Traffic Ticket Record/Stories

[DefyInertia]

maybe somebody should start a thread on speeding ticket stories? (would probably be entertaining).

Agreed...these are all in cars though.

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17 years old --

~$100 (don't remember exact amount) in NEW YORK for running a 4-way stop sign. I was running late to pick up a girl and the intersection was open and clear (I broke the law, but didn't put anyone in danger).

~$100 (don't remember exact amount) in NEW YORK for doing 81MPH in a 65 while passing a semi on US 90. I was on my way to go visit RIT which I was considering attending.

~$419.50 (I can't forget!) in VERMONT for doing three things as follows: (1)cutting through a parking lot to get around a redlight and pass a semi (I was going skiiing in a snow storm and being behind a semi on a 2-lane road was getting old). (2) Doing 7MPH (seven) over the posted limit after leaving the p-lot and getting back on the road. (3) Having snow on my bumper partially obstructing the view of my L-plate. This was all in one stop, the cop was in the p-lot in an unmarked car, the cop called me "New York" instead of by my name, called me a punk, made me sit in his car while he wrote the tickets, threatended to put me in jail for the night, and just basically just showed his bias against NY drivers and teenagers. Jerk.

21 years old --

$125 in CHICAGO for rolling through a redlight during a traffic jam at a three-way t-bone intersection. I did nothing dangerous, I was on my way to a wake, and the cop told me if I went to court he wouldn't show and it would get dropped. I couldn't show up for court because I was out of town for the date. *shrug*

23 years old --

$92 in WYOMING for doing 81MPH in a 55. I was on a 3,500 mile one-way road trip...this was my only ticket I received during the trip. The female cop was hot.

24 years old --

$23X in NEVADA cited for 90MPH in a 75 even though he clocked me at 104MPH. Cop was very nice. I was driving my fiance's 2005 Mirano from SF to Chicago and was heading into horrible weather...I was trying to make time on US 80's wide open roads early in the morning before the bad weather hit. This was the only ticket I received on this trip.

**********************************

I have NEVER been pulled over on a motorcycle. In cars, I have only been pulled over AND LET GO without a ticket ONCE and that was for having a tailight out...the light had just gone out and I had just bought the replacement so he was cool and let me go.

When the insurance co's run my record, only 1 ticket comes up for whatever reason. I have never caused an accident and take driving a 4,000 lb. vehicle very seriously.

 

[kalel3914]

So, I'm heading back to Camp Lejeune, from PA after the Thanksgiving weekend leave in 2002. I have two of my Marines in the car whom I gave rides to their respective homes. I pick my friend up in Front Royal VA and am on this road to get back on to I95. I'm cruising, clocked @ 87 in a 45 work zone, and I see the lights behind me jump the median. I punch it a bit to get around the trailer next to me, and turn into a parking lot, as there is no shoulder. Little do I know this parking lot leads right behind a building. I think for a minute, maybe I inadvertently got away... Nay nay! Here comes the cop screeching to a halt in front of my car, jumps out gun drawn "GET THE F#^$ OUT OF THE CAR!" I'm pulled out cuffed and with a foot on the back of my neck, he turns to my friend in the back and sees 6 M-16 mags on the floor. "What the hell are those?" asks the cop, "It's ok, we're Marines." My friend responds. "Then you know what this'll do" pointing his pistol at my friend "Cuff yourself, and get out!. So I'm in the squad car, My friends are on the curb cuffed and A K-9 unit rolls up to search the vehicle. They find the magazines, flak jacket cammies, kevlar helmet, full war gear, and a loaded desert eagle pellet gun under my driver seat that I got in my travels to Japan, so it looks exactly like a D.E. All this right accross the street from a Sunoco where the Beltway Sniper hit a week earlier, and several days after they figure out he's using .556 ammo, the same kind as an M-16. These cops thought they'd hit the motherload when it was just a dumb Marine trying to get back to base.

 

[HavBlue]

March 1974 through September 1974 got 9 tickets of which 6 nailed me. Wife and I had a baby blue 1969 Boss 429 that was worked. Best of the 9 was heading north on the 405 Freeway out of Costa Mesa when I got picked up by the CHP doing like 85 in a 65mph zone. This was at like 3AM and when I got off at Beach Blvd north bound (banked right then a short shoot and banked left) I noticed this idiot with his red light on kinda sideways trying to stay with me because I didn't slow down for the turns. I pulled over at the end of the ramp and when the CHP got to me he slammed his door when he got out and the dude has his pistola out..... ooops!!!!!! He was not a happy camper because he dang near lost it. That one cost me around 350 American......

