Like I said I'm not a cop...
My thought was that if the guy was off duty, after you passed him maybe something that he saw when he ran your plate was enough to make him go to the trouble of pulling you over and citing you?

 

I agree that the speed limits and traffic laws in this country are WOEFULLY outdated for today's technologies. We need to eliminate the spped limits on our interstates and highways. The only reason they exist is toc reate revenue for the state. The experiment in Montana more than proved that, as fatalities dropped over 50% after they removed speed limits and fatalities dropped 10% on two-lane highways. When they reinstated the speed limits, fatalities doubled.

When speed limits on major highways and interstates are lifted, seatbelt usage increases, lane courtesy improves DRAMTICALLY, and people keep their distance. There's a reason the safest highway in the world is in the Autobahn and the most dangerous is the NJ Turnpike.

I was on 195 today and there was a cop riding along doing around 80 MPH in a 65. I was doing my usual 75 (like everyone else) and slowed down to around 69 or 70 MPH as he went by, showing him respect. About a minute later, everyone is SLAMMING on their brakes, slowing down to 45 MPH, all because the cop pulled over to the median. Two people were almost rear-ended... I swear to god, people are $%&#ing dunces. "Oh no, he's slowing down and pulling over to the median... he must want to pull me over! I'll drop my speed to 45 in a 65!" Complete idiots.

A few interesting links on speed limit removal:

No Speed Limit Safety Paradox in Montana

Speed Limits - Facts and Fiction

More On Montana's Highway Fatality Rate

 

I worked for the Arizona Department of Public Safety (Highway Patrol) for 26 years and I resent your comment. If you've had alot of trouble with police officers you must have a problem yourself.

 

Bro, you're in the wrong place looking for sympathy. The cops are different everywhere you go. Some places won't pull you over unless you're 10 over posted and some are 15 over. Down here, when you get pulled over by FHP, you're not getting off with a warning. If you do get off, count your blessings. They don't typically pull you over unless your 10 over posted. Go through a small town where the police dept. survives off of ticketing-3 over posted-ticketed. I don't think anyone here has said they don't or haven't sped. It's just a concensus that you were speeding, caught, and act like you don't understand. You said it yourself, you were going faster than the posted speed. Yes it may be petty or ridiculous, but it is what it is. I'd like to hear some of the answers that you've been avoiding...how many previous tickets, etc. There just is no reason for anyone to accelerate past a cop from a stand still. Just asking for trouble. It's almost taunting. Just get over it. Tomorrows a new day.

 

Granted .......... we're only hearing one side of the story here. I do feel for you however.

Leancy Speed??? First I've ever heard of that. My last ticket was for doing 34 in a 30. Took it to court. Judge asked me if I was indeed doing 34 in a 30.

Me; Well.....yes your honor.....but I thought.........

Judge; fine is $75.00. Want to go to traffic school?

Me: (a bit stunned)....er......yes your honor.

Judge: Right answer. Next case.

There is no leancy speed!

As far as tint goes. It's real easy to see when one has tint above the "accepted" limit. It's just unusual these days for it to be inforced.

And the only time a cops ever been a real jerk to me was when I gave him an attitude. I do the same when someone gives me one....... I become a real hineyhole.

 

Always let the cop car go first... Dont embarass them by getting the jump on 'em...

and .. rule number one "KEEP MOUTH SHUT" ...even if you feel you are gettng a raw deal. Stick to Yes sir, no sir, thank you sir. .

Anyway take it to court.. chances are most of it will get dropped except for the speeding ticket. (license plate -if you install it and prove it, and prove the tint was legal)

 

He says that I shot off the line to get past him and was going 63mph and speeding.
Umm, no I was going 60mph and I only accelerated to get to 60, I didn't peel out or anything.




