[Jeff Higgins]

I think the article touches on a very key point - it's not the cars, per se, but it's the kind of folks who choose those cars. Those folks would be getting tickets regardless of what they drive; it's purely driving habits and attitudes. And just where they choose to speed.

I'm an unapplologetic, incorrigable life long speeder. Yet I've only gotten maybe five tickets in my entire life. I don't speed in town or other populated areas, I don't speed on the freeway (other than "keeping up with traffic" - I just do what the rest of 'em are doing), and I don't speed on major two lane highways. I don't speed when just getting around, actually going somewhere. When I do speed, it's because I've planned to do so, and have gone out to a place just to do so.

I just don't see owners of the cars listed having that attitude or taking that approach. They are the kind that speed when they are just going somewhere, in their normal, day to day driving. They are kind of a hazard (although not nearly the one our authorities make them out to be) and an annoyance. Weaving in and out of traffic, tailgating, cutting others off, and that kind of thing. Generally driving like a bunch of tools. They would do that even if they were stuck driving a loaner Prius while their status machince is in the shop.

I don't dispute that car type, or motorcycle type, has a big influence on who gets stopped, even if everyone in sight is doing exactly the same thing. I have had several experiences with this myself, several in the 911 and one on the Ducati. In all cases, I was in with a pack of vehicles all going exactly the same speed. In a few of those cases, I was very much mid-pack, and the cop had to wade in and fish me out of it.

That may be the basis for an interesting study. Send a mixed pack of cars and trucks past a speed trap, with one "exotic" (not a 924...) in the middle of it, and see which one gets stopped. Or put a sprt bike in the middle of a bunch of minivans, pickups, RV's, and whatnot doing 80 mph on the freeway and see which one gets stopped.