Avoiding tickets

[corco]

am I the only one that does not use a radar detector?

I don't use one- I generally only go between 5 and 10 over (except on really, really rural roads that no cop would ever drive down) and just rely on instinct to avoid tickets (cops are fairly predictable if you really pay attention). Thus far I've gotten one- 83 in a 65 on the New York Thruway in 2007, but that was an abberation. I was also pulled over two years ago in Idaho for doing 57 in a 35, but I knew the cop and he let me off with a scolding

[agentsteel53]

I've got a streak of 16 straight citations that I've talked my way out of, since Oct 29, 2006 when I got pulled over in Arizona for disobeying a speed limit sign in a construction zone that had been knocked down and therefore was unreadable.  Near to the end of the month - there's no way out of that one.  

Since then, I've talked my way out of a 113 in a 70 - a class III misdemeanor into a verbal warning!  The usual is more like 61 in a 55, 71 in a 65, etc.  As you may guess, I set cruise control to 6 over!

[corco]

That's awesome. How do you even pull that off?

I usually set cruise at 5 over as a base, but I hate being that asshat that passes other cars at 1/10th of a mile an hour faster than the other cars, so I'll speed up to 7 or 8 over, then slow back to 5. If it's a four lane road, I'll slow back to 5 as soon as I'm comfortably in front, but if it's a two lane road I'll wait till I'm at least a half-mile or so in front of the other car, so I end up spending a lot of time at 7 or 8 over. If somebody else in front of me on a rural road is going less than 15 over, I'll stay comfortably behind him and match his speed, giving me plenty of time to slow down if there's a cop so the other car gets the ticket.

[agentsteel53]

That's awesome. How do you even pull that off?

basically figuring that most police are really not out to issue tickets... a lot of those 16 were really innocent mistakes, like stopping about four feet into an intersection because of the confusing mess of orange cones and yellow tape and temporary signage.  For those, you really just say that you were mistaken and you're from out of town and do not know how this intersection looks, and you're sorry and you'll pay better attention later... which is the truth, even - just told in the language they like to hear.

bear in mind that - especially on Friday and Saturday nights - cops pull over confused drivers because they may very well be drunk.  A clearly sober conversation with an apology in reasonable non-slurred English goes a long, long way.  Just have your license and registration ready to go, and be able to speak in complete sentences, and you are very likely off the hook for a minor violation, especially one borne of driver confusion in a poorly signed area.

as for 113 in a 70... basically, pulling over when you know you're cooked like last week's turkey is hopefully enough for them to figure you're not a real criminal hell-bent on escape, and then you apologize over and over and over again.

(and figure your next speed escapade will be on an even less populated stretch of road!)

If somebody else in front of me on a rural road is going less than 15 over, I'll stay comfortably behind him and match his speed, giving me plenty of time to slow down if there's a cop so the other car gets the ticket.

heh I've raced people doing 120+ before, knowing where to slow up before the double fines "construction zone" trap suddenly appears!  sorry, feller, you drive an SUV, so I have no mercy for you.

[BigMattFromTexas]

My dad (a cop) said that by the time a radar detector goes off, the they've already gotten your speed. So there's pretty much no point in having them.
BigMatt

[agentsteel53]

My dad (a cop) said that by the time a radar detector goes off, the they've already gotten your speed. So there's pretty much no point in having them.
BigMatt

I cannot parse that.  No point in having what?  Cops?  speed limits?

[J N Winkler]

mine too - I am completely self-sufficient on the road except for needing to do laundry - so I pack at least a week of clothes.

I am backpacking through Europe right now, so I have two shirts, two pairs of trousers--including the shirt and trousers I am wearing right now--and 18 changes of socks and underwear.  I actually need to do laundry right now--I am tired of the salt stains on my shirt and I can't change into the other shirt because it has salt stains too.  That is the price to be paid for being in the southern Mediterranean in late June/early July.

