Caught in a speed trap

[scrabbler1]

I recall seeing a speed trap in upstate New York on US-20. A 4-lane, divided highway with a traffic light every few miles, it has a 55 speed limit except near small towns. I saw a "speed zone ahead" sign followed by a 40 MPH Limit sign in the middle of a sharp downhill section! Pretty sleazy, huh?

[MBAustin]

Quote:

Originally Posted by REWahoo Depends. The lady who gives us directions on our Garmin thinks it means "Federated States of Micronesia", but I prefer Farm-to-Market road... Farm-to-market road - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

And just to keep things interesting, there are also "RM xxx" designations - yup, you guessed it, Ranch to Market.

Being a naturalized Texan (required by my native Texan husband's boss's secretary before we could marry), I plead ignorance to the logic. But I confess that I rarely see farms or ranches on roads so designated.

[REWahoo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MBAustin But I confess that I rarely see farms or ranches on roads so designated.

If you browse the Wikipedia link above you'll see the system came about in the 1940's. I suspect there were far more farms and ranches along those TX roads at the time.

[Original Wally]

Quote:

Originally Posted by devans0 On every ticket that I have ever received, I had it coming ... I am now one of those traffic impediments that always drives the speed limit.

+1 and i absoultely honor speed limits,especially in small towns.

[pb4uski]

Most jurisdictions have signage standards that must be met in terms of speed limit changes, warnings of reduced speed ahead, etc. DW got a speeding ticket many years ago and we determined that the city did not have the required signage - the charge was dismissed - and then next day the signage was changed to comply with the signage requirements.

It might be worth checking but from what REWahoo wrote it sounds like they are probably on solid ground but it is hard to know without knowing what the requirements are.

[utrecht]

I drove thru many towns and saw every sign warning of a slow down coming but never saw one here. I told the cop that and he said "everyone says that". Maybe its out of plain view if nobody sees it? He said he clocked me at 71 in a 50 but Im pretty sure I was down to 60 or so by the time I passed the sign. He was sitting right at the sign so hes obviously shooting radar thats calculating speed before cars get to the sign which is not legal. I didnt discuss any of that with him because that would be like arguing balls and strikes with an ump. He must not be ashamed of stopping the football player whose Mother in Law was dying because he told me who he was when I showed him my ID. He didnt give me a ticket so I was lucky. Just thought it was interesting to get stopped by that particular cop in the middle of nowhere

[REWahoo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by utrecht Maybe its out of plain view if nobody sees it?

Not according to Google Street View.

My bet is you were so taken by the scenic beauty in that part of TX that you simply missed it. Been there, done that, got the ticket to prove it...

[Bimmerbill]

I have a radar detector. I don't speed, usually going with the flow of traffic. But an advanced warning of radar up ahead can remind me to focus on my speed limit and look around for local speed limit signs.

[JPatrick]

Quote:

Originally Posted by utrecht . He was sitting right at the sign so hes obviously shooting radar thats calculating speed before cars get to the sign which is not legal.

Even if he was clocking right at the sign, that is pretty sad policy IMO, regardless of how many warning signs there may have been (or not.)

Glad to hear professional courtesy still exists.

[utrecht]

Quote:

Originally Posted by REWahoo Not according to Google Street View. My bet is you were so taken by the scenic beauty in that part of TX that you simply missed it. Been there, done that, got the ticket to prove it...

You know street view is sometimes months old right?

[heeyy_joe]

It is my personal policy to always be the second fastest car on the road. If no other cars are around then I am stuck with the speed limit. Being on the ball when one is pulled over can help...sometimes. Have license and insurance ready and offer an apology, admit embarrassment, shut-up and wait. I avoided my last two tickets with this technique, before I adopted my second fastest car strategy.

[ERD50]

Quote:

Originally Posted by JPatrick Glad to hear professional courtesy still exists.

If by 'professional courtesy', you mean the double standard that says a cop can get away with speeding but I would get a ticket for the same offence, then I feel strongly that it never should have existed, let alone be glad to see that it still exists.

I hadn't really noticed the handle of the OP, I went right to the content, so it didn't click with me that this was a (former?) LE. It shouldn't make any difference, other than I'd expect him to be even more familiar with the laws. Sure, the signs might have come down since the Google street views were taken, but it seems unlikely. If I had actually got a ticket, I'd be going back to take pics myself.

