quattrogirl

MY OWN GODDAMNED LANDLORD petitioned City Council to put in "speed tables" all along our street, and the one south of it, to reduce traffic speed. Posted limit is now 25 mph. So I'm heading back from the grocery store, and take the first "table"- which is a huggeee long speed bump at 25-

WHA-KAAAA-BOOOMMMMMM there goes my car, hip hoppity hoppping over it, and crashing the ground on the other side..... YIKERS! And I went 25, exactly the limit...

So then the next one, I take on a diagonal from far right to left.... the road is really broad and there's no bike lane yet..... WHA--kcccchhhh a little scraping, not bad. Again 25 mph.

Third one, take from far right, cross to center of road- ahhhh perfect.... at 25 still.

VOILA!!!

As I turn the corner, the police car that was heading the other way does a nice whipping around like an autocross U-turn, spilling the Peet's and Krispy Kremes right off his dash.

Pulls me over.

****.

Going through my mental checklist-
Lessee- speeding? NOPE.
Lessee- seat belts on? YUP.
Lessee- harnesses hidden away? YUP.
Lessee- front license plate? NOPE (oops).
Lessee- creeped through stop sign? NOPE.
Lessee- blaring the music too loud in my sweet, quiet, safe, neighborly little 'hood? NOPE>

Hmm, "okay, officer, please DO tell me what I've done wrong?"

Yeah, well, according to his oh-so-keen-judgement-from-around-the-corner, I have "modified my car in such a way with an AIR INTAKE DAM that causes me to travel off the roadway to avoid the traffic hump".... yeah, but the damn HUMP fills the entire road... AND the roadway is not marked as to what's driving lanes and what's bike lanes.

I ask him all this, he gets red & huffy and insists I drove completely "4 wheels off". I point out that the road is paved all the way to the trees, and well, I didn't hit a tree now did I? I CERTAINLY know what "4 wheels off" is.

We both take a look at the front of the car. I tell him "ya know, that's NOT an air damn, SIR, and it IS street legal. It's actually insured."

He's pretty bothered that I know what I'm talking about, and suggests I go to traffic court and show some pictures of the humps, my car going over them, etc. He said "well, some very vocal residents in this neighborhood petitioned us to put in those same bumps, and it would take residents like you showing reasons to take them out, but YOU MAY have a chance to get them removed."

I'm like "OH GREAT! What about this ticket?"

He insists I went "4 off" to avoid the bump. Yeah, well, I have some fresh scrapes on the underside of the carbon lip on the car to show I didn't.

Ahhhh so much for having the day off.

I've got to grab the digital camera now & take some pics.... and get my case ready for traffic court.....damnnn.....

Say, can I borrow someone's front license plate bracket? Or some duct tape? I probably should doctor up the front of the car in the shots to include my front plate...... that would be another $50 ticket if they noticed that one....

DAMN THE LUCK.....SOOOOOOOOOOOO PISSED !!!!!!!!


grrrrrrrrrrrrrr

:-(

Christine S, the renegade in Menlo Park

Bryce

<center><img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/1414/plate.jpg"></center><p>If you do it right it will not move and is legal. Wire up a plate frame with it. Back up when you take the pic and you will never know its zipped on..

Nogaro

I had my own share of run in with unreasonble cops in the Palo Alto/Los Altos/Mt View area.

I made a sharp quick turn one late night and got pulled over 2 miles down the road. She claimed I was going 65 or 75 in a 35 zone. I only thought I was going 45...

I know she wanted to give me the ticket for the fast right, not the speeding. But what can I do?