Ticketed for Road Rage!

On 30 Sep 2004 12:50:26 -0700, (maxima1) wrote:

>On my way to work this morning about 6:15 am. Still dark outside, a
>car with no lights moves abruptly into my lane w/o signals. I slow
>down. Suddenly his trunk pops open and junk and/or paper garbage
>starts flying out into my lane. I then decide to get around this
>idiot. I blow by him in a flash.
>
>It turns out that the car in front of the idiot was a cop and he
>immediately pulls me over. His argument was that I was enraged ("road
>rage" per the cop), and that I was menacing and swerved w/o
>signalling. He admits he saw the whole thing, but that "these things
>happen all the time" and that I "should restrain myself" from driving
>menacingly.
>
>I'm over 50 years old, haven't had a ticket since 1987 (and never an
>accident), but now I have one for improper lane usage. The cop says he
>let me off very easy due to my clean record. I guess I'm lucky I
>wasn't labeled a terrorist as well...
>
>Matthew
>00 528i Sport
>Menacing Cosmos Black on black w/tinted glass

All I can say is, if you don't fight this, you're an idiot. If what
you said is on the level, there's no way you can lose.

Beyond that, that cop should be fired.

> Coupled with your stellar driving record over the past 15 years, I think you
> have a good chance to to say that your speeding episode was not speeding at
> all, but a response to a perceived threat that the officer apparently missed
> despite his claim of watching the whole thing.

You make a good point, and it turns out the court date is Election Day
(Nov 2). There's a very good chance that the officer will not be at
court as well. I guess I'll polish my shoes and do the court
thing---I'll let you know how it went

Matthew

>Beyond that, that cop should be fired.
******
Cops don't get fired; even if they kill someone they get "paid leave"
while they're under investigation. What is "paid leave"? A FREE
VACATION!!!!
~ Paul
aka "Tha Driver"

Giggle Cream - it makes dessert *funny*!

Good luck, and remember to tell the judge you were not engaged in road rage,
you were responding to primal fear. A key portion of your defense is that
you were scared ****less. The sidebar issues are the fact the lights were
off, the erratic lane change of the other car, the crap flying out of the
trunk, and the relative safety (or lack of it) of the surrounding
neighborhood.

Not only did the officer ignore the blatant violations of the other car in
this incident, he ignored your perception of danger to you and your
property.



"maxima1" > wrote in message
om...
> > Coupled with your stellar driving record over the past 15 years, I think
you
> > have a good chance to to say that your speeding episode was not speeding
at
> > all, but a response to a perceived threat that the officer apparently
missed
> > despite his claim of watching the whole thing.
>
> You make a good point, and it turns out the court date is Election Day
> (Nov 2). There's a very good chance that the officer will not be at
> court as well. I guess I'll polish my shoes and do the court
> thing---I'll let you know how it went
>
> Matthew

"dizzy" > wrote in message
...
> On 30 Sep 2004 12:50:26 -0700, (maxima1) wrote:
>
> All I can say is, if you don't fight this, you're an idiot. If what
> you said is on the level, there's no way you can lose.
>
> Beyond that, that cop should be fired.
>

The cop should not be fired or even reprimanded. His job is to cite moving
violatioins. He did his job. You and I think he should temper his job with a
dose of common sense, but when he fails to do that, only the judge can fix
the mess.

I got a ticket two weeks ago doing 80. I had the Cruise set, and was passed
in the past two miles or so, and the car that passed me also passed the cop
that was sitting on the onramp with his radar gun. I don't know why the cop
dialed in on me and not the other guy, but he did. Maybe the other guy was
along side (in radar terms) a larger target that was only doing 75 at the
time, and I was all alone doing 80. The cop didn't see the guy pass me, and
he and I were doing pretty much the same speed but 10 seconds apart when we
passed the location where the cop was sitting. I actually saw the cop as I
got to him, but couldn't shed any of the excess speed I had before the radar
locked on. My only defense is, "why didn't the cop get the other guy too?"
and that defense is much weaker than the "I was scared for my life" defense.

On Thu, 7 Oct 2004 15:09:00 -0700, "Jeff Strickland"
> wrote:

>"dizzy" > wrote in message
.. .
>> On 30 Sep 2004 12:50:26 -0700, (maxima1) wrote:
>>
>> All I can say is, if you don't fight this, you're an idiot. If what
>> you said is on the level, there's no way you can lose.
>>
>> Beyond that, that cop should be fired.
>
>The cop should not be fired or even reprimanded. His job is to cite moving
>violatioins. He did his job. You and I think he should temper his job with a
>dose of common sense, but when he fails to do that, only the judge can fix
>the mess.

You're right. Only if he lies through his teeth in court should he be
fired. As it is, he should be taken off the street.

>I got a ticket two weeks ago doing 80. I had the Cruise set, and was passed
>in the past two miles or so, and the car that passed me also passed the cop
>that was sitting on the onramp with his radar gun. I don't know why the cop
>dialed in on me and not the other guy, but he did. Maybe the other guy was
>along side (in radar terms) a larger target that was only doing 75 at the
>time, and I was all alone doing 80. The cop didn't see the guy pass me, and
>he and I were doing pretty much the same speed but 10 seconds apart when we
>passed the location where the cop was sitting. I actually saw the cop as I
>got to him, but couldn't shed any of the excess speed I had before the radar
>locked on. My only defense is, "why didn't the cop get the other guy too?"
>and that defense is much weaker than the "I was scared for my life" defense.

Quite. 8)