Are speeding tickets worth fighting?

[Cutehumor]

Originally Posted By: greenjp
You law and order, "man up" guys crack me up. First, any time you are charged with an offense, be it a traffic fine or a criminal offense, you are entitled to work it through the justice system. Second, as other posters have said the traffic enforcement actions of our local and state governments are largely a revenue-gathering exercise, also known as a tax. It's under the guise of safety but we've seen where that goes awry in other recent threads (Civil Forfeiture, DoJ report on Ferguson, local kids here in MD being kidnapped by police & CPS, etc).



+1

 

[baranbaran]

well done for this great post

 

[Jarlaxle]

Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8
Originally Posted By: MCompact
When I presided over traffic court the prosecutors, the police, and I didn't have time for rinky-dink speeding trials. If the defendant was halfway polite at his/her first appearance we would send the "perp" to traffic school, put the case on diversion, amend it to a "no points" violation, or just dismiss the case outright.

And on the last docket before Christmas I would have all the people charged with speeding or other minor violations stand in front of the bench, raise their right hand, and promise they would be safe drivers- then I'd dismiss their cases.


Many times I have been offered a "deal", usually to plead guilty but withold adjudication and simply pay up.

let's face it, speeding is a tax. You vote for it with your right foot!


No, not a tax: a shakedown.

 

[ffxfina3]

Originally Posted By: bmod305
If you were speeding, pay it. Doesn't matter if no one is on the road or not. If you were not speeding, fight it.

Honesty goes both ways. You want cops/gov to be honest with you so you should be honest with them. I know it doesn't always work that way but it has to start somewhere-how about with you?


+1. As I've gotten older, I'm come to value the wisdom associated with the above statement. Nothing matters more than your word. If you were breaking the law, you made a decision to do so, regardless of whether it was a conscience decision, or not. But we shouldn't sacrifice our trustworthiness to try and avoid the consequences of our actions. When I was younger, this idea probably would haven't made sense to me. But it does now.

-Bryan

 

[MCompact]

Amen! Let's start by repealing the Bill of Rights!

 

[Vikas]

Unless you can find somebody else driving faster than you, you take the feet off the gas pedal. I have never understood stupid people who try to block the speeder from passing them. Those are just retarded.

Only speed when there is lot of traffic and it is moving fast. IF the road is empty, drive close to speed limit.

 

[zzyzzx]

I just drive the speed limit and don't worry about it.

 

[MCompact]

Originally Posted By: Vikas
Unless you can find somebody else driving faster than you, you take the feet off the gas pedal. I have never understood stupid people who try to block the speeder from passing them. Those are just retarded.

Only speed when there is lot of traffic and it is moving fast. IF the road is empty, drive close to speed limit.


My strategy has always been to make sure that I'm the second fastest car on the road.

 

[Nederlander75]

Originally Posted By: MCompact
Originally Posted By: Vikas
Unless you can find somebody else driving faster than you, you take the feet off the gas pedal. I have never understood stupid people who try to block the speeder from passing them. Those are just retarded.

Only speed when there is lot of traffic and it is moving fast. IF the road is empty, drive close to speed limit.


My strategy has always been to make sure that I'm the second fastest car on the road.


Same here. Or goad someone into driving faster.

 

[turtlevette]

Originally Posted By: greenjp
I have gotten 2 tickets in my 20 years of driving,

jeff


If I were that boring, I'd probably have blown my brains out years ago.

To each his own.

 

[Jarlaxle]

Originally Posted By: Bryan K. Walton
Originally Posted By: bmod305
If you were speeding, pay it. Doesn't matter if no one is on the road or not. If you were not speeding, fight it.

Honesty goes both ways. You want cops/gov to be honest with you so you should be honest with them. I know it doesn't always work that way but it has to start somewhere-how about with you?


+1. As I've gotten older, I'm come to value the wisdom associated with the above statement. Nothing matters more than your word. If you were breaking the law, you made a decision to do so, regardless of whether it was a conscience decision, or not. But we shouldn't sacrifice our trustworthiness to try and avoid the consequences of our actions. When I was younger, this idea probably would haven't made sense to me. But it does now.

