even when i'm trying to be good they ticket me.

 

for speeding?

 

In one of Penn & Teller's books ("How to Play in Traffic," I think) they have a great idea for getting favors (e.g., airline upgrades, warnings instead of tickets, and so on) involving glue, a sponge, your driver's license, and a clown nose. Find the book and give it a try. Heads you win, tails you tie: these are great odds.

 

first in jan i get a ticket for following too close. that's a good deal, since i was weaving at over 100mph. online traffic school and no worries.

2nd, 13 over on el camino. 13 OVER!!!! bullshit. i did trial by declaration fighting basic speed law. waiting for results.

92 in 65 while passing on my way to willow springs. i had a tailgater. will be doing trial by declaration.

last night: had my cruise control on at what i thought was 5 over, but was actually 15 over. i saw no speed limit signs from where i entered the highway.

the thing is...the 92 is ok. i was going pretty quick and he got me. but the 70...i was making a concious effort NOT to speed. cruise control!! i never use that!!! WTF!!!!! i'm going to have to get a beater so 1: i don't get pulled over, and 2: i can afford my insurance

 

The CHP, especially in N. CA can be hard asses.

Believe it or not, while I was in college (what seems to be decades ago) I was ticketed for going 72 in the carpool lane of the 405N. It was about 2pm, clear weather, the whole bit. I had been in the carpool lane since leaving S. Orange County and was nearly at the Long Beach Fwy when I was pulled over.

The cop was a complete asshole. It was apparent that he had a bad day and didn't give a shit that I was merely going with the flow of traffic.

The sad truth was that I was a young man in my step dad's bright, flashy Formula Red Legend Coupe LS. The cop was having a bad day and I felt the wrath.

Knowing that I was getting screwed (I was passed several time by cars in "lessor" lanes), I decided to contest the ticket.

My bad luck continued becasue (1) the cop showed up to argue and (2) the clown arguing his ticket before me basically screamed at the judge/cop/system and told everyone they should be out chasing child molestors and leave him alone and that our entire justice system was screwed up. After the judge quieted him down by threatening him with something more severe than his ticket, it was my turn.

I was honest. I told the judge that yes, I was going 72 in a 65. I also explained that I was going at or below the speed of traffic and that I was in the carpool lane on an clear afternoon with very few people around. I also said that given the fact that I saw the officer a while behind and that other folks had passed me on the right, I couldn't believe that I was being ticketed.

The judge simply said this "You admit that you were exceeding the speed limit, I can't think of any good reason to overturn this ticket". Needless to say, I was off to traffic school to get this damned thing off my record, but what a pain in the ass.

The real irony of the whole story is that in 99.9% of the time, this should not have been a ticket. For those of you who don't know the area, nobody drives under 75 on the 405 when traffic permits. Hell, the carpool lane is typically going upwards of 80. I made that drive hundreds of time when I was going to school and there were plenty of times when I deserved a ticket for speeding but this was not it. I guess it's like karma catching up with me.

Of course, having said all of that, I have never been let go from a ticket but I have had a few cool cops who wrote me significantly under where I was so that I could go to traffic school. Most cops, IMO are great people. I admit that I get butterflies when I see one on the road with me, but I think they get a bad rap.

It's a shame that a few assholes spoil the rep. for all of them.

 

i have never had a pleasant experience with police in any part of the country. they are grey-hat social engineers in my opinion, and a VERY dark grey at that.