Traffic Radar Questions

[ChiefUnlimited]

In the past few years I have driven I-95 from Boston to Florida & back several times and have noticed a couple things that make me wonder, maybe some of you LEO's could answer for me;

1 There's several signs in Virginia stating that radar detectors are illegal (DC also I think). Not that speeding was ever possible any time I've been through there, but what would happen if I was caught?... Fine? Confiscation? Officer stomping the detector to death on the highway? (I witnessed this happening to a friend in high school)

2. After several trips through NC on 95, I kept noticing my detector constantly falsing on K band. Being a long boring ride, and me being something of a nerd, I started timing the pulses and noticed they were exactly 30 sec apart. After looking closely, I saw the sources, solar powered emitters (White tubes about the size of an aerosol can with solar panels on top) placed strategically on overpasses every 10 miles or so. CT has a similar type thing on X band. Has anyone ever challenged radar-based tickets in the vicinity of these devices on the grounds that there could be interference?
I ask since I had a college professor in electrical engineering who once beat a radar ticket on the grounds that the LEO operated the radar in the vicinity of high voltage power lines, and there could have been electromagnetic interference. Any opinions?

[marales]

Radar Detectors are not illegal in al states. But they are illegal for truck drivers to have in their semi trucks. For instance in Texas, they are not illegal to possess. But in instances when I have detained drivers who have them, THEY ALWAYS GET A SPEEDING TICKET :burnout::flamer:. I don't care if you are going one mile over the speed limit, you have a detector, you're gonna get ticket. I see a radar detector as a sign of a habitual speeder. Also the detectors can easily be defeated. I turn my radar beam only when I see the target vehicle. The driver in violation actually sees the patrol car before his detector even goes off:eek: . And people still tell me they don't speed often, only that one time:bs:. On the Radar stomping issue, Police officers can't exactly destroy other people's property just because they get mad:mad2:. But teenage kids are alot more ignorant than an adult, so they think cops can do that. I've heard of cases where cops make truck driver put the radars on top of the front tire and have them drive off. In these cases, speeding tickets affect truck drivers BIG TIME :mad: . They get two and they can lose their CDL license. Some truck drivers would rather have their $200.00 Radar unit destroyed, than get a speeding ticket. After all their CDL is their bread and butter. The cop gives them a choice, either get rid of your radar, or get a speeding ticket. Also on the inteferent issue, it all depends on the Judge the hears the case. In the proffesors case the Judge agreed with the defendant and gave him the benefit of doubt. Another judge could tell the defendant that he would have to prove that the actual inteference contributed to a radar malfunction. I mean think about it, if the radar was malfunctioning, it would not work right in the first place and could display that all vehicles were speeding. Also the radar not only tracks speeding vehicles, but also displays the patrol car's speed. If the speed on the radar does not match the speed on the odometer, something is wrong and the police officer could not work speed enforcement. Also there is an indicator on the Radar's display letting the officer know when there is an interferent.

P.S. Some police units also have Radar Detector DETECTORS. So even if you throw it underneath the seat, so the cops know you have one.

[superford3]

civilian cars dont have calibrated speedo either so you giving someone a ticket for going 1 mile over is lame in my opinion and harassment just because they have a detector

[knine]

".... I don't care if you are going one mile over the speed limit, you have a detector, you're gonna get ticket...."


"....civilian cars dont have calibrated speedo either so you giving someone a ticket for going 1 mile over is lame in my opinion and harassment just because they have a detector..."


You took him out of context there. He didn't mean he would give someone a ticket just for going over the limit by one mile per hour, his point is that if you have a detector, it means you're just looking to get away with speeding MORE OFTEN than the general motoring public and in doing so, putting everybody else's lives and property (you and me) at risk. Sometimes it's not how fast someone is going, but how fast they try and shut it down when the detector goes off. I've witnessed accidents in my 19 years as a LEO by unexperienced drivers "driving by the alarm".

Correct me if i'm wrong here marales, it's all about intent. Those who posess such devices INTEND on driving fast regularly, not just going a little over.

