I wonder if there are any studies to suggest the difference in 'pull over' rates vs tickets by area of the country?
I've been driving for 20 years now. Admittedly, I've pretty much always considered the posted speed limit a 'suggestion'. :o I learned to drive in Boston, so I drive fast and fairly agressive. I also drive an extremely 'nimble' car. I haven't been pulled over for speeding in 8 years. (I did get pulled over for an expired plate, but only by a day and my renewal sticker was still in my glove box!) So, I drive fast, I drive a fast car (and have for the past 10 years) and I've lived in 5 states since I got my licence. In summary: I got pulled over in ME twice, in MA, too many times to count on two hands, in PA once (not for speeding and not my fault), in FL, once but it was entrapment, and in NC, zero times. Personally, I think that the northeast has the corner market on a$$hole cops and astronomical speeding fines. And for the record...I've NEVER been able to talk my way out of a single ticket.
A couple of examples...TWICE I was pulled over and asked immediately in a condescending tone "So, is this daddy's car?" (and for the record, it was mine and I was in my mid-20's). One was in MA and the other in NH. My father also got pulled over in MA for passing a cop on the highway (at 55 mph - the speed limit). We were all on the way to my first day at college (whole family, packed car) and we all heard the cop tell him he pulled him over for "blatent disrespect". Nice.
And lastly, about 5 years ago, I was in MA for an internship and my roommate and I were driving to a mall. She was driving (with IL plates) and was coming up on a cop on a 4 lane highway (2 lanes going either direction). I told her to pull behind him and not pass, but she said I'm only going 50, what can he do (speed limit was 55)? I warned her again, but she did it anyway. Sure enough, he pulled her over and gave her a ticket for 'driving to endanger'. He also flat out yelled at her because her dealer plate frame obscured the state name on the tag and he couldn't read it. She was stunned (and pissed) and when we got to work the next day and mentioned it, every single person said "you didn't pass him, did you?" before she'd finished the story!
