So, I noticed, as the cop was writing me a ticket last night, that he was unmarked with LV livery
05-23-2007, 05:14 AM
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So, I noticed, as the cop was writing me a ticket last night, that he was unmarked with LV livery
plates...hmmmm. MA state trooper.
He also said that "Memorial day weekend starts today." I didn't bother to add that it was only Tuesday.
Be careful out there, they're out.
He also said that "Memorial day weekend starts today." I didn't bother to add that it was only Tuesday.
Be careful out there, they're out.
05-23-2007, 06:00 AM
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I was hanging out with a State Trooper buddy last weekend and he said...
that he was assigned "Click it or ticket" duty for this coming holiday weekend. Any way they can get our money I guess...
05-23-2007, 06:12 AM
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Well, I did something sort of stupid...
I was on 128N and was basically moving with the flow of traffic...except eventually you'd catch the guy in the left lane who's doing 10mph less than the general flow is.
I'd wait for my chance, go around and stay in the middle lane until I had to pass the next guy in the middle lane on the left at the next bunch of traffic. This would usually be a quarter to half mile stretch where I stayed in the middle lane.
I did this a few times. Not violent passing or weaving in and out...just passing slow left lane cruisers.
I made a snap decision to get off at an exit 1/4 mile down the road, to get gas, and went from the left lane, across the middle and into the right to catch the exit, but zipped up to about 80 or so to not force anyone to hit their brakes, etc.
Turns out that the crown vic 200 yards in front of me wasn't a taxi or limo, etc.
I pull over and he told me about all of the cuts I was making, etc, etc...which isn't really fair since I was basically just passing lefties (and not using power moves, etc)...but when you have an orange car all he sees is me, in the rearview, going left lane, middle lane, left lane a few times....
My move to get off the exit was clearly what got me the ticket. I'm okay with that, except that he dinged me for 80-90+ mph (estimated and clocked, whatever that means) according to the ticket. I know I wasn't anywhere near 90 and quite sure I was low 80's tops.
He also hit me with a "Marked Lanes" violation for the lane change.
Meh, I realize he got me fair and square, but I still plan on a hearing just to see if I can catch a reduction. I'll garauntee it's not gonna get chucked, since he also wrote that I had a radar detector, etc...
Also mentioned that he almost arrested me for endangerment because it's a holiday weekend. WTF?
They only thing that was uncalled for was my lane change to jump the next exit. I should have just cruised up to the next one and looped back on the back roads.
Oh well.
I'd wait for my chance, go around and stay in the middle lane until I had to pass the next guy in the middle lane on the left at the next bunch of traffic. This would usually be a quarter to half mile stretch where I stayed in the middle lane.
I did this a few times. Not violent passing or weaving in and out...just passing slow left lane cruisers.
I made a snap decision to get off at an exit 1/4 mile down the road, to get gas, and went from the left lane, across the middle and into the right to catch the exit, but zipped up to about 80 or so to not force anyone to hit their brakes, etc.
Turns out that the crown vic 200 yards in front of me wasn't a taxi or limo, etc.
I pull over and he told me about all of the cuts I was making, etc, etc...which isn't really fair since I was basically just passing lefties (and not using power moves, etc)...but when you have an orange car all he sees is me, in the rearview, going left lane, middle lane, left lane a few times....
My move to get off the exit was clearly what got me the ticket. I'm okay with that, except that he dinged me for 80-90+ mph (estimated and clocked, whatever that means) according to the ticket. I know I wasn't anywhere near 90 and quite sure I was low 80's tops.
He also hit me with a "Marked Lanes" violation for the lane change.
Meh, I realize he got me fair and square, but I still plan on a hearing just to see if I can catch a reduction. I'll garauntee it's not gonna get chucked, since he also wrote that I had a radar detector, etc...
Also mentioned that he almost arrested me for endangerment because it's a holiday weekend. WTF?
