My number was up -- what would you do?

[island_dude]

I got on the road early this morning and traffic was light and the conditions nice. Visibility was good despite the slight overcast in the sky.

I got going a bit faster than usual and found myself passing cars much more than normal. I typically just hang back a bit and don't get very agressive. The parkway is posted at 50MPH -- Way slow for the road its easy to go fast.

Just has I buzzed past a car and shifted over to the right I saw the unmistakeble sign of officer friendly calling me in for a chat. 81 in a 50 zone. Naturally, he asked how fast I was going. I gave him the obligatory "Gee, officer I don't really know". I think my look of surprise seemed honest to him. 30+ over the limit is not a minor issue -- This involves a court date at the county.

I was going fast -- I know I pegged 70+. I was paying attention to the road and not trying to regulate speed very much. The GPS says my peak was at 82. The good officer is probably spot on. After handing me the ticket he offered that its easy to go fast on this road. He saw me passing a couple of cars that were going 74 before he tagged me. He had me dead to rights-- I wasn't just spiking up over the limit on a pass, he had seen me over a good distance.

Ok. Now what? This is my first ticket in over 5 years. My last one was trivial. I don't have a history of accidents (esp. at fault accidents or violations). I am inclined to go in and tell the Judge: "I screwed up and was going a bit fast. I was paying attention to the bike and not monitoring my speed. "

Any thoughts, sugestions etc? I have until the 1st. week of Sept. to get my story straight.

[alq2]

pay the fine and go to traffic school

[Dingo Joe]

take out a hit on the officer. if he don't show up in court the ticket gets thrown out...

[blusxv]

Always go to court, You have nothing to lose. In most cases they will plea bargin before you even get to the judge, In this you will agree to a charge that has no points but you pay a fine.

My last ticket the Officer didnt show up in court so the judge dropped the ticket, no points no fine.

The worst case is you will have to accept your points and fine for the offence you were ticketed for.


IMO its always worth your time to go to court.


Mike

[island_dude]

I should point out that going to court is mandatory. This ticket is for 30 over the limit, so I am in for a hard time.

[Moybin]

First - what blusxv said.

Second -

Originally posted by Dingo Joe
take out a hit on the officer. ...

Man, if there were Secret Service agents working for LLE, you'ld be heading down the road that PEP just took! If all those folks that the Enron jerks screwed out of their retirements can't be bothered to take out hits on those guys, no one should be talking about hurting Officer Friendly. He was "just doing his job" even if it includes "profiling" and "harrassment".

That whole Enron mess makes me realize just how much more of a "kinder, gentler" nation we have become (read spineless lemmings).

Now watch the fallout from this post!!!!

[718Rider]

When I lived in VA I got a bunch of tickets - all usually for 20+ over - Go in, plead GUILTY and they wil generally reduce the ticket. If you create a story, you'll get hammered.

[boxercup]

Greetings,

If you want to dance, you have to pay the fiddler.

At least you can talk about it!

It really is a warning, you are not on a closed course.

See:How can a great day turn out so wrong

[Dingo Joe]

Originally posted by Moybin
...Man, if there were Secret Service agents working for LLE, you'ld be heading down the road that PEP just took! If all those folks that the Enron jerks screwed out of their retirements can't be bothered to take out hits on those guys, no one should be talking about hurting Officer Friendly. He was "just doing his job" even if it includes "profiling" and "harrassment"...

I never said it was a good idea, just AN idea...

[RonC]

You didn't say which pkwy, GW, Ffx, ... I assume it was a county cop who nailed you. Which court do you have to go to? Makes some difference in NVa due to the Commonwealth's Attny.

My experience is that with a fairly clean driving record you can show up at the courthouse early, grab the prosecuting attny and cut a deal to reduce or dismiss right there. Sometimes, you can get away w/ only paying court costs. The key is to dress right (suite), act humble and appologestic, ... Hey, LEOs and prosecutors are human, no?

The key is to go to court, however. Hey, if you pay you know you loose. If you go to court ...

[lemec]

island dude, you say court date at the county? So was this the Fairfax cty pkwy, not the GW? The GW usually has park police speed trappers, I think (it's often infested with them).

I say go to court (your record is clean) and hope for a reduction.

[motoyoyo]

Last weekend I got pulled over for doing 91 mph passing a school bus on a double yellow in a 45 mph posted zone. The officer was sitting in the shadow of a tree in the middle of a long straight. Before the straight was a long twisty uphill grade where I was stuck behind a full size school bus. When I passed I made it quick and aggressive, but immediately backed off once I was clear of the bus. I really had no idea how fast I was going at the time.

This was one of those times where you really have no argument and you just have to politely take your scolding and punishment. I was already adding up numbers and fines in my head as I was taking off my helmet. When he asked how fast I was going I said I didn't know and that I was just frustrated from having to follow the bus up the grade. When he asked why I had to go so fast I just told him that it only takes a couple seconds to get to that speed and it was a really long bus. He went to his car for a while and came back to me and said " I can't even imagine how expensive a ticket like this would cost you, just slow it down. You wouldn't want those kids on the bus to see you go down in the gravel would you? Have a nice day" He handed me my stuff back and drove off. Holy S*it ! No ticket. Needless to say I was having to pull over to let cars go by me on the way home.

Wow, you just never know what you're going to get when you're in this kind of situation. The best thing you can do is keep your attitude in check and be prepared to pay whatever they tell you. Like others said, just admit what you did and get your checkbook ready. You just might get a break. Don't count on it though. Deal with it and move on. This was actually a good deterent for me because I'm certain the next time I get pulled over I'll get hammered. You just don't get a break like that twice in a row.

