[Reborn_]

The only speeding ticket I got out of with no ticket at all was the only time I was pulled over on a motorcycle. This was on a CBR600RR and I had the usual fender eliminator with integrated turn signals and deeply tucked and angled downward license plate, both of which are illegal and catch flack from police in california.

I was cruising ~75-80mph when I got stuck in the carpool lane behind 2 slow cars doing 65mph (speed limit). At the next break in the double yellows, I flicked my wrist and popped out, got ahead of them, and got back in. I noted I hit ~85mph and released throttle and around 75mph where I was planning to cruise, checked my mirror and saw CHP coming, so I let the speed drop to 65mph. He got in behind me and lit me up. By this point, the double yellows were back, so for what felt like an ETERNITY, and the only time I ever cruised at 65mph, I had my turn signal on (to let him know I'll be stopping) and waited ~3 miles for the next break in the double yellow.

We finally pulled to the shoulder, and I cut my engine and got my helmet off to let him know I'm not running. He was nice and helped me with his flashlight so I could find my license. I had everything in my backpack and it was nighttime and hard to see. He asked me how fast I was going and I could tell he appreciated my honesty. I just told him what I explained above, that I was trying to pop around them and he also acknowledged he saw that I only sped briefly. He checked all the documentation and came back and let me go. I think he was just happy that 1.) I didn't run and 2.) bike was not stolen. He mentioned something about checking if it was stolen being the main reason he pulled me over.

[DocL]

During my 42 years of driving I've had some really good speeding tickets that were all deserved. I once got two in the same day, at the same spot, by the same cop lol. But my best ticket was when I as 22.

I was on the Hutch heading south near the Rye exit in my 1977 Lancia Scorpion. It had maybe 120hp max with the mods. I was doing around 110mph through the turns where the gas station was in the center of the road. I didn't know a cop had been chasing me for a few miles because my car was loud and I had a big spoiler that blocked most of my rear vision. When I noticed he was behind me, a few miles later, I did pull over. The first thing he asked was how fast I was going, and I said pretty fast. He then said he couldn't keep up with me through the curves and thought he had lost me. After questioning me and giving me a ticket for 75mph, he was being nice and liked my car, we spoke for about 10 minutes and he wished me well and told me to slow down.

I was also filmed once on Real Stories of the Highway Patrol. My buddies and I were coming home from the Cape on our motorcycles outside of Boston. We were obviously speeding, and the camera crew was filming the entire thing. However since we were dental students and didn't act like idiots, we never made it onto a episode.

Update: I forgot to mention I was pulled over last week for 64 in a 45. Let go with a verbal warning to slow down. Not much of a story, but I still get pulled over on occasion and manage to get only verbal warnings lol. Maybe when they see an older guy like me driving a manual M3, that I'm not a teenage punk like I used to be.

[CLTMDA]

One very uneventful speeding ticket in Athens, GA while in college (I did not go to UGA). It was on a road where the speed limit went from 55 down to 35 then back to 55. Needless to say, I got caught and ticketed for 50 in a 35.

The other two times I was pulled over or tried to be pulled over are more interesting. As a really dumb teenager, I passed a police officer at the back side of a school zone (no school in session) and he was coming the other way and had to go over a hill before he could turn around. I took a quick left down a road I knew well and punched it. It was turning dark, sun at just the right height. At the bottom of the hill, the road turned 90 degrees right and after one house 90 degrees left. The last I saw of the police officer, he was stuck in the front yard of the house at the end of the first turn (summer thunder storm a few hours earlier, yard nice and soaked). I went home and parked my car and did not use that road for a couple weeks.

The next time was about 20 years ago. I was driving my Superformance Cobra replica out of the back gate of our subdivision and up the hill behind our subdivision toward the mountains in Summerlin (outside Ls Vegas). I made a couple other turns and the police car puled me over. He came up to me and told me I must have been speeding and wondered how fast I was going. I told him I wasn't going over the speed limit and that the car was just "loud". He told me to try and keep it quiet since I was close to Sun City. Well I pull away with a few choice comments to myself, he pulls up to me a couple stops signs later and yells out his window, "I see what you mean, but it's a nice car".

