Guys let me tell you the full story so you guys understand. I am apologizing in advance if my language seems a bit harsh because I can't even express how angry I am right now.

I was on my way home after my class and mind you, I have been passing through this same road at least five days a week because of school. I was doing around 40mph - 41mph then all of a sudden I see the two cars in front of me slowing down so naturally I slowed down too. Now they were doing the same speed as me before they slowed down, then all of a sudden I see this fat police stops me along with another college student from my school. So basically he stopped two cars by himself, me and the other college student from my school. While he was talking to the other car he told me to wait so while I was waiting I was trying to think why he stopped me? He comes up to me and asks for my license and registration. So he proceeds with the usual stuff like scan my registration, etc... He then tells me that I was doing 41mph on a school zone! Now the whole road is 40mph and supposedly there was a flashing light that it is a school zone. Mind you I have been passing through this road almost everyday for at least seven months now and I have never been stopped for doing 41mph on a 40mph zone. I didn't even know there was a school and there actually is no school visible. Now I even called my Mom about this because she also went to the same university as I did for her master's degree so she knows that road that I am talking about. He wrote me a ticket for doing 41mph on a supposedly school zone! This is my first ticket ever in my life, well technically second when I crashed my MINI but this is my first speeding ticket ever! Now it says I have to pay $268. I can't wait to appeal this to the judge. Even my Dad said he doesn't care if the lawyer costs more than the ticket as long as the point gets across this ****in stupid ******* ***** police that stopped me. I am obviously a careful driver and rarely speeds but this is just plain ********...

 

"I am obviously a careful driver and rarely speeds but this is just plain ********", " This is my first ticket ever in my life, well technically second when I crashed my MINI but this is my first speeding ticket ever!"

This doesn't sound so careful to me.
Why are you mad if you got caught exceeding the known posted MAXIMUM speed limit on a road? ESPECIALLY if its in a school zone! You should be thankful you didn't mow down some kid with your awesome "careful" driving prowess. I'm going to go out on a limb here and imagine that you've been driving for less than 5 years.

It's your job as a driver to know what the posted limits or the road are, speed, construction and school zones alike. Chalk the checkbook loss as a life lesson learned; WE PAY OUR TAXES WHICH PAYS COPS TO GIVE US TICKETS, EVEN IF WE ARE ONLY GOING 1 MPH OVER A SPEED LIMIT.

 

Problem with people today
You did it, own it!!

 

It probably wouldn't have hurt as much if he had been a skinny cop.

 

I'm fairly certain that she/he was looking for sympathy... sadly, it sounds like this was well deserved!

Not only was the OP traveling the same road for 7 months and always speeding, but failed to pay attention to the fact that its a school zone.

 

Yes I know I did it, I was speeding one mile per hour above the speed limit. I also forgot to add that there was an old Toyota 4runner and a Dodge caravan in front of me that was doing the same speed as me (before they slowed down) but guess who the police picks? The guy in a MINI, great! Also the cop seems to have a thing for college students because me and the other girl got the same ticket, she even told me that she's gonna appeal this thing too when court time is up.

 

Did the Toyota and the Dodge slow down before entering the posted school zone? even if it, was only by 1 mph while you didn't? basically, they hit their brakes and you didn't?

 

Wow talk about harsh, it was just 1 mile above the speed limit. the OP it's just venting I'm no see it as looking for sympathy
Too many saints here. A warning was in order don't you think? It's fine until I happens to you.

 

I have heard of this happening here in Australia. People have been fined for doing 1 km/h over the speed limit. It is pretty pathetic in all honesty and no one can honestly argue that fining someone for going 1 km/h (or 1 mph) over the speed limit is for road safety...

Please note Im not saying that speeding is ok, doing 50 mph in a school zone is not a good idea, but 1 mph over is pretty trivial.

One could argue that the car's speedometer is not 100% pin point accurate due to variations in wheel sizes. For example when your car reads 38 mph, it could be going 41 mph... or vice versa.

 

I had a friend who was a cop and when he got this kind of response from a driver he would ask the driver "have you ever gone fishing?" The driver would respond "yes". Friend would ask "Did you catch all the fish in the lake?"

