Double the speed limit and no ticket? Lucky day.
 

I was hauling butt down a big empty street yesterday. Before I get your stern lecture, the road should probably be posted at 45 MPH, but this fact has escaped the notice of the CalTrans signage personnel. Anyway, I'm laying tracks in the early morning and I look in the rearview. Yikes! City police would like to have a chat with me. I immediately cut the engine, I don't want him to hear more of my motor than he already has.

Me: Good morning officer! Is there a problem?

Him: Do you know you were going 70 MPH in a 35 MPH zone?

Me: Really? I can't imagine I was going that fast.

Him: Well, you were. I'll give you a warning today, but try to keep your speed down.

Me: I really appreciate that. Thanks very much!

How the heck did that happen? Normally if I get the stop, I get the citation. I'm always respectful and polite, but I usually get the ticket anyway. Maybe it was my lucky day. Anybody here have a proven strategy for decreasing the chances of a ticket after the stop?

Maybe he saw your "I don't brake for cyclists" bumper sticker. :) Based on stories I've heard and personal experience, some cops are biased against cyclists.

I was pulled over a few months ago for a subtle display of speed via the rev limited exhaust tones of a clean 3.0L flat six. I showed the two officers respect. They could probably tell I was scared. I got a warning, and it worked, because I no longer speed through town.

;)

It was in the morning? Hmmm, probably late for the donut shop.

Shoot. When I read the title of the thread, I thought I was going to hear about double the speed limit, as in 130. :D

I won't go through the story, but let's just say i know how you feel.

my cousin knows a cop,
he asked him the best way to get out of a ticket
the cop told him to give your wallet to the officer when he asks for his license
legally they cant take your wallet (so keep them busy with mindless jabber)
when he gives it back claim there is money missing
9/10 he won't bother giving you a ticket
if he does take it to court - you will win.

In California there is no way an officer will touch your wallet if you try to hand it to them. Almost without exception, these folks are well trained professionals. Maybe I'm wrong, but I just can't see the officer accepting the wallet.

I'm sorry, but that sounds like some pretty *not smart* advice to me, and even trying to hand a cop your wallet is a good way to really get things off on the wrong foot. http://www.pelicanparts.com/support/smileys/shake.gif

I've been pulled over twice in the last month for speeding on city streets by LAPD, first time got a ticket for 50 in a 35 by a motorcycle cop, they do traffic exclusively and don't cut many breaks. They tend to view traffic laws very strictly. The second time was a squad car, right behind me as I roll down an empty big street at midnight @60+mph. I had just left a Thai restaurant in Hollywood and was freezing, windows fogged up, trying to get car warmed up so heat would come out. He pulled me over, seemed a little POed at first, but once he saw that I, 1) wasn't drunk, and, 2) was respectful, he just kicked me loose w/ a warning. CLOSE CALL! :eek:

Compared to my youth of fast cars, motorcycles and police harassment I have had it easy with the porsche.

I have been let off for a lot of stuff in the 930 that I would have been nailed to the wall for when I was younger.

Always put your hands up on the steering wheel, clearly visable(If at night turn on the inside light). This will reduce the stress the officer experiences when walking up to an unknown car/situation (most fatalities are random traffic stops). He will appreciate this. He will probably ask if you are a police officer. I usually reply "my dad and brother are (white lie)and they told me to always do this". This gets me off the ticket 9 out of 10 times.

Jim

If I'm in the city, I accidently hand them my city employee ID card along with my licence. It worked once for an illegal U-turn.

Does a bumper sticker along the lines of "support your local police" help? Opinions?

Now that I think about it, if I tried this and the cop beat the living crap out of me, it would be a beating well deserved.

I don't think that it would get anyone a beating, it's just that if you were dealing with any kind of professional police agency it would not go over real well, and that is an understatement.

If you were in some backwoods place, who knows? The old, "can I just pay the fine right here, officer?", might work. I wouldn't want to find out the hard way that I mis-calculated, however.

That technique still works like a charm in some other countries, though. Mexico comes to mind. :cool:

maybe you were showing some extra "leg"?

and if it was a city street, Caltrans wouldnt be involved with the signage
:)

let me know, i could probably get you a 45mph sign. haha, naw better get you one with a bigger number.