# Cannonball Run Record Broken. Why no arrests? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 10, 2019, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cannonball-run-record-broken-why-no-arrests/844665 "2019-12-10T20:24:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2019, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cannonball-run-record-broken-why-no-arrests/844665/21 "2019-12-11T02:07:16Z")
> [@commasense](#): > > In the video they made, there were in-car shots showing the speedo at 140 mph. If some LEO could identify the location based on landmarks, road signs, etc., would that be enough? Who gets the ticket? There were three people in that car, and none of them has publicly said who was driving at any given moment. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2019, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cannonball-run-record-broken-why-no-arrests/844665/22 "2019-12-11T02:10:49Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > Who gets the ticket? There were three people in that car, and none of them has publicly said who was driving at any given moment. Exactly. “Prove it was me driving at that specific moment”. They were very careful not to say who was driving at any given time. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2019, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cannonball-run-record-broken-why-no-arrests/844665/23 "2019-12-11T03:10:29Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > They evidently didn’t use any of those. If they had used the PA Turnpike instead of I-80 the would have left evidence since the [Turnpike collects tolls by photographing plates.](https://www.paturnpike.com/toll/tollbyplate.aspx) Only for certain interchanges. Since they started in NYC (Brooklyn, I believe) the PA Tpk would not be the most direct route for them to take anyway. ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2019, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cannonball-run-record-broken-why-no-arrests/844665/24 "2019-12-11T03:10:56Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > Who gets the ticket? There were three people in that car, and none of them has publicly said who was driving at any given moment. > [@hajario](#): > > Exactly. “Prove it was me driving at that specific moment”. They were very careful not to say who was driving at any given time. I don’t feel like rewatching that 20-minute video right this minute, but I’m pretty sure I saw video shot from the back seat that showed the driver and the speedo in big bright green numerals. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2019, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cannonball-run-record-broken-why-no-arrests/844665/25 "2019-12-11T03:27:49Z")
> [@DPRK](#): > > The cops are not legally _required_ to enforce most laws, even if it turns out somebody was speeding. Also, I imagine they did not upload and publish precise GPS data allowing prosecutors to easily prove exactly where and when these crimes took place, even if it is a mathematical certainty there were a whole lot of traffic violations. What they have admitted to in their posts is likely enough for the police to obtain a search warrant to get that GPS data from their devices, and that would be fairly conclusive proof that they were speeding, at specific times & places. If any police wanted to put that much effort into pursuing them. QAlso, the police may already have that GPS info. I remember reading a while ago that one of the mapping applications (Tom-tom or Gamin?) was providing timing information to a police agency in Europe, so that the police could be waiting for them when they arrived at the next town too quickly. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2019, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cannonball-run-record-broken-why-no-arrests/844665/26 "2019-12-11T03:32:18Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Isn’t a confession sufficient evidence all by itself? Welll… they could just say it was a article for entertainment value. And most traffic violations are infractions, at least here in CA they arent even a crime, technically. ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2019, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cannonball-run-record-broken-why-no-arrests/844665/27 "2019-12-11T05:14:44Z")
> [@commasense](#): > > I don’t feel like rewatching that 20-minute video right this minute, but I’m pretty sure I saw video shot from the back seat that showed the driver and the speedo in big bright green numerals. And who is to say that speedometer was calibrated properly? Or that the video wasn’t faked? Look, I’m sure given the umpteen jurisdictions they went through there are more than a few D.A.'s, Sheriffs, and Police chiefs considering doing something about it. And it won’t surprise me if a handful give it a shot. But any good defense attorney will quickly make holes in their case. The majority of law enforcement will take the “we’ll get’em next time” attitude. > [@pkbites](#): > > Some years back Electrolert (manufacturer of the Original Fuzzbuster brand Radar detector) had a device called Spybuster that detected police aircraft. [Here](https://www.ebay.com/itm/SPYBUSTER-SURVEILLANCE-AIRCRAFT-radar-detector-maybe-the-only-one-dunno-/303013123195) is one. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2019, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cannonball-run-record-broken-why-no-arrests/844665/28 "2019-12-11T13:11:40Z")