[Vindicator3]

One excuse I used once successfully, which also had the benefit of being true, happened when I had borrowed my Dad's station wagon to haul something and I was driving from my neighborhood to his to return it. Came over a hill on a quiet street where the limit was probably 30 and maybe I hit 40 or something like that as I went downhill - it wasn't like I was out trying to push the limit on my father's Oldsmobile.

I apologized to the officer and told him I was borrowing my Dad's car and my car was a manual and I was used to it slowing down when I let off the gas with the car in gear and I just habitually did that this time and being an auto, it just kept accelerating and I didn't hit the brakes fast enough. That was all true but I suspect I got the warning instead of a ticket primarily because when he checked everything out I didn't tick any other boxes. But I like the idea of getting let off because another stick-shifter understood the frustrations of borrowing an auto.

Most frustrating ticket ever was when I was still in college and had no money and a northern MO cop wrote me up for 66 in a 55 (and it's not like I was going 75 and he did me a favor, I was probably trying to keep it below 65 and goofed) when he was coming the other way on a two-laner as I was coming back with my now-wife from visiting my Mom, who was in Des Moines at the time. Seemed like an enormous amount of money to me at the time for a touch foul. Still ticks me off.

On this topic, I've always wondered why if "they" are interested in keeping us below the limit and/or collecting revenue, they don't use toll road time stamps to do so. I used to drive the PA turnpike to and from college and was paranoid to go much over the limit because if you got on at x time and got off at y time, z miles down the road, there was no basis to argue about radar or you got the wrong car, or whatever. I guess one could argue that one of the time stamps was wrong, but that seems pretty flimsy. But I don't think anyone's ever been ticketed on that basis.

[vreihen16]

Originally Posted by Vindicator3

I used to drive the PA turnpike to and from college and was paranoid to go much over the limit because if you got on at x time and got off at y time, z miles down the road, there was no basis to argue about radar or you got the wrong car, or whatever. I guess one could argue that one of the time stamps was wrong, but that seems pretty flimsy.

I have always wanted to see someone get a court ruling on whether the speed limit is an instantaneous speed or speed over a length of times? The sign says 65 miles per hour, so does that mean that I can go 130 on the speedo for half an hour and then take a half hour break so that I don't travel more than 65 miles in one hour?????

[Watching The World Burn]

Originally Posted by vreihen16

I have always wanted to see someone get a court ruling on whether the speed limit is an instantaneous speed or speed over a length of times? The sign says 65 miles per hour, so does that mean that I can go 130 on the speedo for half an hour and then take a half hour break so that I don't travel more than 65 miles in one hour?????

Heheh - now I'm thinking about that and how funny that would be to see that argument in court. And the way the so called justice system is going, you might just get away with it.

[UncleWede]

Heading to the Renaissance Pleasure Faire. I'm driving my '70 Cougar 351C. I'm NOT in costume. My buddy in the driver seat is dressed as a druid. Star Wars was probably about a year in the past.
I've been following this one car on the twisty roads. I see a brief dashed yellow and possibly hit 90 passing, then coasted back down closer to the listed 45. Female CHP flips around and pulls me over, then comes to the passenger side since the road was narrow.
She takes the docs, and the whole time my buddy is whispering "This is not the one you want."
She didn't even write anything down. But if she had been 1/2 mile further down the road, I might not have attended RenFaire that year.

[3.0L]

Originally Posted by Llarry

I've had more than my share of speeding tickets over the years, but this is one that I got out of. On July 4 of 2010, I was driving from W. Oregon to Utah down the middle of Oregon on two-lanes to attend my mother-in-law's 90th birthday party in Ogden UT and was really moving in my E46 M3. Speed limit 55 mph and I was doing 85 if memory serves in a rural area.

I got caught by a county sheriff going the opposite direction and as soon as I passed him, I saw his brake lights come on to turn around and get me. For the past 30-plus years, if stopped I always slip my military ID behind my drivers' license when presenting it to the officer. The ID card works wonders.

The sheriff's deputy takes my cards back to the patrol car and returns a minute or two later and hands them back to me. "Given that you are retired miliary and it is the Fourth of July and all, I'm letting you go. But keep your speed down. 70-75 mph is OK. Have a safe journey."

That was the first and only time that a LEO essentially gave me permission to speed!

I’ve never had a speeding ticket, but that doesn’t mean I don’t punch it
every now and then. If pulled over, my rear license plate frame might
help. It states, “Vietnam Veteran”.