 

Thank minibx, I am not here to look for sympathy and I am not here to argue with you guys. I just wanted to share what happened to me today because I thought it was just real BS. Yes I can't deny that I was doing one mile per hour, duuhh he lasered me with his machine or whatever its called.

@minibx
Yes I thought he was going to give me warning but no he just gave me a ticket straight away without much explanations. Of course I just kept quiet because I was shocked by the reason. I can't wait what the judge has to think about this.

 

A good lawyer will get it dismissed, don't loose sleep over it, same thing happened on Sunday to a friend with a RED MInI. First was a big Ford pick up in front of us, doing at least 75/80 we were following him he slams the brakes when he sees the trooper my friend switches lanes to avoid getting closer to the truck or perhaps hitting him I kept going check my speed after I slowed down pass the trooper at 71 and the RED cooper gets pull over, trooper says that he was doing 80 let him off with a warning.

He didn't stop the big *** truck but the Red Mini. In MINI runs almost everybody speeds at one point

The OP goes 1 mile over the limit and gets the AX c'mon

 

can you argue a 10% variance? i doubt the calibration of all the measuring devices, including yours, were exact.

id just pay it. you did do it.

 

1 mile over is not a $268 ticket in your area, but 41 in a 25 is.....

 

@minibx
Yeah thats pathetic, same thing happened to my dad but it was about a "U-Turn" zone. Anyway I'll keep you guys updated as my court date is on the 19th of February.

@Samtrak
I honestly want to appeal this.

@RockAZ
Yes the ticket says I was speeding in a school zone but its pathetic that there was no school at all visible around the area, considering I have been driving through there five days a week for the last seven months since I started college.

 

I do know school zones are very touchy! They take those more serious.. So I can see why they would issue a ticket verses a warning.. Same goes for work zones where there is road construction. My question is did he show you what speed he clocked you at? visual not verbal.

 

@ZIPPY "S"
He clocked me at 41mph and the "posted speed" was 20mph

 

so, then you were 21 mph over the posted limit. That could have been a much more serious infraction. I believe at double the limit, it becomes reckless driving as well. I'd be happy to only pay the 260$ fine.

 

@ottawa
Yes I am aware of that but it's just weird that I have been driving through the same road at 40mph (or 41mph) for the past seven months and it just happens that the police stops me today? Look yes it is my fault for not knowing there is even a school there (the university I go to is nice but the neighborhood around it is considered shabby), I mean I never even saw a school once (other than my school) there in my life. I am not from that side of town either so I am not very familiar. Anyway bottom line its my fault but I think its ridiculous that I did not know there was a school there, I was honestly basing my speed on the 40mph posted speed limit.

 

There is nothing to fight in court. You got caught going double the limit in a school zone.

The sad thing is how oblivious you were to the road signs / giant flashing lights and or cross walks for the school that is probably a street away from where you were stopped. The fact that it was a "shabby" area has nothing to do with the infraction.

However, if none of the above was posted ( signs, lights, etc ) you can get away with it. go take pictures of exactly where it happened.

 

I robbed a 7-11 over a seven month time at least 4 times.
This was a great 7-11 as it always had great hot dogs AND slurpies.

Now....and for no reason, they installed cameras and I got caught robbing them last night!
Basterds, I don't understand why NOW they have to catch me when I was doing so good at avoiding them without those dang cameras.

AND, the (insert typical stereotype here) Fat A$$ store clerk was laughing at me.
Supposedly there was this light flashing that showed the cameras were working, but I didn't notice.

I am so mad!

 

I've won a case where a cop tried to give me a ticket for speeding over 2mph in a 50mph zone. So in this case, I feel for the OP, but if there's not a school in a mile radius with even the flashing lights, that's just silly. It's obviously placed in the wrong area, the way the OP states their issue. But if there was no sign of the flashing light when school is getting out, then the county is at fault. Just kinda funny he pulled him over for 1mph but it happened to me too.

Good luck OP.

 

@ottawa
I'm gonna have to check again...

@BubbaJCW
You're totally missing the point.

 

No, Bubba is right on, you are the one missing the point.

 

He was going 21 mph over the limit.. which is also double the posted limit for the school zone.