OT: My rant on people and speeding tickets.

[la0tsu]

As someone who really enjoys speeding on highways (I always try to keep it within 5 over on city streets), I agree that one shouldn't get pissed about getting a ticket. I think it's fine to be pissed that the speed limit is ridiculously low (those in the Twin Cities might know about 35E and Shepard Road in Saint Paul - both are 45mph, but both could easily handle 60mph safely), but if you are willing to break the law, you should be willing to pay the price.

 

Two points brought up that I wanted to address:

 

#1 - Speed is not the issue, difference in speed is. Someone going 15mph below the flow of traffic is just as dangerous as someone going 15mph over.

 

#2 - Montana didn't institute a speed limit because they had a spate of traffic accidents. They did so because A) the law was found to be too vague as written, and B) the Federal government threatened to cut off highway funds if they didn't.

 

For more information on the Montanabahn experiment, check out this link:

 

Montana: No Speed Limit-Safety Paradox

 

This should make some of you rethink your stance regarding the importance of speed limits.

[RupertB]

Lets be realistic here, if anyone actually obeyed speed limits no one would be on time. Seriously, try actually doing 25.

In 25mph/residential neighborhoods, I do 30 max. I do 25 if there are people walking or kids playing.

That little {censored}er that delivers for Pizzamerica & came through my neighborhood at 50 squealing wheels won't forget my face any time soon. I followed him back to the business & gave him hell.

I've got no problem with 5-10 over the limit. But people who always drive like they're on the way to a fire deserve what they get. Eventually, they're going to get someone hurt or killed. Is it that hard to leave a few minutes early?

[Weathered]

As someone who really enjoys speeding on highways (I always try to keep it within 5 over on city streets), I agree that one shouldn't get pissed about getting a ticket. I think it's fine to be pissed that the speed limit is ridiculously low (those in the Twin Cities might know about 35E and Shepard Road in Saint Paul - both are 45mph, but both could easily handle 60mph safely) but if you are willing to break the law, you should be willing to pay the price.

 

 

I'm not sure why that stretch is 45, but it's almost never enforced, either. I don't think I've ever seen someone pulled over in that area.

 

I totally agree about following the flow of traffic, though. I tend to follow the flow, and in the Twin Cities, that can be anywhere from the speed limit (or 10 under, if you're some of the drivers here) to 15 over. I try and stay within 5-10, but I'm not about to say that I haven't driven really fast at times.

 

But....to get pissed off at the cop because he is doing his job is simply stupid. You sped, you got caught, it's your fault. Same with anything else - drunk driving, shoplifting, underage drinking, etc. No one is MAKING you do those things - it's a choice, and sometimes choices have consequences.

[la0tsu]

I'm not sure why that stretch is 45, but it's almost never enforced, either. I don't think I've ever seen someone pulled over in that area.

 

 

35E was only built in the 80s with the provision that the speed limit wouldn't be any higher than 45. This is because of concerns in the W 7th neighborhood about traffic noise. On the one hand, I think it's cool that a neighborhood was able to stand up for what they wanted and succeed, but on the other hand, I don't think the speed has that much impact on traffic noise, and it does have a major impact on traffic. I haven't seen any enforcement on 35, either.

 

Shepard Road, on the other hand ... There are several spots along there where they enforce fairly regularly. What I don't get is that before they realigned it, it was one narrow lane each way, with a concrete barrier in between, and the speed limit was higher than it is now that it's two wide lanes each way with a wide median. That makes no sense to me at all. It's safer now!

 

 

I totally agree about following the flow of traffic, though. I tend to follow the flow, and in the Twin Cities, that can be anywhere from the speed limit (or 10 under, if you're some of the drivers here) to 15 over. I try and stay within 5-10, but I'm not about to say that I haven't driven really fast at times. But....to get pissed off at the cop because he is doing his job is simply stupid. You sped, you got caught, it's your fault. Same with anything else - drunk driving, shoplifting, underage drinking, etc. No one is MAKING you do those things - it's a choice, and sometimes choices have consequences.

