Any LEOs Out There?

[DRM]

I’m 46 and just received my first traffic ticket.

A local cop in a small, trailer-trash Kansas town cited me for 42mph in a 35mph zone, although my speedometer read under 40mph. Yes, I do understand that vehicle speedometers are usually 3-4 mph slow whereas radar is accurate. My father is an LEO and taught this to me, as well as how to drive.

Nevertheless, I think this is really unjust, being that I had a perfect driving record. I surmise the cop saw a non-local driving thru his town in a high-end SUV, and saw $$$. Every fiber in me wants revenge against this cop. No, court is not an option. A judge never ruled against my father in a traffic issue and I don’t expect otherwise in this situation.

My martial arts instructor is also an LEO, and said my best bet is to go to this town’s municipal building and pay for a deferment. This is available to first-time offenders and means paying a higher fine to have the citation removed from my record and not reported to my insurance. This sounds like glorified bribery to me, and little different than when I lived in southern Mexico and kept 50 pesos clipped to the back of my driver’s license.

Do any of you have any additional suggestions? Including how I can legally make this cop’s life a living hell?

 

[lizardman_u]

first of all what kind of vehicle? if it is an older car or truck go to the dealer and get a better speedometer gear. Speedometer gears come with various numbers of teeth so you can correct for different gear ratios in your differential or different tire sizes. If you are running a different tire size than what is stock you may have thrown your speedometer off and this will correct the problem. Otherwise have the dealer or a person with a tuner (handheld module that plugs into your computers "brain" make the adjustment to your vehicles computer and tell it what tire size you are running so that your speedo runs much closer to your actual speed.

if you feel it is an unjust ticket and you are running stock tire size (or even if you aren't running stock size tires) take it to court and explain your case. if you are running a non-stock tire size explain that you didn't realize it would throw your speedometer off and if you have had this corrected show the reciept for the part or the part plus the labor and the judge may show kindness and throw the ticket out or cut the fine in half.

Dave

p.s. if the officer was less than professional in his attitude and manerisms when he issued the citation you can take that up with his seargent/captain via a written complaint. however, this will mark you for future stops should you be in the wrong, or have a difference of opinion with said SGT/CPT.

p.p.s. remember we all have bad days where we are a bit grouchy and or irritable.

 

[Ken C.]

Do any of you have any additional suggestions? Including how I can legally make this cop’s life a living hell?

Why do you want to make his life hell? Understand that he has a job to do and you were breaking the speed limit regardless of how much you were over. If his attitude was poor and he did not diplay any professionalism then take it up with his supervisors. For a 46 y/o man you are handling this like a child IMO....revenge, making his life hell....puh-lease! Pay the fine or fight it in court.

 

[Totally Judy]

p.s. if the officer was less than professional in his attitude and manerisms when he issued the citation you can take that up with his seargent/captain via a written complaint. however, this will mark you for future stops should you be in the wrong, or have a difference of opinion with said SGT/CPT.

Well..... first of all - you admit that you were exceeding the post speed limit. 1 mile over or 20 miles over the limit, you were still speeding. And you got busted. Nobody wants to get busted for speeding.

Think about this - how many times have you been exceeding the posted speed limit and you were never stopped and cited? Probably a lot, if you are like most folks.

Why do you want to make the cop's life hell? As Dave said in his post, if he was unprofessional and rude, then you do need to address that in writing with his supervisor. If he was polite and you received a ticket, what's the beef?

I don't know about deferments, but here in California we can do traffic school and the ticket will not go on our DMV record.

Unless you were royally abused by the cop, forget about him. You earned the ticket. You were exceeding the speed limit. It is not the cop's fault. I believe that cops may issue tickets rather than give a warning if the person is not a local - a local can get a warning and then a ticket the next time.

Just my opinion. When I get stopped, I know that I was speeding. I am always very polite to the officer. Sometimes I am issued a ticket. More often, I am giving a warning.

It all depends on the officer, your attitude, and everything that led up to your being stopped.

 

[Horned Toad]

I’m 46 and just received my first traffic ticket.

A local cop in a small, trailer-trash Kansas town cited me for 42mph in a 35mph zone, although my speedometer read under 40mph. Yes, I do understand that vehicle speedometers are usually 3-4 mph slow whereas radar is accurate. My father is an LEO and taught this to me, as well as how to drive.

Nevertheless, I think this is really unjust, being that I had a perfect driving record. I surmise the cop saw a non-local driving thru his town in a high-end SUV, and saw $$$. Every fiber in me wants revenge against this cop. No, court is not an option. A judge never ruled against my father in a traffic issue and I don’t expect otherwise in this situation.

My martial arts instructor is also an LEO, and said my best bet is to go to this town’s municipal building and pay for a deferment. This is available to first-time offenders and means paying a higher fine to have the citation removed from my record and not reported to my insurance. This sounds like glorified bribery to me, and little different than when I lived in southern Mexico and kept 50 pesos clipped to the back of my driver’s license.

