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Worst Traffic Warnings You've Received

Started by MultiMillionMiler, January 31, 2023, 09:06:26 PM

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doorknob60

#75
I've somehow never been pulled over. These days I only speed on highways though (in high school, I would speed in town as well, generally 5-10 over most limits, sometimes more, but never managed to get caught). Driving around city streets, I'm usually one of the slower people on the road to be honest. Eg. I'll be driving down a 35 MPH arterial at like 37, and most other people are going 40-45. With driveways, people turning in/out, pedestrians, etc. I'll respect most speed limits in town if they aren't ridiculous (in the Boise area they generally do a very good job at matching the limit to the conditions of the road. Some cities go for a more blanket approach which does not work as well). Doubly true in small towns, I try to strictly stick to limits there.

But on highways, throw the speed limits out the window, I go whatever I'm comfortable with. That usually means 70-75 on urban/suburban freeways (or 80 in places where that's the unofficial speed limit like SoCal and SLC), and 80-85 on rural freeways, though of course depending on the flow of traffic. On non-freeways, it's a bit more nuanced depending on the design of the road and the surrounding area. But 70 in a 55 on a rural highway in a place like Oregon where they over-post 55 is common for me if conditions allow.

I have some not-the-driver stories though. When I was a kid, my Dad was pulled over in on OR-99 in Junction City, right after the speed limit dropped from 45 to 30. He was clocked at 43. Just didn't slow down fast enough. He did get a ticket, that one's kinda BS IMO, as he was in process of slowing down. Probably somewhere around here. I don't even see an advance warning of the slowdown.

My friend I was riding with was pulled over on US-20 in the middle of the desert between Burns and Bend, OR. He was going 70, but the speed limit was still a ridiculous 55 at the time. I don't remember exactly the location, but basically picture this. I felt kinda guilty because I said "you can go 65", because I knew you wouldn't get pulled over at 65. But I think he interpreted that as "the speed limit is 65, I'll go 5 over". Didn't help he had Washington plates. Luckily, he only got a warning, turned out fine. And now the speed limit is 65 which is more reasonable. I generally go 70-75, and sometimes that still feels slow.

My wife got a ticket for 76 on I-84 somewhere between Boise and Meridian. Speed limit is 65, but it's a modern 8 lane freeway, and traffic wasn't heavy (early afternoon), so 76 is not really that fast. Kinda a weak ticket, even though legally speaking of course it's valid. I wasn't in the car, maybe there's more to the story. Luckily the ticket was only $90 and didn't affect our insurance rates or anything, so no big deal. I try to keep it to 74 now haha.


kphoger

1.  Exceeding the speed limit
2.  Didn't slow down or move over when going around a police car
3.  License plate broken in half
4.  Wrong type of DL for the vehicle's weight rating (officer found out he was mistaken)

All during the same stop, while driving a company truck, and only got a written warning.
Keep right except to pass.  Yes.  You.
Visit scenic Orleans County, NY!
Male pronouns, please.

Quote from: Philip K. DickIf you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who must use them.

MATraveler128

The only traffic ticket I’ve ever gotten was in Providence when I hit 34 in a 20 mph school zone. This was actually from a speed camera rather than from an officer. I’ve never actually received a warning.
Decommission 128 south of Peabody!

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dvferyance

Speeding in a school zone in Greenwood IN. It was really a bogus traffic stop in the first place. I didn't see any kids playing outside and it happened around 3:30 PM. Isn't school out by then anyways?

MultiMillionMiler

That's actually prime time for kids getting out of school, but since many "zones" that warrant lower limits don't seem to be posted properly, I won't judge.

dvferyance

Quote from: MultiMillionMiler on February 21, 2023, 08:18:15 PM
That's actually prime time for kids getting out of school, but since many "zones" that warrant lower limits don't seem to be posted properly, I won't judge.
Around here school is usually done around 2:45-3 PM.

TheHighwayMan3561

When I took driver's ed in MN 15 years ago, I was taught that "when children are present", at least in MN, doesn't have a defined time - for example, if you drive by the high school stadium during Friday night football, that constitutes "children being present".

The places that put defined times on the signs are the ones who get this right.
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sprjus4

No, IMO, the ones who got it right are the zones that are posted with flashing lights. That way there's no ambiguity, ignorance to the time, etc. It's simply either flashing and reduced, or not flashing and not reduced.

Scott5114

Quote from: kphoger on February 21, 2023, 01:17:30 PM
1.  Exceeding the speed limit
2.  Didn't slow down or move over when going around a police car
3.  License plate broken in half
4.  Wrong type of DL for the vehicle's weight rating (officer found out he was mistaken)

All during the same stop, while driving a company truck, and only got a written warning.

I hope your employer would have covered the ticket if they had written one. If not, it would have put you in a really unfortunate no-win situation (drive the truck with the broken license plate and risk trouble with the law, or refuse and risk trouble with the boss).
uncontrollable freak sardine salad chef

HighwayStar

Never been pulled over so naturally never had a warning.

