Radar Detectors and LEO's

[Knifemaker]

You wanna know messed up? Back in the old days, before computers and states communicating with each other, I lived in Illinois and If I got a ticket in Wisconsin or Indiana, they would actually TAKE my driver's license and not return it until the ticket was paid. (My copy of the citation would act as a temporary driver's license) Oh, the story I could tell about this............

You mean like this one......I got pulled over for speeding in St. Louis back in 1971, Because is was 10 mph over the speed limit, they took my drivers licence..as a "hostage" so I would come in and pay the ticket. Two weeks later I left town and did not return for 7 years. I had been driving/riding on the ticket the cop gave me since then. It was so faded out from being in my wallet that long you couldn't read it. Upon my return to St.Louis I went to the court house in hopes of getting my licence back. Well, it had been so long ALL records were tossed out. I not only did not get my licence back, I never had to pay for the ticket....but...I had to take my driving test again so they could issue me a new drivers licence. Luckily I did not have to take the motorcycle test again, as this is a one time-forever test in MO.

I am rather proud of the fact that durring those 7 years I never had a problem not having an actual licence with me...I had gotten pulled over but told the whole story to the local cop (as he could not read the ticket )-another time I just said it was lost. Both times they let me go and only suggested I get a licence ASAP.

KM

 

[Bounce]

I think it's also the law that if you have a CHL in Texas, if you don't offer up that info. to an LEO, and they get that info once they run your DL, it can have consequences.

Originally the CHL law required a display of your CHL at any time when in contact with an LEO. They determined the wording meant ANY time (even if swimming and clearly not carrying). About 2 or 3 years after initial passage, the laws were changed. Now you hand over your CHL to the LEO only if packing. The recommendation is to hand over your DL and CHL (with the CHL on top) any time you're asked for the DL. It's not required but it tends to set the officer at ease when you explain you're doing it out of concern for his peace of mind (and that you know it'll pop up on the computer when he runs your DL).

 

[XLR8]

It's completely pathetic that many states now have budgets to buy helicopters, unmarked cars, and all sorts of other gadgets to catch so called speeders but they can't/won't do anything about all the fucking idiots driving around in la la land with a phone glued to their ear. :angry:

For fricken shit's sake, a cager turns left in front of a motorcylist and kills a man, ends his life!, and they get a "failure to yield" citation and yet if you get caught exceeding triple digits in the middle of nowhere whacked out Oregon you have to take out a second mortgage to pay the fine.

Some lawmakers and politicians need to be hung by their balls. Damn if I were boss of the world for a day some heads would roll!

I tell you what, I'm going to be somewhere in Oregon on Sept. 22, 23 attending a smallish MC event. I'll have a radar detector and I'll be riding a red/black GSX-R1000. Come get me because I'm going speeding! 80 in a 55 baby! Ohhhh I'm such a criminal.

Yea something crawled up my ass tonight. I'm tired of motorcyclists getting slaughtered by inattentive drivers.

-r

 

[Woodstock]

In WA you don't have to tell a LEO, even if you are carrying. Only if they ask.

Some folks (LEO's I've spoken with as well) suggest not saying anything unless you're going to be in a position where the weapon is likely to be discovered. For example, if it's a stop where they're just talking to you through the window, just be polite like any stop. If you need to reach for a wallet in the vicinity of a weapon, then anounce to the LEO the situation (including the words CPL) and ask how they'd like to proceed.

 

[EXPDSGT]

Funny story -- My neice told me that she had gotten out of several "tickets" by telling the officer --- right up front --- that she had "JUST STARTED HER PERIOD AND WAS TRYING TO GET to a place to take care of it". She said the cop could not release her fast enough.

Never had it happened to me but if it did; the girl would have been gone in a flash!!!!!!

 

[ShinyPartsUp]

It's completely pathetic that many states now have budgets to buy helicopters, unmarked cars, and all sorts of other gadgets to catch so called speeders but they can't/won't do anything about all the fucking idiots driving around in la la land with a phone glued to their ear. :angry:
For fricken shit's sake, a cager turns left in front of a motorcylist and kills a man, ends his life!, and they get a "failure to yield" citation and yet if you get caught exceeding triple digits in the middle of nowhere whacked out Oregon you have to take out a second mortgage to pay the fine.

