So I got a speeding ticket yesterday. That’s not my problem. I was speeding, and deserved a ticket. $43 fine. I’m not complaining. In Minnesota it’s up to like $2000 or something silly like that. Anyway, my anger came to a head when I was stopped not by the trooper who shot me doing 76 in a 65, but when, twenty-five miles down the road, another trooper coming from the other way made a u-turn in front of me, pulled over to the shoulder, waited until I had passed him, then turned on his lights and pulled me over.
When he came up to my truck, he had a very congenial smile on his face. “Buddy of mine got you doing 76 about twenty miles back, but he was busy, so I pulled you over. We’re gonna wait for him,” the trooper said. So I have to wait for this other guy to finish his donut? What the hell is that? Isn’t he supposed to drop his Original Glazed Krispy Kreme and chase after me? Where the hell does he get off dispatching minions to catch the idiot in the speeding truck? Is that even legal? I’m sure it is, but I think it’s a bunch of crap.
I bet it wouldn’t have happened if you didn’t have out of state plates. It would seem that there is just too much to contest in that scenario, but they figured, feh, like he’ll be coming back to this shitstain on the earth just to fight a $43 fine.
Try to remember that Iowa is in the throes of a fiscal crisis. What with the Farm Bureau dominated legislature cutting taxes, the Universities forced to increase tuition by some 50% over the last five years, the highways and bridges falling apart, the public finally realizing that they have a better chance of watching Elvis bugger Madonna than they do of winning the Power Ball lottery and so much of our sales tax money going to the Mall of Americas, the state needs your $43.00. We appreciate your support.
If you can find a better way to get from Minneapolis to Kansas City–more power to ‘ya. In the meantime, keep in mind that when we say 65mph we mean 75mph and not a bit faster.
You got stopped for 76? Darn, I might have to start slowing down.
It’s Iowa State Patrol, by the way. Iowa State Police is DPS, aka “The Parking Nazis”.
Like its been said before. You can speed but you can’t out run radio!
Wikkit…it was just north of Ames.
I find nothing unusual here. The clocking officer (for whatever reason) couldn’t catch up to you, and his fellow officer did. Happens all the time. Are you sure it took 25 miles?:dubious:
That seems like a long ways to finally get someone only going 11 over.
Cite? I find it hard to believe an 11 over ticket is 2 grand.
I was being facetious. Actually it’s in the neighborhood of $150 or something. Which seems like two grand when it used to be $95. And yes…the trooper who stopped me said it was twenty miles back.
Oh. Then it is actually possible that you got stopped by Iowa State University’s police, since they’ve recently been working with the county and Patrol speed trapping on 35.
Maybe you might want to reconsider your approach when finding yourself stopped.
A few years ago, perhaps I was the beneficiary of good karma, but was stopped in Kansas when traveling Westward, and in Texas when traveling Eastward, both times for speeding, (87 in a 65 zone and 92 in a 70 zone respectively), and both Officers let me go with a handshake and a warning.
I was driving a rental car with out of state (PA) tags, and have shoulder length hair, as the dopers who know me will attest.
It’s all about attitude.
Any inclination to share this attitude, or are you just gloating?
Wikkit. Please tell me your kidding–the unarmed university watchmen are pulling speeders over on the Interstate? Seems hard to accept, especially since the Iowa City P.D. has just announced that because the university will not pay it $5000 a year to cover overtime for its officers it is not going to expend any special effort for traffic control on football days. But, maybe they don’t get as big a crowd at Ames and the U-cops there are looking for something to do.
I’m not sure I pay much attention to being pulled over by the university security service when I’m no place close to Iowa State. I suppose that the U-cops could be properly certified peace officers, but this doesn’t strike me as a good idea on several levels–not the least of which is taking some portion of the U’s budget, an increasing portion of which comes from students instead of the state legislature, and using it to fund what does not look like the traditional function of Iowa State A&M.
On the main topic: anybody who goes howling down Interstate 35 so much as a foot per second over the 10 mph cushion on the 65 mph speed limit is going to get busted if they are spotted. There is no two ways about it. Interstate 80 is a different problem. The volume of traffic, especially big truck traffic, is so heavy that the ISP recognizes that 80 mph on that road is just a matter of self preservation all the way from the Mississippi to the Missouri. From Omaha to Denver I don’t think anybody cares how fast you go. Going north and south throught Iowa on Interstate 35, however, you would be well advised to watch your ass, especially if you are in an older full sized van with Arizona license plates and tinted windows.