In regard to electronics, I have my camera, my laptop, and my 500-GB "working papers" external hard drive with me.  I do not have the 1 TB "archive" external hard drive with me.

am I the only one that does not use a radar detector?  I figure the police are always one step ahead, and they'll nail me using some previously undiscovered frequency band, so why bother.

I used to have a radar detector, but haven't used it for about 15 years and think I have lost it.  The "why bother" question I ask is about speeding itself.

[Scott5114]

My dad (a cop) said that by the time a radar detector goes off, the they've already gotten your speed. So there's pretty much no point in having them.
BigMatt

I cannot parse that.  No point in having what?  Cops?  speed limits?

Dads

[hbelkins]

My dad (a cop) said that by the time a radar detector goes off, the they've already gotten your speed. So there's pretty much no point in having them.
BigMatt

With all due respect to your dad, I think he's mistaken. My detector is a Valentine One (top of the line), purchased after I got nailed by an Ohio state trooper on one of those roads where I never expected to see a cop. It was on OH 104, which I was told by a friend was a much better alternative to US 23 because you could drive faster on it because all the cops stayed on 23. In this case, a detector would have saved me from a ticket because it would have picked up his reading of a vehicle upon which I was closing, giving me plenty of time to slow down.

The V1 is amazing. It will pick up radar signals when the officer is well ahead of me, out of sight or obscured by a curve or rise. I am confident that it has saved me several tickets since I bought it a couple of years ago.

[agentsteel53]

The "why bother" question I ask is about speeding itself.

there are two ways of getting to point B faster, and A Wrinkle In Time is not a reference manual...

[Chris]

radar detectors are illegal in most of Europe. It's illegal to not fund the state treasury... Thy shall pay up!

In Switzerland it's even illegal to have speed cameras as POI's in your GPS, but I wonder how on earth they want to enforce such a silly rule.

[Brandon]

am I the only one that does not use a radar detector?  I figure the police are always one step ahead, and they'll nail me using some previously undiscovered frequency band, so why bother. 

No.  However, I find the police to be so obvious, and their hiding places so easy to see, that it isn't worth it.  Remember, radar (and other methods) only work accurately at a close range (a couple hundred feet at most).  If you can spot them 1/4 mile away, they're none the wiser.  They have to have a line of sight to use the devices.

[agentsteel53]

I can't reliably see them 1/4 mile away, that's for sure! 

[Brandon]

I keep my eyes open and try to spot them at least 1/4 mile out.  Radar only works accurately at a close range (a couple of hundred feet).
Other tricks:
1. Keep right.  They seem to prefer to target the left lanes.
2. Do not use the brake when you see them.  They know then that you know you are guilty.  Let up off the gas and coast.
3. Let some real moron go much faster than you.  Bear bait is a good thing.  They'll trip any trap before you get to it.
4. Keep a keen eye on anything might look like a cop car.  Remember the colors of the patrol cars for the state you are in.  (i.e. Illinois is white with a gold and brown stripe; Michigan is "State Police Blue".)  Watch for the unmarked cars.  They tend to be obvious from the number of antennae. 
5. Drive defensively, cautiously, and curteously.  Cops tend to give people like that a break and go after folks with a bigger fine potential. 
6. Maintain your lights.  Speeding will be combined with a missing tail light or headlight.  Again, bigger fine potential and more tickets.
7. For heaven's sake, wear your seatbelt.
8. Don't drive like an asshole, tailgating and cutting off people.  If you do so, not only do you piss off other drivers, but you've made yourself a target.
9. Never pass the cop in front of you unless he/she is going slower than the legal speed limit or he/she is way out of his/her jurisdiction (i.e. Cook County Sheriff in Will County - he's busy going to a jail for a visit).
10. Keep in mind the usual locations where they set traps.  They get into set patterns and attempt to use the same location over and over again.  In many ways, they're too predictable.  (for example, the ISP always sets a trap at the median break just south of Thorndale (Exit 5) on I-290). 
11. Watch your speed on surface streets in town.  Small towns and suburbs want your money.

