The WRX finally got me into trouble.

[grizzle6]

I'd just pay it. I've gotten two tickets in my WRX. Thankfully, both were knocked down and each cost about $75. I don't know about points in Utah. You are right, 84 does feel like nothing. So does 110, except it sounds slightly louder.

The first time I got pulled over, it was for 80 in a 55 construction zone at 3 AM. The cop was nice, knocked it to 69 and didn't put the constuction zone. After giving me the ticket, he asked, "So, are those as fast as they look in the commercials." I tried not to be too much of a smartass, I mean he just pulled me over, so obviously they are fast. "Yep."

There is a stretch of I-215 along the bench from about 4500 S to 6200 S where the concrete has been milled. It's super smooth and I can take the WRX up to 125 and it's silent. Anyway, it's 3 AM on a Monday morning, and my foot is feeling heavy. 125 feels great, but I slow down as I approach a pickup truck. I don't like to pass people at very high speeds because you never know what they'll do. Around 6200 S, the road curves west and my exit is another three miles down the road. After I've made the turn, still cruising at about 85, I notice headlights that appear to be gaining on me. Uh oh. It can't be that pickup truck - he wasn't going fast enough. As I put my turn signal on as I reach my exit, the red and blue start flashing. What's the punishment for 125 in a 65?

First off, the cop is the same cop from my first ticket. It's been a few months, but I figure he'll pull up my info on the computer and give it to me in the ass. First question, "Do you know how fast you were going back there?" I sure as hell wasn't going to say 125. "Back where?" "I clocked you [4 miles] back. You must have been going pretty fast since it took me so long to catch up." "I'm not sure how fast I was going." "I clocked you at 92." Well, that's a relief. Only 27 over instead of 60. He must have clocked me as I was accelerating to 125, which is why I never saw him until a few miles down the road.

I gave him my information, and waited. And waited. The first time, it took only 5 minutes or so. After 10 minutes, I wondered if I was getting a ride to the pokey. He finally comes back after nearly 15 minute. "Well son, today is your lucky day. My computer crashed and I can't get it to reboot. I can't write you a ticket. Slow down and get home safely." "Yes, sir."

125 MPH in a 65 - $0
Getting clocked at 92 MPH - $0
Having the cop's computer crash - Priceless.

Yo--had a similar experience coming down Parley's(not quite 125 though). The cop's printer ran out of paper so he couldn't give me a ticket. The rest of the ride down was a fit of raucous laughter and joyous thanksgiving.

[teledave]

gives me a ticket for "failure to obey posted signs" or something along those lines. He said it would have been real expensive for me otherwise. There's no fee amount on the ticket, and he didn't write my last name on the ticket. Any advice on what I should do? I can't really go to court there.

I don't know about NY but in most of the SE they don't put amounts an any ticket you get. You have to call the court listed onn it and find out what the amount is. I think that it's because each court can charge differing court costs, which is what makes up the majority of the amount. The last ticket I got was for 58 in a 35, $77=$23 fine plus $54 court costs.

[Darkside]

I don't know about NY but in most of the SE they don't put amounts an any ticket you get. You have to call the court listed onn it and find out what the amount is. I think that it's because each court can charge differing court costs, which is what makes up the majority of the amount. The last ticket I got was for 58 in a 35, $77=$23 fine plus $54 court costs.

So do you think I have a chance at fighting this through the mail? I'll give the court a call, thanks.

[Tippster]

So McWop, what did you end up doing? Sorry I came in to this discussion so late, but growing up in MD, I would advise you to ALWAYS go to court. In Maryland you can plead "Guilty with Explanation," which basically lets you kiss the court's ass for a bit. You know:

"Blah blah 1st ticket I promise never again wife was giving birth no it was a false alarm new car wanted to see what's up got sucked into an ACDC tune and didn't notice blah blah... I'M SORRY."

Never failed to get the points dropped AT THE LEAST. Often times ticket would go away because the cop didn't show. Those are the best.

My speeding story: Back in '84 (summer between HS & College) my buddy & I pool our money and buy a BMW R100RS. Schweeeeet bike w/the burnt orange ltd. ed. paint and upgraded DellOrdo carbs...anyhoo [/gear nerd] We pick up the bike from the sellers house at 7:00pm on a Tuesday and spend the next 6 hours taking turns riding around (2 up - one always on "bitch.") Finally at 1:00am we hit this road (Ice - Jones Bridge Rd.) that never has cars on it latenight but is still inside the beltway - read: the middle of the DC Suburbs. My buddy is in control and opens it up. We're fucking HAULING ASS, and after a mile hear a siren behind us. We pull over and my buddy starts cursing/crying silently. I ask how fast we were going, and he said "...uh...125."

WHAAAAAT??? In a 30MPH ZONE????!!!!! I thought we, or at least he, were going to jail. I'm 18 and going to jail...they're going to take away our bike... holy shit!! We went 125!!!! What a great bike!! Too bad we're going to jail... and they're going to impound...

The cop looks us over and asks that question we all dread: "Do you know how fast..." Words start tumbling simultaneously out of our mouths, "Wejustboughtthere'snoonearoundbrandnew(to us)AFUCKINGBMWsosorrydon'tcallourparentsarewegoing tojailsnivelsnivelWAAAAAH...."

The cop starts cracking up. We show him our bill of sale and the signed-over title - he looks at the Odometer and sees that we'd put 200 miles on the bike already and he laughs even louder.

"Why are you laughing, Officer?" I ask in my most polite, ass-kissing of authority voice.

"I remember buying MY first nice bike, and it only took me 2 hours before I got pulled over... Now go home. I'll follow you."

There are times when I heart strange men. This was one of them.

