Caught Speeding

[wpr]

I didn't have time to post last night.

I pulled off a side road near one of our state parks. The speed limit there is 45. I was preoccupied with trying to find the Illinois basketball game. I had not gone very far. 500 feet maybe. I glanced down at my speedometer and saw I was already at 60 mph so I tapped my brakes. I was at the top of a hill and the park entrance was at the bottom of the hill.

So was the State Trooper. First his headlites popped on the his flashing lites. I found a spot and pulled over.

When he got to my car he asked if I knew why I was pulled over. I said that I thought I knew. I said when I saw my speed was around 60 I tapped my breaks. he told me I was doing 61 in a 45.

He asked for all the usual stuff. Drivers license and proof of ins. I gave him an expired ID. He pointed that out. So I tossed it over my shoulder into the back seat. I handed him the other one I had he said it begins in about 5 days. He said I assume you are insured. I told him I sure hope so since I am the insurance agent. He chuckled a bit. I pulled out a third ID. This is one that I printed off the company's website a few months ago to take the place of the missing ID. Since it didn't look like the first two he took a little time studying it.

The young man went back to his car and after about 3-4 minutes he came back and handed me my license and told me to drive more carefully.

I said "Yes Sir." As he walked away I said I won't look for the IL game on the radio any more either. He chuckled again.

In the past 40 years I have been pulled over many many times. (None in the past 5 years or so.) This is only the second time I have been given a pass. The other time I was only about 10 over. If I had been going faster that officer said he would have given me the ticket.

I suppose not lying helped. Having him see me put on my brakes before I saw him was probably a good thing. Not having any tickets for a while. Being an older fart surely helped.

And fluffy Gabriel Iglesias is right. make em laugh.

[illinifan31]

First time I ever got pulled over I had been stuck in bumper to bumper traffic on 290 at midnight. I was super frustrated and once I got open road off the expressway, I floored it, and hit like 42 in a 30. I saw the cop and for some reason didn't slow down, I think I thought he couldn't radar me going in the opposite direction. Anywho, he pulled me over, asked if I had been drinking, twice, and both times I was no sir. Then he asked if I knew the speed limit in this area and I didn't reply, since I don't have to answer the questions, it got real awkward and he asked me like 3 times, so finally I cracked and was like yah 30. Then he told me he had be at 47, which I told him I don't think I was going 47 sir. Well he went back to his car, came back and started asking me if I had any Uncles in the town next to me, any grandparents, any relatives at all? Ummm no officer. Then he told me to stay safe there are a lot of drunk drivers out at this time, and let me go with no ticket or warning.

Either he didn't actually radar me and said did, and the fact that I genuinely showed surprise when he said I was going 47 made me realize that he was off, or there is some powerful person in the town next to me with my last name.

[pizzaman]

The last time I got a speeding ticket was about 41 years ago in Chicago. I was still a student, home for the summer break. A day later, my father told me to go to a bar on the south side at a certain time, buy two draft beers, pay with a $50 and leave the change on the bar. I was met by a guy named Frank who claimed to know my father. I enjoyed the beer, did as I was told and never heard another word about the speeding ticket.

When I asked about this he simply told me to forget it ever happened and he gave me no additional info. My father died in 2002. He was 90. He was secretive about some things in his life (like the photo of him with an attractive woman, not my mother) and I'll never know alot about his life.

[wpr]

Interesting Pizzman. Thanks for sharing.

There are a few things I would like to know about my Dad as well. No photos though. I think he knew better.

[illinicb]

Originally Posted by wpr

I didn't have time to post last night.

I pulled off a side road near one of our state parks. The speed limit there is 45. I was preoccupied with trying to find the Illinois basketball game. I had not gone very far. 500 feet maybe. I glanced down at my speedometer and saw I was already at 60 mph so I tapped my brakes. I was at the top of a hill and the park entrance was at the bottom of the hill.

So was the State Trooper. First his headlites popped on the his flashing lites. I found a spot and pulled over.

When he got to my car he asked if I knew why I was pulled over. I said that I thought I knew. I said when I saw my speed was around 60 I tapped my breaks. he told me I was doing 61 in a 45.

