Got a Strange Ticket Yesterday
 

So I was on my way back to work from lunch yesterday and got pulled over... It was on I-240 (Memphis beltway) in a construction zone and the officer verbally stated he got me "doing 61mph in a 45mph". Strange thing, he was the second officer on my break to tail me very close (way closer than any other driver would tail you) and he seemed mostly concerned with if I owned my car or not??? He asked for proof of insurance and as I reached for it he started saying "never mind, never mind, I believe you".

When he got back to my car he said he didn't cite me for the construction zone (which is crucial because I believe it doubles the fine if workers are present) and for only "5mph over". He then said because he only wrote it for 5mph over I could likely get it dropped in court. I know for a fact I was going 56 (not 61) and that he didn't actually radar (LIDAR rather, according to the citation) me because he was on the other side of a concrete barrier (fairly tall) and his car did not have the roof-mounted radar/lidar (I took a picture of his car as proof). He was rolling when I drove by so there is no chance that he had his radar gun out the window and at high enough of a vantage point for it to "see" my car.

So my question is this, what rationale have forum goers used successfully to get a moving violation dropped in court? Also, if it's only 5mph over is it even worth fighting (aka is it going to be reported to insurance)? If it wont be reported I suspect it will be a similar amount of $$$ to pay the ticket as it would be to pay the court costs and a lot less of a hassle. On the other hand I really want the experience of pleading innocent to a citation just to see how the system works. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.:help:

P.S. Why are traffic officers so damn strange? Why would they obviously lie to you and then contradict their previous statement in writing? Who in their right mind would actually want to be a traffic officer? Why do we need them if this is what they do all day while they waist gas and our $$$ to keep their pos "hemi's" idling and cranking out a/c for hours on end?:frusty:

Sounds like he was looking for a Camaro that may be stolen...should have just checked your proof of ownership and let you go on your way...the ticket sounds bogus but he probably did not want you to feel he was profiling you. :D

Yea since his story is all screwed up you have a great chance to fight it. He probably won't even show up to that court date so he doesn't looks like a fool trying to remember what happened and what's true.

I like your style Jordan! :amen:

http://www-ee.eng.buffalo.edu/facult...ions/lasar.pdf

Just read through this, comparison of RADAR and LIDAR. Pretty interesting, I had no idea that conventional radar couldn't track objects decelerating faster than 1mph/sec (only ~.05 g's), need to remember this. Also, lidar doesn't work well on black cars (my ss is black...)!

I would fight it. I think where I am at, Bama, a speeding ticket is a speeding ticket as far as insurance is concerned. So it may cost as much to fight as just paying it up front, but you would possibly save money in the long run on insurance rates. Geico tried to prison rape me on motorcycle insurance because of a ticket I got two yrs ago, I went somewhere else.

I zipped past a Tahoe the other nite and noticed i wasn't leaving it....about the time I thought....ut oh...he's pacing me....the blue lights behind the grill lit up....I figured I'd had it....I hit my brakes...he turned off his lights...and I breathed a sigh of relief...he didnt pull me .....just call me lucky....pacing is just as good as radar

Just for the record NotYetLegend, I absolutely hate that section of 240...it's ridiculous that the speed limit is 45 mph...on the INTERSTATE! There is never anyone working on that stretch of highway! Its been under construction for 5 years. Memphis needs to stop being so damn cheap and finish the project so that they can put the speed limit back where its supposed to be and stop raping its citizens with BS tickets.

With that being said, (knock on wood first) I have not yet gotten a ticket in Memphis (or anywhere for that matter). However, it just really irks me when I see stories of these crap tickets that people get.

Oh BOY! Another "I got a ticket" thread!

http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n...5.jpg~original

I like these threads.... :noidea:

ok i got stop friday near where you got stopped....(my father inlaw is a Tenn. state trooper)..they where doing zero torrernces/drug interdiction stops..i got pulled over for 3 miles over BUT they didnt ticket me.:happyanim:...the officer told me what they where doing