Subject: Horror story regarding speeding tkt

From: [email-masked] (Anshu Mehra)
Date: 14 Aug 1995 14:43:15 GMT

Hello Netters!!

Something horribe happened y'day.  I was driving near 
boston at 55 miles/hr zone at around 55-58 at the 
left most lane on a 3 lane highway.   It was 10:30 in the
 night and the highway was jam packed.  A car behind me
wanted to pass me so the person in the car  flashed his 
lights twice.  I decided to drive on the same lane since there 
was not enough merge space in the right lane.  The person in that
car then almost kissed the bumper of my car and flashed his
light again.  I then 
speeded up to merge into the right lane.  And guess what, 
it was a cop car, who wanted to pass me.  He was totally
annoyed that I did not let him pass (Although he gave no
indication that he is a cop).  He told me that people can
shoot you if you will not let them pass.  He gave me a speeding
tkt. for driving at 75+ of $200.  I was driving at 58.
Never told me that he is giving me a sppeding tkt or that I
 was speeding.  

This is my first tkt.  Also because my wife is pregnant, I was
extra careful and not speeding.

Any suggestion or comments about I should do now.  

Thanks,

--Anshu
[email-masked]

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From: [email-masked] (Adam Felson)
Date: 14 Aug 1995 19:37:49 GMT

Maybe you should have *slowed down* to get in the right lane. :-D

Always ID the vehicles in front and behind you!  You should have been 
able to tell it was a cop car by its model.  Ford Crown Vics, etc. are 
rarely driven agressively unless by a cop.

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From: [email-masked] (Jordan Truesdell)
Date: Mon, 14 Aug 1995 13:40:31 EST

In article <[email-masked]> [email-masked] (Anshu Mehra) 
writes about his close encounter with (presumably) MD's finest:

Shoot you, huh? Must be from PG county! I wonder if he enjoyed the FBI strip 
search...<evil G>

Did he have his lights on (either dome or behind the grille?). If not, you 
should read up on the term "Entrapment." I do know of a friend that this 
happened to about 7 or 8 years back in Howard County. He was being tailgated 
at night by someone with their high beams on a back road. This happened 
a lot to him since he usually stuck within 5 mph of the speed limit; drove me 
crazy ;-)  After a while, he sped up to try and put some distance between 
him and the offending car. When he hit 15 over the limit (50 in a 35, I think) 
the dome lights on the car behind him came on and he was given a speeding 
ticket.

He successfully pleaded entrapment and the charges were dropped. I would 
consider legal council. 

<RantingMode=On>
One of these days I'm going to get the car number of the 
Laurel/PG cop who, when coming to a yellow->red light, turns on his lights 
just before he hits the intersection and then turns them back off right after 
he clears the intersection. 
<RantingMode=Off>

Good luck in court,
Jordan

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From: [email-masked] (Jordan Truesdell)
Date: Tue, 15 Aug 1995 11:59:34 EST

In article <[email-masked]> [email-masked] (Jonathan Amato) writes:

>        What is it with Howard County?  I got a revenue ticket there a few
>years back that I KNOW was bogus, but would have required a trip from
>New York City back to MD to roll the dice in traffic court.   

>        I go through Howard County, MD several times a year on I-95, and every
>time I'm there, they seem to be having a ticket festival.  The state
>of Maryland is NOTORIOUS for it's roving, armed band of tax
>collectors, but Howard County seems to be one of the more offensive
>locales within that driver-unfriendly state.  

Actually, I think the enforcement frenzy is pressure from the state to keep 
more people under the limit. I remember when I was in high school (only 8 yrs 
ago) MD was listed as number two in the US for speeding, and we were in 
jeopardy of losing our federal highway funds. 

Of course, it doesn't really work very well. Even raising the limit to 65 in 
some areas ('bout time) will only make a marginal difference, IMHO. Like Dave 
Letterman said in reference to the NY speed limit increase to 65 - "You're 
getting warmer."

Jordan

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From: [email-masked] (KP)
Date: 14 Aug 1995 13:03:41 -0400

>Never told me that he is giving me a sppeding tkt or that I

Not much I do to help you feel better, except to relate an identical 
situation I had several years ago coming out of Boston.        

