"I was honestly basing my speed on the 40mph posted speed limit."

It can't both be posted 20 as cited and posted 40 as you state. Next time you drive through read the signs. It it isn't posted 20 take a video to court with you.

 

Attachment 87284

Sometimes you just have to pay "stupid tax" for your sins.

 

Sorry if this has already been answered, but were there kids around? I know in California the school speed limit only applies if there are kids around, otherwise its what is usually posted. I know a few roads that are 30-35 normally with a school zone and you only have to go 25 with kids around

 

 

Back when I went to college, in the early 70's (I had a horse and buggy!!) I was pulled over for DOING the speed limit on a road that was known for speeding 10-15 over. The cop told me he thought I had something to hide because I was "only" doing 30!. I told him I had a cop on my tail, what ELSE should I have been doing!

That said the OP WAS speeding. "Everyone else speeds" is NOT defense in a court of law, at least not in New York.

Now maybe in Texas~~~~

 

Boredom has gotten the best of me and Im trying to locate the road on google earth.

Close to Uni...Walgreens ... School... San Antonio... Am I close?

A street name would be awesome. :P

 

This is the exact reason why I installed the Blackvue in my car! Just Google Blackvue, it is a Dash Cam that records front and rear with audio. It has a built in Wifi to download the videos to your phone right from your car.

I also installed a remote hidden radar detector to put me on notice. Like the Op who posted I am careful and I don't speed.

If you had the Blackvue you would have evidence if the lights were flashing as you entered the school zone.

Try this......

There is a free App called Car Camera DVR by AppAnnex LLC. In the iTunes store. Before I installed the Blackvue I used my iTouch and mounted it on the passenger visor held there with my daughters elastic hairbands. A picture is worth a thousand words plus audio.

Start playing with this and you will want a Blackvue.

If I speed I accept the consequences (ticket). Mostly these situations are all about raising revenue. We have them here while during my commute home at night I count how many cars are driving in pitch dark with no lights and not a one gets pulled over. Why? Those violations do not produce good revenue.

And if you get pulled over please, hit the record button on you phone to record the conversation with the officer. That is legal because you are a party to it.

 

@07BPB
I got caught on Culebra street. The Walgreens is beside a bank and in front of a dire station. My university is located on 24th street, Our Lady of the Lake University.

 

@kg4fxg
Thanks for the helpful advice. I didn't know it was legal to record a conversation with a police.

 

One tip...
Many places charge court costs... So another couple $$$ if you fight it and loose...
So have an argument other than "I didn't know"....

 

Legal to record anything you are a party to but illegal to record say a conversation between two people you are not a party to such as others phone conversations. Unless you are the NSA.

I would not advertise the fact you are recording. Lay phone face down.

I do not have an axe to grind against the police. Under more circumstances they have been helpful. I would not want their job and they can't trust you. Just think about the pull overs that go wrong with real criminals.

The police know some laws but not as well as attorneys. Police don't have to pass the Bar Exam. They make mistakes. But I don't believe they are out to get me. I am just another driver on the road.

 

Another thing to think about (I'm not familiar with Texas laws) is if you just pay the ticket or lose in court, there may be further ramifications from the ticket. I live in Iowa and if you get a ticket of 25mph(may even be 20mph) they suspend your license for 3 months or better. So keep that in mind too.

 

@kg4fxg
You made a good point when you said "Just think about the pull overs that go wrong with real criminals". I never really looked at that side of the spectrum.

 

Exactly.

I have known many who were former police officers. Even thought of doing one of those ride along programs just to see what there world is like. It is not all donut shops

The stories they tell - oh my. So many situations gone wrong. There are many criminals out there. The police have to assume you could have a gun. They are trained how to stand next to your car. They don't want you to get out - so much could go terrible wrong.

They are assessing and doing a huge checklist with every pull over. Seeing you are not a threat is a huge relief.

Then there is looking to see if you are impaired. Drugs? See if anything looks odd.

If you spent more time dealing with criminals, being lied to, just think of dealing with your worst customer in every ticket offense. You become jaded, assume the worse.

No I am not defending the police. And some are told to do a sting operation around a school, set up a speed trap here. Sometimes the speed trap is just a cover to pull over and catch other violations much more serious.

 

Does your state offer 'Traffic Safety School'? Here in AZ, if you haven't had a moving violation in the past 3 years, you can take the class and get the ticket dismissed. Have done that a couple of times in the distant past..

 

So kind of like these school signs around the 1200 block of Celubra Road which have the flashing lights and prior to this there is a school crossing warning sign. Similar sign on the other side of the road for traffic going in the opposite direction. For reference, a Walgreens, fire station and bank are all located at the intersection to the "back" of the view shown in this street view. There are about 3 or 4 other Walgreens on Celubra, not sure if they fit the profile described.

 

@jcauseyfd
Right on. That's where I got caught!

