well i didnt ready all the posts, but in response to the first few i did read, put yourself in a troopers head for example wonder who that could be . but if you just scraped a 5yr old girl off the highway cause someone was doing 130 in traffic and didnt know its not the time for that... then you driving in your area and notice another guy doing 130-it hits a nerve cause you just picked up a dead baby. a little extreme example but this is y troopers seem pissed when they see you doing stupid things at wrong times. have i done 140 in my sentra spec v, sure upstate ny in the middle of the night, but thats ot going to hurt anyone but me. i wouldnt call them douchebags cause when you have a kid in the car and one passes you at 130 at the wrong time you will wish they had did there job. with that said sure i have/speed but when im the only one out there!!!!! sorry have a few beers in me now

 

sorry but I have to disagree. You being in El Cajon will know what I'm talking about. I was driving with the flow of traffic (in #2 lane, no lane changes, and no passing) on 125 north from 94 all the way to the area of the Fletcher Parkway off ramp when I was stopped by a radar cop and he said I was "obviously the fastest car". He locked the speed, looked up, and saw a LY/B MINI in a group of gray/brown/black/silver/etc. dull vehicles and that is what his eye went to.

Also, coming 5 south from San Francisco, south of Gorman following same SUV (about 10 car lengths behind him) for a good two to three miles when I was stopped. Again LY/B MCS.

I do drive fast but these two were color related.

Earl

 

Welcome to NAM, ChiliCooperS! We only give you tough-love because we don't want you to get hurt or hurt others.

I accept your apology and encourage you to attend driving school and get into auto-crossing. It will give you a chance to hone your driving skills and learn your limits. Best wishes to you! :smile:

Now enjoy the site and watch the name-calling!


Clover

 

Look, I've been there as the young, dumb and full of throttle driver that you may be.......

Between the ages of 15-19 I had so many tickets I should have lost my license many times. Now my wife may not agree but I have changed my ways quite a bit.

The first thing I will say is return the radar detector!!!!! I refuse to let my wife get one no matter how many times she begs!

Take this from the guy who gets nailed for 78 in a 45 when he was going 97 (in my youth mind you) with one of the most expensive radar detectors on the market.. The only thing they will do for you is give you a false sense of security. You will rely so much on the radar detector that you wont pay attention to what is in front of you. Now I realize this wont work 100% of the time but it has saved me quite a bit over the years (only 1 ticket in the past 6 years knock on wood) and I am an aggressive driver as it is......

trust me, losing your license to the law your parents (due to high insurance) is not worth it. You may think that Red car makes you a target but as many others have said it is only your driving habits that will do it.

Get rid of the detector and keep your eyes peeled!

Chris

 

Radar detectors will not keep you from getting tickets if you drive like an idiot.

The best way to use them is to drive like you did not have a detector. Do not exceed the speed limit by too much of you will not be able to slow down quick enough to avoid a ticket if you don't see the police and your detector provides a warning.

The thing I don't mind about police radar and laser guns are that the police must have a pretty clear shot of you to target you. That means that you can spot them first if you are really paying attention.

Of course the police can get pretty creative and sneaky when trying to hide from view. I have learned where they like to hide and when I see those potential hiding spots, particularly when on heavily traveled main roads, I assume that a cop is there and I had better slow down.

Some of the spots I know police may be waiting are over the next rise, around the next turn, behind the overpass, in of behind the bushes next to the road, any depression where most of the car is below the road height.

Go within 10 MPH of the posted speed and you will usually not have any problem. If you go faster than that, then you are playing the odds and sooner or later you will loose. If you want to play odds, which I sometimes do, then do it is on remote roads where radar traps are not likely (will not yield many tickets or revenue for the police).

I do get frustrated that I can't drive this wonderful car at higher speeds without risking getting a ticket. I can remember pre-55 mph days where I could drive 95 mph past an oncoming state police of sheriff’s car and as long as I was holding my line they barely looked at me. These were in cars that were not near as nice as the MINI. I don't think we will ever see those days again because there are too many incompetent drivers on the road.

Your negative comment about the police is a common feeling with too may people because they have been pulled over for "speeding" when they were not doing anything reckless or excessive.

The police are doing their job. I am more upset about a society that allows radar traps on highways (no problem with radar traps in city limits) to reduce accidents. I would rather that society insisted on better driver training and issuing tickets for people blocking the fast lane and inattentive and rude driving. If they did that, which would be more work, then the police would be much more popular.

I once saw an Oregon State police officer turn around and pull over a person that was driving very slowly blocking about twenty cars. Other than the guy who was pulled over, everyone stuck behind him loved that cop. There were a lot of thumbs up as we all went past him and the pulled over "obstructionist" driver. Could you imagine how much better traffic would flow if all state police would give tickets to individuals who impeded the flow of traffic by blocking the fast lane. Ah dream on...could we ever force people to be considerate and get out of the way when someone overtakes them? Radar traps are easier to issue...we have an up hill battle.

 

Wow, what bad luck...I owned a mustang gt covertible, red with a black top, and lowered and never got pulled over in ten years of driving.