 

 

I agree completely with everything you have said here. One other thing: If you do like to speed, if you are polite and understanding when you do get pulled over, you are much more likely to get a warning or at least a reduction.

[Big Hair]

The German autobahns are perfect examples of common sense highway driving. No speed limits out of town (only some limits when going through cities and the traffic is busier anyway), so traffic moves freely. The drivers for the most part have common sense and keep to the right and the roads are great. Infact when Olaf was driving us on the autobahn last year it didn;t feel like we were doing 120mph at all because everyone else was going about that fast.

It also felt safe.

Speeding through residential or city centres is a different matter, but I firmly believe that out of town limits need to be raised.

[potaetoes]

 

The German autobahns are perfect examples of common sense highway driving. No speed limits out of town (only some limits when going through cities and the traffic is busier anyway), so traffic moves freely. The drivers for the most part have common sense and keep to the right and the roads are great. Infact when Olaf was driving us on the autobahn last year it didn;t feel like we were doing 120mph at all because everyone else was going about that fast. It also felt safe. Speeding through residential or city centres is a different matter, but I firmly believe that out of town limits need to be raised.

 

 

the reason the autobahn doesn't jam up isn't because of the elevated speeds - it's because europeans drive only a fraction of the amount americans do. during vacation times and national holidays when people do get in their cars and hit the highways, the autobahn often gets jammed to a dead standstill for many hours at a time.

[LnTh]

I got my share of speeding tickets but i'm with the thread starter on this one.

 

AS LONG AS THE TICKET IS NOT FOR 10 OVER!!!! I can RUN faster than that for god's sake.

[silverfacechamp]

#2 - Montana didn't institute a speed limit because they had a spate of traffic accidents. They did so because A) the law was found to be too vague as written, and B) the Federal government threatened to cut off highway funds if they didn't.

 

 

I have friends that were directly involved in that process, and you're not entirely correct. True, the Federal government DID threaten to pull highway funding, but they did that because there was significant concern among highway safety experts, congress, and the citizens of Montana themselves that the lack of a daytime speed limit would eventually do two things: 1. Attract the wrong kinds of people to their state (IE - jackoffs in Ferraris that think they can drive) and 2. Eventually result in some very serious, very preventable accidents. The Feds used the funding and the constitutionality suit as a way to leverage Montana into repealing the laws.

[relva3]

First off, I have to say it again: When it comes to auto's H-C is retarded. I honestly feel some of you shouldn't be allowed to drive.

Speed limits can be enforced after going 5 over city and 10 over highway, and in WI they generally are in the city. Numerous times at night at 2 in the morning I drive in the middle lane alone and get sidewinded by some asshole that realizes at the last second that "Wow! There's a car in front of me!" and passes me IN THE RIGHT LANE. Why doesn't anybody realize that left is passing, middle is steady, and the right is turning/slow? In the past 4 months I've had 6 people get pulled over after they passed me. Now that makes me feel great.

Speeding is dangerous though, and a lot of you don't realize that just because you think you can handle your auto that doesn't mean you can accurately predict how others will respond to your driving. I would also be willing to wager almost everyone on this board hasn't a clear idea of what their vehicle will do under its limits.

If you people get such a thrill out of speeding, do it right. Hit a track. Racing an auto is like shooting a gun-its a right but not something you can do wherever you want. Racing an auto on the streets is like shooting a gun in a crowd.

There are benefits to not speeding. The biggest is gas mileage. In actual practice speeding usually yields little time difference, but the racing of the engine (hard accel/decel) dramatically cuts fuel distance. Plus it wears your brakes faster, and is harder on the suspension. Highway speeds past 50mph actually decrease fuel mileage due to wind resistance. After 60/65 it becomes much greater.

Bottom line is that the law holds the speed limits where they are, and for a reason. If you disagree with the law, you don't oppose it by speeding, you oppose it by legislation.

[la0tsu]

I have friends that were directly involved in that process, and you're not entirely correct. True, the Federal government DID threaten to pull highway funding, but they did that because there was significant concern among highway safety experts, congress, and the citizens of Montana themselves that the lack of a daytime speed limit would eventually do two things: 1. Attract the wrong kinds of people to their state (IE - jackoffs in Ferraris that think they can drive) and 2. Eventually result in some very serious, very preventable accidents. The Feds used the funding and the constitutionality suit as a way to leverage Montana into repealing the laws.