 

Excellent idea.

I took a safe driving course and got a discount on my insurance. I think just a four hour course. Check with your insurance before you sign up. Worked here in GA. Was offered at a company I worked for so I signed up.

Checking with an attorney can be a benefit. Some states add points to your license. Going to court alone is not always best. The best outcome, well, there is a gray area and not all get the same treatment.

Some attorneys offer free consultation. Find out facts access options. A little expense now can save you down the road, reduce insurance premiums and other problems.

I hear most cars run under the speed limit. Fairly easy to check with a good GPS to see what your speed is really to your speedometer. Unfortunate, but things happen.

 

So in seven months you never payed enough attention to notice that huge white and yellow sign with 2 flashing lights and a solar panel that is bigger than the sign? Look a little further down the road in the pic... See that blurry yellow sign at the cross walk... That is also a school sign...

Word of advise. Pay your ticket because you are obviously the one who messed up, and got caught. Also put your phone down and pay attention to your surroundings when you are rolling through the hood... Wouldn't want to whack a little poor kid on your way to prep school, that could leave a mark on daddy's car.

 

Refy888,

You’re busted and everyone makes mistakes, it’s likely a lesson on school zones you will not forget anytime soon. You don’t want to be the person who kills a kid speeding in a school zone, think about how many lives would be changed forever including yours. We want to think that it only happens to other people, we all are the other people.

Trying to convince a Judge or court somehow it was OK for you to put kids at higher risk by trying to shift the blame as the victim and not taking responsibility will likely be lesson number two of what not to do. Exposing yourself to attorney fees, additional court cost and still having to pay the fine is the more than likely result.

Asking the court for alternatives like community service and or taking a driver safety course will likely produce favorable results if the local laws allow it. I’m thinking decent parents would be proud and most courts will be impressed seeing a college student taking responsibility for their actions, by not playing the blame game and buy trying to sincerely mitigate an honest mistake.

 

This thread has grown a life of it's own.. Another thought. Many years ago I got a ticket for 'failure to yield from a private drive'. I thought it was a pretty bogus ticket, as I was pulling out of a parking lot to make a right turn. There was no traffic coming my way, so I just make the right and kept going. A police office was going the other way, turned around and stopped me. At the time I had no idea why I was pulled over. The officer stated that I was required to stop first before entering the street. News to me. So I plead not guilty, a trial date was set. I showed up to the trial and was approached by the prosecutor to cut a deal (they didn't want to spend time with a trial). They offered no fine, just points on my license. I countered with pay the fine, no points on my license. They declined my deal, but I ended up with no fine. Anyways, at least I was a few hundred dollars ahead. If they offer it, go to defensive driving school..

 

@AZdsrt
Wait so from what I understand from your incident was that you showed up in court and they offered you a deal already? Since they did not want to spend time with a trial? So then they offered you no fine but with points on the license but you declined but still took the original deal at the end. Thats quite interesting because it makes me think what kind of offers they will present at me. Thanks for sharing though...

 

It is my understanding that the lights have to be actually Flashing. And they are normally set for specific periods of time. That said were they flashing? Don't answer just a point.

We have them here. I have seen them flashing on a Sunday???? Should I be calling 911? After all is it only us you makes mistakes and never the government?

And what about all those drivers that drive behind me at night with no lights for 15 miles? Should I be calling 911? Or should I enjoy the crash when a car pulls out after I pass not seeing the driver with no lights and enjoy the crash from the rear view mirror? Maybe the passenger is a child like at the school crossing?

The police ignore driving with no lights here. It is not about safety but about revenue. And it puts me at risk. "ponit me ad periculum"

Back to the school zone. We all make mistakes. But I have seen more than a few dysfunctional flashing school lights. And I have called 911 as school buses have pull right in front of me causing me to take serious driving corrections.

 

Fight the ticket, hire a lawyer with Mom & Dad's money. Pay the clerk some more of Mom & Dad's money when you are found guilty as all get out. Hopefully you learn a lesson from this.

Motor on....

 

Looks like a school zone to me. You are probably going to eat this one.

Does it matter if the lights were flashing? School zones in my area have hours of operation (7am to 4:30pm). It does not matter if the lights on the signs are flashing or not.

A word of advice...

I wouldn't go walking into court with the "I didn't notice the school zone." defense. It will carry exactly ZERO weight with a judge. The school zone IS there whether you notice it or not, whether you see a school or not. Then the state will have a field day ripping the rest of your defense apart -- "If you didn't notice a marked school zone you have been driving through for the last seven months, then how is the court to believe that you noticed the warning lights weren't flashing on the one day in question?"

Hell... You even admitted to speeding in your original post, despite trying to mislead us that you were only exceeding the speed limit by 1 mph. It was only later that you revealed that you were actually cited for 21 over the posted limit. You should not go into a courtroom with the "relaxed sense of the facts" that you possess.