I think you've heard enough opinions of the subject but one more won't hurt.....
You do not need to PEEL OUT in order to get ticketed. I think in almost any American city, if you are a 26 year old in a brand-new black on black Mustang GT and the light turns green and you speed off AHEAD of the cop next to you, you are all but guaranteed to get a ticket! Age shouldn't matter and I'm sure it was not the only factor but basically, you challenged him and he did what the law said he should do. You were wrong and and showed complete lack of respect and then even asked, "What are you pulling me over for?" :bang: :bang: Sure, cops can show leniancy in other situations but in this case you caused him to want to give you the ticket and yes, you did break the law. This whole situation could have been avoided had you done what everyoone else knows they should do when in the presence of a police officer. :scratch: :scratch:

 

I have no front plate the back one is blacked out pretty much and I just ordered my SLP Loudmouths. Does that qualify me for any tickets...LOL only 1 so far Careless $85.00 :bang:

 

Not all cops are jerks. Your comment is a generalization. Its like me saying all citizens are jerks. Most driver's that get tagged are usually there own worst enemy. Speed controls are in place because they have been shown to save lives. As far as tinting goes in Alberta we have rules on tinting. Everyone knows that you can have the rear window and the Shelby windows tinted but tinting is only allowed to a very minimal degree on the front and side windows. If you exceed what is allowed you will get ticketed and the officer will take the tinting off for you. Period. If a police officer pulls up beside you its kinda of a no brainer that perhaps you should take it easy on the acceleration until your at least out of site of the state trooper. Police Officers see your type of action as "rubbing it in their face." As for off duty police officers, in Canada we cannot issue tickets while off duty but the police officer can send you the ticket in the mail when he returns to duty.

Cst. R.J. Spencer
2005 Mustang Owner

 

I dunno what the tint law is in your state but if your tint matches the law books, bring the paperwork of the tint you got from your tinter and bring it to the courthouse on the date that is written on the ticket and present it to the judge. The Judge will then review it and may tear up those two tickets the officer gave you for the tint, maybe there is something you can work out with the prosecutor if you talk to him/her of downgrading the speeding ticket to paying a fine with no points.

 

Next time, demand his badge number and tell him you're going to report him. Just cuz he is a police officer doesn't mean he can abuse his powers. In his defense I wouldn't have given him motive to pull me over. I woulda stayed exactly at the speed limit and driven like a granny to pi$$ him off.

 

:cop2:

Cops: 1

YOU: 0

I bet you did not see the cop next to you until after you hammered it at the light.

Its ok. Happened to me ONCE too.

 

drizztbob....just curious....how old are you?

 

It was posted earlier that he is 26.

 

Well, my take on this...

1. If your tint is illegal, you were asking for a ticket at some point anyway - pretty much unavoidable.

2. If you really had your cruise set on 60 and he gave you a ticket for 63. You can get your speedometer calibration verified and take that to court, and ask the officer how he knows it was 63 - if visual, you may win contesting his speed estimate based on his perspective (the fact that both of your cars are moving makes the determination of your "exact" speed more difficult, how long has he been on the force doing this kind of speed estimation?), if by radar then ask to see the calibration of the gun for that day.

 

Quote:

Originally posted by drizztbob@May 24, 2005, 7:27 PM
A fellow mustang owner and officer found that tidbit about basic speed law in his training manual for patrol officers in CA. The 65 MPH is the lenancy speed for a posted 55 MPH zone. And lastly, I did not give him any attitude until I drove away yelling "Yeah and the Giants stink!!!!"

Quoted post

The speed limit was 55mph. Speed limit is a strict liability law, if you go 1 mph over, you are guilty and have to pay. No such thing as a valid excuse. Your pregnant wife could be ready to deliver in the back seat, your father could be having a heart attack, or all of our worst fears, Scotthew could be chasing you trying to hand out an insane C/T. The fact that the law is strict liability means you break it, you pay. The fact that some cops let it go, is only a choice by them not to enforce the law as it is SUPPOSED to be enforced.

The Basic Speed Law you cite, seems like it is a policy choice by whatever police department your friend works for, it is certainly NOT the law.

Quote:

Originally posted by exc911ence@May 24, 2005, 8:32 PM
9 cops out of 10 are ... spoken from personal experience. It's too bad for the 1 in 10 who are actually decent people.

