Police warning!!

[avbug]

I don't know of any jurisdiction that has on paper a law permitting a margin over the speed limit...after all, that negates the reason for having established a speed limit in the first place. The only place I can recall that came close was Montana, which had posted signs that read "Reasonable and Prudent."

What you may be referring to in margins over the limit is a general rule; many officers will not ticket unless the speed clocks five over. This isn't to give you a break...if you're in violation, you're in violation. It's to keep from wasting time in court. If an officer tickets five over for everyone and then tickets one over for one person, the ticket will probably be thrown out if it can be shown that he has demonstrated prejudice in failing to be consistent in applying enforcement.

So long as the officer can show the same treatment to all, he may ticket at one mile over, or five over. When he starts going back and forth, his free time spent in court is wasted, and nobody wants that...least of all the officer who is stuck supporting the tickets he's written, on his time off. Police officers have lives, too.

 

[EagleRJ]

There's no margin law on paper, and woe be any motorist who tells the officer that there's a "de facto speed limit" above the posted limit. There is however, and should be, a margin concerning speed limits. A posted 55MPH limit means traffic flow generally around 55MPH. Cars going 59MPH and cars going 51MPH are both in the window, are not impeding traffic flow, and are not speeding.

Very few cops will ticket for five over, and even if they do, the tickets are routinely thrown out in court. Most states don't even place tickets less than 10 over on driving records- and hence they are not known to insurance companies. A good speed policy is one that sets reasonable limits for a given stretch of road, and allows motorists to watch the road instead of keeping their speedometer +/- 1 of the limit.
Montana tried this common sense policy with their "reasonable and prudent" campaign several years ago, but some motorists interpreted that as "no speed limit", and before long, every leadfoot in the country was enroute to Montana to stretch their legs. A better plan would have been defined limits for speeding along with stricter fines, and the campaign could have worked well.

 

[AA717driver]

My attitude on the police has changed dramatically since my wife got arrested, spent the night in jail and spent a year defending herself against a DUI charge.

She was pulled over because she crossed a line and hit a curb that juts out in a bend (and has been tagged repeatedly since the road opened) and she couldn't do the stupid human tricks in her bare feet on the debris-strewn road.

She blew 0's on the breathalyzer. Her BAC was 0 and the confirmatory blood work showed no substances which might have caused impairment in her blood.

Yet, the police in the "Drug Recognition" department at the hospital reported her swaying and slurring and unable to stand up on her own. This after 30 minutes of police video showing her standing perfectly still, not swaying and carrying on a normal conversation with the arresting officer.

The report by the DR officers was pure fiction. In spite of all other evidence to the contrary, the county prosecutor refused to dismiss the case (which frustrated the deputy prosecutor who is deluged with cases like this that are similarly being prosecuted to the maximum extent).

We settled for a reckless driving plea to avoid several thousand dollars in attorney's fees and the remote possibility that the dullards chosen for jury duty that day might be inclined to believe the DR's and disregard the rest of the contridictory evidence and convict my wife.

Both my friend who is a defense attorney and the attorney on my wife's case said that the cops will virtually always lie on the stand and it is a matter of course that they be proven to have perjured themselves before the truth of a case can be exposed. This type of malicious prosecution extends from county courts with increasing vigor up to the highest levels of our justice system.

So, yes, I gladly flash my lights to warn others of the presence of speed traps. It may save someone from the horrors of the cop/prosecutor scam we have endured over the past 13 months.TC

 

[Checknsix]

You know, many cops are good guys that only give tickets when you are sticking out like a sore thumb by driving 20 mph faster than the rest of the traffic. As far as defense of the rest of the cops ( and of some holier than thou non-speeders on this board) the rest of the cops are simply out there as tax collectors...with no regard to whether safety was an issue or not. You can't tell me that a guy doing 10 over, on a dry four lane highway, at 2am in the morning, in a modern day car, is a threat to anybody's safety. If you do, then you need to seriously consider your own lack of simple driving skills.

Small town police departments, state highway patrols, etc. will all tell you that there are no ticket quotas. However, they will give the cop an "unsatifactory" on their next review, if he/she is not bringing in their fair share of tax revenue.

As for flashing headlights to warn others of cops, I always do it. I don't really give a crap if some state finds a way to call this illegal. Seems to me that freedom of speech is at issue here and I will gladly spend the money to ask for a trial by jury on that basis.

