Speeding Ticket...Round 2

polrbehr

audiobliss wrote: »

What the heck is LIE??

Since you asked...

Long Island Expressway















aka The Worlds Longest Parking Lot

Kris Siegel

Did you get PBJ on your last ticket? If so, then you could be facing some fines and a fair amount of points.

I received two speeding tickets when I was your age. Thankfully they were close enough apart that I was able to get them heard at the sametime so any PBJ I would have initially received on the first ticket wouldn't hurt me on the second.

Since you have this ticket and the other one is already over and done with... well, a lawyer is always a good idea (especially if you had PBJ previously because you could potentially get all of the points from before and now added to your license) but can be expensive. If you are not on PBJ then it may not be a big deal.

BaggedLancer wrote: »

Save your money, pay it and be done.

Even if you plan on paying the entire fine, it's always better to go into court. The worse that can happen is your fine, points don't change and you have to pay a court fee. From what I've experience and witnessed, I'd say most of the time going to court gets your fine lower and you get less points. Plus there is always the chance the cop doesn't show up and your case gets dismissed (I've also seen really nice cops who discuss the ticket before hand and then drop the charge).

Disclaimer: I am not a lawyer and this post should not be taken as law advice

janmike

Don't take this the wrong way but I am not sure why you feel that you must speed. Answer this. Are you prepared to deal with the life consequences of injuring or killing someone as a direct result of your speeding. And yes, it does happen, I know. I lost someone due to speeding.

TroyD

Go to court. Just by showing up, generally the judge will reduce the fine/points (in your case, points would be the most economically advantageous).

A nickle worth of free advice? Same thing as last time. Slow the f*ck down. At close to 20mph over the posted limit, that's not even legitimately defensible. One ticket? Ok, lesson learned and all that. Two tickets in less than a year? Maybe a bell should be going off.

In all honestly, there isn't a great deal of time to be gained by speeding. You do it because you like it. If that's the case, fine. Deal with the consequences. Your insurance company will love you ( a nice ancilliary benefit is the increase in insurance premiums). However, man up. Once, ok, fine. Twice....now you are just trying to weasel out of the consequences for your actions.

BDT

Demiurge

What I would do is ask an audio forum, get a bunch of different responses, and then do what I was going to do in the first place anyways.

PhantomOG

In Texas we have deferred adjudication as a possibility if you've already taken the class for another ticket. Basically, you're pay all the fines/fees associated with the ticket and you're put on a probational period for anywhere from 6 months to a year. If you make it through that period with getting any other tickets, the ticket is dropped from your record. If you do get another ticket, they both go on your record.

Serendipity

polrbehr wrote: »

Since you asked...

Long Island Expressway















aka The Worlds Longest Parking Lot

So true.

audiobliss

Thanks for all the replies, folks; I appreciate the input.

And like many of you have pointed out, you're 100% correct. I need to slow down. I slowed down for a few weeks after the first one. After this one I'm going to slow down permanently. I appreciate your concern for my safety.

As for the legal advice, I really don't understand how it works here in NC. I'm going to have to do some research on the legal proceedings and what my options are. However, I have posted about this on a North Carolina-only forum, so I'm getting some advice specific to this area, at least.

Here's how the traffic court works here:
You get your ticket and it says show up at Courtroom 1B at 8:00AM. The back of the ticket says that the court is open from 8 -1, and the later you show up the shorter the line will probably be.

So, you show up, look around for it, and of course it's the room with about thirty people waiting in line at the door. So you get in line and wait...and wait...and wait. Then when you finally get to the door, you walk in, and behold the courtroom. You can tell they used to hold proceedings in there (or still do occasionally?). There's the judge's seat up front and witness stands on either side, but where the 'audience' is supposed to sit is a network of ropes organizing a line of about forty more people who are in line in front of you. So then you stand in that line and wait...and wait...and wait. Then you're finally next, you walk into this little cubicle of a room. There's a guy in an office separated from you by plexiglass. You hand him your ticket, he processes it, gives you back whatever it is you get back, and you step out of the cubicle, walk up to another window in the wall, and pay the cashier whatever you owe.

Not the typical scenario for 'court proceedings' that I had read about before, nor any kind of occasion that even remotely warrants getting dressed up for. I was APPALLED at all the people in there from all different walks of life in all different conditions. However, I gathered from the process that it just really doesn't matter. This guy behind the counter just grunts, takes your ticket, processes it, and you move on to the cashier window.