-ERD50

[Rustward]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ERD50 If by 'professional courtesy', you mean the double standard that says a cop can get away with speeding . . .

I am kinda with you on this. There does seem to be a double standard.

And sometimes speeding encourages other drivers to speed -- and potentially break the law.

I dunno.

[Rustward]

Quote:

Originally Posted by heeyy_joe It is my personal policy to always be the second fastest car on the road.

This doesn't always work. About 30 or so years ago I let my friend drive my 280Z so he could see what it felt like. Very smooth, well balanced, so it generally felt like it was going slower than it actually was. Anyway, he was behind another car and they were both over the speed limit. Texas DPS officer pulls up behind us with his lights on and passes us and signals for us to stop, then he proceeded to stop the other car. They both got tickets.

Edit to add:
Interesting thought: I wonder how it would have turned out if one of the drivers was an off duty law enforcement officer?

[JakeBrake]

Quote:

Originally Posted by REWahoo Not according to Google Street View. My bet is you were so taken by the scenic beauty in that part of TX that you simply missed it. Been there, done that, got the ticket to prove it...

The best thing to do in that part of Texas is to get off the 4-lane and onto the 2-lane secondary (FM?) roads where you can play the Texas-Pass-On-The-Shoulder game.

For those who don't know, In Texas you are allowed to pass on the right shoulder and you are EXPECTED to move to the right shoulder when a vehicle approaches from your rear. Proper Texas etiquette requires you to move to the right shoulder as soon as you see a vehicle in your rear view mirror.

[Bestwifeever]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rustward I am kinda with you on this. There does seem to be a double standard. And sometimes speeding encourages other drivers to speed -- and potentially break the law. I dunno.

I took JPatrick's comment to be a little sarcastic joke. But I did wonder if it is standard practice for police to reveal their occupation in this situation, and why.

[MissMolly]

Quote:

Originally Posted by JakeBrake The best thing to do in that part of Texas is to get off the 4-lane and onto the 2-lane secondary (FM?) roads where you can play the Texas-Pass-On-The-Shoulder game. For those who don't know, In Texas you are allowed to pass on the right shoulder and you are EXPECTED to move to the right shoulder when a vehicle approaches from your rear. Proper Texas etiquette requires you to move to the right shoulder as soon as you see a vehicle in your rear view mirror.

It's funny you said this. I am down in south Texas this week and this morning I drove out to the Santa Ana Wildlife Refuge. On the way, I saw a car driving on the shoulder while an 18-wheeler passed him (crossing into my lane in the process). I was thinking how stupid they were and now you tell me it's expected

[JPatrick]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bestwifeever I took JPatrick's comment to be a little sarcastic joke. But I did wonder if it is standard practice for police to reveal their occupation in this situation, and why.

Ummm, yes a bit sarcastic, but I'm certain PC is alive and well in some parts. I've never seen or heard of it being applied except in the most minor of situations, and honestly, I can't get worked up about it. Usually officer discretion works fairly well, but there will always be the outliers.
The cop that the OP encountered is clearly, or so it seems, in yet another category, such as incorrectly employed.

[braumeister]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rustward This doesn't always work. About 30 or so years ago I let my friend drive my 280Z so he could see what it felt like. Very smooth, well balanced, so it generally felt like it was going slower than it actually was. Anyway, he was behind another car and they were both over the speed limit. Texas DPS officer pulls up behind us with his lights on and passes us and signals for us to stop, then he proceeded to stop the other car. They both got tickets.

I will always remember the last speeding ticket I got, which was about 25 years ago. I was on I-95 in Maryland, about 9 or 10 on a Saturday morning. There were probably a dozen cars in a group, all going about the same speed, about 10 mph above the limit. I was around the back of the pack. When the trooper pulled me over, I (foolishly) asked him why he picked me, since so many other cars were going even faster.

His response was priceless.
Trooper: "Ever go fishing?"
Me: "Sure."
Trooper: "Ever catch 'em all?"

[grasshopper]

I once received a speeding ticket in Scottsdale AZ. The officer gave me a 20 mph break on the charge,"because there was no traffic and I was alone on the road". Little did he know that I had left the stoplight in a cloud of burning rubber 1 mile ago, and all the good drivers were slow to catch up. Oh yea I deserved that one big time.