 

[Hazardous006]

Well my worst one was, I was 16 on my way home from a winter formal that was 30 across town from where i lived and i had 10min before curfew. I was going down a houseless residental street gunning the car doing around 95MPH. I go past the roll-off bin and on the other side of it sits this cop with his radar gun out. I knew he tagged me and i pulled over and waited for him to catch up to me. He comes out and asks me how fast i was going and i told i was running late and my curfew was like in 10min. He wrote me a ticket saying i was doing 95MPH in a 25MPH zone. He took it easy on me and didnt haul me away for criminal speeding but i had to pay $856 fine plus 10hrs of community service and to this day my father still doesnt know. lol. And i got home 30 seconds before my time was up.

 

[trailblazer87]

First one:

It was raining and I was driving around with a buddy of mine on my old ford p/u. Coming up on a bridge at the end of the 25 zone I speed up in a hurry. Across the bridge was the LEO with the radar out. He pulls me over and cites me for 61 in a 25. They had just extended the zone the week before. $350

Late to a job site on 395 near Lone Pine (if you've been through there you will know why I was speeding). I was the only vehicle on the road when the chippy tags me from the oncoming side. He hits his lights and flips a U and cites me for 80 in a 65. Really cool guy too. $245

Coming home from a jobsite 4 hours away. I am on Highway 41 East of Kettleman City (again if you've been there...) and smokin' that little Toyota as I am late for a date. The chp went past me flipped a dick through traffic and popped me for 85 in a 55. $285

On my way home on 99 from Fresno to Madera (15 miles) I was again moving along when the cops come up on me from behind and hit the lights. They said they had me at 105 (which I believe) but only gave me a ticket for 85. These newer chevy's ride way too smooth. $145

On I-5 south of Redding, I had been driving or 6 hours and had another 4 to go to get home from the jobsite in Crescent City (kinda cool place but boring as well) I had the work ford ranger all out at 90 when the chp comes out of nowhere and pops me. He cited me for 85 in a 65. $140


I have never been cited while on a bike, all but 2 were in work vehicles. This was done over a period of about 10 years. Yes, my insurance rates reflect this as well

 

[Khyren]

Of all the tickets I have had, the one for 105 in a 70 in Groveland, tx was the one that I can say I really deserved and paid for($250). All the rest were generally for less than 10 over or some other minor thing. Apparently the hardin county texas cops had a thing for me and my brother. When I got arrested (for an out of date inspection ticket that I know I paid but mysteriously wasn't paid) they had a picture of my car in their car. I had been harrased several times over the course of the 3 years I was driving in texas One time wasn't allowed to turn the car off while he searched my car for 45 mins wasting a 1/4 tank of gas. ON THE OTHER HAND, there have been several times that I have been pulled over in Kentucky that I should have gotten a ticket for but didn't. I have been pulled over for speeding on the bike and should have gotten a ticket that night but didn't. Unlike the rest of the local forum guys who bolted when they saw the blue lights, I pulled over. I have alot of respect for the cops here in Kentucky but 0 for the ones in texas. Incidentally, my wife's uncle was the judge/jp that rulled on most of my tickets. He and I still don't get along.

Khyren

 

[mikebike]

had a kind of funny one on the Harley a couple years ago.

I was using the bike to visit some clients.... and

Got pulled over by a women cop who siad I was going 50+ in a 40 ... I was in second gear and not getting on it.

long & short of it while she was writing the ticket I pulled out my cooler and opened some fruit salad in a tupperware container and started eating. (we were in a gas station parking lot.

This totally pissed her off.... she storms over and said "WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING" ....
I said... "Eating my lunch"

SHE: You cant do that while I write you a ticket...

ME... Ummm yes I can....

SHE: NO YOU CAN"T

ME... " You may want to call your Lutenant about that....or write me a ticket for eating lunch"

Sheeeeesh...... so I got the ticket... which was already a given...

and it was a cheap one....too. Got to love Taveres, FL

 

[HavBlue]

had a kind of funny one on the Harley a couple years ago.

I was using the bike to visit some clients.... and

Got pulled over by a women cop who siad I was going 50+ in a 40 ... I was in second gear and not getting on it.

long & short of it while she was writing the ticket I pulled out my cooler and opened some fruit salad in a tupperware container and started eating. (we were in a gas station parking lot.

This totally pissed her off.... she storms over and said "WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING" ....
I said... "Eating my lunch"

SHE: You cant do that while I write you a ticket...

ME... Ummm yes I can....