He asked for all the usual stuff. Drivers license and proof of ins. I gave him an expired ID. He pointed that out. So I tossed it over my shoulder into the back seat. I handed him the other one I had he said it begins in about 5 days. He said I assume you are insured. I told him I sure hope so since I am the insurance agent. He chuckled a bit. I pulled out a third ID. This is one that I printed off the company's website a few months ago to take the place of the missing ID. Since it didn't look like the first two he took a little time studying it.

The young man went back to his car and after about 3-4 minutes he came back and handed me my license and told me to drive more carefully.

I said "Yes Sir." As he walked away I said I won't look for the IL game on the radio any more either. He chuckled again.

In the past 40 years I have been pulled over many many times. (None in the past 5 years or so.) This is only the second time I have been given a pass. The other time I was only about 10 over. If I had been going faster that officer said he would have given me the ticket.

I suppose not lying helped. Having him see me put on my brakes before I saw him was probably a good thing. Not having any tickets for a while. Being an older fart surely helped.

And fluffy Gabriel Iglesias is right. make em laugh.

I've never heard of such a thing unless you were a beautiful woman.

[wpr]

Originally Posted by illinicb

I've never heard of such a thing unless you were a beautiful woman.

close. old, fat, ugly, bald guy with a beard.

[bmb777]

Ive only gotten one ticket in my life. In high school late to work and going well over 100. I saw him and slammed on brakes. He said he clocked me at 67 in a 55 zone. I wasnt about to argue with that! When I was a cop I obviously never got a ticket. Got pulled over a couple times though. Now I keep my hospital ID hanging in my car. Thats got me out of 2 tickets.

[pizzaman]

Originally Posted by wpr

close. old, fat, ugly, bald guy with a beard.

I've got a twin :laugh:

[wpr]

Originally Posted by pizzaman

I've got a twin :laugh:

[gibb52]

Originally Posted by wpr

Twin Sons of Different Mothers!

[mdonsbach]

For my last ticket it might have been good to actually looked to my left and notice the big police station I was driving by after work. It was a different route that I normally take. The police officer quite literally was pulling out of the police station parking lot as I sped by. To this day I firmly believe he was just starting his shift. Probably a record in his precinct for quickest to pull someone over.

I rarely drive that route anymore...you know for sentimental reasons.

[HsvIllini]

Originally Posted by wpr

I didn't have time to post last night.

I pulled off a side road near one of our state parks. The speed limit there is 45. I was preoccupied with trying to find the Illinois basketball game. I had not gone very far. 500 feet maybe. I glanced down at my speedometer and saw I was already at 60 mph so I tapped my brakes. I was at the top of a hill and the park entrance was at the bottom of the hill.

So was the State Trooper. First his headlites popped on the his flashing lites. I found a spot and pulled over.

When he got to my car he asked if I knew why I was pulled over. I said that I thought I knew. I said when I saw my speed was around 60 I tapped my breaks. he told me I was doing 61 in a 45.

He asked for all the usual stuff. Drivers license and proof of ins. I gave him an expired ID. He pointed that out. So I tossed it over my shoulder into the back seat. I handed him the other one I had he said it begins in about 5 days. He said I assume you are insured. I told him I sure hope so since I am the insurance agent. He chuckled a bit. I pulled out a third ID. This is one that I printed off the company's website a few months ago to take the place of the missing ID. Since it didn't look like the first two he took a little time studying it.

The young man went back to his car and after about 3-4 minutes he came back and handed me my license and told me to drive more carefully.

I said "Yes Sir." As he walked away I said I won't look for the IL game on the radio any more either. He chuckled again.

In the past 40 years I have been pulled over many many times. (None in the past 5 years or so.) This is only the second time I have been given a pass. The other time I was only about 10 over. If I had been going faster that officer said he would have given me the ticket.

I suppose not lying helped. Having him see me put on my brakes before I saw him was probably a good thing. Not having any tickets for a while. Being an older fart surely helped.

And fluffy Gabriel Iglesias is right. make em laugh.

I think you hit the nail on the head - just being honest with them goes a long way!

[illynifan34]

I've been honest twice and received tickets both times.

[HsvIllini]

Originally Posted by illynifan34

I've been honest twice and received tickets both times.