Some lawmakers and politicians need to be hung by their balls. Damn if I were boss of the world for a day some heads would roll!

I tell you what, I'm going to be somewhere in Oregon on Sept. 22, 23 attending a smallish MC event. I'll have a radar detector and I'll be riding a red/black GSX-R1000. Come get me because I'm going speeding! 80 in a 55 baby! Ohhhh I'm such a criminal.

Yea something crawled up my ass tonight. I'm tired of motorcyclists getting slaughtered by inattentive drivers.

-r

+1 AND (my rant) Why is the budget for road repairs going down in Oregon as they do all the above? Talk about dangerous roads causing accidents is not sexy...it's all those people going too fast.......

 

[Tx White Knight]

I think it's also the law that if you have a CHL in Texas, if you don't offer up that info. to an LEO, and they get that info once they run your DL, it can have consequences.

(and that you know it'll pop up on the computer when he runs your DL).

I agree with Bounce, even if you are not carrying I give them both and just tell them I am not carrying. They may also ask for your DL even for road side assistance. The couple times I have been stopped in TX it was not a problem, buttttt the first year we reciprocated with OK, I had to show when carrying and then it became a game of 50 questions being out of state but in the end it worked out ok.

 

[dobias]

NC_Yank,

"5.) when you do pass......do it quickly and then bring your speed back down to a reasonable amount."

It's a surprise to see such reasonable rationale from a LEO.

In my long past, I've received a number of citations for exceeding the speed limit while passing. Even now, I refuse to stay in the passing area any longer than necessary.

dobias :glare:

 

[JimV]

It's completely pathetic that many states now have budgets to buy helicopters, unmarked cars, and all sorts of other gadgets to catch so called speeders but they can't/won't do anything about all the fucking idiots driving around in la la land with a phone glued to their ear. :angry:

I was going to keep this to myself but now that the thread's been more or less hijacked...

Did you notice that the Kustom Signals guys that make those lidar binoculars have a page with links to sources of grants to get radar/lidar gear? The Feds apparently have lots of places doling out money for this stuff. I find it especially offensive that the Dept of Homeland Security would be spending dime one of its funds to help local jurisdictions to boost their revenue enhancement programs.

Don't get me wrong, speeding is illegal and, if I get popped, I'm not going to say otherwise. But let's not kid ourselves that most of the rural enforcement is to generate revenue. My son goes to school on the eastern side of WA while I live on the western side. The amount of "law enforcement" that takes place during weekends when kids return to school or other big school events is far greater than at other times. Coincidence? I think not.

Every dollar spent getting radar guns for hick town sheriffs is one that isn't going to buy things that large terrorist target cities need. It's BS and it's your tax dollars at work. After all, those rural couties need their share too.

Meanwhile, no one does anything about the morons that incite people to road rage nor do they seem to care when those same morons kill people on motorcycles. Because, as we all know, motorcycles are dangerous. :angry:

Finally, after about the age of 70, you should probably have to get road tested for your driver's license at least annually. I have to drive by two "retirement communities" to get off of the hill that I live on. Every time is a crapshoot to see if some old bat is going to test my ABS that day.

[rant off] Thanks, I feel better now.

Regs,

Jim

 

[SkooterG]

Oh, the rants on this thread!

Gotta tell you though, most of them are NOT well thought out or suffer from lack of "the rest of the story".

 

[ShinyPartsUp]

Oh, the rants on this thread!
Gotta tell you though, most of them are NOT well thought out or suffer from lack of "the rest of the story".

Ummm :huh: With due respect and no ranting, isn't a rant by definition about feelings and possibly a hint of logic?

 

[JimV]

Oh, the rants on this thread!
Gotta tell you though, most of them are NOT well thought out or suffer from lack of "the rest of the story".

So, I's gotta wonder if my rant inspired your comment.