 

 

I'm not denying that congress, SOME traffic experts (clearly not all - check the link I provided in my previous post), and SOME Montanans (clearly not even a majority - if there were a majority, congress wouldn't have needed to threaten them to get a speed limit enacted) had concerns. My point was that it had absolutely nothing to do with an increase in accidents and deaths. This is born out by the fact that accidents and fatalities decreased during the five years of "Reasonable and Prudent", despite increased traffic. Once the speed limit was enacted, accidents and fatalities started increasing again.

[17 Tubes]

70mph speed limit on the motorways really pisses me off, esp at 2am. Maybe there should be a lower limit for peak times and a 90mph night limit. I mean sometimes the road is deserted and we are expected to trickle along at 70mph. Besides cars are much safer these days with better brakes and suspension - higher speed limits out of towns should be granted,

 

 

 

True...but drivers are still the dumb{censored} idiot assholes they've always been.

[17 Tubes]

The cars are safer, but the people are still stupid. At least most of them.

 

 

Oops...missed that...right!

[17 Tubes]

My favorite things to do is roll up my windows, turn the AC on, put some smooth jazz on...and drive the speed limit. Maybe even {GASP!} a couple over.

Man does that piss people like Phishmonkey off. Goddamn they'll get all huffy, stomp the gas pedal veering in and out of the lanes. And off they go.

Then I pull up behind them at the next red light up a ways. They won;t even look at me. But...ZOOM! off they go...becuase their in a hurry and the limits aren't fair.

All the while not getting anywhere faster...not much anyway. I live in Pineallas county Florida. All streets but two in the area of 1 million+ are on the grid system. A light every 1/2 mile. We'd be better off if people would slow down just a bit, to the speed limit anyway. That way we wouldn't get all jammed up at the light, Space it out a bit.

That and we have on average at least 5 fatalities a week. Just a few weekend ago we had 6 in the one weekend. Careless, reckless and selfsh driving. No such thing as an "accident".





Sorry phishmonkey....I think you were speaking more or less of open highway driving. Still have to be careful there. I like all the Explorers andother SUV's that want to go 90 MPH down the highway. Dude...dudette!, that's not what they were made for. But go ahead and sue the tire maker anyway.

[FastRedPonyCar]

Cops that pull people over for breaking the law don't bother me. Ordinary motorists who take it upon themselves to go all vigilante on other motorists by following them to their destination only to try and tell them they were driving carelessly, speeding, etc is what pisses me off.

[wooten]

I wish the cops would do something about the thousands of people who refuse to stop at a red light in my hometown. It's ridiculous.

[17 Tubes]

Cops that pull people over for breaking the law don't bother me. Ordinary motorists who take it upon themselves to go all vigilante on other motorists by following them to their destination only to try and tell them they were driving carelessly, speeding, etc is what pisses me off.

YEs...that is funny. I mean I would LOVE to tell peopel what jackasses they are. And how they are putting other people's lives at risk.

But I know it wouldn't matter. They obvioulsy don't give a {censored} about anyone else, and me telling them so won't change anything.


Still...a good exagerated "WTF!... " while they go on is sometimes satisfying.

[ranalli]