I'm at 2/3 with not receiving one when that's the case. The one that I still received a ticket for was at least not as painful when the trooper told me at least he respected me for taking the lead rather than being a chicken and riding my tail like the girl I didn't know behind me (his words and she received one too) :laugh:

[Shenanigans]

Honesty goes a long way but one of my things is when people take the time to look for a safe spot to pull over out of traffic. Unless the violation is absurd, that move goes a long way in my book. I'm not a trooper, so i don't have pressure on me to write citations. I really only write a citation when its truly needed. I believe that when you are dealing with mostly reasonable people, a warning is more effective than a ticket. It develops a good relationship with the public and lets face it, tickets are not cheap when you factor in court costs and supervision. Most people slow down after a warning and I rarely have to stop them twice. I just hate the idea of making people pay that much unless its unavoidable.

[wpr]

thanks Shenanigans for your input. It is a county blacktop road but I did take extra time to get to a wider spot on the road before I pulled over. I was thinking of making it easier for the trooper to walk back and forth should traffic come upon us. With hills both directions we were near the bottom so it wasn't as if there was a lot of notice of us sitting there.

Not to sound smug I have to wonder if the reason I didn't get a ticket was because I did hit my brakes and the trooper didn't lock it on the gun quick enough. As I mentioned I was at the top of a hill. I wonder if most drivers pick up speed on the way down the hill and he anticipated me doing the same and thus missed his chance to get me.

Either way I wouldn't have argued it.

[ctblaisdell83]

Last two times I was pulled over were both out of state.

First - taking the family to a RI beach, early AM, really flying down country roads. Cop pulled me over (I'm driving the wife's minivan). He asked me if I knew the speed limit, and I said, 'no, but I'll bet I was over it.' He went to the cruiser, ran the name and plates, came back and told me to take it slower. I thanked him...then asked him if we were going the right way to get to Misquamicut. Guy actually gave me directions

Second was in a small town in western VA. About 15 over the limit. Cop couldn't have been friendlier, found out I was there for a family wedding, chatted me up, still gave me a ticket.

[Cool Hand Luke]

I concur with the Honesty is the Best Policy advice.

I've been pulled over probably 10-12 times, though not nearly as often as I've gotten older. A few things I always try to do, which seem to help me from getting a ticket:

1. Try to find a parking lot you can pull into rather than just pulling over to the side of the road. Obviously you don't want to lead the cop for a mile. If you can't find a lot soon enough, at least help out the officer by pulling over as far as you possibly can.

2. Limit your movement until the officer approaches. Keep both hands on the steering wheel so he/she can see them. If it is nighttime, it can't hurt to flip on your dome light as soon as you stop.

3. Immediately say good morning/afternoon/evening and address him/her as Officer. Using Sir or Ma'am can't hurt either.

4. Don't start asking questions. Let them ask you questions. When they ask you the inevitable question as to why you were pulled over, be honest. If you know, tell them you know. When I've been pulled over for speeding I've always told them why I was speeding. It was almost always because I was in a hurry to get somewhere. I tell them I am running late and I got in too big a hurry. Don't apologize. It sounds desperate. Just be honest.

5. Know where your papers are. Keep your stuff organized. Don't make the officer wait while you search your car for your registration or insurance card. Keep them together in your glove box. The quicker you can get him/her away from you and back to sitting in their car the better.

6. If you don't know why you were pulled over, when they explain the reason to you let them know you appreciate them stopping you to let you know about the problem. I did this when I was pulled over because the light for my license plate was burned out.

Point is, you can BS all you want. But in my experience (driving 21 years) you are much more likely to get a ticket the more you try to weasel your way out of it or by playing dumb. Just be honest and treat the officer with respect. You may still get a ticket, but your odds are better you won't if you don't treat them like they're a moron.

[MTILLINOIS]

I have a buddy that works for the CPD. It's been years since he's given anybody a ticket. He's just a chilled out kind of guy. Well the other day, he pulled over a couple of Asian kids in a fast and furious car. As he asked the driver for his license and insurance, he checked everything out and handed back the items to the drivers and told them to drive safe and have a good day. As he started to walk away, the driver said to his buddy in Vietnamese "I told you I'll get out of this ticket". Not a smart move by that kid because my friend is Vietnamese himself. He told the driver to hang on as he went back to his car to write up a ticket. Lesson: be respectful and keep your mouth shut until your out of sight from the officer.

