Ticketed for speeding ??

Chances are good that most of you have been cited for speeding at some point during your years behind the steering wheel, do you recall your fist ticket?

What happened, and when did it happen?

 

My first ticket was when I was 18, busted doing 85 in a 55. I was coming home from work, got stuck in a huge traffic jam and was late meeting my friends. That was a long time ago...

 

I was 21 on may way home from work , speed limit was 80 kph and went down to 50 kph but I didn’t see the sign . That was a hefty ticket .

 

Ticketed for 85mph in a 70mph. There was a long line in the right hand lane and nobody in the left. I didnt see it at the time, but there was an unmarked highway patrol going 65mph in the right hand lane. The shitty thing is I got within 20 feet of the back of him before I saw him and he put on his lights. Said he “Paced” me and saw I was going 85. I learned that day that police are allowed to use a formula in their head to estimate speed and it counts as law.

Oh well, I wasnt even paying attention to my speedo so i’m not even sure how accurate he was

 

I think I was 20, doing 85 in a 65. I was running late for a court date lol. The officer didnt say much and I was back on the road in a couple minutes and made it to court in time. Ticket was almost $300.

I've been stopped a couple other times since then going much slower and doing other stupid stuff like doing donuts and got warnings for them. I guess it helps i dont look like a gang banger/drug user type of person.

I use a Uniden R7 radar detector now. It's paid for itself many times over. The cops here rarely use laser. It picks up KA band well over a mile out on a straight highway.

But i sure dont speed too fast in Georgia. 5-10 over max on I-75. The state troopers there are like road pirates. Florida Highway Patrol is way more relaxed in comparison.

 

I've never been ticketed operating a cage, only a motorcycle. I was probably nearly 40yo. A riding pal and I were passing cars on some two lane mountain roads out in the middle of nowhere. One of the cars called us in and the Trooper eventually caught up to us. I think it may've been a $90 ticket. My driver licence is required for my job, so I gotta be mellow.

 

22 years ago when I was 16. 45 in 35. Officer was hiding his car in the tree tops or something. Said I was going 13 over.... maybe he was right - it was a Ford Taurus I was driving, but the needle was on 45. Got yelled at a lot and he said I was weaving in and out of traffic which was really hard since it was Sunday morning at 7am and only one other car. Told judge I was sorry, and then drove around 20 mph for next 6 months until I saw the judge again and he ripped up the ticket.

 

I was on a country highway out in the middle of nowhere in Northwest Mississippi. There were hills and curves so it was difficult to pass. I normally only went about 65 (in a 55 zone - even the interstates were 55 back then), but I got clocked at 81 as I passed someone doing about 55. To give you another idea of how long ago that was, the ticket was "only" $47.

 

I got an "open container" before I got my first speeding ticket! Dang, I'm glad my Dad took me to the military recruiting office !

 

Ya, been to jail before even getting a speeding ticket. Possession and consumption by a minor; in a car. But it wasn't running, the keys were on the floor.

 

Driving back on highway from golfing with my brother. He kept telling me I could go faster, like 10km over the posted limit. 30 seconds later, RCMP pulls out from behind a bush with his cherries it up and I was pulled over.

I was sooooo mad at him. I'll have to see if he remembers and get him to pay me back from almost 30y ago

My last "almost" ticket was a year ago. Driving in a long stretch of city road where speed is low but should be high. We just got the Tundra a week earlier and I wasn't used to the powerful V8. Luckily I was able to talk to the officer and just got a "slow down next time" after I explained I was a little excited with the new truck.

 

After numerous warnings growing up in a small rural community (including for driving unlicensed from 13 years old, repeatedly), I graduated early and took a job in San Diego, but commuted to Bakersfield twice a week to finish senior year extra-curriculars. Got 3 speeding tickets in 6 months. I didn’t realize til I saw the judge, and waited all day in the courtroom as he saw more than 50 people before addressing me last. Told me ‘driving is a privilege not a right’, and that I’d lose my license if I got one more ticket. And no, he did not want to hear my string of explanations....

 

I was 18, cop pulled me over with my friends in the backseat for a no turn on red. I rolled the window down and he asked if I saw the sign, I said no. He said all 3 of them.... prick didn’t give a shit and still gave me a tickets. I had my license 3 weeks at the time.

 

Had my share of tickets when I was a kid, now I hand them out.....lol

 

16. 26 in a 20. I turned a corner from a stop sign. It felt like as soon as I fully turned the wheel straight the cop was in the street waving me to pull over. It was dismissed in court.

 

I don’t remember exactly how old I was. Older than 18 but not 21 yet. Stopped by Texas state trooper for doing something more then 10 mph over the limit. That’s not the interesting part. The same week he stopped my mom for speeding. Recognized the last name. Took defensive driving together with my mom. That was fun given my mom rarely broke any rules

 

It was 1990. I was in my mom's Corolla hatchback (I affectionately called it "The Tank") with three friends and we coming back from a long week of misery also known as "Boystate." Boystate was held at Michigan State and we lived just about 20 minutes south of the Mackinac Bridge. I had a big, blocky radar detector and was feeling pretty invincible doing around 95 or 100 in this tiny car on tiny tires up I-75 when suddenly there was a cop behind me. He didn't tell me the speed I was going, just that I was doing well over the speed limit (I can't remember what it was) so I'm thinking he didn't radar me, just noted a silver blur passing everybody on the freeway.