I have had a bad track record of going by speed traps and having the officer decide to leave the trap right after I passed, but they were never after me.

Also had a weird experience with an officer with lights on come up behind me in Vermont, I pull over, he pulls over. After waiting several minutes I realize he was going into whatever building, looked like a bar maybe, and I had pulled over for no reason.

I have always driven nondescript cars that don't attract unwanted attention however.
There are those who travel, and those who travel well

HighwayStar

Quote from: sprjus4 on February 23, 2023, 09:06:39 PM
No, IMO, the ones who got it right are the zones that are posted with flashing lights. That way there's no ambiguity, ignorance to the time, etc. It's simply either flashing and reduced, or not flashing and not reduced.

I would largely second this. I suppose at one time the expense of doing every zone might have been a reason not to, but with as cheap and long lived as LEDs and solar panels are now I would endorse a change which nullifies any special zone without a flasher.
There are those who travel, and those who travel well

HighwayStar

Quote from: MultiMillionMiler on February 21, 2023, 11:26:41 AM
Quote from: Takumi on February 07, 2023, 09:55:16 PM
Only ticket I've received was when I took off very quickly from a signal, not realizing a police car was right next to me. I deserved it for that reason alone.

I did get a warning once for only having my parking lights on at night. Somehow that was my only one. (There have been some instances where I've done some wild stuff in front of cops and nothing happened.)

I've always wondered what the law is for rapid acceleration, if you floor it until you hit the speed limit if you can get a ticket, on the entrance ramp to a highway for example.

First result on Google (which is just one random local statute)

ARTICLE 12.09 - UNREASONABLE OR EXCESSIVE ACCELERATION
Sec. 12.09.001 - Prohibited.
No person shall cause a motor vehicle operating in the city to accelerate without apparent reason, and accomplished in such a manner as to cause the tire to excessively spin or lose traction, cause squealing or screeching sounds to be made by the tires or cause the throwing of sand or gravel or both by the tires.


To me, this sees to put the bar pretty high, especially in an age of FWD/AWD vehicles with various electronic do-dads to prevent the tires braking loose. It seems more of a statute aimed to prevent the noise/nuance of people doing burnouts than to actually regulate the acceleration of drivers. An older vehicle with a reasonably powerful engine and RWD could easily "spin and loose traction" while causing "screeching sounds" all while accelerating far less than a heavy AWD sports sedan with traction control.
There are those who travel, and those who travel well

HighwayStar

Quote from: MultiMillionMiler on February 25, 2023, 09:50:04 PM
What about on the highway/entrance ramps?

This is a local statute, so it might not even apply there. But realistically, even on entrance ramps, there is probabally not a case for a burnout being necessary. You can accelerate quite a bit without going to that length. I've had some short ramps where flooring it was a good idea, but even in an under-powered econobox that was generally sufficient.
There are those who travel, and those who travel well

MultiMillionMiler

#88
New York
https://maps.app.goo.gl/5vQ8keWtFR6RfeZV6

I had to burn rubber a couple times on this ramp (the shoulder used to be the right lane before they reduced I-278 to 2 lanes in each direction, now it's no merge at all). Not only was there just a stop sign there and no room to accelerate, but you could barely see around the blind curve for cars going 45-50 mph. I think this ramp was the closest I ever came to an accident

Takumi

Quote from: MultiMillionMiler on February 21, 2023, 11:26:41 AM
Quote from: Takumi on February 07, 2023, 09:55:16 PM
Only ticket I've received was when I took off very quickly from a signal, not realizing a police car was right next to me. I deserved it for that reason alone.

I did get a warning once for only having my parking lights on at night. Somehow that was my only one. (There have been some instances where I've done some wild stuff in front of cops and nothing happened.)

I've always wondered what the law is for rapid acceleration, if you floor it until you hit the speed limit if you can get a ticket, on the entrance ramp to a highway for example.


To be clear, I got ticketed for 12 over. That was probably a little under what I actually ended up going.
Quote from: Rothman on July 15, 2021, 07:52:59 AM
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Don't @ me. Seriously.

kphoger

Quote from: Scott5114 on February 24, 2023, 10:01:40 PM

Quote from: kphoger on February 21, 2023, 01:17:30 PM
1.  Exceeding the speed limit
2.  Didn't slow down or move over when going around a police car
3.  License plate broken in half
4.  Wrong type of DL for the vehicle's weight rating (officer found out he was mistaken)

All during the same stop, while driving a company truck, and only got a written warning.

I hope your employer would have covered the ticket if they had written one. If not, it would have put you in a really unfortunate no-win situation (drive the truck with the broken license plate and risk trouble with the law, or refuse and risk trouble with the boss).

I only told the front office about the license plate warning, not about the other parts.  But yeah, they got a replacement license plate in short order.
Keep right except to pass.  Yes.  You.
Visit scenic Orleans County, NY!
Male pronouns, please.

Quote from: Philip K. DickIf you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who must use them.



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