I've a question for our police officers..
 

ok so last night I got my 3rd speeding ticket since September. 52 in a 40 on clear, dry, and no traffic.

I passed him going the opposite way, but it wasn't until a good minute and a half later until he came hauling ass down the road with his lights on. I actually thought it was an ambulance, so I pulled over probably a quarter of a mile ahead of him before he stopped behind me. I was, just as I have been all 3 times, polite, courteous, and cooperative. He promptly wrote me a ticket and sent me on my way..

I have read many threads here where several officers have said attitude accounts for most issued citations vs warnings. I feel that being 23, and having this car, although I work my ass off tirelessly for it, lands me in a situation where I will always get a ticket. I feel a level of resentment in these officers when the pull me over. I feel as though
they must think I'm some spoiled kid who's daddy bought my car and can thusly pay for the tickets.

Here's my question: do you think it would ever help me to ask an officer for some leniency?

I'm just really upset that no matter how polite or cooperative I am, there's never a break. And technically I would be fine with that, because I am, after all, speeding, but I don't feel as though it's fair when I have heard of SO many instances where ppl are warned and released.

I'm not even sure anymore if this is a thread asking a question or just me venting my frustration at what I feel is me being prejudiced over the car I drive. Sigh.

In before: "you broke the law why do you deserve a break comments" :popcorn:

Last time I asked for leniency I got laughed at. Basically slow down. 52 in a 40 is pretty hefty. Just remember, you are driving a cop magnet, but you have been driving an old beater and probably gotten pulled over for that speed.

Being nice, honest, and respectful to the officer is always the best bet, but sometimes they don't care.

Just my opinion.

Police LOVE camaros

I have been in exactly the opposite situation. Having been stuck in a beater wagon with parts falling off, I know what it is like to be ignored. For some reason, an ugly wagon tearing down the street is not worthy of attention, but the sports car the wagon just passed is worthy of getting ticketed. At the end of the day, it is the officer who decides who gets pulled over, and the guy in the fast, expensive car is a much more desirable target than someone who drives a beater. A lot of officers honestly go after the guy they see going fast. You did break the law. That doesn't meant that the law or the officer is right.

I would start contacting your elected officials about the possibility of raising the speed limit.

I think this pretty much answers your question......

Well..you get more flies with Honey than you do vinegar...but sometimes you just can't win...and you did admit to us that you indeed were speeding so...all I can say is start being more conscious of the speed signs and know that your car sticks out more than others....good luck in court. I can only hope this doesn't turn into another Cop bashing thread.

if you follow the speed limits, then it is irrelevant how polite and cooperative you are. Don't give them a reason to pull you over.

:word:

If you keep getting pulled over for speeding, how do you expect them to let you off. As soon as they pull your record and see that you aren't learning you are going to get whacked with another fine. I wouldn't be surprised if they issued a summons to court pretty soon. Just because you have a hot car doesn't mean you need to drive like a fool.

Just to provoke discussion, I'll go ahead and point out that this assumes that there is good reason for the speed limits. Speed limits are set by the governments that we elect to serve us. These guys are administrators, and they operate under the premise of getting reelected. In order to get reelected, they try to be safe by being "tough on crime" and improving safety standards. For many of them, it is safe for their profession to reduce speed limits. This begs a very important question. Are low speed limits inherently safe? :popcorn:

slow down.

Oh Blur you silly goose :laugh:

I couldn't help it. I don't believe people drive more safely at lower speeds than they do on the highway. People are more likely to check their blind spots, use their blinkers, and drive the speed limit when it is fast and they feel that they will die if they don't. :iono:

If you disagree, is it possible that you don't belong in a fast car like the Camaro?

As an officer, I think 52 in a 40 is kind weak. I mean, I would probably stop you for it. Epsecially if I have it on radar. But if nothing else came up, I would most likely not cite.

Here in SJ it's pretty much an unwritten rule to only cite/stop people for going 13 mph or more.

Maybe the officer that stopped you was a highway patrol of some sort. They are much more inclined to stop speeders.


But don't ask for leniency from an officer when stopped though. And it is hard for us to accept someone as being genuinely appologetic after they intentionally committed a vc/pc/etc.... violation that they would not feel sorry for if they did not get caught.

my friends here always get cited for not wearing their seatbelts, but you cant get pulled over for just that you have to be speeding or something else. is going over the speed limit gonna get you there that much faster? maybe by a couple of seconds but not enough to really matter-JUST STOP SPEEDING

Well since you have gotten 3 tickets since September you probably don't deserve this :D but here goes anyways. Make the officer laugh. :headbang: That is your best chance at getting away with a warning. Not saying you will but it's yours best chance! :respekt:

Tickets are the natural consequence of speeding. If you choose to speed, you choose to increase your chances of being pulled over. It's silly to get mad about it, because it's your own free choice.

Constructively, either slow down or buy a very good radar detector if they are legal in your state. Now they will not help with Lidar but thats a whole different animal. Attitude certainly plays a big part but there are many factors that also come into play....

You’re lucky 3 speeding tickets in less then 18 months in New York and you loose your license!:mad0260:

I just got a speeding ticket :character0229:in my wife’s trail blazer, I haven’t had one in about 13 years I think the police are stepping it up more because most states need more revenue. I have noticed more speed traps then usual.

Good luck!

I think most speed limits speed limits +25% is generally safe.

That's not true everywhere. Im an Officer in DC and here that is a reason to stop someone...not wearing a seltbelt, we need no other reason.
But to try to answer the OP question, everyone Officer is different, bad days, pressures, attitudes, etc...have to read him/her get a feel, but there's nothing wrong with having a conversation with an Officer and asking to be a little lenient...saying it can't hurt.
I don't like dealing with traffic, stopping cars to much other stuff happening... but, my thing is if I see someone(any type of car-nice-old-new whatever) committing a blatent violation and I KNOW they can see me and still do it...then they will be stopped. Just me though.
Slow down!

