Venting...ranting...yet another citation!

[nfpgasmask]

OK, maybe I am just a bad, careless, heartless driver, but I have gotten 3 tickets in the last 12 months. Just got cited again today for going 52 in a 40 on a WIDE OPEN 4 lane back road here in Reno. IMO, that isn't even speeding! That's "normal" driving, I wasn't even in a hurry!

Now mind you, I know I was technically "breaking the law", but I guess I just have a problem with the fact that these motorcycle cops sit in spots like this, where they KNOW people will speed a little because its rush hour and it is a wide open back road. In my opinion, it just sucks. I know its not entrapement, but it FEELS like it. Its like leaving a $100 bill on the sidewalk and expecting people to walk by it.

And what really annoys me even more than getting pulled over, is the fact that I think almost all the speed limits in this country are about 10 mph to low. Yes, speed kills. Yes, there are idiots out there who can't drive. But the fact is, there are so many places (at least here in Reno) where the traffic is ALWAYS light, there are no schools or parks or driveways or ANYTHING on either side of the road, and you still see speed limits like 35 and 40 MPH. Its like they do it on purpose just so people will speed through these areas and get nabbed.

Why do cars show a 180 MPH on the speedo if there is nowhere to drive them that fast? Why do we even sell Porsches and Corvettes? What's the freakin' point?!?!

I think I am a safe driver. I don't text while driving. I wear my seatbelt all the time. I pay all my rego fees and keep my insurance in order. I go to work every day.

Sorry to those on here who work in the law enforcement field and probably disagree with me, but I just feel like this crap is just a way to make money for the city while twisting the screw into decent people who are just going to work. I hate it.

Bart

[Ebenezr]

Yep, happens everywhere. Down herein fl. It's everyone makes right turns on red arrows but it's illegal. So who gets the ticket....you got it right . Me!

[nfpgasmask]

I just hate how this country is just ooooozing closer and closer to a sterilized, boring, prohibitive, corrupt, capitalist hell hole where everything you do has to be "safe" or "restricted" or "toned down" or "politically correct" or basically ILLEGAL, and for what? To make a few liberal moms feel triumphant?

I'm sorry, but when I was a kid, if my ball rolled out into the street, I made damn sure there were no cars coming before I ran out there to get it. And you know what, I don't care how old you are, but if you are STUPID enough to run out into traffic then you deserve to get run over, just like the squirrel. Its called natural selection, and I believe in it. Scraped knees and falling out of trees teach you VALUBLE LIFE LESSONS.

Bart

[vt_maverick]

Preaching to the choir here, I just spent almost $1K to beat a reckless driving ticket in VA. Did you know that in VA the state traffic code begins with the phrase: "The purpose of the traffic code is to generate revenue for the Commonwealth of Virginia..."? I am not kidding. Can't speak for every state but I know in VA rarely is any kind of scientific study done to determine the most appropriate speed limit for a particular road, most of the time it's set by local government or voted on by the state assembly, whose motives may just as likely be profit as safety.

Either way, it's not like law enforcement doesn't make clear what will happen if you break the law. What is it they say? The definition of crazy is repeating the same action [3 times] and expecting a different result.

I feel you brother.

[tom4bren]

Personally, I think that they should put warning labels on basketballs that you should not hit one with a baseball bat.

That was one of 'life's lessons' that I could have done without.

[nfpgasmask]

Yeah, sure, like I said, I "broke the law". But imo, the "law" is wrong. Open road, dry, clear, prevailing conditions, THAT is what should dictate if you were in the wrong or not. Not some stupid "limit" imposed on traffic to make money or create the "illusion" of safety, because that's ALL that it is.

Bart

[rsteinmetz70112]

Personally, I think that they should put warning labels on basketballs that you should not hit one with a baseball bat.

That was one of 'life's lessons' that I could have done without.

I was once driving in Atlanta in rush hour traffic. A ball came shooting out of the front yard I was passing. Immediately I hear a loud thump and saw a kid's face plastered on my window. The kid chasing the ball had run into the side of my slow moving red car. Knocked the kid silly. Scared the crap out of me.

[mhill]

The speed limit exists to make the roads safer for all drivers. The good ones like yourself and the bad ones who never should have been given a license to start with.

Maybe an example will help ease the frustration. Should a squirrel, or dumb kid run out in front of you and you are going 55mph (82 feet per second) and you hit the brakes it will take you 144 feet to skid to a stop. Now if that dumb kid was not more than 144 feet away you are in some serious trouble now for "just going 10 over"!
Now if you were going the limit of 45mph (67 feet per second) you would skid to stop in about 99 feet. You just gave that kid 45 extra feet to live. Now if you are the sort that doesn't like kids anyways flip it around to what this means to you: no law suits, no jail time for manslaughter, no blood and guts to clean off of the VX and God forbid the kid had a hard head and damaged the expensive and hard to find front cladding!

