Speeding Tickets...

[Aggie_Ama]

Well I have not had the luck my husband has had. Most of the time he has been pulled over for inspection being out of date, but he got a written warning for 9 months overdue!

I have gotten my fair share of warnings (ummm, I have a lead foot). I also got two tickets. One was only 7 miles over on a lonely stretch of highway. I was getting back to my university after driving 2 hours to have a dress fitted for my brother's wedding.

The other I very rightly deserved, 18 over in Oklahoma. Of course I didn't have a chance with Texas plates and a Texas A&M sticker in NORMAN, OK (home of OU).

I did get a warning for 15 miles over next to a school (not a school zone time, but school was in). I bawled because I was late to high school, got off.

Of course, I never talk my way out. I cry when I can't control the situation so I am usually bawling.

[Triskeliongirl]

What I think is interesting, is the different way men and women handle these situations. Sure, there are situations where women use their sexuality to advantage if a male cop so chooses to go there, BUT, I agree with silver, why didn't you tell him you were in a rush to see your daughter's performance. What astounds me is that you didn't even try to get out of the ticket. My husband is the same way if he is pulled over, he doesn't say anything and accepts the ticket. I would at least try to argue, explain why I was in a rush, beg forgiveness (oh please officer, I am very sorry, I needed to pick up my daughter at school, I won't do it again if you could please just five me a warning this time....). In this case I don't think I am using my sexuality, but I am playing into the male power thing, I recognize that he has the power in this situation to issue a citation or not, so I swallow my pride and bow to that power to avoid the fine. Sometimes it seems all they want is for you to *talk* to them. Are men just unwilling to do that?

[Veronica]

What astounds me is that you didn't even try to get out of the ticket. My husband is the same way if he is pulled over, he doesn't say anything and accepts the ticket. I would at least try to argue, explain why I was in a rush, beg forgiveness (oh please officer, I am very sorry, I needed to pick up my daughter at school, I won't do it again if you could please just five me a warning this time....).

Maybe they realize they WERE BREAKING THE LAW.

It's all part of taking responsibility for your choices.

V.

[Triskeliongirl]

Maybe they realize they WERE BREAKING THE LAW.

It's all part of taking responsibility for your choices.

V.

I can appreciate your viewpoint, however the last two times I was pulled over, I didn't think they were fair applications of the law, I feel they were cops out to ticket cyclists. One was as we were a few blocks from the parking lot for a rural ride, the speed limit suddenly changes from 30 to 20 for a single block with no apparent reason (other than that it is a block from the parking lot cyclists use to begin their ride). I genuinely didn't see the sign indicating the speed limit change, so I have 2 choices, I can yell at the cop that its a speed trap and take the ticket, or I can suck up and hope I get off. The other recent incident is a cop starts following us on the way to another rural ride (sees the 2 bikes on the rack) and as we pull into the lot, pulls up next to us, and tell us we are in violation from having too many inspection stickers displayed (we had the current one, but neglected to remove the expired ones). Again, I could have fumed that I was feeling like a harasssed cyclist, but I politely apologized and told him I wasn't aware that it was against the law to display expired stickers as long as I had a valid current one (which is the truth), promised to remove the expired ones when I got home, and in the end he didn't ticket me. BTW I got off the second time (and I'm still not sure I believe it was ever really a violation) but not the first. I accept responsiblity for my actions and pay the fines when levied, but I don't see what is wrong with trying to talk the cop out of issuing a ticket from a purely practical standpoint. However, I respect others that feel it demeans them to play up to the cops power trip.

[Veronica]

I didn't think they were fair applications of the law

That's different. When you're knowingly speeding - 75 in a 65 or whatever, when you blow the stop sign - you deserve the ticket.

After reading this thread I wondered how many kids have seen or heard their parents try to talk their way out of some wrong thing they did. And then the kid tries the same thing, because they learn by example.

V.

[Triskeliongirl]

That's different. When you're knowingly speeding - 75 in a 65 or whatever, when you blow the stop sign - you deserve the ticket.

After reading this thread I wondered how many kids have seen or heard their parents try to talk their way out of some wrong thing they did. And then the kid tries the same thing, because they learn by example.

V.

I totally agree. My rant concerns what I really believe to be the unfair application of the law towards cyclists where I live. Those of us who live in the city drive out to the country to ride where it is safer. Not only do they target us with their speed traps and traffic violations, they have tried to ban us from cycling in their communities, ban us from parking in their public lots, and force us to wear ridiculous triangles on our bikes, in hopes of discouraging us from riding on 'their' roads. Hey 'my' tax dollars support 'their' roads too, we are all in this together.

But I realize I was wrong in my initial reaction that men and women handle these situations differently. Its also clear we are not all describing the same situation.

[Bluetree]

I've never tried to get out of a traffic ticket if I know I was breaking the law. And the 'feminine wiles' thing is anathema to me... if I broke the law, I should pay. If men have to, so should women. That said, I bought a Volvo a couple of years ago after years of driving a sports car. Once you get behind the wheel of a Volvo you actually find yourself driving slower... and slower... and slower. Speed limits have become almost meaningless!