[RPM33]

Originally Posted by XutvJet

I'll start:

On Sunday, I was traveling back to my house via the highway. It had been a really frustrating day and I needed to blow some stream off. I was on a flyover which straightened out and I had over a 1/4 mile of ramp to enter the interstate and not a car in front of me. I hammered the M2 and went from 65mph to around 105mph. I slowed down quickly to 70mph well in advance of any cars. I safely merged into traffic, used signals, etc. As I'm about 1/2 mile up the interstate, I see a HIPO Durango on the shoulder a few hundred feet in front of me. I see him release his brakes and start rolling to merge into traffic. I see him cut around traffic and start pacing me and then hits the lights to pull me over.

The officer walks up and says "Hi, the reason I pulled you over is that my helicopter got you going between 80mph and 105mph back there plus some other infractions." Just as he said that, the helicopter buzzed us. I said "That was well timed!". He chuckled and took my license. As I sat there thinking how expensive this ticket was going to be, he came back in a few minutes and said "Now I didn't witness you going that fast or all the infractions so I wrote you up for 75mph in a 65mph. Deal?". I said "Absolutely". He then said "Before you leave, this is a really nice car. I see there's a piece of road debris in front you tire. Let me get that for you."

Definitely a nice and professional officer. I was due for a ticket. It had been 19 years since my last one and I've done lots more crazy stuff than what I got caught for this time.

How much was the ticket? Do share.

[Vindicator3]

Originally Posted by vreihen16

I have always wanted to see someone get a court ruling on whether the speed limit is an instantaneous speed or speed over a length of times? The sign says 65 miles per hour, so does that mean that I can go 130 on the speedo for half an hour and then take a half hour break so that I don't travel more than 65 miles in one hour?????

Obviously (seems to me, anyway), it's instantaneous speed.

So if they used the method I asked about, you could evade the ticket by stopping for a nap or a bathroom break or lunch or whatever, but of course if a roadside officer with a radar gun got you at 130, then you're nailed.

My concern was the flipside - if the simple math of your entry time, exit time, and distance showed that your average speed was 80 (in, say, a 60) over the 30 miles you spent on the tollway, then there is no way to argue that you never hit 80 (and in fact probably exceeded 80 at some point, but they can't prove that), and ticketing you for 80 should be a no-brainer.

But there has to be some reason they never did it, and preventing mass revolt may well be that reason, but I'm just guessing.

[2000cs]

Originally Posted by Vindicator3

Obviously (seems to me, anyway), it's instantaneous speed.

So if they used the method I asked about, you could evade the ticket by stopping for a nap or a bathroom break or lunch or whatever, but of course if a roadside officer with a radar gun got you at 130, then you're nailed.

My concern was the flipside - if the simple math of your entry time, exit time, and distance showed that your average speed was 80 (in, say, a 60) over the 30 miles you spent on the tollway, then there is no way to argue that you never hit 80 (and in fact probably exceeded 80 at some point, but they can't prove that), and ticketing you for 80 should be a no-brainer.

But there has to be some reason they never did it, and preventing mass revolt may well be that reason, but I'm just guessing.

I’ve wondered the same thing. They could just make it part of the toll (a speed-incremented toll) so it doesn’t generate points or need an officer to observe the infraction, which is required in some states (this is the problem they have with red-light and speed cameras).

[ezaircon4jc]

Originally Posted by 2000cs

I’ve wondered the same thing. They could just make it part of the toll (a speed-incremented toll) so it doesn’t generate points or need an officer to observe the infraction, which is required in some states (this is the problem they have with red-light and speed cameras).

Actually, it's required by the Constitution; the 6th Amendment.

[XutvJet]

Originally Posted by RPM33

How much was the ticket? Do share.

$154 with all fees and such. The infraction itself was like $70. Everything else is fees and court costs. LOL.

[Vindicator3]

Originally Posted by 2000cs

I’ve wondered the same thing. They could just make it part of the toll (a speed-incremented toll) so it doesn’t generate points or need an officer to observe the infraction, which is required in some states (this is the problem they have with red-light and speed cameras).

Originally Posted by ezaircon4jc

Actually, it's required by the Constitution; the 6th Amendment.