Checknsix

 

[avbug]

Both my friend who is a defense attorney and the attorney on my wife's case said that the cops will virtually always lie on the stand and it is a matter of course that they be proven to have perjured themselves before the truth of a case can be exposed. This type of malicious prosecution extends from county courts with increasing vigor up to the highest levels of our justice system.

I take strong exception to the insinuation that sworn officers always lie on the whitness stand, or anywhere else. Certainly every profession has bad actors, and law enforcement is no different. However, I personally know of no such individuals, nor have I ever assocaited with any.

Come on, man. Don't you watch Walker, Texas Ranger?

Seriously...I'm sorry to hear of your wife's difficulties, but to suggest that this is a universal or even a wide spread problem, however arduous it has been, is misplaced and inaccurate.

 

[Crimson03]

People have to understand that traffic enforcement in the USA is more about revenue than safety. There are plenty of instances in which towns have incorporated and started police departments only for the funds generated by traffic enforcement. In addition there have been many instances of towns illegally(without a DOT study) lowering speed limits in strategic places to assist in their revenue collecting. Flash your lights against facist traffic enforcement.
On the other hand I don't worry about ramp checks and think we should all be legal enough to pass a ramp check.

 

[PhatAJ2008]

I always flash my brights to the oncoming traffic when I see a cop about to get their speeds... Actually I make a point to do it. Not because I think it's ok to speed, but because I very much appreciate it when people warn me... It has saved me quite a few times!

 

[jarhead]

You mean to tell me that you never drive even a bit over the speed limit?

I use the cruise control and set it to the speed limit on the highway. I use the right hand (slow lane) except when passing a much slower driver. The last ticket I got was when I was 29 years old, and that was for driving too fast for existing conditions. I was doing 30 in a 30 mph zone, but the cop said due to ice on the road, I was going too fast for conditions. Prior to that I had tickets for speed in my teens because I was a dopey driver, just like all the other drivers of that age who think they’re invincible. Then I grew up after my tour in the Marines.

So, to answer your question, no, I do not speed. It's cheaper on my wallet from fines and increased insurance premiums. It's also safer. I'll turn 65 years of age in three weeks, and since I retired 7 years ago, I'm in no hurry to get anywhere anymore. When time was a factor for me, I had the discipline to get started on my way sooner, and if I got a flat or was stopped for a train a long time…..well…..I just resigned myself to being late. That’s life.

And no, I'm not a little gray haired old man with my hat pulled down over my ears sitting so low in the driver’s seat that I can't be seen. I'm 6'3" and weigh about the same as an NFL tackle. I don't creep along the road causing myself to be a hazard to others, and I don't speed or drive aggressively to cause a hazard to myself or others either.

So, as I suggested earlier, if you drive according to the law, you should have no concern as to where the police are enforcing the traffic laws, that all you “law & order” types like to say you are.

 

[FN FAL]

You guys certainly have a right to drive how you want to, but our state patrol gives 10 mph leeway, when the roads are dry and conditions permit. I use the leeway as much as possible.

Two years ago on a summer evening, a very nice and professional state trooper stopped me on I-94 to let me know my headlight was out. He also reminded me that I was going 10 over. He wrote me out a "citizens contact report" faster than lightning and was on his way. The impression I got was that the trooper was fishing for drunk drivers and was using my headlight as a means to "smell my cockpit" so to speak.

This state trooper exhibited great professionalism during the traffic stop and his non-jerklike attitude fostered much respect for this agency...two thumbs up for the Wisconsin State patrol. In almost all my dealings with them, they have always operated on the public relations side of the equation.

As far as the analogy given by the poster that said signalling a drunk driver would cause him to speed up and kill someone. Dude, if the "drunk" driver was so alert as to notice you signalling, how the hell would she just up and drive over your wife? Don't get me wrong, I do understand your concern, but your analogy would presupose a lot of things.

What if the drunk driver slowed down after you signalled her and your wife was spared because the drunk driver didn't get involved in a high speed chase after the cop clocked her for speeding? Think about it...how many times has a high speed chase ensued because a drunk driver didn't want to be stopped by the police? So by another analogy of signalling, you could have killed your own wife or maybe a van load of handicap kids coming from a church picknick.

Better yet, what if you signalled the drunk driver and he slowed down and it saved the cops life, because the driver of the car was temporarily angry after leaving her home and was packing a gun? What if this, what if that?