> [@commasense](#): > > I don’t feel like rewatching that 20-minute video right this minute, but I’m pretty sure I saw video shot from the back seat that showed the driver and the speedo in big bright green numerals. Probably [right here](https://youtu.be/M6s9o6uIWZw?t=589) at 9:49. The cell phone to the left of the wheel appears to be showing a speed close to 150. Or is it? Maybe it’s just 14? And is that number even measuring speed? Maybe it’s the temperature outside in celsius? OTOH, the OEM speedometer needle appears to be in the 3 o’clock position; if you count up from zero, it sure looks like it could be close to 150 MPH. But maybe it’s poorly calibrated? Or straight-up malfunctioning? OK, so never mind all that, just analyze the movement of the dashed lines on the road. Those are standard sized, so the cops should be able to get an estimate of speed to within a margin of error sufficient to show they were definitely over the speed limit. But which cops would do this? Where did this happen? Should the Nebraska State Police be looking into this, or should it be Colorado? or Iowa? And when did it happen? Is this footage from their cannonball run, or is it a road test from six month ago? And just who is the stubbly-faced driver? Is it even one of the three guys who claim to have done this cannonball run, or just a friend of theirs who took the car out for a high-speed burst? The roadside photo-radar devices that automatically nail people for speeding don’t bother identifying the driver; they just send the ticket to the registered owner, and it’s a monetary fine, no points on your license. If cops want to nail a driver for felony reckless driving, they need to identify exactly who the individual behind the wheel was, what they did, and where they did it (and it better be inside their jurisdiction), all beyond a reasonable doubt (the standard of guilt for a felony conviction). None of that is evident in any of the video clips they’ve shown. ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2019, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cannonball-run-record-broken-why-no-arrests/844665/29 "2019-12-11T13:56:51Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > Probably [right here](https://youtu.be/M6s9o6uIWZw?t=589) at 9:49. > > But which cops would do this? Where did this happen? Should the Nebraska State Police be looking into this, or should it be Colorado? or Iowa? > > And when did it happen? Is this footage from their cannonball run, or is it a road test from six month ago? There is a billboard captured in the video, between that and the map on the GPS, an intrepid investigator should be able to pinpoint exactly where this video was taken. When is a decent question. The car model is a 2015, it may be possible to push the date later than that based on the equipment pictured in the video. They don’t need an exact date for a conviction, they just need to prove that the statute of limitations didn’t run out. There may also be metadata on the video but that is way beyond my pay grade. ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2019, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cannonball-run-record-broken-why-no-arrests/844665/30 "2019-12-11T14:06:54Z")
Is a still picture of a speedometer proof the car is traveling at that speed? ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2019, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cannonball-run-record-broken-why-no-arrests/844665/31 "2019-12-11T15:02:26Z")
> [@Snarky\_Kong](#): > > Is a still picture of a speedometer proof the car is traveling at that speed? More importantly, how do you know what car or person that is in the car? The prosecution has to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the person/car in question was exceeding the speed limit by a specific amount at a specific time and place. You can’t get most of that from a video still or tiny segment off YouTube. You could probably narrow it down to where it was between the GPS map and billboard, but beyond that, you don’t know when, who or what car it was, nor how fast it was actually going- it could _say_ around 150, but actually have been going 75, if they tweaked their speedometer and digital display for the sake of making a cool video. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2019, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cannonball-run-record-broken-why-no-arrests/844665/32 "2019-12-11T15:13:26Z")
> [@bump](#): > > it could _say_ around 150, but actually have been going 75, if they tweaked their speedometer and digital display for the sake of making a cool video. They could even have sped up the video playback to make it look like they were going fast. ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2019, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cannonball-run-record-broken-why-no-arrests/844665/33 "2019-12-11T15:17:56Z")
> [@bump](#): > > You could probably narrow it down to where it was between the GPS map and billboard, but beyond that, you don’t know when, who or what car it was, nor how fast it was actually going- it could _say_ around 150, but actually have been going 75, if they tweaked their speedometer and digital display for the sake of making a cool video. If someone posts a video of themselves committing a crime, you don’t need to know exactly what date it happened on, just that you aren’t violating the statute of limitations by indicting them. On the video, you can potentially determine exactly where they were, measure the fence posts they passed, and the time elapsed on the video to accurately determine the speed of the car. You can also accurately determine who the person is from the video, given that you have 3 suspects to choose from, and a very clear picture of the side of the person’s face and ear. You can also charge people with conspiracy to commit a crime, and it doesn’t matter at all which of the three was driving, simply that they worked together to cause the criminal act to happen. These guys provided the video, and openly admitted it was their video that they took at a particular point in time. The prosecution can “prove” they did it by submitting their open admission of committing the crime, it now falls to the defense to refute that evidence with conflicting evidence of their own. Fun fact, members of the jury are likely to know exactly what stretch of road this is (being that any trial will be located in that place) and may not be thrilled that these jokers were using their neighborhood for a dangerous stunt. ---