Quoted post

Most people reflect the way they are treated. If 9 out of 10 were then maybe they are reflecting the way they feel they are being treated by you. I don't know, I wasn't there, but don't make broad generalizations, especially about people who can shoot your .

Quote:

Originally posted by drizztbob@May 24, 2005, 9:30 PM
I wasn't shooting ... robbing ...raping. THESE ARE PUNISHABLE OFFENSES. Offenses that HE SHOULD BE OUT PURSUING. I was going 4-5 mph over the POSTED speed limit with someone directly behind me. THAT is why I am pissed...

Quoted post

Quote:

Originally posted by drizztbob@May 24, 2005, 10:05 PM
There are varying degrees of law breaking.

Quoted post

Once again 4-5mph over is illegal. Your elected representatives created the law and said the speed limit should be enforced and be a punishable offense to, so it is. I agree 4-5 is weak, but you won't win if you challenge it, unless the cop doesn't show up. After yelling "Giants stink", he'll show up. The cops where I live supposedly get paid time and a half to go to court. If that's true where you live, he will LOVE you for challenging.

Quote:

Originally posted by Tres Wright@May 24, 2005, 9:52 PM
Excuse me, but.... ARE YOU INSANE?????? When there is a cop anywhere within eyeshot of me, I drive several MPH BELOW the speed limit. Why tempt them?.... I'd venture to say that we ALL speed, but man, if I see a cop I drive like a grandma going to the dentist until he turns off or exits!

Quoted post

please stay out of my way, grandma.

Quote:

Originally posted by Stangarang@May 24, 2005, 10:47 PM
As citizens, what are our rights when we get pulled over by an officer that is not in uniform or in an unmarked car? There have been several incidents when criminals have pulled over other cars to carjack them or whatnot, because they installed some flashing lights on their own vehicle. I don't want to get carjacked or robbed because some fool decides to impersonate a police officer, and I want to know if there are any laws to protect us from this.

Quoted post

best bet is to drive somewhere very public with lots of people, if you don't believe him, have him call someone on duty before handing over any identification. On the down side you might tick him off and make him more ready to give you a ticket.

<!--QuoteBegin-OBleedingMe@May 25, 2005, 12:37 AM
The only reason [speed limits] exist is to create revenue for the state. The experiment in Montana more than proved that, as fatalities dropped over 50% after they removed speed limits and fatalities dropped 10% on two-lane highways. When they reinstated the speed limits, fatalities doubled.

There's a reason the safest highway in the world is in the Autobahn and the most dangerous is the NJ Turnpike.

Quoted post

[/quote]

You're right, there is a reason the Autobahn is the safest and America's aren't. Germans have much more intensive driver's training courses, they don't usually eat, drink, talk on cell phones while driving, they view driving as a privilege and not a right, and they drive conscious of the fact that other cars may be going faster than them so they drive right pass left. We do none of those things.

 

Read the posts...

 

That cop was a jerk! I know how you feel. When I first got my 99 I was driving along the highway up to my parents house and a cop pulled from the shoulder onto the shoulder and cut me off!!! No turn signal or anything to let me know he was merging. He then proceeded to ride behind me the whole way on the highway just to make sure I wasn't speeding. I just stayed at 55. It really ticked him off. Oh by the way I did get his vehicle number and reported what happened.

Is there any way you can at least contest the tint ticket? I understand the concern that the police want to be able to see in the vehicle during a traffic stop but it really sounds like he was going overboard.

And I must admit most cops are understanding. I have passed a few going 65 in 55 and not gotten pulled over, I think he must have had a bad day and decided to take it out on someone which is by no means correct at all. I just hope no one thinks all cops are jerks becasue they aren't.

 

Your cardomain page says that you have 20%, the MD state law is 35%. You can definitely tell the difference. You may be able to get out of the speeding ticket, but I see no way of you being able to save your window tint. You have no way of proving that is a legal tint.

 

Just remember, if you decide to take it to court...the entire stop is on tape and that will probably surface in court, so if you were being an ****... the judge is not likely to be easy on you. Not to mention when you admit that you where doing 60 in a 55. HELLO that's SPEEDING! even if it wasn't 63.