-Bryan


Wow...that might be the biggest pile ever posted on this site.

 

[javacontour]

Why is that? We want political leaders, CEOs and neighbors who are true to their word, but somehow it's a crock of ____ if someone suggests that even you and I should be men of integrity and true to our word.

I think this is part of what's going wrong with the nation. There are too many who think it's ok to game the system. To see if they can get away with it.

They are the same folks who will complain that the dealership is "bending them over" by charging $120/hr for labor. But it's ok for them to lie and say "I wasn't speeding." Or they laugh at those who suggest that character matters.

If you want others to be honest in their dealings with you, why shouldn't you also be honest in your dealings with them?

Nothing wrong with negotiating a settlement. But to try to have no consequences at all for breaking the law... If it's ok for you to do it, it must be equally ok for a CEO or politician to avoid the consequences of breaking the law.

Originally Posted By: Jarlaxle
Originally Posted By: Bryan K. Walton
Originally Posted By: bmod305
If you were speeding, pay it. Doesn't matter if no one is on the road or not. If you were not speeding, fight it.

Honesty goes both ways. You want cops/gov to be honest with you so you should be honest with them. I know it doesn't always work that way but it has to start somewhere-how about with you?


+1. As I've gotten older, I'm come to value the wisdom associated with the above statement. Nothing matters more than your word. If you were breaking the law, you made a decision to do so, regardless of whether it was a conscience decision, or not. But we shouldn't sacrifice our trustworthiness to try and avoid the consequences of our actions. When I was younger, this idea probably would haven't made sense to me. But it does now.

-Bryan


Wow...that might be the biggest pile ever posted on this site.

 

[Jarlaxle]

Originally Posted By: javacontour
Why is that? We want political leaders, CEOs and neighbors who are true to their word, but somehow it's a crock of ____ if someone suggests that even you and I should be men of integrity and true to our word.

I think this is part of what's going wrong with the nation. There are too many who think it's ok to game the system. To see if they can get away with it.


It is.

Quote:
They are the same folks who will complain that the dealership is "bending them over" by charging $120/hr for labor. But it's ok for them to lie and say "I wasn't speeding." Or they laugh at those who suggest that character matters.


It does: it's a good way to end up the scapegoat! I learned that long ago. Maybe the ONLY thing I learned from my father: look out for number one. Look out for yourself first, last, and always...because NOBODY else will!

Quote:
If you want others to be honest in their dealings with you, why shouldn't you also be honest in your dealings with them?


Because expecting to be dealt with honestly is a bit like tattooing "SUCKER" on your forehead.

 

[javacontour]

No one said you have to be a sucker. I'm just saying deal with folks the way you want with which you want to be dealt.

If you want people to be honest with you, be honest with them. If you want people to be law abiding, obey the law.

If someone is a crook, simply choose not to do business with them. You are only a sucker if you do business with them. The best looking out for your self is not to try to get over on them, it's to simply not play their game.

The advantages are at least two-fold. Number one, you can be at peace, knowing you are living an ethical life. Number two, chances are, they have far more experience and they may still swindle you.

So it's best to simply not play their game.

I agree, don't be a sucker. Trying to get over on others is a suckers game.

Originally Posted By: Jarlaxle
Originally Posted By: javacontour
Why is that? We want political leaders, CEOs and neighbors who are true to their word, but somehow it's a crock of ____ if someone suggests that even you and I should be men of integrity and true to our word.

I think this is part of what's going wrong with the nation. There are too many who think it's ok to game the system. To see if they can get away with it.


It is.

Quote:
They are the same folks who will complain that the dealership is "bending them over" by charging $120/hr for labor. But it's ok for them to lie and say "I wasn't speeding." Or they laugh at those who suggest that character matters.


It does: it's a good way to end up the scapegoat! I learned that long ago. Maybe the ONLY thing I learned from my father: look out for number one. Look out for yourself first, last, and always...because NOBODY else will!

Quote:
If you want others to be honest in their dealings with you, why shouldn't you also be honest in your dealings with them?


Because expecting to be dealt with honestly is a bit like tattooing "SUCKER" on your forehead.

