Posted on 04/10/2005 8:43:30 AM PDT by Dan from Michigan
Drivers quick with an excuse
Sunday, April 10, 2005
By Larry O'Connor
When confronted by a traffic cop, motorists will say the darnedest things to dismiss their misdeeds.
Last year, police agencies in Jackson County doled out 47,005 tickets. In return, officers writing those dreaded citations heard at least that many excuses.
Few are original and even fewer are legitimate, officers say.
"Only in about 2 percent of the cases will they tell you the truth," said state Trooper Dave Clark, a 16-year road patrol veteran.
At least in one instance, the oft-repeated claim of urgently needing to go to the bathroom was no snow job.
About 21/2 years ago, sheriff's Deputy Dan Deering stopped a driver who was zipping down U.S. 127 well over the posted 55 mph limit.
The driver claimed she had to go to the bathroom.
To flush away doubt, she bolted past the deputy, ran into the adjacent woods and proceeded to relieve herself, Deering said. In the passenger seat, her husband sat dumbfounded.
"I handed him the ticket," said Deering, a seven-year road patrol veteran.
Another speeding driver claimed to be on his way to Foote Hospital to deliver vital organs for transplant surgery.
With no heart or kidney in the front seat, Jackson police Officer Chuck Brant was somewhat dubious and ticketed the driver. Another driver later offered the same excuse but at least produced a bag of blood products.
"I let him go," said Brant, the city's top traffic enforcement cop.
For the ticket writer, part of the fun is poking holes in the concocted claims.
"I put (the excuses) into the top of the funnel and keep pushing them down with questions," Deering said. "Pretty soon the funnel is upside down."
Only if the cop doesn't show up in court? How could a person plead not guilty if he already admitted to the officer that he had been speeding?
Officers are just collecting evidence. As long as you are polite you will be ok. There is no reason to admit guilt. What purpose does "fessing up" serve?
I agree where there are some situations where politicians might intervene and set speed limits below MUTCD standards, however, there also exist situations of calculated distances, roadway curvature and geometry, which mandate some speeds which appear too low to the majority of drivers as they approach them, but are nevertheless, the safe speed limit to drive. Many of these involve blind curves, mid-parcel intersections and mountainous roadways.
Other limits are purely social in effect. Consider traffic in SoCA vs NoCA. One can drive 20mph over the highway speed limit in SoCA and still get pulled over for impeding traffic. And that's with drivers driving in nearly bumper to bumper conditions at over 70 mph. Go figure.
Sounds like you're an accomplished liar. Congradulations.
Those aren't where the speed traps are set up though. Speed traps are set up on very safe roads that have a speed limit set artificially low.
If it were truly a safety issue, speed traps would be set up in the locations you mentioned.
Thats obsene.. drivers makeing excuses for error...
Thats only the RIGHT of the political ELITE...
Like Sandy Burgular..
Bill Clintoon..
The Supreme Court...
Most all lawyers..
-OR- the Bush administration excuseing illegal aliens by allowing it to happen..
Depending on the state, it can be. There's an excellent chance that a court would look at the situation - a man chatting with a police officer after being pulled over, and stating that he often represents police officers - as soliciting legal business. Especially if he admits that he's done it before.
Oh, grow up. My son didn't even know he was in a school zone. He was going the regular residential speed of 30. No children were harmed in the making of this civil injustice.
And beyond that, you don't find a random request to search a vehicle CRAP? I think I disagree with your inability to agree.
All of us at traffic school told the rest of the class how we got our tickets.
There always seems to be (I've been twice in 11 yrs) several rather innocent old ladies in the class, a handful of middle age speeders, and one guy who should probably be serving a life sentance without parole (in our class, he had borrowed a car from a friend, who later reported it stolen, going 100mph in a school zone at night, under the influence, on parole, with a bag of illegal drugs found in the trunk which nobody claimed and he was stopped for running a red light,.....go figure).
The best line was an older gent, in good health, retired, when queried by the officer that he had been following him on the desert highway doing 75 on a 65mph highway for three miles with the cops' lights on, asked him why he hadn't pulled over. The older gent responded, "At my age officer, I never look back..."
About 30 years ago, I got stopped while drunk. The cop said I was doing 45 in a 20.He didnt have me clocked, though and being drunk, I says, where is your little red numbers that say 45? He says, my radar wasnt turned on. I says, well hell, what makes you think I was doing 45 then? He says, I believe you've had about enough to drink to ride on down to the courthouse, if that suits you better. I said, 45 sounds about right!
From the Florida turnpike? Was the Coast Guard involved in this story?
soory--it should have been easy!!!
There's no enforcement like selective enforcement. Caste system, anyone?
"The older gent responded, "At my age officer, I never look back...""
I like this philosophy. I think I will adopt it!
Okay, so you tell the truth and get the ticket. These laws are not on the books to protect, but rather just another form of taxation or shall I say confiscation. 15 years ago the state of Texas was reaping a $600 million windfall from speeders.
If you don't want to lie, then remember these basic steps. First the trooper/cop wants to know that you don't want to kill him. That's why they approach your car from the right and look in very closely. So if its night out, always put on your interior lights. Next, never have your license and reg out when he gets there. By doing this you give up any chance of talking yourself out of the ticket. When he asks you how fast you were going, tell him the truth and accept complete responsibility for speeding.
Usually admitting that you were speeding catches the cop off guard because he seldom ever hears that. Next, ask him if you were otherwise driving safely. If true this establishes that you are not a hazard to the road but rather an otherwise law abiding citizen. Then try to engage him in conversation about any topic you think might get him involved. And finally, if you feel you've connected, promise you will obey the law and ask him for a break. Most times you'll get. Why, because in reality unless you do something to really piss the cop off, he doesn't care whether he gives you the ticket or someone else. Any yes I am an attorney, so no I am not committing a crime.
Weary,Weary,SIGH!My(girlfriend)commented recently about my sighing>I only sigh when I'm around her because I know that what I want is just NOT there!!When FUTILITY is Nigh,one SIGHS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
No, but you are claiming to be an officer of the court. If you are not, it is almost as bad as pretending to be a police officer. Jail time.
My word against his, and to put it in the words of several judges over the years: "It is your word against the word of a police officer, and I have no reason to believe that the officer is lying." The cop broke the law; you can't pull somebody over simply because you'd like to check out the car. Proving that is another thing altogether. I have never seen a police officer tell the truth in a court of law. My word against his, and the judge has already made a decision on whose word he trusts more.
It was their annual joke show and Paula Poundstone told a knock-knock joke that reduced me to tears.
He shoulda ran you in for that.
I've gotten a ticket for going 35 in a 15 in a school zone. The regular speed limit on that road was 35. The 15mph school zone said 15mph "when children are present". I got the ticket at 7am on a sunday morning. There were no children present. The cops would sit there and write tickets at all hours, regardless of whether it was during school hours or not. I fought that one. I won. Yes, it was crap! The cop should have never written the ticket, and never should have stopped me from going about my business in the first place.
...or a M.A.D.D. sticker.
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