Do any of you have any additional suggestions? Including how I can legally make this cop’s life a living hell?

Once you get your nose out of the air, you might take a second to realize that with all you LEO friends and family you had better knowledge than most. You still screwed up. Deal with it. If you persist in going after the cop for doing his job, I will keep my fingers crossed that one WILL NOT be there when you need one.

 

[DRM]

Why do you want to make his life hell? Understand that he has a job to do and you were breaking the speed limit regardless of how much you were over. If his attitude was poor and he did not diplay any professionalism then take it up with his supervisors. For a 46 y/o man you are handling this like a child IMO....revenge, making his life hell....puh-lease! Pay the fine or fight it in court.

Ken, Judy, and Toad: you are right about my attitude and it will calm once I get over the indignation of having my perfect driving record shattered.

Ken, I also understand that, as a firefighter, most cops will not issue you a citation for even a flagrant safety violation.

However, there is a difference between breaking the speed limit, and someone who makes a willful effort to obey the law as both my driving record and vehicle’s instruments displayed. As I stated above, my speedometer read under 40mph and it is common knowledge amongst LEOs that speedometers are usually 3-4 mph slow. I have yet to know an LEO who doesn’t take this into consideration when monitoring traffic. i.e. this LEO was probably fully aware that from my perspective I was traveling about 38mph in a 35mph zone. This is within reason and EVERY person with whom I’ve spoken, including other LEOs, thinks the officer’s actions were frivolous and shameful.

BTW, his manners and professionalism were impeccable.

 

[Totally Judy]

Next time you drive through that Kansas town, just make sure you are going 35 in a 35.

Your driving record may be impeccable, but I bet it is not because you have never broken any traffic laws. You were just never cited.

Deal with it. Learn from it.

And there are LEO's who will cite a firefighter. Professional courtesy is often extended, but not a guarantee or a King's X.

 

[Geraldo]

Well, I can tell you this, posting on a public forum that you want to make a LEO's life hell on a public forum isn't too bright. Why not do what most other adults do and just pay the fine.

 

[silenthunterstudios]

I got popped for speeding, about 8 miles over the limit. Paid the fine, went to court in a suit and tie, stone cold sober, and didn't address the judge as "what...". I got a PBJ, and paid court costs. Thats it. No points etc.

 

[DRM]

Next time you drive through that Kansas town, just make sure you are going 35 in a 35.

Sorry, it's physically impossible to go the exact speed limit and LEOs would prefer that you exceed the speed limit by a few mph to prevent impeding traffic and tailgating, except in residential and school zones. Ask any LEO.

Your driving record may be impeccable, but I bet it is not because you have never broken any traffic laws. You were just never cited.

You are right, I guess it's about time that I got my comeuppance. It's just ironic that it was for something so frivilous and not something flagrant.

Deal with it. Learn from it.

Thanks, and I will once I get over my foolish emotions and pride.

 

[Bob W]

No biggie. It's probably a local ordinance ticket that won't be reported to your insurance company anyway, especially if it's not your home state.

How much is the ticket? My recent small-town ticket was a measly $35. I paid it promptly through the mail.

-Bob

 

[DRM]

No biggie. It's probably a local ordinance ticket that won't be reported to your insurance company anyway, especially if it's not your home state.

How much is the ticket? My recent small-town ticket was a measly $35. I paid it promptly through the mail.

-Bob

It is a local ordinance ticket and their fine is $143, which is why I suspect this is more about $$$ and not about public safety.

The "trailer trash" comment about the town was an emotional outburst. In fact, it had a charming little downtown. I was going to even stop for lunch and Christmas shopping, but took my business to the next town instead due to the inhospitable reception.

Perhaps I should write their Chamber of Commerce?

 

[silenthunterstudios]

Perhaps I should write their Chamber of Commerce?

And tell them what? You were in the wrong, the amount seems a little excessive, but you were still in the wrong. I agree, the amount seems outlandish, but you need to stop complaining and talk to the local LEO in charge, and/or judge.

 

[DRM]

And tell them what?

Figure it out. If you were a merchant is a small and relatively poor Kansas farm town, would you want to know if your business was not being patronized due to greedy municipal officials who were shaking-down passerbys for such petty reasons?

You were in the wrong...

I disagree. I was doing exactly as I had been taught by LEOs with whom I communicate daily.

...you need to stop complaining and talk to the local LEO in charge, and/or judge.

I've made an appointment with their prosecutor.

 

[Mick R.]

When I was much younger I set a ticket for court once and learned a quick lesson. Police officers word (and certified radar) against your word is a slam dunk - You lose.

In Texas we can take a defensive driving course and they will dismiss the ticket on minor moving violations. Perhaps you can see if the state offers some sort of program like this.