How so? Nothing in there about a requirement that an officer observe the crime (and of course 99% of all crimes charged aren't personally witnessed by an officer). The closest thing I can come up with to what you're saying is the confrontation clause, but that could be satisfied by a prosecution witness testifying about how the time-stamp system works, how it's calibrated for accuracy, etc., and how that system shows that on the day in question, the defendant entered the turnpike at Noon and exited at 1:00 pm, at two stations that are 100 miles apart.

Edit to add this paragraph - The 6A also only applies to "criminal prosecutions." I'm not sure that a traffic citation which can only result in points and a three-digit fine counts as such (as opposed to something like a DUI which can be classified as a misdemeanor or a felony and can result in jail time), though I'm also not sure that it doesn't. Certainly for most purposes traffic citations aren't considered "crimes," to my knowledge, e.g. when one is required to disclose all criminal convictions.

Not that I'm advocating for this or anything, it just always made me nervous to leave such an obvious paper trail to an infraction.

[B58-M340iX]

It was a nice day, and I was in a spirited driving mood. I was driving in my '21 M340 on my BM3 e50 OTS tune on a street with a speed limit of 40 MPH. Sitting in pole position at a red light, I anxiously awaited the light change. As you do, I gave the environment a cursory check for those who may be unhappy to witness the fun I'm about to have.

Looks clear! The light changed, I mashed the pedal, and rocketed to about 50-ish MPH before letting off. Immediately, I see red and blue in my rear view, about 5 cars back.

...ah SHIT

I pulled over immediately, assuming the bright LEDs were for me -- and yep, they were. The officer quickly approaches my car from the passenger side. I put the window down for him.

<Officer>In a friendly, laughing manner, he said: **sigh**...whyyy man? Didn't see me back there?
<Me>Nervously laughing with him, I say: apparently not (haha)! yeah, sorry about that, sport mode was on, and I got a little crazy with it.
<Officer> About how fast do you think you went?
<Me>About 50mph when I let off.

He asks me for my license/insurance info. I gave him the info, and he went back to his car. After a couple of minutes, he walked back to my driver window and handed me my documents.

<Officer> Again, in a friendly voice, he said: Thanks for pulling over and being honest with me about speeding and having your information ready. You didn't give me any attitude, had your window down for me, and pulled over without issue and didn't try to run. I appreciate that.

I'm not gonna give you a ticket tonight. Thanks for being cool. *sticks fist out for fist bump*

<Me> *didnt leave him hanging and gave him a fist bump* Thanks, I appreciate that!

<Officer>Good looking car - you take care of it. Have a good night!

<Me> *thinking* did that just happen? That officer was cool as hell!


Yes, I know...very lucky LOL. Thought I'd share with everyone.

[eugenebmw]

Originally Posted by 3.0L

I’ve never had a speeding ticket, but that doesn’t mean I don’t punch it
every now and then. If pulled over, my rear license plate frame might
help. It states, “Vietnam Veteran”.

Same here. About a week ago, I got pull over and I though I am going to get a speeding ticket. Turn out the cop just give me a warning. He said you are coming in the corner too fast. I know you have a very fast car but you have to slow down after exit the highway. The speed limit is 60km/h here.

[Maynard]

First year of college (mid 80’s) I was in my first sports car, a white 240z (fully tricked with spoilers, flares, louvers, loud exhaust etc.); driving the girlfriend (future wife) back from the next town over. I’d gotten that trip time down to about 15 minutes via felonious speeds. College was in a REAL small town, and as I’m coming into town at about 70 I see a cop ahead, and turn into their very small residential area, doing the fast right-left-right hoping to lose him before he lights me up. It’s about 5 blocks square, so he does get behind me, by now I’m at neighborhood speed. I do the polite thing, “gee officer, I seem to have taken a wrong turn, got lost finding the dorms”. He replies with the ‘welcome to Yellow Springs, dorms would have been a left turn back there, keep it safe’. Wife tells me she thought she was about to see me get beaten to a pulp, given how he looked getting out of the cruiser, and now starts to believe I have some kind of jedi mind thing going (I’d told her of other talk-out-of-a-ticket incidents). Kudos to my Escort (the original version, RIP Mike Valentine)

Next up, my soon-to-be wife and I were heading out to California from Atlanta after our internship went belly up, lots of stress and making the trip straight thru with just a short in-car sleep in Reno (broke college students). We were in a clapped out 73 tempest convertible (the GTO lookalike) stuffed to the gills with our worldly belongings, and before that rest break. On a loooong open stretch we had got into a bit of a tiff over something and in the process I’d swerved a bit. Patrol car was behind a bluff observing and lit us up. Female officer was very nice, just a warning and suggestion we get some sleep; we took the suggestion and did the in-car sleepover in a Reno casino parking lot.

