Last week, I crested a ridge (no hills in Florida) doing about 65 in a 45 zone, looked ahead and saw a pack of motorcycle cops getting people for speeding. I immediately down shifted and tapped the breaks. Moto cop walks out and stops 4 lanes of traffic (huge cajonees). As he walks out he's staring at me - so I think I'm getting a ticket. Instead, he tells people in the far left hand lane to go on until a red mustang pulls up beside me and tells him to pull over. He let's the rest of us go. Man was I lucky. I haven't had a speeding ticket in 18 years. I thought the streak had ended.

 

None so far here. Somehow I'm quite a bit more mindful of my speed in the MCS than I am in my Jeep. Interestingly enough, a cop acquaintance mentioned that our MINIs "look fast" even when they're sitting still. I guess that's just more reason to keep an eye on that speedometer.

 

 

Not to wee wee on anyone's fun, but there was a case I read about where the Defendant was being sued for causing a serious accident that ended up making one of the Plaintiffs a quad.

One of the Defendant's defenses at his deposition was that he was always a careful driver and could not have been speeding the day of the accident because he never speeds nor drives reckless. He emphasized NEVER.

After this sworn testimony by the Defendant, the Plaintiff's lawyer "forced" [aka discovery] the Defendant to disclose all motor vehicle related forums and Net sites he belonged to. Later, the lawyer subpoenaed the various sites and found posts where the Defendant had frequently bragged about speeding, but never getting caught.

So no way I am discussing my driving habits in here [that is, anything not a matter of public record], albeit I am a very careful driver and have never ever acted in a reckless manner. But like I said, I'm not going to publicly post how I drive.

Bonus Tip: Most California traffic judges have Net access on the bench. I am not saying one would do so, but who wants to be the first when a Judge says "OK, if you say you were not speeding because you never speed, I'll let you off the hook, but only if you tell me here and now what motor vehicle forums you belong to, so we can check on the Net about your sworn testimony to me." While this event may seem far fetched event, Judges have told many a legal newspaper that they access the Net while on the Bench to check out what someone is saying.

 

Wow, things have changed since I too went to school, almost the same time you did, about 1993-94. I recall mine was a one day, all day deal.

The Net sure has changed things. I can see the logic of attending classes online. So much nicer than going to some low-budget building to commiserate with other lawbreakers. When I attended there were about 30 in the class and the instructor made everyone stand up in front of the class and tell what we did to end up in the class.

Thanks for the link, hope I never need it, but probably will now that we have talked about it. I use my speed control so that I don't exceed about 68 MPH. So that has kept me out of trouble. On Highway 280 here in the Bay Area the news said that it was the most ticketed highway in the state. I see CHP every trip down that road. So 68 to 70 mph on cruise control it is, especially since I can go 80 in the MINI without thinking about it.

 

MichaelSF - good point. Except I couldn't bring myself to swear I NEVER speed, and NEVER do dumb things while driving. I will be the first to admit I speed, but I really DO try my best to resist the urges and try to be a responsible driver. Swearing "NEVER" is just ASKING to have your butt handed to you along with your orange jump suit and chains. Thanks for the point, though!

 

Hey Michael... I'm keenly aware of what attorneys can do when they take MVA's to court. But... I have a hard time believing they could find info on a message board to use in their suit. I mean... who in their right mind uses their real name on a message board ?

And the attorney has no way of finding out your IP address to track down your posts.

Not that I'm doubting your story. Just that it must have been a very unusual circumstance that led to the attorney's discovery of the info.

 

2 MINIs and 5 years later, I've had no conversations with CHPs or other authorities for that matter. (**knocks on wood**) I attribute this to the fact that, being more aware of what the MINI is capable enough, I have become a far more attentive driver overall at all speeds.

Of course, prior to the MINI I also had a pretty good rack record- one ticket in 20 years (71 in a 65mph zone @ 1am on the freeway. Go figure).

(wait- did I just jinx myself?!)

 

Actually in the last five years lawyers have attended seminars on how to do "electronic discovery." There's even books on the subject.

The Net and personal computers have been rich sources for finding information.

Think about it, how easy it has been for the recording companies to go after private individuals whom used the Net for illegal downloads.

Everyone leaves a trail on their computer and on the Net.

 

Yes, along with me, I think you jinxed yourself. We all have by merely looking at this thread, but even more so by posting.

Man, that must have been one bored and desperate officer, ticket for 6 MPH over the limit.

 

Oh man, where do I start?

1. Blocking the box. This was my first "moving" violation, but I was actually in neutral with my foot on the brakes. $45 and 2pts.

