replying to: the_big_al (Jun 27, 2008 3:16 pm) The complaint about the officer's making the left turn should be directed to the city council in public with as many people who witnessed the left turn present and having signed a statement as possible to have. Officers often don't do as they say for everyone else to do; laws don't apply to them since they're special. Happens all the time and sometimes makes the news. |
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Replying to: davv62 (Apr 06, 2007 4:02 am) the merritt is a nightmare IMO. old highway with narrow roads, no shoulders, and people fly through there at speeds that are probably not too safe. i usually drive between 10-15, maybe 20 over the speed limit. on rare occasions will i get up any higher than that. i've slowed down a bit since my college days! the merritt is a pretty scenic road i think, just not too safe for today's speeders - especially when its crowded! -thene 
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Replying to: the_big_al (Jun 27, 2008 3:16 pm) |
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| Out here in Valpo, Indiana we have a fun road that is a rarity. If you do 45-50 you get a most enjoyable "float on air" ride. Unfortunitly, too many extremists push the envelope and now the local police have dropped the limit to 30 and it's very easy to get a ticket (my son just recently). There have been several accidents on this section over the yrs. and I suppose the new sub-division had something to do with the lower limit. Still, it's always tempting to do the 50 for the fun of it. | |
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Replying to: thenebean (Apr 09, 2007 8:32 am) A couple of times, I've caught myself unintentionally going 90 or so on the Merritt, but I always slow down when I realize how fast I'm going.
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Replying to: davv62 (Apr 13, 2007 2:24 am) Their reward for winning the race: a slew of tickets (speeding, reckless driving, etc). When I was a truck driver, I got a ticket in Atlanta. I was coming from the local terminal and there was a road block/checkpoint under the overpass before you get on the freeway. I figured there must be an accident/detour so I took off my seatbelt and rolled down the window so I could lean out and talk to the officer when I got up to him. Instead of telling me there was an accident, he told me it was a seatbelt checkpoint and to pull over. 
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Replying to: punkr77 (Apr 13, 2007 7:12 am) |
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Replying to: paisan (Apr 06, 2007 4:24 am) Re-post, with additions, from just after the 2006 Thanksgiving Weekend. Over the long Holiday weekend, I drove ( as I typically do ) from north of Atlanta to visit my friends on the Florida Gulf coast. I now drive a red Corvette. If there is anything any speed law enforcement officer would prefer to stop than a red sports car, I don’t know what it might be. I drove through at least 8, maybe 10 areas where LEOs were utilizing “Detection Devices”. In every case, I was always traveling above the speed limit, but ‘only’ 5 – 7 MPH over. I do find it interesting that the speed limit is really not the speed limit. Meaning: In the eyes of the ( typical ) actual enforcement officer, the speed limit is actually 8 or 9 or 10 MPH higher than the posted limit. Much as I have observed over my past 40+ years of driving. Even with a car capable ( according to GM and most independent sources ) of about 100 MPH more than any currently posted speed limit in this country, 75 to 80 MPH is actually ‘fast enough’ – for me, with typical traffic, on most US roads. Just my 0.02 gallons worth. . . [Added: I now have driven my Red Sports Car for over 7,000 miles. My ‘speeding’ habits remain unchanged. I speed regularly, but ‘respect’ my perception of what LEOs will see as ‘worth ticketing’. And my record of no tickets continues – Now clear since very early 2000. ] - Ray Happy to achieve over 28 MPG in such driving. |
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