SHE: NO YOU CAN"T

ME... " You may want to call your Lutenant about that....or write me a ticket for eating lunch"

Sheeeeesh...... so I got the ticket... which was already a given...

and it was a cheap one....too. Got to love Taveres, FL

LMAO, I love it,,,,, Good for you Mike.

 

[Hellgate]

This was years ago on my GS11. G/F is pillion, buddy is on his GPz550 with G/F. We are going to the movies and come to a red light. Do a "track stand" stop (balance, no feet down) make a right, we both nail it up to 95 in a 45. Pass a couple of cages. Pull into movie parking lot, start taking off gear. Cop pulls up totally pissed. This guy is RED in the face and is ready to kill somebody, uh...that would be ME. "I can send you to jail and impound your bike!!!!" The open Vance and Hines (no baffle what so ever) didn't help matters. Uh...Yes, Sir. He writes me a ticket for 80 in a 45 (I was pissed, I was going 95!), failure to stop for a traffic light and reckless driving.

I figure I'm toast. So the next week my motivation kick in. I had no motivation what so ever in college (except for beer, girls and more beer)...I note the time of the ticket, the angle of the sun, the direction of travel and spend my draft class (no computers back then) neatly drafting the interections, routes of travel, angle of sun light, other cars and said postion of cop from the back of the ticket he wrote. I made about 4 or 5 drawings to scale thanks to the city maps department.

I argued that because to the sun casting a shadow of my bike OVER my right leg he couldn't see my foot go down at the traffic light. He as on the oppostite side of the intersection os how could he see? I stated that the car pull from a parking lot in front of me so I swerved to avoid it, which was true. And there was no way I was going 80, as he ESTIMATED my speed, no pacing, no radar, nothing, nada, zip, zilch.

So to throw a carrot to the DA I plead to going 55 in a 45. He tossed the rest out. I think it was a $125 fine. Then I was making $4.50 an hour, that was a lot of money that didn't get spent on beer. I think I had to down grade to Schaffer of a month, $2.95 a twelve at the student center!

 

[Hellgate]

Mike that is the funniest damn thing I've heard in ages!

 

[HavBlue]

This was years ago on my GS11. G/F is pillion, buddy is on his GPz550 with G/F. We are going to the movies and come to a red light. Do a "track stand" stop (balance, no feet down) make a right, we both nail it up to 95 in a 45. Pass a couple of cages. Pull into movie parking lot, start taking off gear. Cop pulls up totally pissed. This guy is RED in the face and is ready to kill somebody, uh...that would be ME. "I can send you to jail and impound your bike!!!!" The open Vance and Hines (no baffle what so ever) didn't help matters. Uh...Yes, Sir. He writes me a ticket for 80 in a 45 (I was pissed, I was going 95!), failure to stop for a traffic light and reckless driving.

I figure I'm toast. So the next week my motivation kick in. I had no motivation what so ever in college (except for beer, girls and more beer)...I note the time of the ticket, the angle of the sun, the direction of travel and spend my draft class (no computers back then) neatly drafting the interections, routes of travel, angle of sun light, other cars and said postion of cop from the back of the ticket he wrote. I made about 4 or 5 drawings to scale thanks to the city maps department.

I argued that because to the sun casting a shadow of my bike OVER my right leg he couldn't see my foot go down at the traffic light. He as on the oppostite side of the intersection os how could he see? I stated that the car pull from a parking lot in front of me so I swerved to avoid it, which was true. And there was no way I was going 80, as he ESTIMATED my speed, no pacing, no radar, nothing, nada, zip, zilch.

So to throw a carrot to the DA I plead to going 55 in a 45. He tossed the rest out. I think it was a $125 fine. Then I was making $4.50 an hour, that was a lot of money that didn't get spent on beer. I think I had to down grade to Schaffer of a month, $2.95 a twelve at the student center!

This was an excellent, well thought out argument that you offered support for Pete. I can't tell you how often judges will look at things like this and reduce the charge or flat throw it out. So often the bench is plagued with BS and then, when the judge sees something like this it flat makes his/her day. Good one here buddy.

 

[jspoon]

There I was traveling from Colorado to CA on my 1983 CB1100F (In 1983) I was in Montana on the big road doing about 90mph beside an old man with white hair in an old baby blue ford falcon convertible (didn't know they could do 90) anyway me and the old duffer are doing 90 side by side and he's waving and thumbs up an all you know were havin a good ole time anyway I see a cop going the other way, I look over my shoulder and you guessed it he turns around, I hesitated, I thought about it and said f^&^% it, I twisted the right hand grip all the way down, 100,110,120,130,140 OK I'm doin 140, the beast is smooth, the heart rates off the chart, the adrenalines pumpin, I'm freakin...I thought what am I doing, anyway I lose hime but figured there going to have someone up ahead so I pull off the hwy and pull into a gas station off the highway and about a minute later he comes down the ramp, pulls into the station, role the window down and says GET IN THE CAR! I get in, nicest cop I ever met, gives me a $40 ticket and as I'm getting out of the car I asked, what would the fine be if I was trying to ditch you, he smiled and said $300! I went to California!

