Off Topic, but on my mind, Speeding tickets

[McSnoresalot]

Got a ticket a couple weeks ago.

I am not a guy that can talk my way out of a ticket – if a trooper pulls me over, he's going to write me up one way or the other, I just have to try not to make it worse by opening my mouth.

That said, I got nailed doing 80 mph in a 70 on my way (late) to a golf tee-time – I know 10mph over is not that big a deal – problem is, I decided to make it worse by engaging the cop:

I am sitting in the car as he walks up – shit, a Stater, these guys have NO sense of humor:

Cop

“Do you know why I pulled you over today Sir?”

Me

“'Cause I tore that tag off my mattress?”

Cop

“What?”

Me

“Sorry, I have no idea why you pulled me over....did I leave the fuel door open?”

Cop

“No”

Me

“Is one of the lights on my license plate bracket burnt out?”

Cop

“No”

Me

“Did you mistake me for the guy that flew past me going like 110mph a few miles back? He had the same color car, and I think it was a Vette too! I could see how you could be confused”

Cop

“I don't think I was confused”

Me

“Maybe the Sun was in your eyes? – it is dawn and we are headed East....”

Cop

“Can I see your license, registration and proof of insurance please?”

Me

“Sure, but I don't see how that going to help you catch that maniac we saw earlier – he's gotta be 20 miles ahead by now”


So I sit in the car while he goes back to run my plates and write me up, while waiting I started eating an orange I had in the car.
On my second piece when the cops saunters back to my window:

Cop

“Ok Sir, we have you 12 mph over the posted speed limit, need you to sign this citation, it is not an admission of guilt.”

Me

“Mmrrrgghhhfffhfg.....”

Cop

“What is that Sir?”

Me

“Sorry, I was eating an orange and thought you said I was speeding....caught me off guard, did you mean to say you caught that maniac we were talking about?”

Cop

“Please sign the citation Sir, it is not an admission of guilt, you will be able to tell your side of the story at Traffic Court.”

Me

“Well it is a heck of a story, mistaken identity and all that – are you going to be there to back me up? I may need to have you called as a witness in case the Judge doesn't believe our story about that maniac we saw in the other red Corvette.”

Cop

“Please sign the citation Sir”

So I signed and he kicked me loose - $318 pay up or fight it in court and today is the day I have to decide to fish or cut bait. Wifey says mail the check, says with my luck the Judge will have less a sense a humor than the cop and she does not want to have to throw bail for a stupid traffic ticket.

That is probably a good idea.

Mac

[Gerryk]

Being pulled over by a cop and using a nasal mask have two things in common.

Keep your mouth shut.

By the way the cop is only doing his job.

[chunkyfrog]

Thank you for introducing a little reality.
Usually, we only hear about the one success, not the 99 failures.
Then again, he may have just left a wreck full of people too smart to buckle up.
That is really hard on a cop--ruins their whole day --or week.

[McSnoresalot]

By the way the cop is only doing his job.

Only took one post.

saying it is your job don't make it right Boss
Cool Hand Luke

No need to defend LE - this was not a slam or indictment of any police, they are like any other group of people - some good, some bad, none perfect.

I got a ticket once for defective equipment because one of the two lights on my license bracket was burnt out.....got another one for 2 mph over in a 35 mph zone...as I said, it's not them, it's me. Pretty sure if I had kept my mouth shut both times I probably would not have gotten a ticket - live and learn.

Mac

[greatunclebill]

sounds like an e-mail joke i've seen a couple times.

[Starlette]

Of the last couple of times I was pulled over, I told the truth and didn't get a full blown ticket.

Starlette

[McSnoresalot]

sounds like an e-mail joke i've seen a couple times

Bwahhahahahaha - don't think so Skippy - that is an almost verbatim conversation I had 14 days ago with a Washington State Patrol cop on I90 East just outside of North Bend, Wa. - Give me your email addy and I'll send a copy of the back of the cit where the Cop wrote "mattress tag?"

gotta love the peanut gallery

Mac

[chunkyfrog]

When my dad was working as a cop (between ranch jobs), he had to deal with a horrible wreck where one of my classmates was killed. I will spare you the gory details, but it stayed with him for a long time.
You never know what the guy has just been through.

[McSnoresalot]

When my dad was working as a cop (between ranch jobs), he had to deal with a horrible wreck where one of my classmates was killed. I will spare you the gory details, but it stayed with him for a long time.

I hear ya - Pops and three of my uncles did tours in 'Nam - they don't talk about it much though so I don't have any gory details, but those guys (well 3 of the 4 anyway) are some funny dudes. You make a good point - I hope if the cop is suffering some severe PTSD from his/her job the State would need to know to take appropriate steps to help them out.

Mac

[xenablue]

McSnoresalot - I bet if you'd been busted just after the sunburn incident - he would have let you off for sure - whether you opened your mouth or not

Cheers,
xena

[BostonGal]

Listen to your wife and pay the ticket. He wrote mattress pad to remind him of you. Once he regals the judge with your story...you would be lucky if he doesn't double the fine.

[Goofproof]

What it comes down too is power, they have it we don't, Good Looks and nice Breasts will get you out of a ticket, but it's never helped me. As far as seeing gore on the job, it's part of the job, like me not wanting to see grease and working on heavy equiptment. You must live with any job, they all have downsides. Mostly Tickets are Taxes, you just pay your share and they get more donuts and coffee. The American Way. Jim

[DavidCarolina]

I suport the police in general but i NEVER, and i mean NEVER let them violate my consitutional rights.

Usually, they walk up to your window and say "where you going" to which i reply "im driving".

We've gotten used to the current police state, but simply put, if a cop is asking you questions, then he's trying to gain information that can be used against you.

The first rule of your legal rights is that you have the RIGHT TO REMAIN SILENT.

So if youre not going to talk your way out of tickets, I simply say PLEASE READ ME MY RIGHTS.

Then they say BUT YOURE NOT UNDER ARREST.

To which i respond "then, may i leave if im not under arrest?

In the end, I always request a jury trial for any speeding ticket. People dont realize its your constitutional right when youre charged with any crime.

Jurisdictions are short on manpower so obviously they dont want you anywhere near a jury. This gives you the upper hand, because at "pretrial" theyre quite anxious to "settle" your case. In most cases for the smallest fine and no points, LOL.

One time I completely talked my way out of a license suspension (i used to travel 40,000 miles a year) simply by being very humble and nice to
the pretrial attorneys.

[Sheriff Buford]

I let a guy off once when he said his wife was yelling at him to slow down... so he told me he "sped up".

Sheriff