How does that jive with the 'dress up, present yourself professionally, be honest, hope the cop doesn't show up, etc, etc' advice I've been reading so much of?

audiobliss

polrbehr wrote: »

Since you asked...

Long Island Expressway















aka The Worlds Longest Parking Lot

Hahahaha. I see, I see. Sounds like a joy ride!

Demiurge wrote: »

What I would do is ask an audio forum, get a bunch of different responses, and then do what I was going to do in the first place anyways.

Awesome! Finally a post I agree with!

audiobliss

TroyD wrote: »

A nickle worth of free advice? Same thing as last time. Slow the f*ck down. At close to 20mph over the posted limit, that's not even legitimately defensible. One ticket? Ok, lesson learned and all that. Two tickets in less than a year? Maybe a bell should be going off.

In all honestly, there isn't a great deal of time to be gained by speeding. You do it because you like it. If that's the case, fine. Deal with the consequences. Your insurance company will love you (a nice ancilliary benefit is the increase in insurance premiums). However, man up. Once, ok, fine. Twice....now you are just trying to weasel out of the consequences for your actions.

BDT

There may be more truth to your analysis than I'd care to admit, Troy. I think this second ticket does warrant a strong look into my driving 'philosophy'.

Serendipity

audiobliss wrote: »

There may be more truth to your analysis than I'd care to admit, Troy. I think this second ticket does warrant a strong look into my driving 'philosophy'.

Or you can just drive one of these: http://www.turbominivan.com/

Quoted right from the website: "Those fearing they'll be seen in a minivan have it all wrong. Nobody will see you. Nobody will even look. Minivans are invisible. Nobody wants to see them. They shed witnesses like DuPont's SilverStone sheds bacon fat. Give me a light grey one, a little dusty, and I'll get down the road beneath all notice. Ever see a minivan pulled over by the speed squad? Of course not. Enforcers click on interesting cars, not appliances."

PolkThug

First, find out how often you can take the 'Alive at 25' class. Second, buy a friggin' radar detector.

vonnie123

Take it to court, plead not guilty, and request a court trial. Make the official prove their case. If the officer is a NO SHOW, the case might very well be dismissed. If the officer shows, he still has to prove the case, identify you as the driver, and convince the traffic judge.

If you are guilty as all get out, you could just pay the fine and slow down from here on in.

Good luck either way.

vonnie123

PolkThug wrote: »

First, find out how often you can take the 'Alive at 25' class. Second, buy a friggin' radar detector.

A Radar detector equals an early warning device to let you know you are receiving a citation.

danger boy

Audiobliss, dude.. you're young... i got several tickets in my younger days too... it sucks, plain and simple.. but dude.. you gotta slow down. 83 in a 65 is fast dude... why on earth would you be going 83 MPH? even if you were running late, keep it to 70 MPH max. trust me 70 is fast enough. and it'll help you avoid those tickets you're now getting.

exalted512

Dude, youre not going to stop speeding. I damn near guarantee it. 2 months later, youre going to be doing 80 in 70, 65 in 55s...

Get the ticket taken care of however. Personally, I'd see a lawyer, most hold free consultations, or at least reasonable ones. Theyll tell you what your options are, if you have any besides paying the ticket out right. DO THAT.

Then, when you get your money saved up, buy a Escort 8500x50. Its saved my **** when I didnt even realize I was speeding (going 80mph down a long hill). Its not a guarantee, but I promise you it'll pay for itself. And hide it from your dad, he wont like it.
-Cody

exalted512

vonnie123 wrote: »

A Radar detector equals an early warning device to let you know you are receiving a citation.

Hmm...advice from someone who knows nothing about radar detectors.
-Cody

66chevyIISS

Next time instead of stopping, put the pedal to the metal and see if you can ditch the officer. Then you won't even get a ticket.

exalted512

he has a jeep. hed be better off turning into a ditch and crossing a coupl fields.
-Cody

shawn474

Cody,
Aren't you the guy that has received 7 moving violations in the last two years??????:eek::D;)

Kris Siegel

exalted512 wrote: »

Dude, youre not going to stop speeding. I damn near guarantee it. 2 months later, youre going to be doing 80 in 70, 65 in 55s...

This is true. Took me 4 times to slow down and I still speed (just not as much).

exalted512

shawn474 wrote: »

Cody,
Aren't you the guy that has received 7 moving violations in the last two years??????:eek::D;)

your facts are WAY off.
-Cody

TroyD

vonnie123 wrote: »

Take it to court, plead not guilty, and request a court trial. Make the official prove their case. If the officer is a NO SHOW, the case might very well be dismissed. If the officer shows, he still has to prove the case, identify you as the driver, and convince the traffic judge.