[FDH]

There's something a little off center here. Passing a schoolbus, over a double yellow line at 91 mph in a 45mph zone. That's not a formula for a long and healthy life. Also, it's that kind of riding that gives motorcyclists a bad name. Sets a bad example for younger, impressionable riders. Why do things like this happen? I guess I don't have room to preach, because I have been guilty of similar things. My question (to myself as well as to others) is why do we do these things? Maybe Bill Clinton said it best. "Because I could" That's not much of a reason, but maybe it's all we have. You were incredibly lucky not to have gotten a ticket. Been there myself too. If you do get a ticket, best advice is to go to court and hope the officer doesn't show. If he does, be respectful, and contrite. Tell the truth and hope to convince the judge you've learned your lesson and you'll be more careful from now on. Dress for the occasion. (dress shirt, tie, slacks, polished shoes, fresh haircut and clean shaven--no cowbowy hat or baseball cap) Ask to be allowed to go to traffic school (If you qualify, and if traffic school is available in your state.) Good luck.

[motoman]

Change your identity and move to Cuba.

[Mike Gehl]

Had a similar experience 2 weeks ago - me approaching a turn, a new County Exhibition appeared head on (new colors, didn't look like the old paint scheme, didn't recoginze it, etc.) and suddenly it lit up like a Christmas tree - and for the first time in years, he had me dead to rights. 95 in a 45.

I used to design "law enforcement electronics", so usually I can find a situation with which I can argue my way out in court, like truck within sight going either way (reasonable doubt), instant-on (unstable reference), etc. This time he really had me - one on one, straight on, no trafffic - and I figured I was toast.

The officer stops in the middle of his lane, and I haul on the brakes and do the same, there was no traffic at the time, and I pull off the helmet and start reaching for my wallet. He sticks his head out of the window, looks me in the eye, and says "you know you were going well over double the speed limit here? I know you're out having fun, but there are a lot of idiots out there. Try to keep it down", rolls up his window, and continues on his way.

I just sat there, jaw hanging open, heart pounding at attack speed, staring back. Holy sh|t. This was the absolute first time our local county cops hadn't put me through the licence/registration/inspection/lecture routine. Never even had the chance to turn off the ignition, seeing as we were in the middle of the road!

It was a beautiful morning, the sun was shining, the tank was clean...oops - too much of the kid's Disney there... and that made the day just about perfect. Figuring that that pretty much ate up my karmic points for the day, I went home, pretty slowly, and stained the deck for the rest of the day while my pulse slowed down.

I don't go more than 50% over in that stretch any more.

Mike

[island_dude]

I was on the Fairfax County parkway and it ticket says that I report to the fairfax county court. I appreciate all of the inputs.

The LEO was very professional and reasonably polite. Intially, he was a bit formal and then eased off a bit when he realized that I wasn't intending to argue with him (just act shocked).

I have to see what I am in for as far as the worst case. This will be a stiff ticket, and the points will suck. Any slack I can get would be welcome.

I am half tempted to take the approach a friend of mine used once. He was asked how he would plead and answered: "Guilty as hell!". The judge asked him to elaborate and he described how the poor LEO finally got him during a more agressive commute to work. The judge gave him about as much off as the other folks crying about having to get to the hospital etc. and was at least amused to hear a straight story for a change.

[ckcarr]

I think the cops are much more forgiving out West as a rule. I still remember my 120 mph experience out on I-70 ...

There was this BMW rider complaining to me this weekend about getting pulled over and ticketed in Texas for being 3 mph over the limit. Go figure.

[SparkyBlue]

Pay the fine and request deferred adjudication(sp?) if available, and keep your nose clean

[shoemakj]

I'm thinking you might want to consult an attorney on this one. You're in "reckless driving" territory and you do not want to plead guilty to that. It'll hose your insurance premiums for years to come. At least that's the conventional wisdom imparted on the DC-Cycles listserv. The money spent on the lawyer is peanuts compared to what your new insurance rates will be.

You might be able to plea bargain with the Commonweath's Attorney yourself, but if it were me, I'd want some professional help.

--Jim

[Moki]

I just have to share my experience with the last ticket I got. It was a speed trap on a down hill run just after a sweeper. I got tagged for doing 71 on 45 by a laser.

I went to court for trial after pleading not guilty. When it was my turn to argue, I put the officer on the witness stand. I asked him the estimated distance from where he first spotted me. His anwer was "about 700 feet". I also asked him the way I had stopped, and his anwser was "it was a nice and smooth slow down and stop". I then asked him if he had put away the laser before waving me down? His response was that he had put the laser back into the saddle bag (motorcycle cop) before stopping me.

I then turned to the judge and said the follwing; at the speed of 71mph, I had to be traveling 104 ft/sec., average human reaction time is 1/4 of a second and my Camaro can stop from 60 to 0 in 212 feet, according to Road & Track, and my educated guess from 71 mph should lie smoewhere closed to 300 feet or so, but in a panic stop only.

I then argued that there was not enough time and distance for me to react to the Officer's instruction to pull over (after he had tucked away the laser) in the nice and smooth fashion, if I was going at the speed as indicated. I also offer the possiblity of the officer might have pointed the laser at a different vehicle.

The judge smiled and said " it was a very amusing argument, reasonable but amusing. I'll zero you fine but still charge you the 3 points for the ticket." I asked her to reverse it by charging me the full fine but no points. She declined. I went w/o any tickets since then and therefore no points on my record at this time. Knock on wood!!!