First day of the year to hit 75. Sunny…breeze….happy…happy…happy. Roll down the windows…crank up Pearl Jam…get across the bridge…thinking about cold beer. Pop the throttle to get around a bus coming off the bridge…lovely sound…What?… Motorcycle cop with a laser gun….

Dude you are harshing my mellow here. 38 years without a ticket, now 2 in one year….oh my do I need a track day.

JHB.

 

Wow..bummer on the tickets, but way cool on the drive!

 

Haha sorry about the ticket... I always tell my wife Ninja just likes to drive fast and I can't always control him...

Next mod radar maybe?... My hardwired V1 has saved me on numerous occasions

 

Yeah, my radar detector has saved me a few times but it won't save you from a laser or from instant on radar.

 

I am due though I am not sure why...

 

Or Autocross?

http://www.oregonscca.com/content/view/1286/288/

 

You have a wonderful quote of a great driving experience, and you have to ask why you seem to have the need for speed? Great handling/driving cars seem to have that effect on some of us.

When I test drove my first MCS (an 06), I found myself going 50+ mph on city a street. I saw the speedo, and said that this could be an expensive car to own. I didn't buy that one, but I did get an 06 MCS w/ 6sp manual. It (and my newer '10 MCSa) still put a smile on my face every time I drove/drive it.

 

I used to get two or three tickets a year! I've slowly mellowed and it settled on one about every five years. I haven't had one since I got a radar detector.

Dave

 

good old mini. First night I got mine I got pulled over for speeding. Luckily I knew the cop very well and he let me off with a verbal warning. Now he has an open invite to test drive mine.

 

I just got pulled over last week and I just was cruising in the right lane not wanting to pass traffic and was still not obeying the law. He let me go with a warning but told me there was no excuse for now knowing how fast I was going, "look at how GD big that speedometer is". I was polite, and prompt with my info ready and windows down, car off. It pays to be nice occasionally.

 

I've only been pulled over a few times (not in the MINI yet, knock on wood.) and I agree that being very courteous always helps. I hope this doesn't get this thread locked, but I'll recount a VERY lucky run in with a police officer I had.

I was driving to work at 3am on a deserted street (I'm a professional baker.) on my motorbike. Not really paying attention to the speedo but I knew I was probably a little over 50km/h. I hit a red light and stopped, and a police cruiser pulled behind me so I made a note to slow it down. As soon as the light went green he put the lights on and pulled me over.

I took off my helmet, turned the bike off, removed my gloves and got out my wallet. I wanted him to know I wasn't planning on taking off. I got a long lecture, and he let me know that I could have my vehicle impounded, license suspended immediately, and be stuck with a $468 fine. I calmly apologized and admitted I just had not been paying attention to speed as I was trying to get to work. He firmly reminded me of the speed limits (50 until the highway, then 80.) and let me off with a warning. He drove right behind me all the way, making sure I had learned my lesson. I never sped on that route again, God knows if I got the same officer I'd be getting that ticket!

 

I have to be really careful driving the MINI. It is really easy to jump out and pass a slower vehicle or accelerate on an on ramp and find myself going 10 or 20 mph over the limit in an instant. It is so much fun to have that kind of acceleration when the turbo gets singing, but it could produce my first speeding ticket in over 30 years if I am don't pay attention.

 

No tickets for me for 5+ years, then got one a month ago after getting my MINI. But, I don't blame my car. I blame the IL plates I had going through IN. THAT's why I got the ticket.

 

I have been driving 55 years without ever getting stopped for speeding, much less a ticket. I have had some pretty fast cars too including a Corvette Sting Ray back in the day. A while back a state trooper friend of mine was visiting and checking out my MCS. I was telling him how well it handled and that it was easy to go too fast without knowing it. I said I was surprised I hadn't been stopped yet. Naturally 2 weeks later I got tagged and of course it wasn't my buddy or any of the other guys I knew.

 

It is not that we are speeding but that the limits are too low.

 

This organization is working to fix that.

http://www.motorists.org/

I've been a member for 20 years.

Dave

 

I had a 2011 Cooper S convertible loaner last week and it was really hard not to speed with all that power. Driving the slower Cooper has saved me from getting multiple speeding tickets. If you drive 25 mph over the limit here you lose your car for a week and $1,500 in fines.

 

I caught myself passing at 60+kmh over the limit more than once over the last few days in my Cooper. In the midst of a roadtrip through northern BC, these long highways are too tempting! no more of that though, girlfriend gets nervous.