 

I won't preach long, though I'm tempted to, you've gotten enough of that. But I will offer some advise. Test the waters [here]. Don't insult cops where they can here you, anything you do and say can be used against you in a court of law—even on the internet. Driving vigorously is okay as long as you don't do so recklessly and keep it at or below the speed limit. For anything more exciting take to the track.

But keep in mind that as a new, inexperienced, driver you should try to be as safe as you can on the road. You're still a few years away from fully understanding the limits of your driving abilities and the full capabilities of your car. End of rant.

 

Nice reply, and a big welcome. :smile:

Now that we have got this out of the way. Start a thread and post some pictures of you new MCS. I am a newbee as well,still waiting for mine, and have to satisfy myself seeing the new deliverys.

 

Good For you! Right On!

 

i learned my lesson when i was 17 and got stopped for doing 120 in a 55 in the middle of the day, then again doing 62 in a 50. Got a ticket for the lower one, somehow the trooper let me go for the fast one, which saved my ***. Everyone speeds and sometimes pushing the limits, but know when it is resonable to try. When you are solo on a roadway, they will not get to mad (depending on the cop) cause they would only have to make 1 phone call in the worst case. Like they've been saying go within like 7over and you'll be fine. They give you that speed grace cause your speedo might be off a bit, the radar might be off a bit, when its that close whos device is right? i used to use a radar detector till i learned about 'easy on' radar. welcome to NAM

 

We've all been pulled over at one time or another and the best advise I can give (for whatever it's worth) is to remember that the police are out there to keep everyone safe and to that end, mouthing off when you are pulled over is simply inappropriate. First, if you were pulled over, you were probably doing something you shouldn't have been. Second, being polite will many times lead to a warning rather a ticket and at the very least, he will have good things to tell the judge about your behavior if it ends you in court. Putting the donut jokes aside, it really is a hard job and excessive lip just pisses them off.

The police have already heard all the excuses and are usually thrilled when someone exhibits the integrity to level with them. And BTW, I am not affiliated with the police nor do I have any as relatives but I have interacted enough times on the side of the road to understand the rules of the game.

 

hehehhe this statement reminded me of an encounter I had in my Mini with the "poepoe", bout 6 years ago.
* Dont try this at home.*
It was 2am, I had just knocked off work. I got in my 73' tricked Mini and pulled out of my work driveway onto one of the Main city streets, and stopped by the curb and chilled there for a few seconds to let my engine heat up. A cop car pulled up side by side and the two cops were looking at me. I looked at them slowly, and as our eyes met I started to rev the engine, vroom vroom vroom, we were staring at each other now.
I slowly look away, still revving in the mean time and drop the clutch, screeching the phaaark outta there. Hhahaha, that was funny stuff. They obviously gave chase, but I have a nice little "circuit" I take home, and at 2am the streets are empty, so it's nice time to drive. ANd since I was alot more familiar with my circuit, I put a big gap between me and the cop. But he kept me in sight, mainly due to the fact that part of my circuit is going up a very big hill. Well at the top of the hill are a set of traffic lights, which were RED!!!, but I didnt want to actually break the law, so I didnt run the light and they caught up to me, made me pull over, but because I was dressed all nice, and I didnt really do anything "bad" they let me go. Whew.

They did ask me why I did it, and I told them it was late, and I was looking forward to going home. heh. That was my best cop chase. But dont try at home, lol.

 

On the subject of colors, someone did a study (back in the mid-70s, I think?) that showed that red cars got pulled over more frequently. I don't remember the details, but it seems to me that it was controlled in such a way to eliminate sources of error, like, f'rinstance, people who drive fast buy red cars.

Anyway, I read somewhere recently that the cars that get pulled over nowadays (30 or so years later) are more likely to be black, white, or silver. I don't know if there was any solid research behind this remark or not, but it kind of made sense to me when I thought of all those black Chevy SSes and the like, all the silver BMWs, Mercs, Audis, and Porsches, and all the white ricecakes out there.

So a red car may not attract as much attention nowadays as popular wisdom would seem to indicate.

For whatever that's worth...

And I'll also throw in my $0.02 to agree with the people who have said that if a cop stops you for doing something you weren't supposed to be doing, the best policy is to be honest and polite. You might get off with a warning. If the thing should end up in court, he won't have an ax to grind and may actually say something positive about your behavior. And this is a person who is doing a very difficult job and deserves our respect and gratitude.

Oh, and one other thing. Don't ever try to outrun a cop. They're trained in pursuit driving, and, as a friend of mine used to say, you might be able to outrun a police car, but you can't outrun radio!

 

Being a recent retired "douchbag", I forgive you Chili... I just think it would be great if you go to your local police department and go on a "Ride-A-Long". Perhaps you might have the opportunity to see the effects of speed. It is ugly, deadly, and serious. Enough lecture. God Bless.

 

I have read a lot posts here on the issue of speeding. Is speed really the issue or is it lack of skill, concentration or a poorly maintained vehicle?? When I decide to exceed the limit I tend to concentrate more on my surroundings and my driving. Personally, I think it is too easy to get a drivers license in this country. Go to Europe and I bet the majority of US will fail the test. I say make it harder and costlier to get a license. This would get rid of a lot of idiots on the road and ease traffic congestion.