 

[HavBlue]

There I was traveling from Colorado to CA on my 1983 CB1100F (In 1983) I was in Montana on the big road doing about 90mph beside an old man with white hair in an old baby blue ford falcon convertible (didn't know they could do 90) anyway me and the old duffer are doing 90 side by side and he's waving and thumbs up an all you know were havin a good ole time anyway I see a cop going the other way, I look over my shoulder and you guessed it he turns around, I hesitated, I thought about it and said f^&^% it, I twisted the right hand grip all the way down, 100,110,120,130,140 OK I'm doin 140, the beast is smooth, the heart rates off the chart, the adrenalines pumpin, I'm freakin...I thought what am I doing, anyway I lose hime but figured there going to have someone up ahead so I pull off the hwy and pull into a gas station off the highway and about a minute later he comes down the ramp, pulls into the station, role the window down and says GET IN THE CAR! I get in, nicest cop I ever met, gives me a $40 ticket and as I'm getting out of the car I asked, what would the fine be if I was trying to ditch you, he smiled and said $300! I went to California!

Isn't Montana under an environmental law where there is no speed limit other than that which the officer considers safe or unsafe as the case were? Here, check this out..

USATODAY.com - Minnesota trooper writes 205 mph speeding ticket

 

[VEGASRIDER]

Unlike most members who can recall the time, date, amount, when and where they have received tickets, I've had so many speeding tickets in the past that I can't recall any special stories. The best that I can do is list the cities or states that I received them in that I can recall. Just FYI, I've been to all 50 states.

New York
Pennsyvania
Ohio
Virginia
Illinois
Tennessee
Florida
Texas
Missouri
New Mexico
Wyomong
Montana
Washington
Nevada
Oregon
Arizona
California
Montreal, Quebec

As I recalled, Montana did away with the speed limit for a while, but they always enforced the speed limit at night, for wildlife. I think it's set at 75mph now. The highest posted speed limit I have seen was 80mph in Texas, between San Antonio and El Paso. It was weird seeing the number 80.

 

[HavBlue]

The highest posted speed limit I have seen was 80mph in Texas, between San Antonio and El Paso. It was weird seeing the number 80.

The last time I passed through that area was March of 2006. At that time it was 75 and a very long stretch of nothingness. At 80mph, it just makes nothing go away faster....... giggle, giggle...

 

[Hellgate]

Unlike most members who can recall the time, date, amount, when and where they have received tickets, I've had so many speeding tickets in the past that I can't recall any special stories. The best that I can do is list the cities or states that I received them in that I can recall. Just FYI, I've been to all 50 states.

New York
Pennsyvania
Ohio
Virginia
Illinois
Tennessee
Florida
Texas
Missouri
New Mexico
Wyomong
Montana
Washington
Nevada
Oregon
Arizona
California
Montreal, Quebec

As I recalled, Montana did away with the speed limit for a while, but they always enforced the speed limit at night, for wildlife. I think it's set at 75mph now. The highest posted speed limit I have seen was 80mph in Texas, between San Antonio and El Paso. It was weird seeing the number 80.

Damn Vegas, you could wallpaper your house with all of those!

I've driven the SA to EP to Tucson route several times and it is terrible. I thought the fastest TX speed limit was 75 but if they raised it to 80 good for Gov. Perry! The first time I made that run the speed limit was 65, I think I was the only car going 72. Everyone else was going 85 or 90! Needless to say I stepped it up.

About once a year we used to drive from Austin to Longmont CO to see the in-laws. I was always happy once we crossed into Colorado were the speed limit is 80. I was able to cruise 87 with no problems. It is nice.

 

[jsteinb95]

I've only had one ticket.

I was on a 2 lane highway and, as far as I could see, there was NOTHING around; no people, no stores/gas stations (yes....I was lost ). I'm driving as fast as the truck (chevy s-10) will go and suddenly I see a highway patrol pass me coming the opposite direction. He pulls me over and asked if I knew how fast I was going.....I said no, but of course I knew. He clocked me at 92 mph in a 55 mph (the stupid truck wouldn't go any faster; governer). I hand him all of my information, along with my mom's cop card. He tells me that he was going to arrest me for wreckless driving and child endangerment (my daughter was with me; 6 months old), but since my mom was a cop, he would just give me a ticket and wrote me up for 85+ instead of 92, what a swell guy. That ticket was $400.