[Shenanigans]

Youtube Gabriel Iglesias "Making cops laugh." As a cop, I love his cop jokes. Some are explicit so be careful if you have kids around.

[Cool Hand Luke]

Craziest thing. I got pulled over just this morning. In a hurry to get to work. Not running late, just needed to get to the project I'm overseeing ASAP.

I have to drive through a small town. Less than 1,000. Probably 500 max. She got me doing 60 in a 45. And it was rainy on top of that. I was polite and honest with her. She asked me if I had a reason I was going that fast and I told her "No. No good reason, anyway. Just trying to get to work as soon as I can."

I can't believe it, but I got off with a warning.

I would have sworn she was going to write me up.

Such an odd coincidence. I haven't been pulled over in 5+ years. Got pulled over today, 2 days after my earlier post.

[wpr]

welcome to the club.

looking at your last post I probably have been pulled over 15 times in 38 years.

[ctblaisdell83]

Couple years ago, I was driving Chicago to CT. It's a little after midnight I-80 in West NJ. I get stuck behind a little old lady doing the speed limit in the left lane, with other cars stacking up behind me. Finally she pulls over and then...speeds up. Maybe she was screwing with me, or there was an entrainment effect. Anyway, I pass her at close to 80 mph then pull over. Car behind me pulls up along side but doesn't pass. I don't notice for a few seconds, then I realize someone else must be playing with me (after all it was NJ). I look over, and it's a NJ State Trooper.

I'm thinking this is it...ticket for sure. Trooper stares over and wags his finger at me. I gave him an 'oops, my bad' gesture. He mouths the words 'slow down' and drives away.

I guess I've been lucky a lot

[Cool Hand Luke]

Anyone here knowledgeable enough to answer this question?

Are police officers allowed to park their cars on private property when they've got their radar on looking for speeding cars?

I've heard this claim that they are not from a few people, but it seems like one of those myths that a lot of people believe. But I have no idea. Seems to me it wouldn't matter as long as the property owner has no issue with it.

[wpr]

Originally Posted by Cool Hand Luke

Anyone here knowledgeable enough to answer this question?

Are police officers allowed to park their cars on private property when they've got their radar on looking for speeding cars?

I've heard this claim that they are not from a few people, but it seems like one of those myths that a lot of people believe. But I have no idea. Seems to me it wouldn't matter as long as the property owner has no issue with it.

from a police message board-

Kimble
07-21-08, 07:05 PM
I would venture to guess so. Many cops, myself included when I was in patrol, utilize private property to run traffic/radar. I've sat in church parking lot, dirt roads, paved driveways, and various other spots, and don't recall anyone every having a problem with it (i.e. the owners of the property). I'm sure if I were blocking their ability to leave for work in the morning that might be cause for frustration and me having to move, but if you're asking if it's legal (and hence, the ticket given be valid) for a cop to park in a private property spot to work traffic, the answer is yes.
Darin
07-21-08, 07:18 PM
We can sit on private property and run RADAR. It's not an issue and not grounds for the ticket to be dismissed.

I do not know what State they are from. I would assume it would apply here in IL. I only read the responses until I got these 2 replies (about 4-5 down). Someone earlier on the thread that they assumed it was legal since police do it all the time.

I had an officer sitting in my office parking lot. (It is rather small.) I pulled in late one night to get something off my desk and the officer backed up so I could get in to the parking lot then drove away. If he would have asked I would have told him to stay where he was. But it was night shift on a weekend so I think that is when the younger/part time guys work.


almost forgot the link. boy would Dan have been mad.


edit- I read on a little further and found a cop with a sense of humor. +1 for him. Get him a donut.

Legoate
07-21-08, 08:15 PM
this question goes a little different than the ones I've seen here...

Can a cop car sit parked on private property (like someone's driveway) and radar for speeders?

To quote the infamous Fox In Sox:

We can shoot radar from a truck.
We can shoot radar on a duck.
We can shoot radar from a tree.
We can shoot radar while we pee.

From a truck, on a duck, from a tree, while we pee... I love my radar it's so fun, I love it love it run run run.

(I'm hoping that you can get from my verse that I can legally shoot radar from anywhere I want, and I appologize to the late Dr. Seuss)