A year later, married, returning to CA for a visit in the 240z. Probably about 10 or 15 over, out in the desert. Patrol car comes out of nowhere (again, behind a bluff) and pulls me over. Same female officer. So I say ‘hey, I remember you, you pulled us over here about a year ago in a blue convertible’. Wife’s face is frozen in that ’you didn’t just say that did you?!’ but out of officer’s sight. Officer is again cool about it, does in fact recall the last car and comments that this one seems much nicer and it looks like I learned my lesson about driving half asleep; gives us a casual ‘keep it down’ and no ticket. Wife now utterly convinced I can do instant hypnosis or something, no longer shows even the slightest concern for how fast are we going. Next 2 tickets for either of us (and years later) are on her, for things she wasn’t doing, which only cements that impression.

[pz619]

About 15 years back, just joining the corporate world I was busted for speeding. Nothing too crazy but it was my birthday. I mentioned it was my birthday to the officer hoping for a break. She says to me "Happy Birthday" and hands me the ticket and adds "now you have something you read while you're eating your cake".

Cold as ice that one.

[Buug959]

But there has to be some reason they never did it, and preventing mass revolt may well be that reason, but I'm just guessing.[/QUOTE]

Another reason, and probably more plausible, is that they would have to cite the registered owner of the car which may or may not be the driver at the time. No way to prove who was driving. It may be your wife, brother, father or even the bastard that just stole your car. Just a thought.

[Mason Hatcher]

A Fort Worth Motorcycle Officer pulled me over one morning in April.

I was headed south and turned east (right into the sun) on a multilane road with a median that feed neighborhoods but also crosses several towns. As I was adjusting my sun visor to see, I noticed I was passing everyone. 🤷*♂️.

I decided I should slow down to figure out why, and about that time I saw a school zone sign further ahead and I realized that was why the other cars were going slow. As I began to brake, I saw him pull out of a parking lot. 🤦*♂️

Apparently, I passed the first SZ sign while looking into the sun.
Very nice guy. We chatted a bit. I was polite, explained exactly what happened from my POV, and asked him a couple of questions about his gear. (he was using what appeared to be a smart phone to take information) That sparked a conversation.

He gave me a written warning. To be fair, I deserved a ticket. He did me a solid.

Imagine that... 😉 The moral of the story is to be nice.

[Prp77]

2+ decades ago I was riding my street bike (Honda vfr750) home on a Saturday morning after a software implementation at work (back before remote was a thing). 3 miles from home got pulled over for 67 in a 35. I asked for forgiveness, but no luck. The cop was pleasant and did suggest I fight it in court, as the judge might lower the fine. So I checked the court appearance option and mailed it in.

4 or 5 months later I had not heard anything, was nervous I missed a letter and maybe there was a warrant out for me. I called the court to inquire, the clerk said the police department was late in filing and they had 2 more weeks to comply. She asked me to call back in 1.5 weeks to remind her to reach out to the department. I might have forgotten to call back :-)

About a month later received a letter from the court throwing out the case as the police department failed to respond.

[Vindicator3]

Originally Posted by Buug959

Another reason, and probably more plausible, is that they would have to cite the registered owner of the car which may or may not be the driver at the time. No way to prove who was driving. It may be your wife, brother, father or even the bastard that just stole your car. Just a thought.

Yes, they'd have to get you on the scene to avoid the "I wasn't driving" argument (similar to red-light cameras that only get your plate vs those that also get your face). But it wouldn't be that hard to at least enforce that way now and again if they wanted. Smokey could be at the toll booth and wait for the little green signal light to come on or something and then have you pull over as you exited the booth.

I was much more paranoid about it when I was 19 than I am now, though I'm rarely on a toll road these days.

Which brings up another peeve - rental cars that pay your tolls for you and then charge you double the actual toll (or more) for the "convenience."