2. 59 in a 40 AND Failure to Signal lane change. Plead not guilty, made up some bs, got the lane change ticket dropped and the speeding ticket reduced. 4pts.

2. 91 in a 60 AND "Mandatory" wreckless driving for 31 over. Luckily it happened in NJ and the points or any record of the violation don't transfer to NY. $270 0pts.

3. 54 in a 40. West side hwy, late for work, you know the drill. Plead not guilty made up some more bs got it reduced. $85 4pts

4. 71 in a 40. Going over the tri-boro at 4am. Still pending w/o a court date yet. potentially 8pts

Six of the points have dropped off of my license already becuase they're both more than 18months old. This brings my total down to 4. If I can get this last ticket reduced to a 6pt then I get to keep my license .

I feel like a should slow down a bit

 

Pray for you? To hell with that, let's discuss how much you are gonna have to PayPal me to not rat you out to the prosecutor and judge.

Bonus Tip: My silence does not come cheep [as in "singin like a canary" cheep], especially when there's two potential sets of ears to hear my singin.

 

Better yet, here's a good reason not to speed. You never know when something bad will happen, and losing traction or not seeing something because of excessive speed could end in tragedy.



I'm gonna refine my driving and keep my speed on the track and autocross. This is NOT worth it. Sorry to be Negative Nancy so quickly after joining, but this photo sends chills down my spine and puts me too close to tears to even think about the incident. We all need to watch out for each other, and this is a good reminder as to why...

 

I love this little auto. It is in the same catagory as my old Porsches and Fiat Spiders. These are all small, not so quiet, autos that are so much fun to drive they are about as close to motorcycling as an auto can get. Consequently, I'm very surprised I've not collected any tickets in 2 years of ownership.

 

how much I'm going to to have to pay you not to rat me out? How have I incriminated myself? Everyone knew I was breaking the law when I got a speeding ticket... The burden of proof is on the officer. If the officer can't prove that what I make up did NOT in fact happen, then thats a personal problem, not mine.

I have realized how tragically my driving can end and will never claim to be a "pro" at driving of any kind. It has certainly taken too long AND the possibility of losing my license, but my driving habits have tamed down significantly. I was not trying to brag when I wrote about all of my infractions and do not think that they are badges of honor. Yeah it sucks that I've gotten all of those tickets, but the threat of losing my license has forced me to slow down on the roads and realize how irresponsible I had been. Thats enough introspection for now...

 

137mph on a 50, it was on highway 46, near the James Dean Memorial. The ticket was $776, they wanted to suspend my liscence, a misdemeanor, and give 2 points. Found an attorney that charged $600, but then increased it to $950. Had me set court dates and send letter to judge to cancel like 3 times, til mid-june, and CHP did not show up, but judge did not want to let me scott free, so lawyer negotiated under 100mph and one point...Judge areed, so I kept my liscence.

Doing doghnut around folks neighborhood, they let me go, with a fix-it:

 

 

I have NEVER had a Traffic Violation in my life. Driving since i was 16 now 66
years young. Love the Mini.

 

TurboMini -- forgive my ignorance, but what the heck is "Blocking the box?"

I would DEARLY love to drive like they do in the Italian Job (the remake, specifically) but I know Murphy would really kick my butt. So i get evil satisfaction by seeming to play by the rules, with an unexpected kick now and then.

Anyway, Holy COW Puma|MINI...that picture almost made me CRY. Was it a fatality? On that note, I know I"ve posted it before on NAM, but here's a video clip that our commanding general sent out...it's chilling and actually kind of simplistic, but WOW. http://www.mannyliban.com/room_to_li...m_to_live.html

 

No tickets for 15 years, then...

September '07 67 in a 55
October '07 72 in a 55
May '07 Window tint and no front plate

Yep, this is why my Mini is named Police Magnet"

 

78 thousand miles...first two tickets at around 15k from a D!ckhead cop making me part of his quota and wrote me up for both an obscured plate (clear cover's no no) and tinted windows (35%) . Third ticket for speeding 10 over near the Dragon...of all time, I was coasting down a hill towards a stop sign just outside of Fontana...

Not bad for 78k...considering all the sins I've commited in Msfitoy...

 

Therein lies the proof of a flawed legal system.

 

Yes. 34 years old. They couldn't save him.

 

Old Cop Joke; When the person you have stopped asks you if you have Quotas.You reply " No sir we do not have quotas. We can write as many
as we want"

 

I'm guessing this is a joke, because if it's not, this is quite possibly the most irresponsible thing I've ever read. I mean really? Seriously? That 137 should be a jail sentence, loss of license, and a huge fine. And I'd back the courts 110%.