[BigMike]

So, the speed limit in DC is 25. Anyone who has EVER driven through DC knows that NO ONE goes 25.

Well, now they have these speeding ticket cameras in addition to the red light cams. I follow the same speed as the people around me, and I got a ticket in the mail early this week. $50. Not a big deal, I can handle $50. I got ANOTHER ticket in the mail today for a hundred and fifty fvcking dollars! On the way home from work today, I was doing 30, and people were passing me and flashing their lights and honking and the such. One guy even tried to pass me on the right shoulder on a two lane road!!

This is, of course after last week when I got a ticket in my neighborhood for speeding because I was late to picking up my friend for work.

Just pile all this on to the mountain of crap.

Needless to say, I am PISSED OFF. Its not like I was being recklus or dangerous. I feel that I am more dangerous when I go slower because people try to pass me and everything :angry:


Now I cant get that road bike I wanted, because half the money I was gonna put toward it is going to tickets :angry::angry: :mumble: :nuts:

 

[chicodude]

i know excatly what you mean, but im never the one doin the speed limit. when i get tickets, it not because im doing 5 over, its beacause highway patrolmen are sneaky and i was doin 25 over( i was on I-80) no new fork for chico

 

[riderx]

So, the speed limit in DC is 25. Anyone who has EVER driven through DC knows that NO ONE goes 25.

Speeding cameras and red light cameras suck. But, if you do the crime be prepared to pay the fine.

Not trying to give you a hard time, but instead of bitching on the Monkey, work to get the law changed. Much more productive use of your time.

 

[llkoolkeg]

Speeding cameras and red light cameras suck. But, if you do the crime be prepared to pay the fine.

Not trying to give you a hard time, but instead of bitching on the Monkey, work to get the law changed. Much more productive use of your time.

Speeding cameras suck because as BM said, driving the speed limit in DC will get you killed. I am all for red light cameras, though, after having been hospitalized by a driver who ignored one(stop light).

As far as working within the system to get bad laws changed, it's a wonderfully optimistic suggestion but one that could hardly be considered productive. Running your forehead into the walls of city hall to draw attention to your plight could scarcely be considered a less effective tactic.

It'll all blow over, though, BM(I'm sorry, but it gives me an immature chuckle every time I type that). These things tend to come in threes. Once the dark cloud decides to settle on someone else, you'll probably go years without another ticket. After ending a self-destructive relationship with a former girlfriend, I all of a sudden accumulated two reckless drivings then another speeding ticket and lost my license for six months. Then I met a new girl, things were great and I hardly ever get pulled over after that. Bad mojo = tickets. Good mojo = no tickets.

 

[Westy]

Get behind some truck or large SUV, tailgate and speed. You won't be able to see what is going on but they won't be able to see you.

 

[riderx]

As far as working within the system to get bad laws changed, it's a wonderfully optimistic suggestion but one that could hardly be considered productive.

Never claimed it was easy and I'm not even optimistic it would help, but it's got better chances of results than crying on here.

 

[jmvar]

another thing to watch out for in DC is that ALL U TURNS ARE ILLEGAL!!!!!!!!!!! Whether there is a sign or not, found this out the hard way one day on 18th. I see a cop right in front of me and I made a U turn anyways because there was not sign.

Cop pulls me over.
"You can't make u turns in DC"
"Sorry officer, I didn't know that, I figured because there are U turn signs some places and not others, the signs designate where you can make a u turn and where you can't"
"I am writing you a ticket"
"Can I just get a warning"
"It is against my policy to give warnings"
"Nice, I like the way you can just make your own policies, sort of dictator like isnt' it?"

 

[llkoolkeg]

"It is against my policy to give warnings"

You should have said, "What a coincidence- I have the very same policy myself!"
...right before opening your driver's door into his nuts and running over his toes while peeling out for VA line.

 

[mpd510]

another thing to watch out for in DC is that ALL U TURNS ARE ILLEGAL!!!!!!!!!!! Whether there is a sign or not, found this out the hard way one day on 18th. I see a cop right in front of me and I made a U turn anyways because there was not sign.

Cop pulls me over.
"You can't make u turns in DC"
"Sorry officer, I didn't know that, I figured because there are U turn signs some places and not others, the signs designate where you can make a u turn and where you can't"
"I am writing you a ticket"
"Can I just get a warning"
"It is against my policy to give warnings"
"Nice, I like the way you can just make your own policies, sort of dictator like isnt' it?"

go to traffic court for that one...i was a DC cop for 6 years and unless thats a new law, that cop was wrong.

 

[Clark Kent]

Ouch... 150 bucks, that hurts.....Johny is ALL OVER the frikin road round here this weekend.....everyone be carefull!

 

[Mackie]

So, the speed limit in DC is 25. .....Now I cant get that road bike I wanted, because half the money I was gonna put toward it is going to tickets :angry::angry: :mumble: :nuts:

Hey this could help. Here in NYC lots of folks have these clear or lightly tinted covers over their plates. They are made of highly reflective plastic. The idea is that the camera takes a pic of the plate, but only captures a partial plate number due to the glare. They supposedly don't bother trying to figure out which red Honda has a plate that starts with 2H4 and ends with ????

Don't really know if it works, but the guy I know who explained it to me is a cop, and claims that all of the cops is his precinct have them (cops get in BIG trouble if they get a ticket via a red-light cam).