I did signal a guy the other day, because the cop was parked in the opposite lane on a secodary road and near an abrupt hill and turn. Dig it? his car was in the road. The cop was on foot and measuring skid marks from an accident. So I signalled the driver coming at me head on, so that he would slow down and not cause another collision where the cop was taking accident data. I was being a "good samaritan" by signalling this driver.

I don't signal for speed traps however. I used to, but I find that drivers suck so bad, they are on their own...they can talk on their cell phones and drive mindlessly into that speed trap all they want. Better them than me, I can stand non alert drivers and drivers that can't think one car lenght ahead of them. It is because of these drivers, that there are negligent car collisions.

When I see a radar set up, I kick out my cruise, kick out the overdrive and let my car slow down without brake lights showing the other drivers what is going on. The other drivers can go screw, as far as I am concerned...I have honed my drivers senses over lots of miles and lots of careful driving technique...they can go get their education on their own.

I don't even pack my excellent radar detector anymore, because I drive within 10 over on interstates, 7-8 over on state and county highways and 5-7 over on city streets (except in active school zones)...and it works. If I pack the radar detector, I get too aggressive in my driving. And you can save the lecture on radar/lidar detectors not doing this and not doing that...I know exactly what they will and wont do.

Drive the speed limit...by all means do so. Just don't create a log jam in the left lane of an interstate. You are only creating a situation more dangerous than had you let the other drivers pass. Besides, in Wisconsin, you have to pass and get back over in the right lane...it's the law.

As far as ramp checks go? Who cares if someone warns us about them? The Feds that I have dealt with on the ramp have been very professional and are only trying to ensure voluntary compliance with the REGS, promote safety of aviation. Don't do stunts in the pattern, keep your paperwork up to date and follow your company manual and you'll do fine during any FAA ramp check.

I don't see any correlation between doing the 10 mph leeway that police allow on the highway and complying with FARS when operating an aircraft. One is a leeway that only makes common sense...that states allow officers to use "DISCRETION" when enforcing the speed limit. The other issue is regarding codified federal regulations, that ensure safety of flight. Two different things entirely...and if you don't believe that they are different, take the ratio of 10 over on a 65 mph interstate and add it to your MTOW and see if the FAA inspectors have a sense of humor regarding your correlation.

 

[FN FAL]

People have to understand that traffic enforcement in the USA is more about revenue than safety. There are plenty of instances in which towns have incorporated and started police departments only for the funds generated by traffic enforcement. In addition there have been many instances of towns illegally(without a DOT study) lowering speed limits in strategic places to assist in their revenue collecting. Flash your lights against facist traffic enforcement.
On the other hand I don't worry about ramp checks and think we should all be legal enough to pass a ramp check.

In my moms town, by lake Gaston, one chief is up in arms about the other police chief's men chasing speeders into his town. The speed drops down from 50 to 25 in a short distance, then the city limits change...the cops from the other city chase after the speeders and stop them in the other town's limits.

Although I posted that use certain speeds for certain roads, I am very cognizant about posted speed redution signs and I don't speed in small towns...especially in the Police State of Virginia.

Although I must say, the Virginia State Patrol gives a 10 mph leeway on dry days with light traffic...at least on the interstates they do. A Virginia trooper told me this in person.

 

[AV1ATRX]

Man, you are sooo right about small towns in Virginia. Don't speed even 1 mph in the town of Ashland. The cops there live for pulling people over on the side of the road so everybody driving by can see. And one more thing about Virginia and speeing - radar detectors are illegal! We are the only state in the union where they are illegal.

 

[atrdriver]

As far as a warning about a ramp check, I look at that in a 121 context. How many Captains or F/O's have their taxi chart out at their home airport on a clear day? Not many that I know of. A heads up from someone allows you to make sure you have all the charts out that they expect to see.

And Jar, while I respect your setting the cruise at the speed limit (I do that on roads that don't have a lot of traffic), if you do that in ATL at rush hour your are going to get hit. Doesn't really matter whose fault it end up being, you'll still have a dented car, and that's a pain. Most people here just run with the flow of traffic, however fast it is going. May be 25 under the limit, may be 20 over the limit, but if you don't follow the flow you are creating a bigger hazard for all.

 

[FN FAL]

I take strong exception to the insinuation that sworn officers always lie on the whitness stand, or anywhere else. Certainly every profession has bad actors, and law enforcement is no different. However, I personally know of no such individuals, nor have I ever assocaited with any.