  I was heading north returning to Bedford where I was staying while
attending a training class. There were several fellow students in the car
with me, and we were returning from a nice dinner downtown. The traffic
flow was much closer to 80mph, all lanes were full and moving at about 
the  same speed.

  Suddenly, the car behind me comes up on me very close and flashes his lights
indicating his desire to pass me. I have no idea where he planned to go if
I pulled over since traffic was almost bumper to bumper in front of me already,
but I would rather have a nut infront of me where I could see him instead
of behind me where I could not. As I looked towards the center lane to see 
if there was a hole I could merge into the idiot behind me turned his brights
on and left them that way. Blinded, I could no longer see what was to my side
and decided I just had to live with this nutcase. He obviously did  not like
this and rushed up to the point that I was certain we would be hit.

  The group of folks in the rental car with me were not amused with the idiot
and mutually agreed to express their distaste of him by flinging the bird.
Not something I really wanted them to do since I already was fearful of this
joker, but they were all sailors and felt they could handle the jerk if
we should all get out  of  the car.... needless to say, the fingers went up,
and his flashing lights went on... as he edged even closer to our bumper.

  The only thing I could think to do was pull sharply over to the left onto
the dirt shoulder... Mr. Police officer flew on by us with a big s**t eating
grin while returning the finger.

  In most cases, I'll defend the police. I think very highly of most of them,
but this  just goes to prove that there's at least one in every bunch.
I'd almost be thankful in your case that you were only given a ticket for
speeding up to get out of  the person's way. Good luck if you decide to fight
the ticket... I hope you do well.

cheers - jim

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From: Oliver Arnd Markwirth <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 15 Aug 1995 16:21:16 -0500

On Tue, 15 Aug 1995, Robert S. Jenkins wrote:

> In article <[email-masked]>, [email-masked] (Anshu Mehra)
> wrote:
> 
>                 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> you say you were NOT speeding BUT you admit to doing 55-58mph. Anything over
> 55 is speeding when the speed limit is 55mph.

Some states allow "grace" of 5 to 10 mph over limit due to the variation 
of speedometer inaccuracy.

Mr. Cc

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From: [email-masked] (Jonathan Amato)
Date: Mon, 14 Aug 1995 03:00:53 GMT

[email-masked] (Jordan Truesdell) wrote:

>happened to about 7 or 8 years back in Howard County.

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From: [email-masked] (John Crane)
Date: 15 Aug 1995 01:15:50 GMT

annoyed that I did not let him pass (Although he gave no
  indication that he is a cop). ... He gave me a speeding
  tkt. for driving at 75+ of $200.  I was driving at 58.
  Never told me that he is giving me a sppeding tkt or that I
   was speeding.  

> Any suggestion or comments about I should do now. 
 
Fight it, fight it, fight it. Join NMA. Go to court.
    John

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From: [email-masked] (Robert S. Jenkins)
Date: Tue, 15 Aug 1995 14:25:34 -0400

I then 
                ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Robert

--

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From: [email-masked] (KP)
Date: 14 Aug 1995 13:03:41 -0400

cheers - jim

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From: [email-masked] (Adam Felson)
Date: 14 Aug 1995 19:37:49 GMT

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From: [email-masked] (Jordan Truesdell)
Date: Mon, 14 Aug 1995 13:40:31 EST

<RantingMode=On>

Good luck in court,
Jordan

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From: [email-masked] (Jonathan Amato)
Date: Mon, 14 Aug 1995 03:00:53 GMT

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From: [email-masked] (Jordan Truesdell)
Date: Tue, 15 Aug 1995 11:59:34 EST

Jordan

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From: [email-masked] (John Crane)
Date: 15 Aug 1995 01:15:50 GMT

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From: [email-masked] (Robert S. Jenkins)
Date: Tue, 15 Aug 1995 14:25:34 -0400

I then 
                ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Robert

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From: Oliver Arnd Markwirth <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 15 Aug 1995 16:21:16 -0500

Mr. Cc