Do these and you should be fine.  They've served me well for quite some time now and I have a grand total of zero tickets even while I drive at 75-80mph on the freeways and tollways.

[Brandon]

I can't reliably see them 1/4 mile away, that's for sure! 

Here in the Midwest, where the gound is fairly flat, and the freeways fairly straight, I can see them pretty well when they sit in the median at that distance.

[agentsteel53]

2. Do not use the brake when you see them.  They know then that you know you are guilty.  Let up off the gas and coast.

alternately, use the e-brake, as that does not trip the brake lights.

3. Let some real moron go much faster than you.  Bear bait is a good thing.  They'll trip any trap before you get to it.

but not so much faster that they are out of sight and no longer aiding you.  If someone is doing 90, speed up to 85 for a minute or two to use them as bait as long as possible.  If someone is doing 140... well, some trucker is going to call them in and they'll be by the side of the road in handcuffs 20 miles down the road. 

4. Keep a keen eye on anything might look like a cop car.  Remember the colors of the patrol cars for the state you are in.  (i.e. Illinois is white with a gold and brown stripe; Michigan is "State Police Blue".)  Watch for the unmarked cars.  They tend to be obvious from the number of antennae. 

oh, there's no way in Hell I can memorize 8 bazillion color schemes, but in general police cars tend to look very similar.  Even the unmarked ones.  The tinted windows, excessive antennas, sometimes specially colored license plates.

9. Never pass the cop in front of you unless he/she is going slower than the legal speed limit or he/she is way out of his/her jurisdiction (i.e. Cook County Sheriff in Will County - he's busy going to a jail for a visit).

I tend to have barely any idea what county I'm in!   

10. Keep in mind the usual locations where they set traps.  They get into set patterns and attempt to use the same location over and over again.  In many ways, they're too predictable.  (for example, the ISP always sets a trap at the median break just south of Thorndale (Exit 5) on I-290). 

as with the color schemes, there's no way I can remember all that.  Quick, where are the speed traps in the Charleston WV area?  Who the Hell knows?? 

11. Watch your speed on surface streets in town.  Small towns and suburbs want your money.

also, if you drive slowly through small towns, you get to see more interesting stuff.  "Hey, is that a cutout junction marker on the side street??"  I tend to go about 2-3 below the limit through towns, and I avoid the suburban arterials if I can because those tend to be boring and choked with traffic.

[agentsteel53]

Here in the Midwest, where the gound is fairly flat, and the freeways fairly straight, I can see them pretty well when they sit in the median at that distance.

in the Midwest, yes, but in a lot of places they are just past the next hill. 

also, even on flat ground, a motorcycle cop behind an overpass column is very effectively hidden. 

[bugo]

I usually set cruise at 5 over as a base, but I hate being that asshat that passes other cars at 1/10th of a mile an hour faster than the other cars, so I'll speed up to 7 or 8 over, then slow back to 5. If it's a four lane road, I'll slow back to 5 as soon as I'm comfortably in front, but if it's a two lane road I'll wait till I'm at least a half-mile or so in front of the other car, so I end up spending a lot of time at 7 or 8 over. If somebody else in front of me on a rural road is going less than 15 over, I'll stay comfortably behind him and match his speed, giving me plenty of time to slow down if there's a cop so the other car gets the ticket.

That's a lot like how I drive.  I sometimes drive the speed limit, sometimes 5 over, and occasionally 10 over.  Sometimes I just say fuck it and drive 90.  Which is only 15 over on the Oklahoma turnpikes but 35 over on Arkansas' 2 lane highways.

[Scott5114]

10. Keep in mind the usual locations where they set traps.  They get into set patterns and attempt to use the same location over and over again.  In many ways, they're too predictable.  (for example, the ISP always sets a trap at the median break just south of Thorndale (Exit 5) on I-290). 