 

[qwerty1234]

Here in Chicago we have hundreds of Red Light and speed cameras. It is quite pointless to fight those because you can watch the video online. On the other hand, I have not seen a Chicago cop make a traffic stop in years. The average speed on the Dan Ryan expressway is 70mph you're suppose to go 55mph.

 

[turtlevette]

Originally Posted By: javacontour

I think this is part of what's going wrong with the nation. There are too many who think it's ok to game the system. To see if they can get away with it.


You mean like when cops don't write other cops or their family members? There is a wife of a high ranking cop in my neighborhood who goes like a bat out of [censored] all the time. Why? Because she knows she's ticket proof. I sat around once and listened to cops and wives of cops talk about how wasted they were driving around.

 

[oldmaninsc]

Originally Posted By: javacontour
Why is that? We want political leaders, CEOs and neighbors who are true to their word, but somehow it's a crock of ____ if someone suggests that even you and I should be men of integrity and true to our word.

I think this is part of what's going wrong with the nation. There are too many who think it's ok to game the system. To see if they can get away with it.

They are the same folks who will complain that the dealership is "bending them over" by charging $120/hr for labor. But it's ok for them to lie and say "I wasn't speeding." Or they laugh at those who suggest that character matters.

If you want others to be honest in their dealings with you, why shouldn't you also be honest in your dealings with them?

Nothing wrong with negotiating a settlement. But to try to have no consequences at all for breaking the law... If it's ok for you to do it, it must be equally ok for a CEO or politician to avoid the consequences of breaking the law.


Very well put and excellent points.

 

[spasm3]

Gaming the system? you do realize the system is not set up for safety. Its set up as revenue generation. Traffic speed limits are set up to produce income.

Can you imagine what would happen if for 6 months , no one in any city broke any parking or traffic laws? The city government would collapse and would be in a panic. So they don't really want you to obey the law because they can't afford for you to do so.

 

[TiredTrucker]

Then there is the commercial driver thing that really ratchets up the game. Not only does one get the ticket, but then points are assessed in the national database against the driver. A simple seatbelt violation is 7 points, but is multiplied the first year 3x to 21 points, 2nd year after the violation it is still 14 points, 3rd year after the violation it is 7 points, and then drops off 3 years from the date of issuance. A simple marker light out on a commercial vehicle is a 5 point assessment and the process is the same. Those two violations, together the first year, are 36 points cumulative. Once a commercial driver reaches an 80 point threshold, they are put on alert status with the Feds. None of this is contestable on a traffic court level or subject to modification. If the violation was removed at the street level, one still has to file a DataQ with the feds to attempt to have points removed, as they remain even if the violation was dismissed. A stinking nightmare no matter how you look at it. Then your employment opportunities tank as points go up. Three speeding violations inside of 365 days, and you lose your commercial drivers license (i.e. your job) for 6 months. It doesn't take a lot to rack up points and that is without ever getting speeding or any other moving violation.

And if a commercial driver has moving violations operating a commercial vehicle, it still affects insurance on their personal vehicle as their regular license dats and commercial license data is in the same pool.

And many think they have it bad with traffic violations. Try dealing with all of this in your everyday life that even your very means of making a living is in jeopardy.

 

[jeepman3071]

Speeding tickets are definitely a way to generate revenue, but to say that is their ONLY purpose... not sure I agree with that. I've been driving almost 10 years and haven't gotten a ticket. I don't have a radar detector, I don't have any family members who are cops, etc. I don't drive under the speed limit, but I do drive according to the conditions and the people around me. Do I speed? Of course I do. I drive 75-80 on my way to work, but everyone else is going the same speed so I don't stand out. It really isn't rocket science. I always find the people who are saying "OMG speeding tickets are evil and the government is trying to take our money" are the ones who do 90 mph on the highway in their BMW weaving in and out of cars. If you stand out enough for cops to notice you, then plan on getting a ticket, simple as that. If you have to do 90 mph to get to work, then you need to leave earlier. My friend is an EMT, and she has shown me pictures of the results of high speed crashes. Speed limits are there for a reason.

Speed limits are also the only thing cops can document. Unless they have a picture of you on your phone while driving or read your text send times (which is probably a breach of privacy), its their word against yours.