# Speeding Ticket Q: Why would the officer do this? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 23, 2007, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speeding-ticket-q-why-would-the-officer-do-this/405245 "2007-05-23T17:27:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Catfood\_Purrito](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Catfood\_Purrito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Catfood_Purrito)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2007, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speeding-ticket-q-why-would-the-officer-do-this/405245/41 "2007-05-24T23:24:05Z")
I’ve been the lucky recipient of many speeding tickets, and on most of them, the officer was kind enough to reduce the speed. The first time I was pulled over, when I was 16 and extremely stupid, I was late for cheerleading practice and got pulled over for doing 75 in a 35. :eek: The policeman wrote down 40. ---
**Author:** ![pbbth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f9ae1b/32.png) [@pbbth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pbbth)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2007, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speeding-ticket-q-why-would-the-officer-do-this/405245/42 "2007-05-24T23:47:59Z")
As an auto insurance agent I have to say that if you do end up paying the ticket and it isnt dismissed or whatever, FOR THE LOVE OF OG TAKE THE DEFENSIVE DRIVING COURSE! Even if your current policy has a forgiveness thing where you arent charged for the first ticket or whatever if you get a ticket again in the future or get in an accident you will then be charged for both incidents. Don’t take the chance, just take the class. I know I am not your agent but I have to say it makes me feel really bad to talk to people who just paid the ticket and didn’t think anything of it and now their premiums have gone up $1000 a year (sometimes more than that depending on what else is going on with their policy.) ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2007, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speeding-ticket-q-why-would-the-officer-do-this/405245/43 "2007-05-25T00:46:36Z")
I’ve put this link here before, and I’ll do it again: [How to Beat Your Ticket Forum](http://www.radardetector.net/viewforum.php?f=6&sid=562139fa9880c48303bdcb36a904989e) These guys really know what they are doing and have helped many a person get off scot-free. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2007, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speeding-ticket-q-why-would-the-officer-do-this/405245/44 "2007-05-25T01:29:26Z")
[QUOTE=Monty] Isn’t it a myth that cops have ticket quotas? [/QUOTE] My dad is a retired police officer who, whenever he was asked if he had a quota, would answer, “Nope. I’m allowed to write as many as I want.” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2007, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speeding-ticket-q-why-would-the-officer-do-this/405245/45 "2007-05-25T01:32:35Z")
[QUOTE=pbbth] As an auto insurance agent I have to say that if you do end up paying the ticket and it isnt dismissed or whatever, FOR THE LOVE OF OG TAKE THE DEFENSIVE DRIVING COURSE! Even if your current policy has a forgiveness thing where you arent charged for the first ticket or whatever if you get a ticket again in the future or get in an accident you will then be charged for both incidents. Don’t take the chance, just take the class. I know I am not your agent but I have to say it makes me feel really bad to talk to people who just paid the ticket and didn’t think anything of it and now their premiums have gone up $1000 a year (sometimes more than that depending on what else is going on with their policy.) [/QUOTE] Washington does not offer defensive driving as an option. The best the OP could hope for without fighting the ticket is a deferral. ---
**Author:** ![Iggins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Iggins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iggins)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2007, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speeding-ticket-q-why-would-the-officer-do-this/405245/46 "2007-05-25T01:38:33Z")
[QUOTE=John DiFool] I’ve put this link here before, and I’ll do it again: [How to Beat Your Ticket Forum](http://www.radardetector.net/viewforum.php?f=6&sid=562139fa9880c48303bdcb36a904989e) These guys really know what they are doing and have helped many a person get off scot-free. [/QUOTE] Interesting. I read a couple of threads. Maybe I’ll post my situation for an opinion. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speeding-ticket-q-why-would-the-officer-do-this/405245.md?page=2)