If you are guilty as all get out, you could just pay the fine and slow down from here on in.

Good luck either way.

Yeah, that's a great idea. Generally speaking, the judge offers you the reduced fine/points because there are two basic certainties. 1. You are guilty. 2. You know you are guilty 3. He knows your guilty. So, rather than waste a shitload of time pleading not guilty and so forth they will reduce the fine. Go your way, depending on the judge not only will you STILL be guilty but just for wasting the time, they will stick it up your zorch with a candle on it.

Do your pennance and slow down. Otherwise, don't **** about the consequences.

BDT

reeltrouble1

i always enjoyed paying my speeding tickets, of course I dont get them anymore, some of you know why, anyway when I paid it made me feel better, cuz I figured when you pay to do something its cool to do it, just remember you could kill yourself or someone else, of course the same thing can happen when you are driving under the limit.

life is short.

RT1

Serendipity

reeltrouble1 wrote: »

i always enjoyed paying my speeding tickets, of course I dont get them anymore, some of you know why, anyway when I paid it made me feel better, cuz I figured when you pay to do something its cool to do it, just remember you could kill yourself or someone else, of course the same thing can happen when you are driving under the limit.

life is short.

RT1

Let me guess, you're a police officer?

Jstas

Yeah, the LIE is rough but not nearly the worst road I have ever driven. That title goes to Interstate 76, specifically the section between the end of Rt 42 in NJ and the start of the PA Turnpike otherwise known as the Schuylkill Expressway.

Speed limit is 50 MPH or less but unless it's a parking lot at rush hour, the average speed is 70 MPH. It goes up at night because there is very little way for the PA State Poopers and the Philly Police to patrol the highway. It is 4 lanes in most places, two lanes in both directions except at large interchanges. There are shear cliffs on one side and a heavy drop to the Schuylkill River on the other side over most of the length until you get to where Montgomery County starts at the I476 interchange then it cuts inland towards KoP.

I drove it every day for 5 years and it was birth-by-fire for a 17 year old kid who just started driving less than a year before and then driving it every day for school. I picked up a bunch of bad habits on that road. But, I have been on the road, at some time after 10:30 PM on more than one occassion and the "slow" traffic is moving at 80 and getting passed by the faster traffic that seems like it is breaking 100 MPH. All that in a 50 MPH zone with two lanes, concrete walls on both sides snaking along the side of a river valley.

Even people I had come for a visit from California and used to those insane traffic patterns preferred taking a return route through Washington D.C. over ever having to drive the Schuylkill Expressway again.



As for speeding, in NJ, it seems that speed limits are just a suggestion as very few actually follow them. They are currently cracking down on speeders in NJ but traffic still moves at least 10 MPH over the posted limits of 65 on most highways. But dude, honestly, 83 in a 65 in a Jeep Cherokee, yeah, not safe.

As for how fast you can go without getting a ticket, that is totally arbitrary and up to the cop. You now have two tickets for excessive speed and you will likely not get a break from a cop for a VERY long time. However, most cops will not pull someone over that is traveling at a reasonable speed even if they are exceeding the speed limit. The fouler the weather, the lower they think that reasonable speed is. In dry conditions with moderate to light traffic, 10 over the limit is usually not enough to get the attention of a cop. But I have been on an empty road traveling at 25 over in the right lane and not doing anything special but hustling down the highway and blown right past cops that barely bat an eyelash. I'm not saying that it was a good or smart thing to do so don't take it as an example of exemplary behavior. I'm just illustrating a point that there is no "rule of thumb" here except to travel at the speed posted on the signs. You don't have much of a choice anymore. You speed, you get stopped, you'll get a ticket. Sucks to be you.

Face

appadv wrote: »

Let me guess, you're a police officer?

Nope.

exalted512

reeltrouble1 wrote: »

when you pay to do something its cool to do it,

Sounds like OJ's philosophy
-Cody

Face

Jstas wrote: »

Even people I had come for a visit from California and used to those insane traffic patterns preferred taking a return route through Washington D.C. over ever having to drive the Schuylkill Expressway again.

That's pretty bad. I'd take the L.I.E. over driving through Washington/Arlington any day!

Jstas

66chevyIISS wrote: »

Next time instead of stopping, put the pedal to the metal and see if you can ditch the officer. Then you won't even get a ticket.

There ain't a car in the world that is faster than a radio.