Subject: First speeding ticket.

From: "Yufeng Tsui" <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 19 Oct 1995 11:55:15 -0500

I live in CT and a week ago I went to California for a 
short vacation and got my first speeding ticket on Route
50 near Sacramento (from Lake Tahoe to San Fransisco, 
near the intersection of Route 50 and I-80).  An officer
stopped me from behind and gave me a ticket for doing
70 in a 55 mile zone.

I have always been driving very carefully since 50 is
mountain road.  Right after I got off the mountains 
I set my cruise control to 63.  The officer told me
I was going  70 and I was surprised.  He gave me the
ticket and asked me to sign it.  WHen I asked him
what it was he said just sign it or I could be thrown
into prison.  I was stunned and then he told me signing
it does not mean I plea guilty so I signed it.  While I
was doing it he said he had followed me for more than
a mile before he stopped me.  I was even more surprised
because I always check the mirrors and his car is very
distinctive.  He didn't even give me time to read the back
of the ticket or ask how much the penalty is.  I went 
to a gas station and they confirmed it is a speeding ticket.

I did not know my exact speed becuase I was driving a 95
nissan sentra and its cruise control system does not seem
to be working.  Sometimes I have to step on gas to get it
to 63 when I am climbing a small slope so I can not say I
am driving at 63 but I was pretty sure it was around 65. But
that's not important since the limit is 55.  I was driving
above the limit but I heard officers never write tickets 
for people doing 10 above limit.  Also the annony thing was
people have been passing me left and right and I was joking
to my wife how fast people in California drives.

My questions:  Can the officer misidentify my car from behind?
I did notice another exact nissan pass me.  The ticket says I
was doing approximately 70, were the officers allowed to say
approximately 70 if I was going say, 65?  I was very angry so
I stopped by the court immeddiately and complained to the clerk.
She told me I can go talk to DAs but the DAs were all in the
court.  So I talked to the clerk's supervisor and since I am
from east coast, she gave me some forms sayingthat I can fight
the ticket via mail.  Since I have the officer's badge number,
I wonder if I can talk to him on the phone.  I also asked
a couple of friends they told me its not worth fighting for
it.  (BTW, the clerk told me the ticket is 281$).  They also
mentioned that police will notify my CT insurance as well as
the car rental company and my insurance will go up.  One ticket,
is it all it takes to get higher insurance?

Anyone have any idea how accurate the speed radors are, like the
one California police uses?  Anyway can give me some hint on
how I might fight the ticket or should I just pay?  I really don't
want to pay because I don't think I was doing 70.(If I were, those
people passing me must be doing 80 while the officer was following
me.).  Can I plea guilty for doing 65?  I felt the officer might be
following another nissan, the one that passed me. The date was a
thursday, Oct 12th, right before Friday, the 13th.  I must have
a huge bad luck.

Thanks for listening.  I apologize if it is the wrong news group.

--yufeng