Cop Stop! What to do:

[TexKan]

This is a good debate - but ya know what? Speeding still is ANYTHING over the posted limit. Thats why there are signs. It's the max you are legally and SAFELY allowed to do on that particular road or area. - if you go over and get caught - then YOU were speeding - NOT excercising your right to set your own speed limit. If there are extenuating circumstances - like raceing to the hospital - most cops will graciously take you there on thier lights. No one has the RIGHT to speed and disobey laws - that's why there are courts and fines and jails. Course most cops feel these things are a joke most the time because people twist something as simple as a speed limit into some pre ordained order to faster than anyone else. I bet if cops weren't spending so much time going to court over things like this that maybe they could spend some additional time with OMG - maybe their family??????? What a concept. Not all cops get paid to go to court - most do but ya know I'm sure some cops kid would much rather his mom or dad be able to take him to school that day instead - just a simple pleasure not everyone or every family gets. Think about it next time you decide to contest something that made ya hit your brake lights. Ya play - ya pay. Simple My opinion still is if ya want to go "really fast".......get a crotch rocket and leave the helmet at home. Statistics will catch ya sooner or later and everyone will be out of your way and your right to speed will not be an issue any longer. I don't think anyone EVER speeds to get to the cemetary to visit the one they lost in that accident.

[Highwayman]

Many years ago I got pulled over for speeding. It was on a city street (not Dodge) and the officer had turned from a side street and was coming toward me. I was polite and ask to see the readout and was shown. I really didn’t think it was right. When I ask how the unit measured the officer’s speed toward me and calculated the difference to get my speed, she said never mind, I’m not going to write a ticket. Always wondered if that little question made the office realize a whoops. Yes, I do believe mistakes happen and we shouldn’t always just pay a ticket without question.

[TexKan]

You missed the message - I'm not advocating "just paying the ticket". I'm saying if you are guilty (which with speeding we usually are - non guilt is the posted limit ) don't waste officers' and court time with smoke and mirrors. It's ONLY a speeding ticket. If ya get too many then SLOW DOWN! I think we spend far too much time trying to "beat the system" - not because we are right - but I think some just feel compelled to "win" at any cost. We contested a ticket for running a red light in Austin - drove the 5 hours to get to court and did win - only because we were right, we felt it was a "short yellow" and ya know what - it was. If we had gotten "caught" we would have just paid the ticket. I think this attitude of doing "whatever it takes" to beat the system says little for our society and teaches our children that it's OK to lie cheat or whatever so long as it's in our favor. Sad message. There is a saying that goes - "When a society chooses to wage war on it's police it will be forced to make peace with it's criminals." I'm just saying - "man - up" and do the "right" thing - not the thing that you feel will make a good story of how you "got away with it " cause you had more smoke and mirrors. Cops don't sit at home and try to figure out how to win that traffic ticket - they don't have the time to just hunt down speeders - there are more serious infractions to deal with in society. Course in a small town ya need to be careful of being too well known - you can become the "gimmie" if you are always fighting with the officers. That is just human nature - not bad cops. There are "bad cops" without a doubt but I bet they spend more time padding their own pockets instead of the county's - think about it.

[Bubba]

Originally Posted by lurker

The best solution for compliance I've heard was in a comedy skit. The fellow offered that speeders be sent to a penalty box where they wait-out the penalty. 10 minutes for every mile over.... so a 40 in a 30 would cost the driver 100 minutes in the box. No fine or buy out on the time deal. I know I'd be more careful when I absolutely had to be somewhere "on time."

Instant enforcement/penalty is much better than justice delayed.

Never thought of that, but I think it would work.

[Highwayman]

Sorry about getting off your point and coming across confrontational TexKan.

On the business of short yellows, and you didn’t say if it was one of those camera tickets or not. There has been scandal over the last few years about some large metropolitan areas installing stop light cameras and intentionally resetting the light timing for short yellows as an easy source of revenue. I think lots of folks feel like the powers that be don’t always play fair and just want to pick our pockets. I think it causes people to want to beat the system every chance they get to make up for the times they unjustly got burned.

[lurker]

Those Automatic Ticket Machines are encouraged my Insurance companies under the lie of safety but (truth be known) it's because writing insurance to clean-record drivers isn't as profitable as putting a couple of ATM tickets on an otherwise perfect driver.

The net result is more rear end collisions at said intersections.

Lots of website discussion on this subject.... do a Gooooogle before defending ATM stoplights.

[TexKan]

Do we get in lots of trouble if we are confrontational??? Gee Hwyman - I thought that what voicing your thoughts were all about - no offense taken. Thank you sir anyway for your kindness ..LOL
The short yellow was not done by camera - it was a "live stop". Turned yellow as he entered and red before he could cross. In Texas the yellow has to be 3 or 5 seconds long - can't remember but there is a state law covering length of yellow. We won ONLY because it was truely short. He just felt that it was truely a very short yellow - we normally will stop on yellow when safe to do so - the yellow was just there one second and red the next. Not like a normal light - was odd to get caught on red - Like I said if we were truely wrong we would have just paid the ticket. Wouldn't drive 5 hours if there was guilt involved.
They are running the camera tickets in Houston. Just started last week. No actual tickets for a month or so - just a letter that they saw you and the letter next time will be a ticket. They are workin out the kinks. They did however pick up a guy last week that blew the toll booth for over 2 years - he owed thousands in toll $. They hauled him off to jail - but considering that the Harris County boys just let a reconvicted murderer waitin for the chain walk out last week it's hard to jump up and dance for the 2 year investigation and conclusion of the toll booth guy. Just goes to show - some days are diamonds some days are gold. Last year they laid off all the jailers and brought TCLOSE officers in to do jailer work. Cops were pissed - lots of jailers lookin for jobs - they might decide the jailers were more alert - who knows. Course when my son was a jailer - he lost one too

[Army_of_One]

Originally Posted by wordsmythe

Next time you get that call to donate to the FOP or any other police or fier organization ask the caller what percentage their company gets and how much actually goes to that cause.

Last time I asked it was an 80/20 split in favor of the telemarketing company.

If you want to donate to those organizations you should send the check directly to them.

I never asked that. I though the police were the one's actually doing the calling myself. They didn't sound like professional telemarketers. They are kind of pusy. If it is 80/20 I would prefer to not donate. That is ridiculous!

[TexKan]

We don't give to FOP - if ya want to know what and who to give to ask your officers. My kids are on SWAT - they have fundraisers during the year. The entire force does the bike thing at Christmas. We also have "Blue Knights" and the cycle guys have their own thing to. They did a collection during the NOPD thing and took supplies. They have DARE officers that do soliciting. I feel if I'm gonna give want to give so it helps them - and many of the phone calls are telemarketing. Ask the cops if these organizations really interface with your local dept.
Have to add one thing about the bikes last year. They were "tour de hood" bikes - laughed till I cried. They were greatly appreciated but thought the name of the bikes were strange to say the least. Ya know the only ones that noticed the name tho were the cops. Aren't kids great at Christmas???

[Made in the USA]

The PAL (Police Athletic League) is a good organization that is always looking for donations. My Son was involved on a team, and they sent him all over the US to compete in tournaments.