Gladly-no gloating involved.
When stopped, the radio goes off, driver window goes down, and I lock thumbs under the wheel with all fingers pointed up side by side at the 12 o’clock position. Head is fixed straight ahead.
When the Officer asks if I know why I have been stopped, I admit it. Speeding. When the Officer asks for my license, registration and financial responsibility card, I ask permission before removing my hands from the wheel. If I need to head to the glovebox or another area which might contain a weapon, I verbally indicate my intention before moving in that direction.
Stay in your vehicle unless requested to exit by the Officer. The Texas Officer asked me if I was carrying any packages that might contain something illegal. I smiled, and held out the keys, saying, “If you find anything illegal in this car, then you, me and Avis are going to have a hard sit down.” The Officer laughed and never took the keys.
In Kansas, I passed three cars which were proceeding at 15 MPH in a 45 MPH zone. I passed them all at once, when the solid line became broken. Several miles down the road, now travelling at 85 MPH, I saw blinkies in the mirror. When they drew closer, I figured that I was the one sought, and slowed. The Officer asked me if I knew why I was being stopped, and I told him “Speeding.” His reply was no, I was being stopped for an illegal passing adjacent to a railroad crossing in Pawnee Creek. “Pawnee Creek? That was 10 miles back up the highway!” The Officer says, yes, I’ve been doing 120 MPH trying to catch you! I smile and say, “Now didn’t I start out this conversation by admitting that I was speeding?” He busts out laughing, and we part as described in the previous post.
Law Enforcement Professionals are trying to do a job, not make your life miserable. My life experience has been that a soft word and a smile carry much weight.
Again, it’s all about attitude.
Be that as it may, danceswithcats, they pulled me over, and came to the passenger side of my truck, not the driver’s side. And I was completely civil with them, going so far as to make a joke that the Hamilton County courthouse couldn’t give me a stamp for the pre-addressed envelope in which I was instructed to mail my fine. Again, I am not complaining about the ticket, just the manner in which I was stopped. And now that I know about the 10 MPH cushion, I will make sure to go not a foot/second faster than 75. Not even an inch/second. I swear.
So?
I’ll tell you why, pkbites. It is very difficult to be charming and weaselly when you have to climb over a gearshift and the accumulated detritus of 12 hours of driving in order to open a window. 24 foot straight trucks do not lend themselves to graceful or charming behavior. Also, because I was speeding in a Commercial Vehicle and from out of state, there was no way I was going to get out of the ticket. And now that I think about it, you were gloating, danceswithcats.
You may want to check the rules in your State or Commonwealth. In PA, you’re given a 10 MPH cushion if the speed is clocked using radar, X or K band, or laser. Only the Pennsylvania State Police are empowered to use these speed ascertaining devices. Vascar, ESP strips, and the old fashioned stopwatch are devices permitted for use by local law enforcement entities, and they need only afford you a 5 MPH cushion.
Don’t ask-I cannot figure that one out either-it’s in the PA Motor Vehicle Code.
I respectfully disagree, Sir. I’d take no satisfaction in knowing that I escaped the charges which fell upon you and not me. I was equally culpable, and as I believe I stated in my original post to this thread, it was perhaps good karma in my favor.
FWIW-the distance between point of speed clocking and pull over by the other Officer may be an issue of defense. IANAL, but I have read of the issue being raised regarding ‘visual continutiy’ from the Officer that first clocks your speed and alleges an offense. Unless said Officer continues to observe your vehicle until he/she or another Officer stops your vehicle, it could be stated as a defense that your vehicle was not the one sought. The previous statement presumes that your registration tag number was not recorded by the clocking Officer, and that you weren’t on a long stretch of limited access roadway. In short, could you allege that the vehicle clocked for the speeding offense exited the roadway, and you entered same, lawfully operating a similar vehicle?
This is very true. I can’t count the times I’ve passed a cop more likely than not checking for speeders, going ~75mph in a 65mph. I do the Counciltucky to the MO border about 4 times a year for the past 6 years.
:dubious:
Please provide a cite, showing this in the code. No offense, but just because you say it says that don’t make it so. I’ve never heard of an official code giving any cushion over the speed limit.
The operators manual for the radar gun I use indicates that it is acurate +/- 1mph. Which means I could write tickets at 2 over.
The judges in Milwaukee County generally won’t convict anything under 13 over, but that’s an unwritten rule of thumb, not a written one. Show me that code!