My wife's Uncle was driving through Ohio in the middle of a pack of 7 cars all traveling the same speed. The Ohio cop pulled him over for speeding. Not the others or the last car just him, right in the middle. He now goes to Florida through Indianna. Won't spend a penny in Ohio, or buy anything built in Ohio if he can help it.

That is what got me about the ticket in New Orleans, any slower and we would have been impedng the flow of traffic and I am sure the people passing us was doing 20 plus miles over hte speed limit. Probably would have been easy one to fight in court had we not been from 800 miles away (side note, the parish where he clocked us at doesn't require speeders to appear in court, the parish where we stopped in does....a matter of feet would have made for an expensive trip for a speeding ticket).

Years back, I knew a cop as an aquaintance.Something he told me stuck with me all this time. "When I'm told to write tickets, if I don't like your face,you're getting one". And,along the same lines,has anyone ever tried to fight a ticket in court,especially when you knew you were right?

In New England AFAIK, the speed limit is never over 65mph. (Andrew may know of higher spots in Maine. :-)) I generally cruise between 75 and 79, and I get passed by many cars. I have gone through radar traps at 79 many times. The fastest traffic that I have encountered anywhere in the country is between Manchester NH and Boston on I93. Of course, I generally only drive East of Illinois and in California.

OTOH, here in Mass., we have many built-in speed traps on lower roads. Mass. does not use those signs that say "Speed limit reduced ahead.", so you'll be cruising in a 55 zone and suddenly there's a sign for 40. I got bagged just beyond one of thse signs in the Western end of the state. Being semi-retired, I took a day off to go fight it and won. However, had I lost, I was told that it would cost me approsimately $500 in addition to the fine! Not having been bagged for many years, I get a good driver discount of about $100 on my insurance. I would have lost that for five years.

Watched the Terre Haute news this morning and they were telling about how the fines were going to be raised to helped the state out.

With the economy in the tank, they have to generate revenue somehow.

Any state or municipality on targeted weekends (Over the limit, Under Arrest, CLick it or ticket is a cluster F*** . 71-75 thru ohio has a cop at almost every turn around and I've seen accidents and almost accidents due to cops whipping out into traffic. People slamming brakes cause their five over ect. The last one I got like that the guy in front of me slammed the brakes and I was ticketed not for speeding but following too closely. I said the only reason I got close is cause he slammed the brakes. TOUGH SH**!

I do not defend scofflaws by no means but it's all about the money. Period. I get a kick out of some of these guys that deny that over and over again.

I would advocate mandatory jail time (3 days, no exceptions) and a modest fine for anyone going more than 5 over in a work zone where workers are present. Not for the 3rd offense, not for the 2nd offense, but the the 1st. I've had people say "you can't do that, there isn't enough jail space". My answer to them is, "that wouldn't be a problem because there wouldn't be anyone speeding if they knew they had 3 days in the cooler comin' if they did".

I am an Illini, born, raised and will probably die in Illinois but this is absolutely the most screwed up state in the Union in no small part thanks to us being blessed with Chitcago being within our borders.

Now we know why Ohio is in a financial bind. Here all the time we thought it was because of politicians abusing the state budget.

REH

---------- Post added at 07:48 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:46 PM ----------

Hey Chuck didn't your Dad tell you how to handle those type of situations?

REH