About intent: Take last night for example. I didn't have to cite the 17 year old teenage girl for her plate light out, but I did so because she was driving her boozed up boyfriend (also 17) around with beer in the car. Yes, I could have cited her for the illegal trans also, but sometimes people give in to peer pressure (right Zack?) and just go along with it. To bad for her, but too bad for him. He'll loose his license for illegal transportation. She'll fix her light and get the ticket dropped. In my opinion, strong enforcement equals decreased accidents and safer highways (especially with inexperienced drivers under the influence). The next time you see that trooper / county / city writting someone, there may be more to the story than you may know.

I feel like I need to fill out an overtime slip now. (p.s., If I see a detector, I issue a citation for whatever I stopped them for also).

[Dennis Reinhart]

In the past few years I have driven I-95 from Boston to Florida & back several times and have noticed a couple things that make me wonder, maybe some of you LEO's could answer for me;

1 There's several signs in Virginia stating that radar detectors are illegal (DC also I think). Not that speeding was ever possible any time I've been through there, but what would happen if I was caught?... Fine? Confiscation? Officer stomping the detector to death on the highway? (I witnessed this happening to a friend in high school)

2. After several trips through NC on 95, I kept noticing my detector constantly falseing on K band. Being a long boring ride, and me being something of a nerd, I started timing the pulses and noticed they were exactly 30 sec apart. After looking closely, I saw the sources, solar powered emitters (White tubes about the size of an aerosol can with solar panels on top) placed strategically on overpasses every 10 miles or so. CT has a similar type thing on X band. Has anyone ever challenged radar-based tickets in the vicinity of these devices on the grounds that there could be interference?
I ask since I had a college professor in electrical engineering who once beat a radar ticket on the grounds that the LEO operated the radar in the vicinity of high voltage power lines, and there could have been electromagnetic interference. Any opinions?

The Police use several types of Radar, most State Police run front and rear K and or KA band and can clock you coming or going, and many Police agencies still uses non radar to track cars, they first used X band constant on, the problem with this is you knew they were there way ahead of time so then they went to pulsed radar, so every body bought a X band radar detector and then people were getting false alerts do to the fact that grocery stores and drugstores then started using X band door sensors, so of course any one with a X band receiver will get a false alert, X band is a long wave length as compared to K band and for this reason they switched to K band it can be used as constant on or pulsed radar, then they came up up KA photo radar, for years this was great because with K band there were no false alerts, because this was not used at stores as door openers, now they are, but not KA band if you you get a KA alert its for sure probably police radar, if you have a good radar detector, it will tell you what you are being painted with, Laser is the newest, and what most people do not know is you cannot be tracked with the Police car moving with Laser he has to be stopped, this is why you will find more than one Police car when they run Laser one to shoot laser one to chase the car down, Indiana still uses Vascar this is a time VS speed unit and they nail people with this, they also still paint white lines on the road and can clock you by air, you can legally jam Laser you cannot legally jam radar, all those phaser jamers are snake oil, most police departments have minimum limits they use to enforce the speed limits , some give as much as 15 MPH over in the interstate, none cut you any slack hardly in school or residential areas as it should be, most car speedometers are off my at least 1/5 mph if you change tire size it can throw off the speedometer, there are good LEO's and there are not so good LEO'S the best advice is to be polite do not argue and yes sir and no sir never hurts. Lastly you get what you pay for in a Radar detector, if you buy a cheap radar detector the local oscillator is so noisy it will false other radar detectors, this can be some of the false you may be seeing, and VA has radar detector detectors, that take advantage of this. Escort and Valentine one are the best on the market IMHOP. I use a Escort SRX it has a front radar receiver as well as front and rear laser jamers and it works perfect. All Radar guns are on a regular calibration cycle, if its out of date you can get the ticket voided, if you get a ticket you can have your speedometer checked and take that receipt with you and normally they will dismiss the charge or site you for equipment failure depending on what kind of mood the judge is in.

[marales]

Knine is right, it is about the intent of the driver. It's not about harrasment. I don't enjoy telling someone's mom that their kid just died because he was going to fast. Or worst, calling someone up and telling them that their family member got killed because a speeding driver caused an accident. It's about complianace. Speeding laws are there for a reason, not just to spoil someone's fun.