Hope that helps.

 

[MudGrrl]

If you don't like the cameras here, don't ever think about driving in Germany.


4 months after the fact, I got an $80 ticket (160 DM) for following too close. I honest to god didn't remember it...so I had to pay it (if you ask for the photo, it is something like $50 more).

There were red light cameras, and speed cameras..... and let's not even act like the speed cameras were ever in the same place all the time.

The Polizei (not in uniform) would have an unmarked car parked on the side of the road, with a camera in the back...

When I left Germany, they had a new camera, that was in a trash can and would be sitting by the side of the road. Trash days were hell.



I like cameras for the simple fact that it frees up the cops to respond to 911 calls and things like that.
Another reason why I like the cameras is the fact that there is no bullisht factor involved..... you were either breaking the law or you weren't.

Yeah, it REALLY sucks getting a ticket...but the cameras are cool.

 

[Wumpus]

Hey this could help. Here in NYC lots of folks have these clear or lightly tinted covers over their plates. They are made of highly reflective plastic. The idea is that the camera takes a pic of the plate, but only captures a partial plate number due to the glare. They supposedly don't bother trying to figure out which red Honda has a plate that starts with 2H4 and ends with ????

Don't really know if it works, but the guy I know who explained it to me is a cop, and claims that all of the cops is his precinct have them (cops get in BIG trouble if they get a ticket via a red-light cam).

Hope that helps.

They just outlawed those things in Texas, and I don't even think they use cameras here.

 

[KPicha]

another thing to watch out for in DC is that ALL U TURNS ARE ILLEGAL!!!!!!!!!!! Whether there is a sign or not, found this out the hard way one day on 18th. I see a cop right in front of me and I made a U turn anyways because there was not sign.

Cop pulls me over.
"You can't make u turns in DC"
"Sorry officer, I didn't know that, I figured because there are U turn signs some places and not others, the signs designate where you can make a u turn and where you can't"
"I am writing you a ticket"
"Can I just get a warning"
"It is against my policy to give warnings"
"Nice, I like the way you can just make your own policies, sort of dictator like isnt' it?"

Ouch!! $150-that really sucks!

Besides the no U-turn thing, making a right turn on a Yellow light is illegal, too. I got snagged a few years ago on that one Geez, I even came to a full stop to make sure there were no pedestrians around!

 

[BigMike]

Hey, Its my thread, and I'll cry if I want to!

I'm glad that I dont get points for it, but it still sucks, because that was going to be bike money.

Oh well, life goes on, and still sucks because I work 12-15 hour days EVERY day, but thats another thread that I was crying in

 

[arsenic]

heh. i drive into the city everyday for work. i'm in some construction trailers at the kennedy center right now. i'm umm... kind of an aggressive driver (not towards other people, i just like to drive a touch faster if there's room for it) - especially with my little car, not quite so bad in my truck lol. i take the same routes as some of the guys i work with. they've gotten tickets in the mail. i NEVER have ! *keeps fingers crossed*

tough luck on that mike. drive slower !!!

 

[NRSracer]

a radar detector will catch these cameras right?

 

[blue]

maybe...but if theres enough of them your little detector would probably be going crazy.

They're actually probably laser guns, radar is slower and can be foiled and detected. I think.

On the cameras in Germany, just get your speed on the Autobahn......mmm....autobahn...

 

[NRSracer]

maybe...but if theres enough of them your little detector would probably be going crazy.

They're actually probably laser guns, radar is slower and can be foiled and detected. I think.

On the cameras in Germany, just get your speed on the Autobahn......mmm....autobahn...

now just about every radar detector picks up all bands of radar as well as radar detector detectors. unless its a really cheap one which only picks up a few bands.

while we're on the topic, why would radar detector detectors be allowed to be detected? there is no legal purpose for having one. the only reason to have one would be to use the detector in a state that you shouldnt be using it in.

but these cameras must suck. they can't be very fallable (sp?) to error like how a cop can pick up the wrong car, or if it's a hand held gun; miss completely(which is always nice).

 

[BigMike]

I live in Virginia, so I'm not allowed to have a Radar detector in my car


ANd.... now, I know where the stupid camera is :devil:

EDIT: But i'm still scared, so I drive 30 everywhere in the city. Once I get on 395 or 295 though, its the four cylinders of fury at work!

 

[blue]

hahahahahha

Four Cylinders of Fury...

At least your car hasn't been nicknamed "Mister Winky" by your friends

Yay for 88 Honda Accords

 

[Trond]

Over here, if you get caught doing 110km/h in an 80km/h zone you'll be fined 750dollars....

 

[genpowell71]

Now I cant get that road bike I wanted, because half the money I was gonna put toward it is going to tickets :angry::angry: :mumble: :nuts:

So dont speed.

 

[rideLIKEjehu]

why is the world so jacked up about protecting against speeders? is anyone going 15 mph over the speed limit truly a danger to others? it seems like the priorities of our law enforcement are out of order.

or are the tickets that much of a revenue-booster?

drive fast.

 

[DamienC]

why is the world so jacked up about protecting against speeders?... it seems like the priorities of our law enforcement are out of order.

No doubt...they should be putting their efforts towards stopping REAL crime like eating candy bars on the metro.

 

[BigMike]

No doubt...they should be putting their efforts towards stopping REAL crime like eating candy bars on the metro.