Not sure if this holds true for all casinos but there's nearly always a trooper in front of the casino I work at. I assume that such a location would be a prime spot for law enforcement, since they can pick off the people who've drank too much inside, as well as people who've lost/won large amounts of money and are driving erratically because of it, and poor housekeepers who are running late to work.

[bugo]

Not sure if this holds true for all casinos but there's nearly always a trooper in front of the casino I work at. I assume that such a location would be a prime spot for law enforcement, since they can pick off the people who've drank too much inside, as well as people who've lost/won large amounts of money and are driving erratically because of it, and poor housekeepers who are running late to work.

There's a Choctaw Nation gas station/convenience store just north of the interchange between US 59 Bypass/OK 112 and US 59/271.  I always see a tribal police car parked there with a cop sitting in it.  I'm not sure if the gas station has a small casino in it or not as I'm not a gambler.

[corco]

2. Do not use the brake when you see them.  They know then that you know you are guilty.  Let up off the gas and coast.
9. Never pass the cop in front of you unless he/she is going slower than the legal speed limit or he/she is way out of his/her jurisdiction (i.e. Cook County Sheriff in Will County - he's busy going to a jail for a visit).

I tend to think the whole "never pass a cop" thing is overblown. In the same vain as not braking when I see a cop car, if I'm going 5 over or less I'm not going to adjust my speed at all. If I'm on the freeway and I'm going 5 over and the cop is going the speed limit, I'll pass. I've done this a couple dozen times and not received a ticket or even been pulled over. On a two lane road if the cop is going the speed limit I probably wouldn't pass, however.

It goes to not looking guilty- if  I come up on a cop on the interstate and slow to the speed limit, then it's obvious I was going faster and I'm only slowing down because I'm scared of the cop. Why would I be scared of the cop if I weren't guilty? If I were to get pulled over, I'd expect this to give me a bit more leverage if I try to plea stupid as well.

Fortunately, this situation doesn't come up horribly often because more astute cops go about 10 over or 10 under to alleviate the awkwardness of having to be stuck behind/in front of a cop

[golden eagle]

I don't own a radar detector, so I have to rely on my natural senses to watch out for the cops. The speed at to which I drive depends on the lay of the land, the time of day and the weather (well, that goes without saying). I drive faster in the daytime and in open areas. It's much more easier to look out for cops in the daytime and when there are no trees. I slow down some whenever I'm approaching a vehicle on the side of the road, just in case it could be a cop car. I also driver faster when there are more lanes. For example, I was driving at least 80 on the six-lane portion of I-20/59 between Birmingham and Tuscaloosa on my most recent trip to and from Birmingham. I didn't drive as fast on the four-lane part.

As a side note, are there any places where cop cars sit empty on the side of the road as means to slow motorists down? I remember there used to be on I-10 around Metairie, LA years ago. I don't recall seeing it the last time I drove down through there in October.

[bugo]

I learned the headlight and taillight patterns of all the commonly used cop cars so I can tell what they are at night.  Sometimes it is a false alarm, but better safe than sorry.

[Mr. Matté]

When I see a black Crown Vic with a blue EZ-Pass, I automatically think it's an unmarked cop. But for me, I get paranoid and get the foot off the gas for any blue EZ-Pass.

[Revive 755]

I used to have a radar detector, but haven't used it for about 15 years and think I have lost it.  The "why bother" question I ask is about speeding itself.

Sometimes one can find himself unintentionally speeding, such as places with poorly marked speed limit reductions, areas where the speed limit is kept artificially low - such as any rural interstate in Illinois, or even better, NE 2 around Nebraska City, or in cases where one must merge into a highway full of speed limit violators - I-465 can be a real fun example of this case, especially in the west side work zones, with everyone doing at least 65 in a 45 mph work zone.