On Monday this week I had a deposition on a civil law suit for just this reason. An employee of one of the electric companies (deep pockets) here in Phoenix made a u-turn in front of a vehicle going 15-17 over the speed limit. The other car lost control, crashed and is now suing the electric company. Well the wall she hit was 150 feet away and she would have stopped in 99 if she was going the speed limit. Doubt she is going to get much after all.

Now the scenarios above don't really apply to squirrels... they are 5 points!

Drive safe or get a radar detector

[JAMAS]

I got pulled over in my spyder 2 days ago. I was driving roughly the speed limit (40) and the two lanes became one so I sped up (to 50+) to get in front of a junker whose blind spot I was in. Right at that moment, I saw a cop drive the other direction. He turns on his lights and pulls a u-turn across 4 lanes of semi busy streets to come "get me". Luckily, I was polite (as always) and he informed me that he lived by me and recognized me after he came up to my window. Just got a warning. As Bart said, I was doing more than the speed limit, but had gauged the cause and effect of slamming on my breaks vs. punching it for a second.

My point..... Which of the two of us put more people at risk?

The guy is plenty nice and I waive to him every time I am out cutting the grass and he drives by, but who is out policing the police and their driving.

I know this isn't the point Bart is making, but it was cop/ticket stuff so I had to put my two pennies in.

[nfpgasmask]

get a radar detector

That is the best advice actually. I need to do this, been thinking of getting one for years, just never have for some reason. I guess its time!

There's always a chance you can hit and kill someone or an animal or whatever. But to a person like me, c'est la vie. There's always a chance someone will buy a gun and go on a killing spree. That's life. I would rather live with the chance that this could happen than have my rights, liberties, and hobbies widdled away!

Bart

[nfpgasmask]

I got pulled over in my spyder 2 days ago. I was driving roughly the speed limit (40) and the two lanes became one so I sped up (to 50+) to get in front of a junker whose blind spot I was in.

Yup, its stuff like this that gets me nabbed all the time too. That ticket I got in my Impulse last summer was the same. Some idiot was doing like 50mph in the fast lane. I sped up to pass him and in the process hit 75mph. The cop was there, right at that moment, and cited me. Maybe its bad luck, or karma, or whatever, but I think tickets should be issued on a per situation basis, not simply because the radar detected your speed higher than the limit. Why don't people who drive 45 in the fast lane get cited for obstructing traffic?

In my opinion, the speed limits should vary depending on road conditions and traffic. Why can't I go 90mph at 3:00am when there is no one on the road if I am driving safe? Or why can't I go 100mph on hwy 50 where there is NOTHING for 40+ miles but sage brush? Sure, I could hit a cow and kill myself, BUT THAT IS MY CHOICE.

Sorry, I just don't get it. Freedom lives on a razor's edge I guess. I need to look at the bright side. In other countries (like Japan and Australia), road rules and restrictions are way worse. This ticket just hit me while I was already having a bad week, and it was just the cherry on top I suppose.

Bart

[ZEUS]

Bart, I never ever break the law. Laws are in place for a reason and those who make them are ALWAYS right! Abide by the laws and you will have no problem - no innocent person has ever been sent to prison. Sport a halo and dress in white - it's the only way to live...

[JAMAS]

Bart, I never ever break the law. Laws are in place for a reason and those who make them are ALWAYS right! Abide by the laws and you will have no problem - no innocent person has ever been sent to prison. Sport a halo and dress in white - it's the only way to live...

Hillarious

[tom4bren]

ROFL. You crack me up 'Nanner Boy'

[Vendetta]

I just hate how this country is just ooooozing closer and closer to a sterilized, boring, prohibitive, corrupt, capitalist hell hole where everything you do has to be "safe" or "restricted" or "toned down" or "politically correct" or basically ILLEGAL, and for what? To make a few liberal moms feel triumphant?

I'm sorry, but when I was a kid, if my ball rolled out into the street, I made damn sure there were no cars coming before I ran out there to get it. And you know what, I don't care how old you are, but if you are STUPID enough to run out into traffic then you deserve to get run over, just like the squirrel. Its called natural selection, and I believe in it. Scraped knees and falling out of trees teach you VALUBLE LIFE LESSONS.

Bart

Agree on every. single. point. except that capitalism's got nothing to do with this. The nanny-state we're lamenting is on the other end of the spectrum.