[NJblue]

Originally Posted by Prizmz

Do remember the cost of the summons is merely the ante...first question for policy renewal -- "Have you received a ticket in the last...?"

Which is why I really don't like the unrealistically low speed limits and the strict enforcement of them. It stacks the deck against people around here in terms of the potential for increased insurance costs. After over 40 years of driving, one gets to intuitively know what the speed limit of a road should be by its layout. When the limit is artificially reduced it makes it very difficult to drive within the law.

Besides, slower is not necessarily safer. When a speed limit is much lower than the conditions would normally call for, it creates a situation where you have two different types of drivers - those who go the speed limit and those who drive based on the condition of the road. It is the resulting inequity in speed that produces an unsafe condition.

However, if safety were the real issue, the cops would be far better off camping themselves at a traffic circle and ticketing those who insist on using the outside lanes no matter where they want to end up. These are the people who are the cause for most of the close calls that I have had while being here. I have never seen a near accident caused by someone going 45 on Buena Vista.

[r_foye]

As a retired police officer I can tell you by law and definition "speed traps" are illegal. What you really should be saying is that the local police officers are taking up positions along roadways where people are known to speed. I personally see nothing wrong with ticketing people who speed, never in my career did I give a tciket that wasn't deserved. I also love this other load of crap that police officers are out there writing tickets for revenue generation. Not once in my entire career did anyone from the city or police administration tell us to go write tickets so we could generate more revenue. Perhaps if you just slowed down you wouldn't have to worry about the "speed traps."

[Halle]

Originally Posted by r_foye

Perhaps if you just slowed down you wouldn't have to worry about the "speed traps."

[downeaster]

Originally Posted by r_foye

As a retired police officer I can tell you by law and definition "speed traps" are illegal. What you really should be saying is that the local police officers are taking up positions along roadways where people are known to speed. I personally see nothing wrong with ticketing people who speed, never in my career did I give a tciket that wasn't deserved. I also love this other load of crap that police officers are out there writing tickets for revenue generation. Not once in my entire career did anyone from the city or police administration tell us to go write tickets so we could generate more revenue. Perhaps if you just slowed down you wouldn't have to worry about the "speed traps."

\\

Well said!

There are no "speed traps" in The Villages. Speed limits are are clearly posted. They are there for a purpose. Exceed them and pay the price. If I see you getting a ticket I will applaud the officer for doing his/her duty.

Having said that, I don't see a lot of speeding by automobiles. I do see a lot of speeding by golf carts. I think they are more of a danger to themselves than to others. A lot of their accidents seem to be single vehicle.

[billethkid]

if only they would keep it up day after day. Maybe, MAYBE then those who are in such a hurry to go no place and do nothing will eventually get the message.

I just wish citizen's arrest was legal in FL.

btk

[elevatorman]

Before we moved here from MD we had to pass through 3 speed cameras going to work and 3 coming home. They were revenue machines. One of the benifits of moving to the villages was no more cameras.

[JoeB1]

I only worked in CA for 32 years so can only explain a speed trap according to their laws of fruits and nuts.
According to the CA. Vehicle Code section 40802
A "speed trap" is either of the following:
(a) A particular section of a highway measured as to distance and with boundaries marked, designated, or otherwise determined in order that the speed of a vehicle may be calculated by securing the time it takes the vehicle to travel the known distance.

Section 40802(b):
defines where "radar or other electronic devices" can be used to determine speed -- in essence, either on "local streets and roads" or on highways where a traffic survey has been conducted within the last five years.

So unless the officers are using a known length of roadway that they have actually marked off and are willing to state that in court, they are not using a "speed trap". Lots of people consider a location repeatedly used for speed enforcement a speed trap. Cops refer to them as duck ponds and judges refer to them as complain generators. Speeders refer to them as "not again, lord", locations.
Speed surveys are used to determine speed limits based on the numbers of vehicles that pass a given location at the median and average speeds for specific given times and days of the week. Traffic engineers take weeks to analysis the speed given the sight distance, number of vehicles, width of the road, shoulder size, configuration, angle of the sun, street lights at night, and a few others I can't remember.
Bottom lines is, like I saw in Alaska "Pick your speed --$50 dollars for anything over 45 MPH...$25 dollars for every 10 MPH over that".
The spot to stop in CAli is Star Bucks, not Dunkkin Donuts, way nicer veiws in SB's

[Indy-Guy]

Originally Posted by r_foye

As a retired police officer I can tell you by law and definition "speed traps" are illegal. What you really should be saying is that the local police officers are taking up positions along roadways where people are known to speed. I personally see nothing wrong with ticketing people who speed, never in my career did I give a tciket that wasn't deserved. I also love this other load of crap that police officers are out there writing tickets for revenue generation. Not once in my entire career did anyone from the city or police administration tell us to go write tickets so we could generate more revenue. Perhaps if you just slowed down you wouldn't have to worry about the "speed traps."