**Author:** ![md2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@md2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md2000)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2019, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cannonball-run-record-broken-why-no-arrests/844665/34 "2019-12-11T15:22:52Z")
Yes, but did they break the Gumball Rally speed record? That movie IIRC was several years before Cannonball. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2019, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cannonball-run-record-broken-why-no-arrests/844665/35 "2019-12-11T15:41:53Z")
> [@Cheesesteak](#): > > The prosecution can “prove” they did it by submitting their open admission of committing the crime, it now falls to the defense to refute that evidence with conflicting evidence of their own. Assuming the tape was admitted into evidence all the defense would have to say is “We faked it, it was a joke.” With no one to establish the provenance of the tape you’re left with nothing. ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2019, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cannonball-run-record-broken-why-no-arrests/844665/36 "2019-12-11T15:53:29Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > Assuming the tape was admitted into evidence all the defense would have to say is “We faked it, it was a joke.” With no one to establish the provenance of the tape you’re left with nothing. So, you want them to take the stand to lie about committing the crime? That always works out well. Expect the defendant to have to answer detailed questions about exactly how they faked the film, what tools they used, how they used them, along with explaining to the jury why they haven’t submitted the ‘original’ footage into evidence. ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2019, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cannonball-run-record-broken-why-no-arrests/844665/37 "2019-12-11T16:11:41Z")
If they used I-80 from its easternmost extent to Nebraska, then they definitely drove on toll roads. I-80 has tolls in Ohio and Indiana, and I think in at least part of Illinois as well. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2019, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cannonball-run-record-broken-why-no-arrests/844665/38 "2019-12-11T17:04:43Z")
I always used to wonder why rock stars who boasted about taking drugs didn’t get arrested. I assume it’s the same principle. Unless you’re caught in the act, there’s not much that can be done. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2019, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cannonball-run-record-broken-why-no-arrests/844665/39 "2019-12-11T17:25:45Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > They could even have sped up the video playback to make it look like they were going fast. It’s so ‘tough’ to do that numerous software programs have a speedup/slowdown button/slider bar right in the software. > [@cmkeller](#): > > If they used I-80 from its easternmost extent to Nebraska, then they definitely drove on toll roads. I-80 has tolls in Ohio and Indiana, and I think in at least part of Illinois as well. Do we know if they used EZ-Pass? Do we know if they used their EZ-Pass or a transponder belonging to one of their friends? We know they did mods to the vehicle; do we know that the old [license-plate-on-a-string](https://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/nyc-crime/driver-busted-retractable-license-plate-duck-toll-article-1.1761060) wasn’t one of them; thereby making it impossible to identify them on the toll roads. Without knowing a date/time/lane, that’s a lot of video to sift thru to find them to prove a vehicle (but not a specific driver) was behind the wheel in part/all of a state. ---
**Author:** ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2019, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cannonball-run-record-broken-why-no-arrests/844665/40 "2019-12-11T18:39:09Z")
> [@Colophon](#): > > I always used to wonder why rock stars who boasted about taking drugs didn’t get arrested. I assume it’s the same principle. Unless you’re caught in the act, there’s not much that can be done. There is also an element of, “What are we going to use our limited resources on, this?” If you are one of the jurisdictions that these guys drove through, are you really going to devote what may end up being considerable time and money to take them to court? For a case that will probably get tossed right out. You aren’t going to remain the county District Attorney for long if you blow your annual budget on a losing case. Evidence will consist of hearsay and easily faked video. Also known as “choose your battles.” You want to choose ones that you are likely to win. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cannonball-run-record-broken-why-no-arrests/844665.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cannonball-run-record-broken-why-no-arrests/844665.md?page=3)