 

[FoldersForever]

Quit blaming other people for your mistakes. I have 2 teenagers at home that do that all the time, but I'm working hard to teach them to take responsiblity for their actions before they become adults. A 46 year old man doing it is really annoying. The only person you should be mad at is yourself for screwing up. Grow up man!!!

By the way, speedometers are not normally off by 3-4 miles. If your's is, it is broken.

 

[Nichols747]

This thread is going to go on forever, until DRM angers someone enough that the thread gets locked. I am not an LEO, I'm a paramedic, and work and play with many LEOs. DRM will be hard pressed to find an LEO who will agree to help him make another's life a living hell.

I live and work in a small town/rural county with LEOs who are the greatest guys and gals in the world. Pigeonholing them all as bad bumpkin cops is BS. There are good cops and bad cops, just like every other cross section of society. Good or bad, these are the citizens who volunteer for dangerous duty, and are trusted and comissioned by our government (all levels) to do this work, and to make these decisions. Bad cops are a problem, and should be weeded out, just like bad surgeons, bad judges, bad taxi drivers, bad construction workers, and on, and on... I don't know what DRM does for a living, I give him/her the benefit of the doubt that he/her does his job well. That said, I am sure that there are members of his/her chosen profession who do the job badly, and he/she probably would not like to be lumped in with them.

That said, I don't see how the officer did anything wrong - period.

Folders Forever is spot on - You sped, got popped, deal with it. You cannot really claim that you didn't know the speed limit, that's your responsibillity as a driver. It is also your responsibillity to drive at the speed limit. Choose not to, you know the consequences. Everyone hates to drive 20 in the school zone, but it beats getting a ticket, or running over someone's little baby - which is why we have speed limits.

The lack of personal responsibillity in our society is apalling. I see it every day, and it really concerns me. This thread should have never started, maybe over in W&C so that people wouldn't have to watch their language.

There's one more opinion of an unqualified, anonymous internet poster, now lets sit back and see how long this thread survives.

AN

 

[DRM]

DRM will be hard pressed to find an LEO who will agree to help him make another's life a living hell.

You are obviously not as experienced with the LEO community as you think. As you stated below, most of them are the greatest guys and gals in the world, have zero tolerance for corruption amongst their own, and do indeed make life difficult for those who are corrupt.

I live and work in a small town/rural county with LEOs who are the greatest guys and gals in the world. Pigeonholing them all as bad bumpkin cops is BS...

So do I. I was also raised by one and therefore have been surrounded by them my whole life. Please point out in this thread where I pigeonholed them all as bad bumpkin cops. Otherwise, please stop lying about things I did not write, just because you disagree with my evaluation of this incident; which, incidentally, is based on years of daily and first-hand experience with the LEO community that exceeds your age.

 

[MORIMOTOM]

its not corruption, the city or court system decides what fines will be. tickets also do generate revenue for the city, thats just the way it is, parkers and movers.

you dont think the fine amount is fair? is that it? or your upset that your speedometer read one thing and the radar read another?

is it possible that before you looked at your speed your speedometer had another reading? it took the officer time to catch up to you, and if you saw him you likely slowed. or are you saying that you know for a fact that at the exact time the radar hit you or the officer paced you, you know beyond a shadow of a doubt that you were in fact under 40?

in the end, the onus is on you to maintain your vehicle and all its workings. ever had your speedometer checked for accuracy?

 

[Nichols747]

DRM,

I knew there was a reason that I resist posting in these types of threads. I am going to try to gracefully exit this discussion, as it leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

On your first point, I think that a resonably intelligent person will see the difference between removing a corrupt officer from their ranks, and "...legally make this cop's life a living hell". I really don't think, in the context of your post, that you were talking about having a corrupt officer dismissed for improper conduct. In your follow-up post, you compliment the officer on his proffesionalism and manners, the guy whose life you want to make a living hell.

On your second point,

"A cop in a small, trailer-trash town in Kansas..." - not very complimentary

"I surmise this cop saw a non-local through his town in a high-end SUV and saw $$$." - pretty much accusing him of shopping for tickets rather that LE

"...shaking-down passerbys for such petty reasons." - not really saying "he's a good cop"

True, I have cut out portions of your posts, and the context of the statements is not evident, but the context of these remarks really doesnt sit well with me, and they were in reference to local police and small-town government.

I really don't know how I score on the "I know all about cops" scale, and my dad isn't a cop. I don't know how old you are, evidently, you are older than I am. In my short time on this earth, I have found that it is best not to post when angry, and had I waited a day, I probably would not have written what I did, perhaps you wouldn't have either. I've read a lot of posts that I agree with in this discussion, and should probably leave this to more level-headed typists.

With that, I will disagree from afar. If you wish, you may quote bits of this post in a reply, but I may just let you have the last word.

AN

(Re-reading my post, I would suggest - Nichols747 states: "DRM...leaves a bad taste in my mouth", perhaps followed by the J**k-Off Smilie. I've decided I'm going to lighten up - it's just the internet for goodness sake!)