The od thing is I have never seen a police car pulled over for speeding. However I have been passed many many times by police cars with their families in the car as I was driving 5 mph over the posted speed limit. They have gone by me like I was sitting still.

Many police officers work under the tought that laws and rules are for other people and not them. I know officers that work under this way of life. This does not lend respect to them from many other people

I started this thread to let people know where they were very highly possible to get a ticket. But since it has gone this way I will glive my personal opinion.

Boy did it go a ways from that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[NJblue]

I fail to see why wanting to go 45 MPH on a 4-lane divided highway constitutes being "in a hurry". How was this speed picked? Find me one other 4-lane, limited access road in the state with such a low speed limit. Would those who are "not in a hurry" be OK with it being lowered to 25?

[r_foye]

Jeez, if I had a dime for everytime I heard someone whining about police officers do this and police officers do that and I can't do it, I would not just be buying a house in The Villages, I would own The Villages. You wanna know what else police officers get to do that you don't? They get to have their asses kicked by meth users, they get to sleep all Christmas Day because they are pulling a 12 hour midnight shift while you enjoy your family, they get to retire with a litany of injuries because they have given a huge part of their lives to protect the whiners and complainers of this world. Get over it.

[ejp52]

Originally Posted by r_foye

Jeez, if I had a dime for everytime I heard someone whining about police officers do this and police officers do that and I can't do it, I would not just be buying a house in The Villages, I would own The Villages. You wanna know what else police officers get to do that you don't? They get to have their asses kicked by meth users, they get to sleep all Christmas Day because they are pulling a 12 hour midnight shift while you enjoy your family, they get to retire with a litany of injuries because they have given a huge part of their lives to protect the whiners and complainers of this world. Get over it.

Did you take the police job voluntarily?

[Pocadot55]

People live on Buena Vista. Would you like someone driving 45 mph past your house? Just because we have nice straight streets doesn't mean you have the right to go speeding past someone's house. Think about it.

[NJblue]

Originally Posted by Pocadot55

People live on Buena Vista. Would you like someone driving 45 mph past your house? Just because we have nice straight streets doesn't mean you have the right to go speeding past someone's house. Think about it.

People live backed up to 466A also and its speed limit is 45 (or more). Should we reduce speed limits around the country because people chose to live near a major road?

[NJblue]

Originally Posted by r_foye

Jeez, if I had a dime for everytime I heard someone whining about police officers do this and police officers do that and I can't do it, I would not just be buying a house in The Villages, I would own The Villages. You wanna know what else police officers get to do that you don't? They get to have their asses kicked by meth users, they get to sleep all Christmas Day because they are pulling a 12 hour midnight shift while you enjoy your family, they get to retire with a litany of injuries because they have given a huge part of their lives to protect the whiners and complainers of this world. Get over it.

I certainly hope you are not condoning police officers breaking the law with impunity just because they have a tough job. Lots of people have tough jobs (even more so than police officers). Does that mean that they also should be allowed to break traffic laws?

[Talk Host]

Originally Posted by Indy-Guy

However I have been passed many many times by police cars with their families in the car as I was driving 5 mph over the posted speed limit. They have gone by me like I was sitting still.
!

In 62 years, I can't recall ever seeing a police patrol car with "their families" inside. When I was a deputy sheriff, I had my mother and father in the patrol car one time. I drove them from a parking lot into the Ohio State fair grounds as a courtesy, after getting permission from the Sheriff.

Oh, and how do you know these were family members of the cop? Is it possible that all of these officers you've seen were rushing families to a hospital to be with a dying family member. Many times, I was dispatched to pick up a family and take them to an emergency room where a close relative was dying from an accident or shooting or whatever. One night I drove an entire family (mother father and two little children) home after their car hit and killed an elderly couple walking across the Ohio turnpike at night.

Even so, if it what you say is true, does it justify your speeding? Nice try.