I've gotten out of a couple tickets because my mom was a cop. I'm kinda screwed now, she's not a cop anymore.

 

[HavBlue]

About once a year we used to drive from Austin to Longmont CO to see the in-laws. I was always happy once we crossed into Colorado were the speed limit is 80. I was able to cruise 87 with no problems. It is nice.

Was 80mph Pete. The only place left is that I10 corridor up to El Paso. There are however an number of spots at 75 during the day but they move down at night.

 

[yukon_alex]

A disclaimer first, well, ok, two disclaimers. 1. I was young and extremely stupid, 2. This is a true, no BS story.

When I was 19, I worked at a Canadian Parts Store that also sold TIRES. A friend of mine shows up with his new-to-him 600 Ninja. The story he was told was that it was race kitted and it certainly hauled...well, you know. I could hardly pry the keys from him, he'd had it for 20 minutes already! So there I go and I know just the right loop to take, twisty, straights, almost perfect. It was in the city limits, limit of 50km/h.

Off I go. As I am making my way along, some young punk driving a Toyota Supra keeps hindering my progress, dammit! Ok, I think to myself, the road curves left and then a blind right onto a straight of about 600m. Hehe, his a$$ is grass, says I. I follow him around the left, downshift and get ready for the straight that's coming.

CLEAR! I am hard on the gas, grinning the whole time! Blew past him! Uh oh. I am passing through 190km/h when I see not one, but two, police officers running for the radar gun which is sitting on the hood of the POLICE CAR! I get off the throttle and hard on the brakes, downshifting like mad and trying not to kill anybody. One of the officers decides that he should wave me over so he comes out on the road and waves me to the side. I blow past him and stop about 30m from him. Oops. He runs over to ensure that I have shut down, totally calm (him, not me). I take my helmet off and turn to see him look at his compatriot. Radar man shakes his head in a most subtle way, but I didn't get caught! Woohoo!

It turns out that both were motorcycle officers stuck in a cage for the day. I tell them the story of how I came to be riding this particular bike and one of them smiles and asks, "I guess I don't need to ask how it goes, do I?" I later went back and we traded riding stories until they had had enough.

That was the closest I have come to losing my license and a friend's new bike. Check disclaimer no.1. I know better now. Mostly.

 

[HavBlue]

A disclaimer first, well, ok, two disclaimers. 1. I was young and extremely stupid, 2. This is a true, no BS story.

When I was 19, I worked at a Canadian Parts Store that also sold TIRES. A friend of mine shows up with his new-to-him 600 Ninja. The story he was told was that it was race kitted and it certainly hauled...well, you know. I could hardly pry the keys from him, he'd had it for 20 minutes already! So there I go and I know just the right loop to take, twisty, straights, almost perfect. It was in the city limits, limit of 50km/h.

Off I go. As I am making my way along, some young punk driving a Toyota Supra keeps hindering my progress, dammit! Ok, I think to myself, the road curves left and then a blind right onto a straight of about 600m. Hehe, his a$$ is grass, says I. I follow him around the left, downshift and get ready for the straight that's coming.

CLEAR! I am hard on the gas, grinning the whole time! Blew past him! Uh oh. I am passing through 190km/h when I see not one, but two, police officers running for the radar gun which is sitting on the hood of the POLICE CAR! I get off the throttle and hard on the brakes, downshifting like mad and trying not to kill anybody. One of the officers decides that he should wave me over so he comes out on the road and waves me to the side. I blow past him and stop about 30m from him. Oops. He runs over to ensure that I have shut down, totally calm (him, not me). I take my helmet off and turn to see him look at his compatriot. Radar man shakes his head in a most subtle way, but I didn't get caught! Woohoo!

It turns out that both were motorcycle officers stuck in a cage for the day. I tell them the story of how I came to be riding this particular bike and one of them smiles and asks, "I guess I don't need to ask how it goes, do I?" I later went back and we traded riding stories until they had had enough.

That was the closest I have come to losing my license and a friend's new bike. Check disclaimer no.1. I know better now. Mostly.

That's very similar to a friend of mine in California that rides an R1. He was blasting along one day on a sweeper and there sits a radar cage. he was on the brakes hard from about 90mph and in this case he did get a ticket for like 55mph in a 45mph zone. The cop had told him he knew he was going faster but he was slowing down so quick the radar couldn't get a good lock on him...

Great story...