IMHO, Washington state is overrun with places where the speed is underposted by 5-10 mph for no apparent reason other than to provide revenue opportunities or so as not to offend the well off folks that live on that road.

In fact, western WA has just about the worst thought out road system I've ever seen. If it weren't so beautiful here I would move. But it is and I ain't, so I'm a' rantin' instead.

As far as old folks getting tested more frequently, I've thought a lot about that. And I think about it every time one of them pulls out in front of me. I'm realistic enough to confine my aspirations to a rant though. I'm well aware that there are lots of elderly drivers and they ALL vote. Have you ever been to a polling place that wasn't run by retired folks? That's why frequent road testing makes so much sense, they clearly don't have anything better to do.

Cheers,

Jim

 

[NC_Yank]

NC_Yank,
"5.) when you do pass......do it quickly and then bring your speed back down to a reasonable amount."

It's a surprise to see such reasonable rationale from a LEO.

In my long past, I've received a number of citations for exceeding the speed limit while passing. Even now, I refuse to stay in the passing area any longer than necessary.

dobias :glare:

I do believe that most LEO's are reasonable however more often then not things go wrong by saying or doing the wrong thing AFTER a person is pulled over.

I can only speak from past experience but most (city) officers do not like to write tickets because of the amount of paper work you have to fill out plus the amount of time wasted in court. Many officers also understand from the motorcyclist point of view.......but at the same time there are times when we get complaints from John Q. Public who is annoyed with foolishness going on with MC riders. It's one thing to be speeding.......its another thing when numerous riders (usually sport bike riders) are acting foolish giving us all a bad name.

What I posted was done for informational purposes to show that by following those guidelines, you chances are more favorable then relying on a radar / lidar / or any other detector device which more often then not leads to a false sense of security.

For those that think cities intentionally figure out ways to screw you out of money through traffic enforcement gimicks, for the most part it is not true. (Traffic camera's are the exception)

Your smaller town officers more often then not are just bored and through their training, they are using traffic stops as a way to find more serious perps. I have caught out of state wanted killers, drug dealers, rapist, just because of a seat belt violation (which I seldom enforce)..........its called fishing. The more you throw your line out the liklihood you will catch some big fish. At anyrate, we do not make the laws.......we can and do selectively enforce various ones for often personal reasons. I liked traffic enforcement simply because I had several relative and friends killed by drunk drivers.

Anyway, some of you need to take a chill pill.............or better yet............go ride.

NC

NC

 

[Ignacio]

Will the LEO look at the radar detector as de facto evidence that you are always going to try and speed and write you a ticket even if you are remorseful? :glare:

The LEO can do anything he wants. As far as it being "de facto evidence" or possibly the term you were looking for "a priori" is a matter for courts and vary by state. It's not a priori in Washington, but a cop could certainly bring it up in testimony if subpoenaed to court.

IMHO, Washington state is overrun with places where the speed is underposted by 5-10 mph for no apparent reason other than to provide revenue opportunities or so as not to offend the well off folks that live on that road.

In my experience as a Washintonian and local elected official that you're off the mark. I've never found it to be a revenue generation issue and almost always local officials ignoring their engineering departments and traffic studies in favor of some constituency. They get pressure from citizens nearest a speed limit sign to lower it artificially......while paradoxically being asked to up the speed limit across town that's not in their neighborhood. NIMBY at it's finest. Usually, safety of children gets trotted out as an issue. Save the children! Save the children!

I've never had to resort to it in a contested case in Washington for myself, but I think it could be argued and won that if a limit is below the 85th percentile after having been studied, a case could be dismissed....and maybe a limit changed.

Some lawmakers and politicians need to be hung by their balls. Damn if I were boss of the world for a day some heads would roll!

I guess this makes me pretty happy we don't live in a dictatorship with you in charge. As it is, you have to resort to this ugly option in a democracy where you have to bother convincing a majority of other voters and get them out of office. How inconvenient. :blink:

 

[XLR8]

Some lawmakers and politicians need to be hung by their balls. Damn if I were boss of the world for a day some heads would roll!