[billkop]

As a retired LEO from NYS, I can tell you that most people write their own tickets because of their attitude. If they have a bad attitude and start arguing with the officer, with or without a radar detector they're getting written. Cops don't stop people for no reason--there are plenty of A-holes out there screwing up so an officer doesn't need to waste his time stopping innocent law-abiding motorists. By the way, I was radar certified for over 20 years but wrote most of my speed tickets by pacing a vehicle on the highway using my calibrated speedometer and independant estimate of the violators speed. Radar detectors are useless in that case and many drivers don't pay attention to what's going on behind them anyway.

[ChiefUnlimited]

OK, I'll bite. Yeah, I'm what you guys'd probably define as a habitual speeder. My personal belief is that speed limits are set for people who can't drive well or have substandard vehicles, and for filling the state and municipal coffers. Jump on the interstate up here at rush hour here and the biggest danger comes from stray moose not traffic, there is none.

While being new to this site, I can see that it's a speed related activity being discussed here, and after reading the posts for a few days, I don't believe for a second that all the members here obey the traffic laws to the letter. I do not consider myself a reckless driver, and will drive only as fast as I believe the situation dictates. Nothing's safer than paying attention to what's going on around and ahead of you. C'mon, LEO's speed all the time on & off duty ("professional courtesy" is a phrase that comes to mind).

If I get a ticket, I'll pull over, be courteous, and consider it the price of doing buisiness. I also politely ask to see the radar unit (unless I'm being cut a break), but to this day, I've never been shown. I have had some unfair tickets, but that's what the court is for. I know if I argue, make a scene, or whatever, the LEO will just dig in and remember the situation that much better in court.

On the other hand, I have seen a great deal of idiocy on America's highways, and know that traffic stops do lead to getting a lot of bad guys off the street. I wouldn't want that job, and my hat's off to you for doing it.

But I don't want to talk about the politics of traffic law enforcement. What I'm getting at is that I've had detectors for basically as long as I've been driving, and I've noticed a few things. Many more LEO's just drive around with radar on all the time than use the instant on type. Also, a good detector will alert for a mile and a half or so on open road, a real good long way before it'll pick me up. If anyone gets clocked ahead of me I'll see it and slow down, not to mention seeing those folks' brake lights ahead of me. If the humidity's up, it'll decrease the alert distance a bit, but spread the radar beam more, making the detector more effective around corners and over hills. (Think of a light beam in the fog)

Even if I do get clocked, (and lidar's the one that's real hard to catch ahead, not radar) at least I know i'm boned and don't make any stupid moves. The LEO knows the second he activates the radar and I hit the brakes that I have a detector. All the cards are on the table right there, and I'll just pull over and wait, lic & reg in hand. I would think that my calm demeanor and "yeah, I know the drill" attitude would mark me as a habitual speeder (not to mention whatever comes over the radio). I really don't see me getting out of any tickets anyway (I have no boobs to flaunt), and BTW, no LEO's gonna bother wasting either of our time with a 1MPH ticket. If they did the judge'd throw it out in a second, and probably not be too happy with the LEO for wasting their time.

The detector detector is old news, all detectors have small transmitters looking for the resonance of a weak incoming signal. A cheap unit will set another detector off from 30-50 feet. A good unit (at least according to the manufacturers) will not set the detector detectors off (VG2, I think). I've never heard of the interference indicator, but I figure it's there not only to pick up outside interference, but also someone trying to jam the radar unit.

The stomping incident was real, I saw it, but the driver at the time was a real wise ***, so there you go.

Yeah, I guess my teacher probably just dazzled the judge with his qualifications, technical jargon, and maybe some strategically placed BS.

Finally, I'd just say that automatically getting a ticket when being pulled over is no big suprise. I'm expecting it anyway, and the detector will still tip off 9 of 10 times, paying for itself over & over.

So what does happen in Virginia when they catch you with a detector?

[ChiefUnlimited]

And while i was typing my last reply, a bunch more posts came in saying more intelligently what I was saying. Oh well.

[Power Surge]

P.S. Some police units also have Radar Detector DETECTORS. So even if you throw it underneath the seat, so the cops know you have one.

The detector "detectors" only work if the detector is on. If you unplug it and stuff it in the glove box or under the seat, they will not be able to detect it.

I do agree with most here that if you get caught speeding and you have a detector, you're more likely to get a ticket as it shows the officer that you intended to speed.

But like with ANY situation, the outcome will depend on you, the cop, the situation, or a combination of all three. There is never a cut and dry answer.

When I was racing NMRA a few years back, I was driving all over the east coast going to events. When you have to make a 1000 or so mile trip, you just can't do the speed limit. I used to average about 80 mph on the interstates, and that was towing the race vehicle. I used a Valentine 1 radar detector, and it was the best driving tool investment I ever made. The ONLY time I ever got pulled over, was the first time I drove through Virginia, because I did the right thing and shut it off. A half our later, I got pulled over and got a ticket. I wasn't really doing anything out of the ordinary. I was doing 82 mph on I-95, keeping pace with every other car. But I guess the officer felt I was more unsafe at that speed as I was towing. I'm not complaining, as I WAS speeding, but it did suck.

What it comes down to, is driving SMART. Let's face it... nobody drives the speed limit anymore. It's unrealistic in today's world. But you have to know how to drive smart and not stupid. A radar detector is a TOOL. It gives you information to make smart choices. It should NOT be used as a device to simple put your foot to the floor and let up when it goes off. You need to learn the patterns of when it goes off, and use that information to make smart adjustments to your driving.

[knine]

and the biggest danger comes from stray moose not traffic, ?

Does this mean there is a "non-Stray" moose in traffic? :rofl:

BTW, a word on attitudes when you get stopped. The "best" attitude I ever encountered was.....while walking up on the stop, the horn would "Honk" every 2 seconds or so. When I got to the window, the driver was (lightly) beating his head on the wheel, the horn would honk each time he hit the wheel as he was saying "stupid.....stupid....stupid... .". Without missing a beat, or honk, up pops the Drivers license and insurance in his left hand, while continuing to hit his head on the wheel and continue his "stupid" chant. It was too amusing. He got a break.

Worst excuse, the guy doing 100+ with the windows down because his "dog was hot". He got a ticket. He also had air conditioning. billcop is right, attitude is a big part of it......and hardly anyone looks behind them, pacing is an effective tool.

[Dragcity]

As many times I thought a detector may be a good idea for me, I quickly come to my senses and realize: It may give me the unqualified opportunity to speed.

What I mean by that is this. I only drive faster than the limit shows when conditions are appropriate.

Yes, I like to drive fast, but lots of times it's not right. If the radar dector says, no radar...go ahead and speed... I may not be relying on MY senses and good judgement.

Just my philosophy on it. Although, it may not be good judgement to speed at all. What irony....

Remember what the Bobby Fuller Four said... "I fought the law and...."

[Bluerauder]

So what does happen in Virginia when they catch you with a detector?
I am pretty certain that the illegal detector in Virginia is a secondary offense. That means the VA Police probably will not pull you over for "just a detector". However, if you were speeding or had some other problem (e.g. a burned out taillight), then you could be cited for the detector. I'll try to pull the applicable statutes for you from the Virginia Code.

That said, I do not have or use a detector and I run I-95 in Virginia, around the Beltway in DC and Maryland, and up I-270 or over US 50. It has been some 33 years since I have been cited for a speeding ticket ... anywhere. And, I do tend to run hard.

The simple rule that I use is "Don't Stick Out Like a Sore Thumb". Let some other dufus run ahead if he wants to do 90 mph. He will garner all the attention. On I-95, the posted limit is 65 mph. Most folks run 70-75 mph. I can run 75-80 mph and still not stick out 'cause of the 85-90 mph above ^^^ dufei. This rule has worked consistently for me and I don't see a need to prove I can run faster on the highway. :soapbox:

[SID210SA]

I don't get why people dont look behind them.....I especially hate it when those kind of people sit in the "fast lane" and block traffic because they are driving the same speed as the car next to them.:mad2: How come they dont get a ticket for impeding traffic?

[ChiefUnlimited]

Does this mean there is a "non-Stray" moose in traffic?




Of course there is. Every July 4th the Mayor rides a moose through town leading the holiday parade, blowing kisses, and throwing bottles of maple syrup to the few lucky enough to catch. Ahh, what a sight..


. :lol:

[knine]

I don't get why people dont look behind them.....I especially hate it when those kind of people sit in the "fast lane" and block traffic because they are driving the same speed as the car next to them.:mad2: How come they dont get a ticket for impeding traffic?


Illinois has a Left Lane law. Basically says, that if you're gonna :geezer: in the left lane, you get a ticket. Written it a few times myself.

[knine]

Of course there is. Every July 4th the Mayor rides a moose through town leading the holiday parade, blowing kisses, and throwing bottles of maple syrup to the few lucky enough to catch. Ahh, what a sight..


. :lol:

I..........have...........noth ing........uh........bottles of syrup? On a moose? :bs: What an interesting mental picture though.

[KillJoy]

So... Say you are a Cop. You are off duty, and speeding. You do not have one of those doo-hicky's on you licenes plate that say "cop...don't pull me over" :D.

When the officer comes up to your window....what do you do? Flip him you badge, or suck it up and take the ticket?

KillJoy

[Bluerauder]

So what does happen in Virginia when they catch you with a detector?
Here is the applicable Virginia Code on the subject of radar detectors. Looks like the officer can confiscate the unit for evidence. Must return it to you; but you pay shipping and handling. Bolded section below is my emphasis.


§ 46.2-1079. Radar detectors; demerit points not to be awarded.

A. It shall be unlawful for any person to operate a motor vehicle on the highways of the Commonwealth when such vehicle is equipped with any device or mechanism, passive or active, to detect or purposefully interfere with or diminish the measurement capabilities of any radar, laser, or other device or mechanism employed by law-enforcement personnel to measure the speed of motor vehicles on the highways of the Commonwealth for law-enforcement purposes. It shall be unlawful to use any such device or mechanism on any such motor vehicle on the highways. It shall be unlawful to sell any such device or mechanism in the Commonwealth. However, provisions of this section shall not apply to any receiver of radio waves utilized for lawful purposes to receive any signal from a frequency lawfully licensed by any state or federal agency.

This section shall not be construed to authorize the forfeiture to the Commonwealth of any such device or mechanism. Any such device or mechanism may be taken by the arresting officer if needed as evidence, and, when no longer needed, shall be returned to the person charged with a violation of this section, or at that person's request, and his expense, mailed to an address specified by him. Any unclaimed devices may be destroyed on court order after six months have elapsed from the final date for filing an appeal.
Except as provided in subsection B of this section, the presence of any such prohibited device or mechanism in or on a motor vehicle on the highways of the Commonwealth shall constitute prima facie evidence of the violation of this section. The Commonwealth need not prove that the device or mechanism in question was in an operative condition or being operated.

B. A person shall not be guilty of a violation of this section when the device or mechanism in question, at the time of the alleged offense, had no power source and was not readily accessible for use by the driver or any passenger in the vehicle.

C. This section shall not apply to motor vehicles owned by the Commonwealth or any political subdivision thereof and used by law-enforcement officers in their official duties, nor to the sale of any such device or mechanism to law-enforcement agencies for use in their official duties.

D. No demerit points shall be awarded by the Commissioner for violations of this section. Any demerit points awarded by the Commissioner prior to July 1, 1992, for any violation of this section shall be rescinded and the driving record of any person awarded demerit points for a violation of this section shall be amended to reflect such rescission.

(1962, c. 125, § 46.1-198.1; 1975, c. 108; 1976, c. 90; 1978, cc. 87, 91; 1981, c. 303; 1989, c. 727; 1992, c. 825; 1998, c. 300.)

[Dragcity]

I believe most respectable LEO's place their badges in close proximity to their driver licence. When asked for their licence and reg, out comes the wallet and the badge is noticeable, without being presented directly.

I don't think they are supposed to say "wait, I'm a copper"

[ChiefUnlimited]

Thanks for the info, Charlie. I guess from what I read that they can't take your detector away permanently, but I bet they make it difficult to get it back. Sounds like another charge added to any ticket recieved.


By the way, anyone want to come up this summer and help decorate the Mayor's moose?

[Sharky]

Here's a very interesting and informative site about radar detectors: http://www.speedzones.com/index.html

[marales]

It depends on what kind of person your are. If you have pride, you just take the ticket, it's you're fault anyway. If you don't the first thing you do is say that you're a cop. Some cops don't like being badged, and they will issue the ticket regardless. Some off duty cops use more suttle methods as in parking their car a certain way, using cop vocabulary, or the classic "there is a gun in my car" as aposed to badging. Sometimes the officer does not like that paticular agency, and they will throw courtesy out the window. It also depends on the degree of the violation, Speeding 10 above as aposed to 30 above.

[GreekGod]

...I used to use an Escort detector all the time, after getting an undeserved speeding ticket from Michigan's finest (State cop). I would have had to miss a days pay to fight the (days pay) ticket.

I quit using detectors after having my door glass broken by a thief, to steal the detector that was stuck/mounted to the windshield while I was in a grocery store. The officer that took my report wasn't sympathetic.

Now that I am in my senior years, I normally obey the limits in town, and try to keep 10 over, at the most (traffic and weather permitting), on the Interstates.

[Leadfoot281]

The last speeding ticket I got was in 1991. I got pulled over for doing 36 in a 30. (non residental area with corn feilds on both sides of the road as far as the eye can see). This happened in a town of 1,500 people. The cop "Sam" also gave a man a DWI while drinking a beer while cutting his lawn on a riding lawn mower. He walked across his yard, stopped him, and gave him a DWI.

I pulled over as soon as I seen the rollers.

"What do you want Sam?" (we've met...)

"You were speeding".

"Yeah? How fast?"

"36 in a 30 zone".

"Sam, this is a 40mph zone. Look behind you. See that sign...about 70-80 yards back? The front of that signs says 40mph. This is a 40 zone. I seen the sign and accelerated up to that speed. Why am I telling you this? You've been following me for two miles. You saw what happened...."

"That's speeding".

"OK Sam, ya got me. So should I stop before stop signs or after them?"

"If you want to fight it, the court date is on the ticket".

Morale of the story? I'm a right lane bandit. I'm generally 5mph under the posted speed limit every where I go. I don't own a detector. Just don't need one. Until the Kentucky trip two weeks ago I could count on two hands the number of times my Marauder has exceeded 80 mph.

These days, when that cop is on duty and behind me, I'm 10 under the limit. Even in a 30 zone. That's what happens when you bust my old history teacher (a WW2 vet) for DWI in his front yard.

[Haggis]

The last speeding ticket I got was in 1991. I got pulled over for doing 36 in a 30. (non residental area with corn feilds on both sides of the road as far as the eye can see). This happened in a town of 1,500 people. The cop "Sam" also gave a man a DWI while drinking a beer while cutting his lawn on a riding lawn mower. He walked across his yard, stopped him, and gave him a DWI.

I pulled over as soon as I seen the rollers.

"What do you want Sam?" (we've met...)

"You were speeding".

"Yeah? How fast?"

"36 in a 30 zone".

"Sam, this is a 40mph zone. Look behind you. See that sign...about 70-80 yards back? The front of that signs says 40mph. This is a 40 zone. I seen the sign and accelerated up to that speed. Why am I telling you this? You've been following me for two miles. You saw what happened...."

"That's speeding".

"OK Sam, ya got me. So should I stop before stop signs or after them?"

"If you want to fight it, the court date is on the ticket".

Morale of the story? I'm a right lane bandit. I'm generally 5mph under the posted speed limit every where I go. I don't own a detector. Just don't need one. Until the Kentucky trip two weeks ago I could count on two hands the number of times my Marauder has exceeded 80 mph.

These days, when that cop is on duty and behind me, I'm 10 under the limit. Even in a 30 zone. That's what happens when you bust my old history teacher (a WW2 vet) for DWI in his front yard.

That ought to be a song: 'Sam got his Rollers on and he's coming to get you.'

[Mike Poore]

That ought to be a song: 'Sam got his Rollers on and he's coming to get you.'

:laugh:
The story was even funnier when John told it at Horse Cave, and when he refered to the "rollers", I thought Garry Chapel was gonna ***** his pants.

[knine]

A friend of mine calls them "whirley twirlies". All the cops around here know me. DOH ! NUTS ! (those 2 words are not together........;))

[KillJoy]

A friend of mine calles them "whirley twirlies". All the cops around here know me. DOH ! NUTS ! (those 2 words are not together........;) )


Mmmmm....Donuts....Police...Hu h???

:D

KillJoy

[PRCARGUY]

Illinois has a Left Lane law. Basically says, that if you're gonna :geezer: in the left lane, you get a ticket. Written it a few times myself.
Would like to see some of that here in NJ.Lots of folks who when get to the passing lane,don't pass anyone and don't want to leave it until there about to pass their exit.Then they try drive through you to get of the left lane.

[GreekGod]

...in Michigan, we have a left lane law, usually referred to as pass only on the right. As I understand it, unless you have 3 or more lanes in your direction, it is against the law to pass on the right.

I have a friend from high-school days who retired from the Michigan State Police. He drove one of the last Mustang Interceptors, and would usually park on an "on" ramp on I-94 in the Jackson area. His primary objective was interdiction of drug couriers between Benton Harbor and Detroit, and one observation tool was spotting slow drivers blocking the left lane traffic.

One day, he thought he saw an elderly couple hindering traffic in the left lane, and pulled them over. Ended-up, they were carring drugs, and the 3rd person in the back seat also had a loaded AK-47. Guardian Angels were protecting him and all 3 were arrested without incindent.

Their lawyer tried to say that Dan was doing racial profiling, and only pulled them over because they were black (lack of probable cause). Dan testified he only saw the two in the front seat, and because they were slouched down, they looked like an elderly couple. They were convicted.

.

[O's Fan Rich]

I don't use radar detectors. I don't like them. It takes all the fun out of it. If I'm exceeding the limit ( with no real justifiable cause) and get stopped and written up, it's on me, not the guy'gal doing his/her job. And if that 6ft tall blonde female officer from Amity is reading this, I drive a Black Marauder with PA license plates OHZ FAN.... stop me, frisk me, call me DADDY!!!!

[12nights]

So... Say you are a Cop. You are off duty, and speeding. You do not have one of those doo-hicky's on you licenes plate that say "cop...don't pull me over" :D.

When the officer comes up to your window....what do you do? Flip him you badge, or suck it up and take the ticket?

KillJoy

Yes there are "blue lines" on the back of cars but they don't keep you from getting pulled over, just ask me I know and no I was not speeding at the time. In GA there is a 9 mph buffer before a non state agency can write you a ticket (exception school zones) so anything over that you deserve it.

[O's Fan Rich]

http://youtube.com/watch?v=fTFsQL1WNiA

[cyclopsram]

Here in Vermont.. the moose is in the cruiser with the Trooper...chugging Maple Syrup...and singing "Roll me over"

[A98CVLX]

If I ever get stopped for speeding I will say is. Sorry Officer My Radar detector was not pluged in!

[PJR]

For what it's worth my advice would be 'don't make it personal'. As stated in another post, if you make a personal attack on an officer, his mother, his heritage, etc, he will not forget the stop when his testimony in court comes around. Every time I hear an officer testify that "the driver had a bad attitude', the drivers response in court further cements what the officer just said. I'm sure that there are those of you that would say that the driver’s attitude has no place in testimony. I believe you are right, with one exception, helping the judge decide if 'Driver Improvement School' is an appropriate sentence. If I believe that the defendant’s attitude will be a detriment to the class, I recommend that the driver not be sentenced to the school. That way, the driver has to pay the fine and the violation will go on their record. Food for thought: If you live in a jurisdiction that uses Laser/Lidar, be careful. An officer can pick you out of a 'platoon' of traffic very easily. At 1000' the laser beam is 3' by 3'. At least the black paint helps.

[ChiefUnlimited]

Here in Vermont.. the moose is in the cruiser with the Trooper...chugging Maple Syrup...and singing "Roll me over"


I think that moose gave me a ticket once.:D