Obviously, you don't read the news much. MKE just fired a pleathora of cops...no make that a cornucopia of cops over a race related beating at a party. What a bunch of thugs!

They also just busted a MKE cop who was going to meet a minor for sex...unfortunately the minor turned out to be an undercover internet operator from his own police department...Dohhhh! MKE Sheriff's department recently fired a deputy that was having sex with a female prisoner...right in the freaking court house...Dohhhh!

Then, how could one not notice how much the Dekalb sheriff's department makes the news...down by Atlanta. With Sheriffs murduring Sheriffs, how can anyone not realize that the government is out of control.

Our top cop...The Wisconsin Attorney General, got busted for refusing a breathalyzer after she wrecked a state car on private business. She refused to fire herself, so that makes it o.k.

A Waukeesha prosecutor got busted for taking bribes on DWI cases...he was a Republican, so I don't blame him for be a capitalist...his only mistake was getting caught, right?

And just in on the ticker! A big DOOOOHHHHHHHH! for the judge that was specifially setting bail lower enough that defendants could afford it and giving the prisoners to one specific bail bondsman for some kick backs! I believe that is from L.A. not los Angeles or Lower Arkansas...Lousiana. See linky... http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/07/AR2005070702451.html


Here's one for ya...when I was a young buck in the nav, I was leaving a buddies appartment after eating dinner there. We were using my co2 powered pistol to shoot tin cans off a box in the living room, so I had what appeard to be a ruger 22lr pistol in my hands.

When leaving the appartment, I spied a party two 8 plexes over and walked up to the guys...they were navy and offered me a cup and showed me the way to the KEG! Life is GOOD, and they didn't even want a donation for the beer! I didn't want to go all the way to the car with my bb gun so I tucked it under my sweat shirt like a dumb ass and started drinking with my new friends...we are outside and it is beautifull out.

Not even into the second beer, four uniformed Virginia Beach cops jump out of the woodwork and announce they want every body in the apparment and they want ID presented to the officers. I signal one down and advise him of the bb gun I got sticking in the back of my pants and he has me spread eagle on the car I'm standing next to. He pulls out the bb gun, looks at it and lays it on the car and because I brought it up, he buys the story of leaving the next appartment and not wanting to walk it to my car.

We get corraled inside this other appartment and they take all the ID from people...maybe 30 people. Then one of them puts a hat on the coffee tabe and annouces we got 3 minutes to put our "contraband" on that table or risk getting busted.

Hmmmmm...what a situtation to be in. This wasn't even in my plans... going this party. The cops hat gets filled with a ton of pot and pot pipes. Then the cop notices I didn't put anything into the "collection plate"...I told him I wasn't carrying any contraband and that he could search me if he wanted to. He bought it...but he did pat my pockets down from the outside.

Which is kind of funny...the pat down is different than if he reached inside my pockets. Nice of him to realize his constitutional limitations regarding pat down v. search...BECAUSE WHEN THE FREAKING COPS LEFT...THEY TOOK THE POT AND DISSAPEARED WITH IT! A cop's hat full of pot and pot smoking accessories. WTF is up with that?

I guess I got to look at the brighter side of that situtation...at least they didn't want to bust me for carrying a concealed weapon...It probably would have complicated tings.

 

[jarhead]

And Jar, while I respect your setting the cruise at the speed limit (I do that on roads that don't have a lot of traffic), if you do that in ATL at rush hour your are going to get hit.

Your comments are noted and agreed with atrdriver. No, I don't use CC in bumper to bumper traffic on Interstates or trunk highways in any metro area during rush hour. That's just plain logical and prudent. In that B to B traffic, you do need your wits about you and be aware of everything going on around you. I was once at a stop sign waiting to make a left hand turn, and I saw a woman coming up on my rear way too fast in my rear view mirror. As she got closer, I could see in the rear view mirror that she was READING A FRIGGING BOOK! I hit the gas pedal and burned rubber straight ahead as she skidded and fishtailed into the intersection. Had I not been aware of my surroundings she would have demolished my ride.

I also do not talk on a cell phone in traffic, and much to my wife’s chagrin, I won't talk to her during heavy highway congestion. Sometimes both driving and flying is a full time job that requires all your skill and attention.

 

[Milkdud99]

Here's a novel idea. Just drive legally, and you won't even care where the cops are. It might also save your life, but more importantly, it might save my life or my kid's lives. But.....maybe that's just me........

maybe it is just you