It was a long drive home after that, thinking I was a dead man. I told my mom, showed her the ticket, and she said "Did this happen around Mt. Pleasant? Don't speed there, lot's of cops on the freeway." I've got cool parents.

 

First and only ticket I was going 45 in a 35 in a known speed trap right in front of the police station trying to rush to get to school. I think I was 16.

 

My Dad was well connected in the good ol' boy system down here in SC. He was notorious for his speeding tickets and getting out of them. Bragged about when he was in the army going from Fort Jackson in Columbia to some down town hotel in Atlanta in 3 hours, this would have been early 50s so no interstates (378, 78 and 29 for those who are in the know).

When I started driving we were in the restaurant business and I rarely saw a law enforcement officer pay for their meal, some guys really took advantage of it, some refused to eat with us (which in hindsight is telling to their character). So is was rare that I did get a ticket unless I was really screwing up.

I got stories but really, can't remember the actual first time getting pulled. First ticket I actually got was from one of the straight shooter Highway Patrol guys who didn't play the good ol' boy game. I didn't pull "You know who I am?" but I did try "You know my Dad right?" "yeah, I know him." he said coldly as he gave me my ticket.

The last time I got pulled a couple of years ago, long after the good ol' boy system and the restaurant closed up. I did a slow roll right on red. in the middle of it I noticed SCHP sitting in the parking lot across corner. Hell I'm in my 50s now so I don't freak out seeing a cop eyeballin' me. Got to the next redlight he's behind me. "WTF". We proceed through the light and damn if he didn't pull me over.

I got in the first parking lot I could get in and he comes up to the window.

"Know why I pulled you over?" He asked.
"Yeah, I slow rolled through the red light." I said.
"No, didn't notice that, I noticed you weren't wearing your seatbelt."

Back in the early 80s I had a wreck (on of those stories) that if I were wearing my seat belt I would have been killed and ever since then I figured that was my one chance at that. I don't move a vehicle without a seat belt on. So I got to arguing with him.

"No sir, I had my belt on, I don't drive without a seat belt on. Tell you what, I'll give you the red light offence but I'm not going to take a seat belt offence."

"Well that's the ticket you're going to get." he said.

"OK then but I'll tell you now, I'll get Marvin (local old school lawyer here in town and everyone knew him by first name) to pull the dash cam off your car and make you prove I didn't have my seat belt on. I will pay him more than the ticket is worth and eat up a day in court but I'm not paying a seat belt fine."

He looked at me..."Do I know you?"

"I don't know, how long you been on the patrol?"

I started rattling off some of the old guys names and he knew them. I mentioned the restaurant my family was in, guess that rang a bell with him. I had spoken to his boss and him at one of the diners a couple of weeks ago.

He ended up not giving me a ticket, we told each other to be careful and have a good day.

Then there was the time I told the cop, "Hell I wouldn't have pulled over if I knew you were going to give me a ticket!"

 

Oh, there was the time I left a gas station in my 76 camaro sideways, barked 2nd and was hitting 80 in a 55...looked in the rear view and saw LTD grill, Patrol right on my tail. I pulled over and he gets out of his car all sideways about to draw down on me thinking I just robbed the place or something.
"Didn't you see me at the red light?" He hollered.
"Officer, do you think that if I saw you back there I would have done all that shit?"
That was a long night, Dad burned up a lot of favors on that one.

 

I think it's an unwritten rule, SC and GA will give you 10. I've driven to Jacksonville and Tallahassee and yet to have seen a FL state patrol.

 

Got pulled over a few times in college but never ticketed. I think my first ticket was around 23 years old. I was driving Highway 14 between Tri Cities and Vancouver (both in WA) in a company 1-ton flat bed with a load of tools coming back from a shut down. Stuck behind a semi for 30 miles, just past the Goldendale junction was an opening and I took advantage of it. No sooner than I tucked back into my lane, the road rounded a corner and a trooper was coming the other way.

Now, MOST of that Highway was 60mph, but it drops to 40 at the junction... and apparently until about a half mile past that passing lane. 65 in a 40, but I managed to talk him down to only 10 over and put it on a deferral (cost $130, but it doesn’t report on your insurance or record if you don’t get another one for three years).

I’ve had two since. One other in WA about 10 years ago (also did a deferral) and one in Idaho about 4 years ago. Both just not paying attention on either a downhill or a straightaway and letting the pedal get heavy.

I have to keep a clean record for work, so I’m pretty religious about keeping the cruise set no more than 5 over.