San Jose Police make over $70K, entry level. Not what I'd call low, even for the Bay Area. Source: http://www.policeone.com/careers/1229073/ If you've ever driven on the autobahn in Germany you'd know that doing 100 doesn't mean endangering people's safety. Drivers there know that the left lane is for passing, etc. The real reason why there's a lot of {censored}ty drivers in the U.S. is because of the {censored}ty driving instruction and lax testing that puts all the morons behind the wheel in the U.S. Sure speed can be a part of the reason for an accident, but it's not really a root cause. How many times have you seen a left lane hog doing exactly the speed limit and holding up traffic here, even though the DMV handbook specifically states that the left lane is to be used for passing and that slower traffic must move to the right? I see this all the time. Then the guy behind gets pissed and starts tailgating. The the driver in front decides to do a brake check. Then there's an accident. If anything, the police should be ticketing drivers that are oblivious to the actual rules (the ones that make sense) of the road. Just because the rules are there doesn't mean they're not stupid. Laws here are dumbed down for the lowest common denominator. You say "what about the kid that runs out on the street?" I say the parents need to teach the kid not to run out in the street. The smaller object should always have to look out for the bigger object, not the other way around. Otherwise, why not make residential speed limits 15, 10, or even 5mph? Who says the old grandma in the beat up '70s car with drum brakes can react in time even at 25mph? What makes you think 25mph is magically "safe"? The only thing some of these laws do is give people a false sense of entitlement and safety. I commonly see people just jump into a crosswalk, EXPECTING cars to stop for them, just because they're in a crosswalk. That's stupid. I see bicycles suddenly jump out on the street or hog the entire lane. That's stupid. If they tried that in China or something they'd get their ass run over. Thus, they'd learn real quick not to pull that {censored}. Now, not all speed limits would be bad if they can somehow have different classes with REASONABLE speeds. I think it depends on the driver and the car. If we had better, more strict driving tests we can classify drivers. As for cars, a late model 2900 pound Porsche with 4 wheel, 4 piston anti-lock disc brakes is going to stop MUCH faster than a 6000 pound SUV with front disc brakes and rear drum brakes. That's just simple physics and can't be argued. So if an SUV can do 65mph on the freeway, the Porsche should legally be allowed to do 90mph.

 

 

 

 

 

I pretty much agree with all of this.

 

 

I do not speed in residential areas....just not worth it if you ever hit somebody, however, on the highway I pretty drive at least 10 miles over the limit if traffic permits. Generally speaking, the only time you have problems is if you're not paying attention and don't anticipate disaster at any second.

 

 

And those that think that speeding tickets are generally not for revenue of some type are clueless IMO.

[Phishmonkey]

 

My favorite things to do is roll up my windows, turn the AC on, put some smooth jazz on...and drive the speed limit. Maybe even {GASP!} a couple over. Man does that piss people like Phishmonkey off. Goddamn they'll get all huffy, stomp the gas pedal veering in and out of the lanes. And off they go. Then I pull up behind them at the next red light up a ways. They won;t even look at me. But...ZOOM! off they go...becuase their in a hurry and the limits aren't fair. All the while not getting anywhere faster...not much anyway. I live in Pineallas county Florida. All streets but two in the area of 1 million+ are on the grid system. A light every 1/2 mile. We'd be better off if people would slow down just a bit, to the speed limit anyway. That way we wouldn't get all jammed up at the light, Space it out a bit. That and we have on average at least 5 fatalities a week. Just a few weekend ago we had 6 in the one weekend. Careless, reckless and selfsh driving. No such thing as an "accident". Sorry phishmonkey....I think you were speaking more or less of open highway driving. Still have to be careful there. I like all the Explorers andother SUV's that want to go 90 MPH down the highway. Dude...dudette!, that's not what they were made for. But go ahead and sue the tire maker anyway.

 

 

I'm not sure why you're singling me out, or where exactly you got the idea that I hate speed limits and cops and support driving 90 mph all the time, but you're way off. I don't hate speed limits, I hate speed limits set artificially low so cops can meet their quotas. There's a 25 mph speed limit around where I live. That speed limit doesn't do {censored} in protecting kids. There's a major intersection near here and I can't tell you how many times I've nearly been killed there by drivers doing the speed limit. That intersection needs a light, not a speed limit. It doesn't matter what the speed limit is if people are still driving without paying attention or yielding to pedestrians.

 

So to summarize, I don't hate speed limits, I hate speed traps and ticket quotas.

[geek_usa]

speed limits here are ridiculous.

20 and 25 all around town except on the thru-highways, then it's 30. Country roads are 35 - i mean give me a break...even if I'm going 45 and hit someone's chicken it's not that big of a deal. And the houses are far enough away from the roads that the kids aren't running around near it.