They only thing that was uncalled for was my lane change to jump the next exit. I should have just cruised up to the next one and looped back on the back roads.
Oh well.
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05-23-2007, 07:37 AM
#9
fight it...
"My move to get off the exit was clearly what got me the ticket. I'm okay with that, except that he dinged me for 80-90+ mph (estimated and clocked, whatever that means) according to the ticket. I know I wasn't anywhere near 90 and quite sure I was low 80's tops."
clocked is easy to fight, if he wasn't in the same lane with you for 1/4 mile and wasn't the car immediately in front or behind you. Demand speedo calibration. if that's a livery vehicle, it might not have a calibrated speedo and thus it's not a valid citation!
"He also hit me with a "Marked Lanes" violation for the lane change. "
That should be pretty easy to fight. Did you have your directionals on, and just move from lane to lane? That's not illegal.
"Meh, I realize he got me fair and square, but I still plan on a hearing just to see if I can catch a reduction. I'll garauntee it's not gonna get chucked, since he also wrote that I had a radar detector, etc..."
Realize that in MA, a reduction barely matters; whether your ticket is $300 or $100, your insurance surcharges will still be $1000 to $2000. The fact that you have a radar detector is not evidence of _anything_, and you should emphasize that in court.
"Also mentioned that he almost arrested me for endangerment because it's a holiday weekend. WTF? "
I think the term for that is intimidation :-)
clocked is easy to fight, if he wasn't in the same lane with you for 1/4 mile and wasn't the car immediately in front or behind you. Demand speedo calibration. if that's a livery vehicle, it might not have a calibrated speedo and thus it's not a valid citation!
"He also hit me with a "Marked Lanes" violation for the lane change. "
That should be pretty easy to fight. Did you have your directionals on, and just move from lane to lane? That's not illegal.
"Meh, I realize he got me fair and square, but I still plan on a hearing just to see if I can catch a reduction. I'll garauntee it's not gonna get chucked, since he also wrote that I had a radar detector, etc..."
Realize that in MA, a reduction barely matters; whether your ticket is $300 or $100, your insurance surcharges will still be $1000 to $2000. The fact that you have a radar detector is not evidence of _anything_, and you should emphasize that in court.
"Also mentioned that he almost arrested me for endangerment because it's a holiday weekend. WTF? "
I think the term for that is intimidation :-)
05-23-2007, 07:44 AM
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That will get thrown out easily
Clocking is when they follow you for a fixed distance and use the elapsed time to get your speed. This can only be done from behind. The officer also MUST write down the distance over which he clocked you for this to be valid.
"Estimated" is for two situations:
1) using a radar gun when there are other cars on the road. The gun cannot single out your car, so it is up to the officer to match the displayed speed with the correct car, hence the "estimate."
2) Officer is on the side of the road with no instrumentation and uses his "training" to guess your speed
You cannot be both clocked and estimated - they are mutually exclusive. The magistrate knows this.
Marked lanes violation doesn't work if you used your signal. The officer who shows up in place of the one who wrote you your ticket and the magistrate both know this.
Him writing things down such as your perfectly legal radar detector indicates he cared more about his own anger than about the law. The magistrate will say that it either doesn't matter or is damning evidence, but if you appeal her ruling then the real judge will concur with you and likely toss this out.
"Estimated" is for two situations:
1) using a radar gun when there are other cars on the road. The gun cannot single out your car, so it is up to the officer to match the displayed speed with the correct car, hence the "estimate."
2) Officer is on the side of the road with no instrumentation and uses his "training" to guess your speed
You cannot be both clocked and estimated - they are mutually exclusive. The magistrate knows this.
Marked lanes violation doesn't work if you used your signal. The officer who shows up in place of the one who wrote you your ticket and the magistrate both know this.
Him writing things down such as your perfectly legal radar detector indicates he cared more about his own anger than about the law. The magistrate will say that it either doesn't matter or is damning evidence, but if you appeal her ruling then the real judge will concur with you and likely toss this out.