 

3 days after I got my license I was doing a little burnout (okay I may have been giving it the beans) in front of the local Waffle House. Anyway the cop cited me and then began to question how I got the 88 22re Toyota Pickup to roast the tire (singular) like that. Lol. I was actually explaining how to do a burnout to him. It’s a small town and he and I still have a laugh about it 22 years later.
Oh I got 200 hours of community service and lost my license until it was finished.

 

That reminded me, I was 21 the first time I went to Disney World. I was dating a girl at the time who had family in Kissimmee, not far from Orlando, so we took a road trip (from south Mississippi). Well, I was young and drove a lot faster than I do now, and we were driving at night, so I went even faster than normal. I was probably doing 85-90 on 55 MPH interstates for about four hours, all across the Panhandle and down to about Gainesville. No blue lights. I then had a flat (not a blowout, just felt the bumpiness) and pulled over to change the tire. Within seconds there were three FHP cars all around me. They kept my car well lit up until I finished changing my tire. No mention of speed, just Your Welcomes to my Thank Yous, and a Be Careful thrown in. Needless to say, I went the rest of the way at no more than 10 over, and I don't think my heart slowed down until I went to bed that night!

 

I got an 85 in a 15 but I was over 100 when I saw him. I was at Pismo on the waters edge on my Quadzilla. 515.00 and the only reason I didn't go to jail is because he lost his mind and his partner had to put him back in the bronco.

 

I just don't stop.

 

During the 80's one of my best friends was involved in a pretty bad accident that wasn't his fault and received a pretty hefty settlement. Being the complete nutjob that he was/is, he went out and bought one of the fastest cars you could buy off the lot at the time, an 86 Buick Grand National. First time he let me drive it, i was pulled over by the State Police doing 88 in a 55. To be completely honest, this car is deceivingly fast while giving a plush ride, and i didn't even realize i was speeding. When i pleaded my case to the trooper, he looked at the car, grinned, and let me off with a warning.

 

In 1977 when I was 21 years old I pre ordered and bought a 1978 Kawasaki KZ1000 from Art's Kawasaki in Gainesville, FL. I special ordered it to be delivered with electronic ignition, a Kerker 4 into 1 header, 29 mm Mikuni smooth bore carbs re-jetted with stock airbox removed and replaced with K&N filtered "velocity stacks", custom seat, and got rid of the spoked wheels with Enkei aluminum mags. This was hot shit in 1977, as at the time the KZ's were the fastest production bike sold in the USA. I had saved up and paid cash for it and was driving it home to the little lake village where I lived about 26 miles outside of Gainesville. Being 21, and riding this new hot machine, I naturally got a little carried away and laid down on her to see what it would do on this fairly lonely two lane road. When I passed the Alachua County Sheriff car hiding on the side of the road I was already coming off the throttle but still way past 100 mph. I knew I was toast. At that speed I would be taking a ride to the county seat for reckless driving for sure. When I saw in my mirrors that he had pulled out with lights on - wayyy behind me, I pulled over and was off the bike with helmet off when he got there. The officer was pretty fired up at first and asked me "what the hell did I think I was doing"? He was a pretty young guy and after I told him that I just bought it and showed him the receipt from Art's, as it still had a temporary tag, he cooled down and started looking at the bike. Turns out he rode, too, and had a new Honda CB 750 himself. He appreciated the bike and checked out everything on it. He took me back to the cruiser, ran my license and saw that I didn't have any priors and all my legal ducks were in a row. He gave me the lecture about killing myself or worse somebody else, but I could tell he knew the feeling of a speed rush on two wheels himself from his demeanor. He ended up writing me a ticket for 15 over, which considering everything was more than fair as I would have been royally screwed if he had pressed it. Years later I ended up riding with some guys and lo and behold he was one of them, we both laughed when remembering that day. He said he considered letting me off since I was polite and cooperative, but thought I'd probably be better off at least considering the consequences of my actions in the future. Fair enough.

I ended up getting a few more speeding tickets over the years on crotch rockets, but that all changed once I got older and switched over to Harley's and just started cruising. I still get the urge to lay down on it once in a while and I don't think that will ever completely cease, at least I hope it won't. I've continuously owned a motorcycle since I was 18 years old and I expect that I will until I can't throw a leg over one anymore.

 

My first ticket was five weeks after my 16th birthday. At 1:40 in the morning on the way home from a date, I got a ticket for 101 in a 40. Deputy followed me all the way home, turned on all his lights and sirens in our driveway, woke everybody in the house up, then proceeded to give me my ticket. It was a summons directly to court Never forget my dad saying,”It’s your ticket, you handle it.”
Got all dressed up, went to the court house for my day in court. Judge came out and asked me if I was guilty. I said yes sir, I was in a hurry to get home after a date. He told me to go home and write him a 500 word essay on the dangers of speeding. Bring it back in two weeks to turn in to this court.
Two weeks later, my second day in court, I turned in my essay to the judge. That was it. Never received a fine. Just the essay, and 6 points on my license. Of course my insurance went through the roof, and I got grounded for two weeks.