[Mcwop]

So McWop, what did you end up doing? Sorry I came in to this discussion so late, but growing up in MD, I would advise you to ALWAYS go to court. In Maryland you can plead "Guilty with Explanation," which basically lets you kiss the court's ass for a bit. You know:

"Blah blah 1st ticket I promise never again wife was giving birth no it was a false alarm new car wanted to see what's up got sucked into an ACDC tune and didn't notice blah blah... I'M SORRY."

Never failed to get the points dropped AT THE LEAST. Often times ticket would go away because the cop didn't show. Those are the best.

My speeding story: Back in '84 (summer between HS & College) my buddy & I pool our money and buy a BMW R100RS. Schweeeeet bike w/the burnt orange ltd. ed. paint and upgraded DellOrdo carbs...anyhoo [/gear nerd] We pick up the bike from the sellers house at 7:00pm on a Tuesday and spend the next 6 hours taking turns riding around (2 up - one always on "bitch.") Finally at 1:00am we hit this road (Ice - Jones Bridge Rd.) that never has cars on it latenight but is still inside the beltway - read: the middle of the DC Suburbs. My buddy is in control and opens it up. We're fucking HAULING ASS, and after a mile hear a siren behind us. We pull over and my buddy starts cursing/crying silently. I ask how fast we were going, and he said "...uh...125."

WHAAAAAT??? In a 30MPH ZONE????!!!!! I thought we, or at least he, were going to jail. I'm 18 and going to jail...they're going to take away our bike... holy shit!! We went 125!!!! What a great bike!! Too bad we're going to jail... and they're going to impound...

The cop looks us over and asks that question we all dread: "Do you know how fast..." Words start tumbling simultaneously out of our mouths, "Wejustboughtthere'snoonearoundbrandnew(to us)AFUCKINGBMWsosorrydon'tcallourparentsarewegoing tojailsnivelsnivelWAAAAAH...."

The cop starts cracking up. We show him our bill of sale and the signed-over title - he looks at the Odometer and sees that we'd put 200 miles on the bike already and he laughs even louder.

"Why are you laughing, Officer?" I ask in my most polite, ass-kissing of authority voice.

"I remember buying MY first nice bike, and it only took me 2 hours before I got pulled over... Now go home. I'll follow you."

There are times when I heart strange men. This was one of them.

I am going the Guilty with explanation. I will ask for probation, and no points. I go to court end of November.

No more making the 90 mile drive to whitetail in 70 minutes.

[Mcwop]

Went to court today, and the cop did not show. Case closed.

[Tippster]

FKNA!!!


890

[Below Zero]

Hey Mcwop - I just got a 2002 WRX Wagon this past Thursday. The first thing I did was go out an buy a radar detector - top of the line - Passport 8500 X50! It just makes driving that car a lot more enjoyable!

[iceman]

Went to court today, and the cop did not show. Case closed.

Dude, SWEET!!

[CantDog]

Dude, SWEET!!

Whats mine say?

[Big E]

Got a ticket on my recent trip out to MN/WI, of course I drive 1200 miles and get a ticket less than 60 miles from my destination. Wrote me up for 70 in a 55, this was between teeny-tiny farm towns, and while I sat there for at least 15 minutes on the side of the road, I bet not more than 20 cars went by. Had I blown a tire, spun out, etc., I would have taken out a few rows of corn, but not much else. He told me "70 is far too fast for this road."

I could have come back with "actually, I took a few corners back there when there was nobody around at closer to 100 and didn't have any problems at all, so 70 is really quite reasonable for this car." But I decided not to.

[powderpyg]

You luck bastard!

Back at the 2002 Summit me and my little Dubya were over in Rossland at the event there. Had a few beerz with the boys after skiin, then headed back to Nelson, got about two miles down the hill on the other side of Rossland and discovered I'd left my camera bag (with about $8000 of gear inside). Make a quick e brake turn and bolt back up the hill! Get thru Rossland and am now doin about 110km, not that fast, but it was only a 60km zone. Guess who's comin the other way on his way back to Tim Hortons from the ski hill where he was at an erroneous missing skier call. On come the lights...fack!...pull over, get licence and registration out before he's even turned around. 'WHAT'S THE RUSH SIR, DID YOU KNOW THIS WAS A 60KM ZONE'..."uhhhh no officer I thought it was 100km here" and I lay out the camera story to him, right down to to the fact I'd left it in the BAR after skiing. He takes my licence and off he goes. He's gone for about ten minutes, so I figure I'm done. He comes back and says "Well todays your lucky day (YESSS, he's gunna let me go!), the speed you were going I could you a $360.00 ticket (holy shyte!), but I'm gunna let you go for the cheapest ticket you can get ($120.00 or somtin like that). "Gee thanks a lot dude!...errrr I mean thank you very much officer, have a nice evening".... That turned out to be one expensive day of skiing.

I can't wait till I get an STI!

[365wp]

I can't wait till I get an STI!

I was drooling over the STI at the car show here a couple weeks ago...god, they're sweet. The VW saleswoman said they're not bringing the R32 over this year.

Of course, if I can get a triple digit ticket in my Outback (the cop said he would "be nice" and give me a ticket for 99), I shudder to think what I could accomplish in something as light and powerful as the STI.

My buddy converted his Impreza 2.5RS into a performance rally car...here we are at Rally New York (I'm in the co-driver seat, reading the stage notes):

http://www.plaftaphoto.com/albums/album107/IMG_2032.jpg

We beat a WRX and a STI...of course, 2nd for the year was a 2WD Toyota...driver skill makes a huge difference.

[EPSkis]

Nice!

That saved you a bit, eh?