School zones are 15 mph, sometimes 5.


the city has 20,000 people in it, it's a small city, but the speed limits are still ridiculous.

try driving onto the interstates out of town at 65.

[17 Tubes]

I'm not sure why you're singling me out, or where exactly you got the idea that I hate speed limits and cops and support driving 90 mph all the time, but you're way off. I don't hate speed limits, I hate speed limits set artificially low so cops can meet their quotas. There's a 25 mph speed limit around where I live. That speed limit doesn't do {censored} in protecting kids. There's a major intersection near here and I can't tell you how many times I've nearly been killed there by drivers doing the speed limit. That intersection needs a light, not a speed limit. It doesn't matter what the speed limit is if people are still driving without paying attention or yielding to pedestrians. So to summarize, I don't hate speed limits, I hate speed traps and ticket quotas.

 

 

Hey man...did you read my whole post bedfore responding to it?

 

 

I already apologized. I wass trying to remember who didn't like limits, who thinks they are unfair, who doesn't have the time or planning for them. Your name came to mind.

 

 

 

 

By no means did I even HINT that people who drive the speed limit are faultless. So...not sure why that is cominginto the picture. And if you read my thread....you can see that I say "careless driving".

 

 

 

So yeah...while speed traps suck...if you are paying attention, and obeying the posted speeds and traffic laws, then...no problem...correct?

 

 

Most certainly just going the limit doesn't give you a pass to safe driving. But it's a start.

 

As someone said, people just don;t think. They either can't comprehend or don;t give a {censored}...how dangerous a vehicle is. And how one little tiny slip can change everything. Even when you think you got it all under control.

[17 Tubes]

I like when I get passed by some jack-ass only to end up at the same stoplight at the same time. I point and laugh at their dumbass....... And if you ride my ass I will put a brick thru yo windshield

 

 

 

 

No kidding!

 

But the JACKASS still doesn't get it.

 

 

Off he zooms to the next red light. Dumbass.

[pink freud]

Speed limits are artificially low because the pigs need a way to pay their ridiculous salaries and benefits. It has NOTHING to do with safety, and everything to do with $$$. BTW, the Nazi's that ran the death camps claimed to be "just doing their jobs", and that didn't wash at Nuremberg. Sid

 

 

general rule of thumb, if you are trying to get people to take you seriously, DON'T EQUATE SPEED LIMITS WITH THE [samuel l. jacskon]MUTHA{censored}ING[/samuel l. jackson] HOLOCAUST

[Weathered]

I just find it funny that people think of speed limits as a form of opression. I'm sorry, but the government mandating that you can drive a certain speed without risk of penalty by law does not correlate AT ALL with Nazis (as was said at one point) or any other loss of liberties.

Let's not forget that driving is a privilege and not a right, and as such, they are allowed to mandate who can drive and under what circumstances.

[Polaris20]

People who purposefully speed and then get pissed off at the cop that pulls them over just simply need to shut the {censored} up. Period. Anyone who has the balls to lay the blame on the police officer because of that person's speeding habit is just a worthless, hypocritical, walking pile of {censored}. Every person who gets pissed off at a police officer when they knew they were speeding deserves to pay 10x the amount that's required on the ticket. If you ever get pulled over, do yourself a favor and just accept the fact that you were caught, pay the fine, and go on with your life. There's no need to fight the ticket, because 99.8% of the time you will lose. There's no need to get pissed off at the police officer, because he's just doing his job. Have a nice day.

You might want to change your tampon. You sound a bit bitchy. Also, you're welcome to come to Chicago and drive on 290 at 55mph. See you in the ER.
I only get pissed off at cops when they're high and mighty dicks, which is......99.8% of the time.
I know speeding is wrong, so what? If I get pulled over, fine. Do your job and give me a ticket.
Lecture unnecessary. People hate cops because much of the time they're condescending pricks. Not because they're just doing their job.
And let me guess; you're a cop, right?

[Rock & Roll Man]

People seem to think speed limits are suggestions. Me, I take it that way too but in the other direction. 60 MPH zone? I'm going 50 MPH. It's great because I never seem to be tailgating anyone now, and my stress level is down.