I guess this makes me pretty happy we don't live in a dictatorship with you in charge. As it is, you have to resort to this ugly option in a democracy where you have to bother convincing a majority of other voters and get them out of office. How inconvenient. :blink:

Yea I guess. Give me a break. Who said anything about dictatorship? Get off your high horse. The comment was made purely in jest.

-r

 

[JimV]

In my experience as a Washintonian and local elected official that you're off the mark. I've never found it to be a revenue generation issue and almost always local officials ignoring their engineering departments and traffic studies in favor of some constituency. They get pressure from citizens nearest a speed limit sign to lower it artificially......while paradoxically being asked to up the speed limit across town that's not in their neighborhood. NIMBY at it's finest. Usually, safety of children gets trotted out as an issue. Save the children! Save the children!

Perhaps but I'm only half off the mark. There are lots of places around here that could be posted higher if it weren't for the affluent constituents that got the local officials to post the lower speeds to begin with. The lower speeds then result in lots-o-places for the local constabulary to hide out. The net result are lots of areas in King County WA that would have been posted higher in Michigan where I used to live. Of course the tree hugger to autoworker ratio is much higher here and that may factor in.

NIMBY indeed. Just like the folks that bitch about cell phone coverage but don't want a tower anywhere near their home.

I've often wondered if there are any links between the traffic guys and the building permit guys where I live. It seems that no one checks the traffic concurrency numbers before doing stupid things like permitting large apartment complexes in areas that already have traffic problems.

But it sure is pretty here on a warm sunny day.

Cheers,

Jim

 

[Bounce]

The LEO can do anything he wants. As far as it being "de facto evidence" or possibly the term you were looking for "a priori" is a matter for courts and vary by state. It's not a priori in Washington, but a cop could certainly bring it up in testimony if subpoenaed to court.

Did you know the speed limit signs in TX are a priori (or is it prima face - something to do with there not being "speed limits" on the books)? Apparently there's no actual speed limit "on the books" in TX so that "reasonable and prudent" is the way the laws read. That's why they can pop you for going too fast (for conditions) even if you're going under the posted signage. Trying to win a case based on that position might be kinda hard given the mindset of the average juror though. I hear it's been done.

 

[sparky3008]

In my view and, the post I did earlier seems to support this, speed is not the issue when it comes to safety.

Aggressive Driving as they like to call it is more the real killer and problem.

Weaving in and out, tailgating, sudden lane changes, and simply going faster than the average flow of traffic are more important than just a specific number.

Too many places around here on the same road under the same conditions change from 55-65 back to 55. The road didn't really change, still has on ramps and such so merging is not the issue.

On Rt 70 in my area in some places the limit is 70 while others it is 55.

While the presents of an officer in theory is there to slow traffic down and may not be a real revenue issue, the simple fact that they are even trying to slow us down is totally unnesessary.

On a 55 highway we generally do around 70-75mph with good traffic flow.

When the speed limit on the very same road increases to 65, traffic still remains at 70-75.

We don't in my experience suddenly increase an additional 20 mph over the limit when the limit is more practical for the road.

Cops on the side of the road don't stop Aggressive Driving the real issue!

Get people to get out of the fast lane when a car approaches and you will reduce many accidents right there.

 

[evil_henchman]

Your smaller town officers more often then not are just bored and through their training, they are using traffic stops as a way to find more serious perps.

Just another sugar coated euphemism cops use to convince the weak minded that when they’re being criminals it’s good thing. When the tables are turned it’s called a crime of opportunity. I’d take a chill pill but some jack booted thug stole ‘em all last time I got pulled over for some BS reason. Thank you for copping to the obvious.

Please understand I meant that in the best possible context as I hold you all in the highest regard

 

[ponyfool]

boo f'ing hoo!

boo hoo? Get over yourself! I wasn't whining, I was making an observation. Don't like it? I don't care!

I just noticed it was from OR. The entire state's mind set is so whacky that it's to be given some lattitude in attitude.

You are talking to me about a mindset? LMAO, that is truly funny! Good one! :lol: