Speeding tickets

[misterprofessionality]

Funny story...I got pinched up at the Dragon during the most recent CB1100 Rally, without telling the whole mess of a story, I was going fast enough that they wanted me to return to Maryville TN the following month to appear in court. Nothing to do but do it, So I took a day off work, drove to Tennessee all in one shot without stopping, sat in court for 1.5 hours, paid my ticket, and drove all the way home in one shot.

The funny part was the judge, who had personally threatened me with incarceration if i did not bring my happy rear end all the way up to TN on a Tuesday, actually looked at me with shock and commented that he didn't expect me to show up. He then asked me how much it cost me in gas to drive all the way up there, I told him about $80 round trip, and he knocked that off my ticket.....

i'm not sure whether that was his idea of a favor or an insult.

 

[Gone in 60]

Well, at least you got a nice ride out of it!

 

[pdedse]

Timely topic for me, and if anyone from North Carolina can weigh in on my situation to let me know if I've just been scammed or not, I'd appreciate it.

I've not had the best luck with my business travel this year. Consistent flight delays leading to lots of late night arrivals on job sites.
Most recently, delays caused me to land in Charlotte, NC very late at night, after which I got into a rental car and had a drive of over two hours to Rockingham, along remote, two-lane roads.

I was probably half-asleep, driving a very quiet car, was pulled over for speeding some time around 1 a.m. in the middle of nowhere. The officer was very polite, and I was with him. I was too tired to think anything good, just said I had had a very long day, and just wanted to get to my hotel and go to sleep. Don't know how fast I was going, but he said "I don't to make this hard for you, and since you're from out of state, I'm going to write this up at a speed that won't make you have to come back to this county to see the judge. You can just pay online." Yippy.

While I was on the jobsite, I did enough online research to learn that California and North Carolina share traffic violation data, so the ticket would eventually get on my CA driving record. While many places, like California, allow online traffic school to eliminate a points ticket from your record, the county where I received the ticket does not. I called the court and checked. I haven't had a ticket in many years, but I was most concerned about my insurance going up.

When I got home from my trip, there were six letters from local NC lawyers all saying "Don't pay that ticket until you call us!" Ok, I'll bite. I called all six of them, and all of them claimed that they could go to court on my behalf, and based on a clean record and the speed I was ticketed for, my offense would be knocked down to a non-moving violation for "improper equipment", what we would call a "fix-it" ticket, that would not incur points.

All of the lawyers would charge a small fee, and with the court costs, it would be slightly more than the price of the ticket itself. One lawyer told me that they could save me a few bucks if I pulled my own CA driving record and send it to them, so I went with them, paid the two bucks to get my own record, and sent it. In any case, the same speeding ticket would be hundreds more in CA.

So I guess I'm waiting now, as my "court date" isn't until June. We'll see.

I used one of these when I lived in Las Vegas. I was nervous about it, but they did exactly what you described and all it cost me was the Lawyer's fee, which was about $150. They knocked mine down to a parking violation, though. I suspect it is less work for the court, too.
We will hope it works out as well for you.

People make money in the strangest of ways.

 

[Gone in 60]

Hey, on weekends, I get paid to talk about cars to total strangers.

 

[GoldOxide_imp]

Hey, on weekends, I get paid to talk about cars to total strangers.

... and motorcycles too?

 

[Gone in 60]

Yes, but not our main motorcycle exhibit. The bikes down in the basement are an eclectic mix. Some bikes from "On Any Sunday", a Gurney Alligator, and the Bat Cycle!

 

[GoldOxide_imp]

Yes, but not our main motorcycle exhibit. The bikes down in the basement are an eclectic mix. Some bikes from "On Any Sunday", a Gurney Alligator, and the Bat Cycle!

Ah, too bad Gone. I thought there was more.

Nonetheless, glad you can ride to work while averting tickets.

 

[Gone in 60]

Yes, but not our main motorcycle exhibit. The bikes down in the basement are an eclectic mix. Some bikes from "On Any Sunday", a Gurney Alligator, and the Bat Cycle!

Ah, too bad Gone. I thought there was more.

Nonetheless, glad you can ride to work while averting tickets.

Ah, too bad Gone. I thought there was more.

Nonetheless, glad you can ride to work while averting tickets.
There's a LOT more down there, GO! Come on out to California and I'll show ya.

 

[Gone in 60]

Speaking of tickets, had a hairy moment on the ride home yesterday, and thought I was going to watch a CHP officer crash hard for a few seconds of distraction.

Gliding along in the car pool lane with traffic going about 65. The officer, on a BMW, entered the freeway and shot over to the left pretty agressively. He was definitely on a mission. He moved into the lane to my right, the regular "fast lane", and got alongside the car in front of me. It appeared that he suspected that car of having a single occupant, and wanted to do some enforecement.

Unfortunately, his rather authoratative riding must have spooked the car that was now directly in front of him, who probably thought they were about to be pulled over. That car started braking, however the officer had his head turned to the left, looking into the car next to him, and didn't see that he was about to rear-end the slowing car directly in front of him.

I braced myself and figured it was about to get really ugly. At the last second, the officer faced forward, mashed his brakes, and did a quick swerve to squeeze between the two cars. Whew!

He than hit the throttle hard and disappeared. Either embarrassed or just plain po'd.

 

[GoldOxide_imp]

Wow - a significant wince moment, eh Gone?

 

[Gone in 60]

Yup, and a big sigh of relief when he squeezed between the cars and shot away.

 

[Offroad]

Funny picture now lol

3 of us coming off the Foothills Parkway entered the Tail of the Dragon last week about 8:30 AM.

We were maybe 10 over in places but not bad. We had a single headlight coming up behind us. Thinking it was a sport bike that was going to pass us anyway, we pull over to let it pass.

As he went by, one mention that looked like a police officer (half helmet) but didn't think much more about it.

After a few minutes we began to catch the same motorcycle.

To our surprise he pulled over to let us pass....at first we thought that was nice of him. As we went by we saw the official patch and a microphone on his shoulder.

We thought we were setup....but continues on our way. With a speed limit of 45mph in those tight curves we didn't really speed much the rest of the way.

After arriving at deals gap, he entered the parking lot, rode up near us...we thought to give a ticket. Then he did a tight turn and parked (in the picture).

 

[Gone in 60]

I had a rather curious moment yesterday evening. Mrs. Gone was out for the night with a friend, so, on my own for dinner, I decided to check out a new taco place in the Old Town Orange area I mentioned in another post.

Parking was tight along the streets for a Sunday evening, but maybe with Fathers Day, lots of families were out for nice dinners. I wedged my CB between two cars that were parallel parked across the street from the restaurant, and after getting my dinner, I sat at a counter facing out, so I had a view of my bike as I ate. The two cars on either side of me left as I was eating, leaving my bike parked by itself with plenty of room on both sides. An Orange PD officer then pulled up next to my bike and got out. I was about to get up and run across the street to see if he was disagreeable with my parking job for some reason.

He stared at my bike for a bit, then pulled out his phone, took a few photos of it, got back in his car and drove off. I'm assuming that he headed back to the station to show his coworkers the cool bike he saw during his patrol.

... at least I hope that's what he did.

 

[GoldOxide_imp]

... nice job to have to ride up and down the Dragon all day lookin' for traffic violators?

 

[Offroad]

... nice job to have to ride up and down the Dragon all day lookin' for traffic violators?

As I walked by I said that sure looks nice but you're on the wrong model he said I totally agree LOL.

I'm guessing he would start dragging hard parts if he's trying to chase those sport bikes.

 

[peterbaron]

Funny picture now lol

3 of us coming off the Foothills Parkway entered the Tail of the Dragon last week about 8:30 AM.

We were maybe 10 over in places but not bad. We had a single headlight coming up behind us. Thinking it was a sport bike that was going to pass us anyway, we pull over to let it pass.

As he went by, one mention that looked like a police officer (half helmet) but didn't think much more about it.

After a few minutes we began to catch the same motorcycle.

To our surprise he pulled over to let us pass....at first we thought that was nice of him. As we went by we saw the official patch and a microphone on his shoulder.

We thought we were setup....but continues on our way. With a speed limit of 45mph in those tight curves we didn't really speed much the rest of the way.

After arriving at deals gap, he entered the parking lot, rode up near us...we thought to give a ticket. Then he did a tight turn and parked (in the picture).

If I calculated and understood correctly;

10 mil/16 kms over 45 mil/72 km speed limit gives about 55 mil/88 km... and you were shaking your pants about being pulled over...hmm...it looks to me like our Canadian cops are friendlier.

Here, on a freeway where speed limit is 100 km/60 mil, some motorist would still pass a cop if he was doing 120km/h/75 mil....

In OH, Ferret says: over nine you are mine :-/

 

[the Ferret]

How's this for a speeding fine?

51 in a 31 zone


Driver slapped with $129,544 speeding fine; Here's why

 

[peterbaron]

How's this for a speeding fine?

51 in a 31 zone


Driver slapped with $129,544 speeding fine; Here's why

I read that news a few days ago...Scandinavian countries are very strict and fines reflect your income...and their drivers/riders are very disciplined.
He can afford this fine :huh:

If one had no income, he would get a symbolic fine, I guess?

 

[tommymck]

Funny picture now lol

3 of us coming off the Foothills Parkway entered the Tail of the Dragon last week about 8:30 AM.

We were maybe 10 over in places but not bad. We had a single headlight coming up behind us. Thinking it was a sport bike that was going to pass us anyway, we pull over to let it pass.

As he went by, one mention that looked like a police officer (half helmet) but didn't think much more about it.

After a few minutes we began to catch the same motorcycle.

To our surprise he pulled over to let us pass....at first we thought that was nice of him. As we went by we saw the official patch and a microphone on his shoulder.

We thought we were setup....but continues on our way. With a speed limit of 45mph in those tight curves we didn't really speed much the rest of the way.

After arriving at deals gap, he entered the parking lot, rode up near us...we thought to give a ticket. Then he did a tight turn and parked (in the picture).

If I calculated and understood correctly;

10 mil/16 kms over 45 mil/72 km speed limit gives about 55 mil/88 km... and you were shaking your pants about being pulled over...hmm...it looks to me like our Canadian cops are friendlier.

Here, on a freeway where speed limit is 100 km/60 mil, some motorist would still pass a cop if he was doing 120km/h/75 mil....

In OH, Ferret says: over nine you are mine :-/

Typically most places, you wouldn't get pulled over for 10 over unless you were weaving around or doing something else dangerous looking. Tail of the dragon is different. It has a pretty bad safety record and they have really stepped up enforcement efforts to try to put a lid on it.

 

[GoldOxide_imp]

How's this for a speeding fine?

51 in a 31 zone


Driver slapped with $129,544 speeding fine; Here's why

I read that news a few days ago...Scandinavian countries are very strict and fines reflect your income...and their drivers/riders are very disciplined.
He can afford this fine :huh:

If one had no income, he would get a symbolic fine, I guess?

I read that news a few days ago...Scandinavian countries are very strict and fines reflect your income...and their drivers/riders are very disciplined.
He can afford this fine :huh:

If one had no income, he would get a symbolic fine, I guess?
A sort of "levelling the playing field" for all drivers? (Is there not some sort of privacy issue here somewhere?)

Generally implying, if one had no income, arguably they might not afford to be riding or driving - so no fine.