I am not sure about you but who would be safer: me driving 75-80mph in the fast lane or the soccer mom in her suv and under inflated tires talking on the phone with her kids jumping around in the back seat driving 55mph in the fast lane?

As for the "douchebag" comment.........I am sure most of the officers out there are great people and enforcing the law is why we have them. However, there are a few bad apples who really are out to harrass people and sometimes do not know the laws they are supposed to enforce. I am sure we have all encountered one of these sometimes during our driving careers.

By the way I own a Valentine and love it!! From SFO to Seattle and worked perfectly.

 

It seems that the fast guys probably switch colors and now they are getting pulled over in those cars.

I remember the saying about the radios...to add a little flavor to it..you can't outrun motorola. That was the popular radio before..not sure about now.

 

Boy, if that isn't understatement of the year... The US driver's license requirements are a joke. I had driven for a total of 3, count 'em, 3 hours when I got my license (long story, after I got my permit I unexpectedly lived in Holland for the entirety of the year I was supposed to be using it), and still passed the test, no problem. There are a lot of boneheads out there with licenses because the government doesn't require them to actually be competent to get it. This also contributes to the unhealthy notion that driving in the US is a right, not a privilege. (I do understand that it's not feasible given the nature of the US to ultimately deny lots of people licenses, but I feel they should actually have to work hard and learn something to get them.)

Most European systems require far more time and money investment to receive a license, but more importantly they teach actual driving skill. The stuff that matters, and that seemingly no one in the US knows, because hey, they had no incentive to learn it. One issue I feel really strongly about is US license reform, but I doubt it will ever see the light of day. Until then I don't think anyone can really be surprised at the average degree of driving idiocy you see on the roads in this country.

-mike

 

Absolutely...aside from poor driving skills people do the stupidest things while driving. Shaving, putting on makeup..I was actually following a lady in a RAV 4 on 101 south by PA and she was reading a book while driving!! And that's not the first time I have seen that. IDIOTS!

 

I was next to a lady in an SUV who had a cigarette in one hand and lipstick in the other.......when she made a left she put on her lipstick then a right and she took a puff People like that and there are many of them in morning commute **** me off......

 

I forgot to mention that the time I saw that lady it was on either a Sat or Sun afternoon..talking about taking an afternoon drive to the extreme!

 

Congratulations on your new car, play safe so you can play longer.

 

Great advice officers 28 years ago, I thought every cop was trying to ruin my life...as it turns out...it was my own fault. I wish I had the benifit of the wisdom I have now. 15 years and zero point isn't luck...it's knowing how to behave on public roads My good luck stories with my Probe was a long time ago and it was just that...luck. I didn't talk about how much time I've spent serving community services for my tresspasses while "young and stupid". Track is the only proper place to race And ChilliCooperS...it took a lot of courage to know that you were wrong and I laud you for not running away from all the heat (no pun intended ). It's also very commendable that you purchased your own Mini. After having two boys...this is my only toy (my wife calls her "my other girl friend" ). Cherish what you have...live long and prosper

 

I was going to suggest that you had better watch what you say about officers of the law on this forum ,cause I know I have heard from MINI owners who were police officers, but it seems a few of them have chimed in already, so now I don't have to . Can't say enough about the polite and courteous recommendations that have been made a few times ,It has saved my @ss on a few occasions.Also to repeat strongly what a few people have mentioned, with instant on radar , the absolute best you can hope for with the very best detectors is to detect the guy in front of you being had.If you are alone, they WILL get you and your detector might as well have a warning sound that says"BUSTED!".My advice: NEVER be the fastest on the road, and if you are alone on the highway, 7MPH MAX over.
In the commonwealth of Massachusetts ,20 over is considered "driving to endanger", and punishable by 6 months in Jail( don't ask me how I know that , but thanks to the statie who cut me a break ,but warned me that he would be flagging my license # in the laptop in his cruiser , and be coming to my house if I got another ticket.I am a very changed driver these days.)And lastly , my MA told me when I took delivery in July of 02 , "you will NOT be anonymous any more in this car!"

 

Research has shown that WHITE cars get pulled over more then RED cars do. Be a sane driver, and don't worry about it!


I've been driving my Chili Red MINI for 6 months now, and have never been looked at funny by the police, let alone stopped!

 

Way back when I was finnaly legal to drive,1971,I was a 16 year old accident waiting to happen.Lucky for me I was helping out on a friends stock car,scared myself on the track a couple of times and never took it on the streets.34 years of driving legal,1 accident,before the track scares,no tickets,been pulled over twice,not related to my driving, they were checking everyone they saw both times,wrong place,time kind of things.
I drive at the speed limit in traffic,go with the flow,don't buzz around to move up in the flow.On the highway they give us 10% over the limit,most of the time I go 15% over.As long as road and traffic conditions allow.Find a track,back road,empty space to play in,public roads are not tax paid for race tracks.