# Oh, you're rich? Well then you may drive faster than the rest of us. **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 17, 2006, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-youre-rich-well-then-you-may-drive-faster-than-the-rest-of-us/380810 "2006-11-17T06:59:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2006, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-youre-rich-well-then-you-may-drive-faster-than-the-rest-of-us/380810/21 "2006-11-18T05:19:28Z")
[QUOTE=tremorviolet] I actually see the opposite: lower speeds in more affluent neighborhoods. In the richer meighborhoods, you usuallyhave more actively involved parents and homeowners who are also more influential. Often they’ll agitate for lower speeds even where it’s not even warranted. In lower income neighborhoods, the residents often have less of a sense of ownership (and in Texas, may be immigrants who may not even realize they have a voice) and will just live with whatever is posted. [/QUOTE] I was gonna say that. When I lived in San Jose I noticed that pretty much all of Palo Alto, second ritziest spot on the peninsula (Atherton is richer), had lower posted speed limits in general. Down to 25mph on streets considered arteries in other areas. Of course, posting the lower speed didn’t mean anyone actually drove it. I used to amuse myself by actually sticking to what the speed limit sign said, and watching the Beemers and SUVs stack up behind me. ---
**Author:** ![Lightray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightray/32/391_2.png) [@Lightray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightray)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2006, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-youre-rich-well-then-you-may-drive-faster-than-the-rest-of-us/380810/22 "2006-11-18T05:30:49Z")
[QUOTE=ParentalAdvisory] What did you get a “defective equipment” ticket for? [/QUOTE] I believe that **MikeG** was saying that he’d arranged to have his bogus speeding ticket swapped out for a defective equipment ticket, in much the same was as I mentioned above that my lawyer brother does for his speeding friends. ---
**Author:** ![ParentalAdvisory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@ParentalAdvisory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParentalAdvisory)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2006, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-youre-rich-well-then-you-may-drive-faster-than-the-rest-of-us/380810/23 "2006-11-18T06:01:47Z")
[QUOTE=Lightray] I believe that **MikeG** was saying that he’d arranged to have his bogus speeding ticket swapped out for a defective equipment ticket, in much the same was as I mentioned above that my lawyer brother does for his speeding friends. [/QUOTE] I got that part, just wondering what deal he got. From speeding ticket to…? I mean if they’re going to cut him a deal, what did he get instead? “defective equipment” needs to say something like cracked windshield, bald tires, etc… And then I would wonder, isn’t this fraud? ---
**Author:** ![UntouchedTakeaway](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/d78d45/32.png) [@UntouchedTakeaway](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UntouchedTakeaway)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2006, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-youre-rich-well-then-you-may-drive-faster-than-the-rest-of-us/380810/24 "2006-11-18T13:41:07Z")
[QUOTE=DesertDog] I was gonna say that. When I lived in San Jose I noticed that pretty much all of Palo Alto, second ritziest spot on the peninsula (Atherton is richer), had lower posted speed limits in general. Down to 25mph on streets considered arteries in other areas. Of course, posting the lower speed didn’t mean anyone actually drove it. I used to amuse myself by actually sticking to what the speed limit sign said, and watching the Beemers and SUVs stack up behind me. [/QUOTE] Ditto here in Morris County, NJ. While the Mendhams (township & borough) don’t have any of the road configurations described in the OP, I can tell you that speed limits of _20_ mph are common on some of the roads. Most cars idle at 20 - lol - so I can tell you that traveling these roads can be a challenge. VCNJ~ ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2006, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-youre-rich-well-then-you-may-drive-faster-than-the-rest-of-us/380810/25 "2006-11-18T13:58:40Z")
[QUOTE=ParentalAdvisory] I got that part, just wondering what deal he got. From speeding ticket to…? I mean if they’re going to cut him a deal, what did he get instead? “defective equipment” needs to say something like cracked windshield, bald tires, etc… And then I would wonder, isn’t this fraud? [/QUOTE] The last time I got a speeding ticket here in Denver, I was able to plea-bargain right on the ticket to “unsafe vehicle” or something like that. $10 or 15 cheaper, and two fewer points. They do it to encourage paying instead of fighting the ticket. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-youre-rich-well-then-you-may-drive-faster-than-the-rest-of-us/380810.md?page=1)