I do occasionally roll past stopsigns (slowly) while I'm on a bike, and I've made left turns at a red light when my bike didn't trip the light sensor, but I always make sure I'm safe. My area has tons of roadies and I've never seen anyone ticketed. Still, I asked some local policemen if they will ticket cyclists for it. None of them said they would, unless it is a blatant disregard of the law and/or safety. Other than one notorious group of roadies who are known to take up the entire roadway, they pretty much leave cyclists alone.

[mimitabby]

Mr Silver, were you driving that RED sports car in your avatar? Cops see a red flag when cars like this go by. Certain persons I know who tend to get speeding tickets notice that they get less of them when they are not in showy red cars.

Advice; break down and start crying.
No, actually, with Silver IN the car with you the best thing that could
have happened was for her to start telling you off loudly in front of the cop.
I know a man who got off when that happened. The cop said to him
"buddy, you have enough troubles already" and gave him a warning.

my DH has been close to getting his license suspended more than once in our marriage because of speeding tickets. Sometimes the officer is hot already and there is nothing you can do. Sometimes, just being contrite makes a difference.
One of Dh's best recent stories was:
the police officer pulled him over and huffed up to the window 'Do you know how fast you were driving?"
"yes, 45 mph" DH responded.
"You were driving 45 mph!" then he looks at DH, surprised, blinks, and says "do we have an attitude??"
Dh replies, "uh, no, I didn't have an attitude, but if you keep wasting my time with these questions, I'm going to GET an attitude"
He knew at this point he was going to get a ticket anyway... which he did.

[mudmucker]

I will never ever ever use my feminine wiles when I get pulled over. I refuse to use such tactics as I feel I would insult my own personal integrity. Over the last 10 years I must have gotten pulled over either for speeding or "rolling" through suburban or rural stop signs about 12 times. Ahem, yes that is alot. (There is an ongoing joke here in MA, that Massachusetts drivers drive like Ma**holes.) I'm guilty. Only once during these years have I been issued a ticket and that is when there was an actual highway speed trap set during a morning commute and several others were caught as well. My approach to getting pulled over is to remain quiet and matter of fact, and make no excuses.

As for being pulled over; I'm not sure it's always a car thing. I have a green Subaru Outback with a roof rack. However in my cases, yes, I was speeding.

My thinking is that these guys have heard every excuse in the book and don't feel like hearing it again. When they ask "do you know why you were pulled over" I say, "I think I have a pretty good idea". I don't bat the proverbial eyelash because of the integrity thing but also that they would certainly see through it and not fall for it and/or get angry for trying to do so. As it is their job to be stern, they are pretty curt, pissy, and with attitude when they approach the car so why aggravate it. However, my result is that they give me a warning, I thank them as I take back my license and reg, and drive off.

I end up getting free stuff sometimes. It usually happens when I just create a dialog making sure I don't come off like a "know it all". I get a free stuff from my bike shop alot. I do know some things that might be considered more male. For example I got some free stuff at a flyfishing shop after I was talking fly tying with the proprietor. I get reduced prices at my local construction home supply place, and at my local car mechanic. Now I would expect that male comradery would play here more. In the above cases I believe it is more a "you are local and supporting your local farmer" comradery. In the flyfishing case I suspect it might have been because I was female.

[Wahine]

I will never ever ever use my feminine wiles when I get pulled over. I refuse to use such tactics as I feel I would insult my own personal integrity.

My approach to getting pulled over is to remain quiet and matter of fact, and make no excuses.

My thinking is that these guys have heard every excuse in the book and don't feel like hearing it again. When they ask "do you know why you were pulled over" I say, "I think I have a pretty good idea". I don't bat the proverbial eyelash because of the integrity thing but also that they would certainly see through it and not fall for it and/or get angry for trying to do so. As it is their job to be stern, they are pretty curt, pissy, and with attitude when they approach the car so why aggravate it. However, my result is that they give me a warning, I thank them as I take back my license and reg, and drive off.

I don't actually bat my eyelashes or anything else, like show clevage. I do exactly what you are saying. But I think that playing into the male power thing, telling them they are right and how sorry I am, is using my feminine whiles. Also, I'm not a showboat by any means, but I have a clean cut girl next door kind of look that doesn't hurt.

I have a lot of pride and I would never do anything to degrade myself. Hey, I don't even even wear make-up. So it's not a being made up and showing things off issue. It's how I communicate with the officer.

DH on the other hand, always argues and gets defensive and he always get a ticket.

[Mr. Bloom]

DH on the other hand, always argues and gets defensive and he always get a ticket.

My tendency is to argue...but I don't in a situation like this. I could rationalize...there was no one on the road...I wasn't being 'unsafe' (however that's defined)...and frankly, I think the cop deserves respect for doing the job they're paid to do...a dangerous one at that.

[mimitabby]

So were you driving the RED CAR?

[Veronica]

The red car is a Mercedes. He said it was in a Lexus - therefore not in THAT red car.

V.

[snapdragen]

I haven't been pulled over since I was 17 or 18 years old. One speeding ticket, one check to be sure I wasn't casing some apartments that had been hit by burglers a few times (I was dropping a friend off).

Never got a ticket in my red car, sorry mimi! I don't believe the red cars are cop magnets. I was ticketed in my mothers bomb of a buick .

[Mr. Bloom]

So were you driving the RED CAR?

I wish it were my red mercedes...since it was due last weekend to be ransomed from a 14 week visit to the mechanic for 'winter restoration'...

Instead, it was my old, boring, green Lexus.