Actually, when someone makes me laugh when Im citing, I generally thing, "Cool, this guy isn't being a jackass about getting a ticket. This should go pretty smoothly then.... sign here."

My $.02, a bright yellow Camaro with black stripes, a vanity plate that says "FAST-SS and a loud aftermarket exhaust is probably more likely to be pulled over than a black, non striped quiet SS that is actually going faster. My last speeding ticket was directly related to a loud aftermarket exhaust on my motorcycle. The cop heard me coming and took a break from the ticket that he was already writing to get me with the radar. I was on a bright red 1100 CC sport bike. Ticket, no warning.

:laugh::laughabove::bellyroll:

Are radar detectors illegal in Texas? Three tickets + higher insurance would have easily paid for one.

lmao

To the OP dont feel too bad, i got pulled over the other day for going 5mph over the speed limit.... :(

3 tickets since September.....That will be reflected on in the officer's mind. He will say that you are not learning to slow down..and write another ticket. 12 over is kinda weak in my book!! I give 15 over on city streets and on the highway. Here are a few pointers though...
As a cop I can attest to this..cops are creatures of habit. We find the spots along a stretch of road that are "productive" for us and that is where we sit to run our radars. LEARN where they sit in your area. LEARN what times they are typically out there. LEARN to slow down. Like I said I will give 15 over the posted limit...thats not saying that everyone I work with will. A good rule of thumb: LESS THAN TEN. If the limit is 40...Don't hit that 50 mark or your toast!!

As far as asking for a break?? It never hurts!! And sometimes will work! ALWAYS be courteous, if not just get your pen out and sign the ticket cause it s coming.

Stick to no more than 6 to 8 over the limit and stay out of the passing lane then you should be good.

They are not illegal in TX. I've been using one since I got my license... I will tell you tho, after the officer sees the radar detector, he writes the ticket with no warning.

I don't know, sounds like you have a heavy foot. Maybe it's time to put the Camaro away and drive a Cobalt. Yea, some of us older guys/girls were 23 once before, but don't you think you should have learned your leason after the 1st, let alone the 2nd, this now being your 3rd. My best advise for you is, "With great power comes great responsibility". Take it for what it is. Maybe you will learn from this last ticket you got, it doesn't pay to speed.

Yeah right, no one follows the speed limits, it's damn near impossible really.:mad0260:

I said this to a Police officer once.... ( It's a real joke but I used it )

A police officer stopped me for speeding and asked politely, if he could see my licence and registration.
I replied in a huff, 'I wish you people would get your act together. Only yesterday you took away my licence and then today you expect me to show it to you? :yikes::sm0::yikes:

I still got the ticket but at least he laughed. And he lowered my speed by 6 miles, from 91 to 85. (It was on a 70mph highway) So I can go to traffic school. :D

...all I have to say is learn your lesson and don't speed anymore. Usually I stick to driving no more than 5-8 miles over the limit and I'm fine here but it also depends on the office like others have said here. I just got lucky about a week ago and I was already pissed off at myself (20 over the limit) cuz I was like 5 minutes away from home (coming back from SoCal) and I get pulled over...luckily he just said "nice car, drive safely"! I don't expect to get let go that easy all the time so I'm very carefull and watch my speed. good luck in court brotha'!

ZZZ28ZZZ and all the other officers responding to this thread I only have one question for you. If ahart04 was another officer would he have gotten any of those 3 tickets ?... I think not !!. Don't get me wrong, excessive speed is wrong. I have friends both retired and currently on the force but none of them (or their wives) have ever received a ticket-EVER !.
This is why speeding tickets are generally unfair in my opinion.

70-0 stopping distance is 158 feet
60-0 stopping distance is 109 feet.
30-0 stopping distance is 27 feet.

Physics and reality clash with your opinion, Believe it, or not! ®

and their wives??

How on earth will the traffic officer know that the wife is related to a police officer? Does the wife say "my husband is a police officer can you let me off?"

bottom line, slow down! Your in a car that gets noticed, you've got 2 under your belt already, now a third.. and your just going to fast! If you had been going maybe 45 in a 40, or even 48 in a 40, they may just let you go by, or give you a warning, but 12 over is writeable, and they will most likely write you as soon as they run your plate and your license and see you've been here twice, now three times already.. Time to walk the line..

I have often felt that there should be different levels of driver's licenses...that is, licenses for those who "prove" via driving tests and driver education, etc., that they can handle cars at higher speeds than others who can't even walk straight. I mean, you wouldn't give an F-18 to a person qualified only to fly a Piper Cup, right? But if you've attended one of the more expensive driving schools and passed their driving test with flying colors, then you should be able to drive faster than the numnuts who went to A-1 Driving school where all you had to do was pay the fee and they hand you your certificate. It would also mean that you would have to be re-tested (on the road) every few years to ensure that you can still meet the high standards.
So, when that cop pulls you over, you can whip out your "Platinum Driver License" and he will say..."Thank you, please be on your way, no ticket merited here."
AFTER ALL, DRIVING SHOULD BE A PRIVILEGE AND NOT A RIGHT.

"Only drive as fast as you can afford." Here we have cops that their only job is traffic, and they do not give breaks. Precinct cars are more likely to give you a break, because we don't get road as hard to write tickets (too much other nonsense to deal with). In other words just slow down, that traffic cop will write you every time. Some of our traffic guys would write their own mother.