First ticket!

[Silver Snake]

Damn! I have had the Viper for 3 years now and not a single ticket....until tonight.

Now I don't condone racing on the street, but I am very faimiliar with the area and felt a little stupid and gave in to a BMW M5 that wanted a piece. Anyway, I know we were both going around 120 on this stretch of road near my house when we came upon a red light. There were some cars ahead already stopped at the light and I got on the brakes pretty hard.

Well I guess I am probably about a quart low on oil now judging by the amount of smoke! Needless to say I barely even saw the cop on the bike right next to me. Of course he wanted me to pull over and I did. As soon as I could I killed the engine and he never even said anything about the smoke.

Well, the guy turned out to be rather nice as he only wrote me up for 70 in a 55. Now for the funniest part....The guy gets back on his bike (behind me) to leave. Well, I start the car and completely engulf the guy in smoke. I mean I could not see anything, but the faint flashing of his lights. We both sat there for a moment as I was sure this time he was going to say/do something, but he never did.

Oh well, I know what I did was stupid, but I learned a valuable leason this evening..............I need to get a puke can!

 

[TOOOFST]

Gotta take a few hits!
Its all part of the game

 

[Dave's Big Brakes]

That's why I go to Willow when I feel the need for speed

 

[V10SpeedLuvr]

New meaning to smoking the competition (and cops)

Did the BMW get pulled over as well?

 

[Silver Snake]

Did the BMW get pulled over as well?

Nope. He motioned us both to pull over, but he just took off. I guess the cop really wanted to pull me over instead of going after the guy who ran. Can't imagine why. I mean a Viper doing 120 now pouring smoke out the back. I can only imagine what the guy in the BMW was thinking. Not to mention the other car drivers around!

 

[ViperJohn]

Did the BMW get pulled over as well?

Nope. He motioned us both to pull over, but he just took off. I guess the cop really wanted to pull me over instead of going after the guy who ran. Can't imagine why. I mean a Viper doing 120 now pouring smoke out the back. I can only imagine what the guy in the BMW was thinking. Not to mention the other car drivers around!

In our area they generally go after who doesn't stop. I guess it could have been worse.

 

[Silver Snake]

That's why I go to Willow when I feel the need for speed

Come on now Dave. I can't be going to Willow three times a week!

Damn kids with their fast cars and rockin' roll music!!!

 

[Catwood]

Mark...next time your in the hood come check out my cheap catch can.

Also..what street (so I can avoid)?

 

[93Cobra]

I just got a ticket the other day going thru Camp Pendleton. I was doing 82 the cop said. Any of you guys travel thru there? Its like Nascar sometimes with four to five cars going 80+ in the draft and I wasn't even driving my Viper.

 

[DodgeViper01]

Soeey to hear about that. Glad to hear that the cop gave you a break though.

 

[V10SpeedLuvr]

In our area they generally go after who doesn't stop. I guess it could have been worse.

Same here. Usually when a cop disobeys a police officer's motioning to pull over, he's guilty of more than just speeding, so cops chase him instead

 

[Silver Snake]

Mark...next time your in the hood come check out my cheap catch can.

Also..what street (so I can avoid)?

I was east-bound on Ted Williams Parkway just past the 15. He got me at the first light after the freeway.

 

[Catwood]

Know it well....going into the school zone.

 

[Ulysses]

I was east-bound on Ted Williams Parkway just past the 15. He got me at the first light after the freeway.

Know it well....going into the school zone.

Yeah, that is one of the biggest speed traps around. The guy just sits there on the side road all day long waiting for speeders.

 

[Silver Snake]

Interesting stuff. I guess I will never be going that fast in that area again.

And just for the record, this was at 9:00pm so it's not like there were children walking around.

 

[Catwood]

Schools out anyway! I was just making reference of the location. The speed limit drops from a 55 or 65 down to 25 in nothing flat which is silly. It's more like a freeway so why even have a school zone....it's a silly placement.

Before I was a responsible Viper owner I raced my Gen 4 TA against a blown shoebox there once. Off and on all the way to Pomerado.

I got lucky.

 

[V10SpeedLuvr]

The guy just sits there on the side road all day long waiting for speeders.

That is one big reason cops dont get the respect they deserve. Its kinda hard to respect someone who sits on the side of the road all day with their finger on a radar button waiting to write tickets. Its been said a million times and I'll make it one million one times, if cops focused on the REAL criminals, the world would be safer and they'd get more respect. I know they've got to meet quotas to keep their jobs and they're just doing what they're told by their superiors, but the priorities of many police forces are totally out of whack these days.

 

[twinturbo3150]

Did the BMW get pulled over as well?

Nope. He motioned us both to pull over, but he just took off. I guess the cop really wanted to pull me over instead of going after the guy who ran. Can't imagine why. I mean a Viper doing 120 now pouring smoke out the back. I can only imagine what the guy in the BMW was thinking. Not to mention the other car drivers around!

Even if you had the opportunity to RUN, and our run him, The cop had no worries he just needed to follow the smoke. Kinda like dropping bread crumbs to your house!!

 

[venms96]

Chad says - "That is one big reason Cops dont get the respect they deserve. Its kinda hard to respect someone who sits on the side of the road all day with their finger on a radar button waiting to write tickets. Its been said a million times and I'll make it one million one times, if Cops focused on the REAL criminals, the world would be safer and they'd get more respect. I know they've got to meet quotas to keep their jobs and they're just doing what they're told by their superiors, but the priorities of many police forces are totally out of whack these days."

Chad, what is your problem ? You always have something negative to say about this subject. This post was about a guy getting a break !! Which happens way more than people on here will ever admit to. And there are plenty of Cops out there "focusing on real criminals", as you put it. I'm glad there are Cops where I live who pull over the erratic drivers on a major Interstate highway, whipping from lane to lane, never using their turn signal. How many times have you wished you could pull someone over because they **** at driving. It's amazing that you don't think Traffic Safety is a priority in today's world. Maybe you don't live in a populated area where people from all over the country drive thru carelessly, with no regards to the local on-coming ramps, exit ramps, lane changes, etc. People drive like idiots these days, and I'm glad there are Cops that work the "Road". Just the other day, a Traffic Cop pulled over 2 guys in a truck. This led to a (lawful) search of the vehicle that ended up with $180,000 dollars Cash in a hidden compartment, and a few Kilos of ******* and a stolen pistol. Now, do you think that is an example of a "real criminal" ? And that Cop usually gives out Traffic tickets.
There are Cops that have their finger on a Radar button everyday, and then the next minute they are at someone's house because the drunken husband & wife just thumped each other. (The most dangerous call a Cop can respond to by the way).
You don't have a realistic picture of today's Cop Chad. And this post isn't anything personal and don't misread my writing. This post is not just my opinion, it's facts about where I live and what I see. The Cop who works the roads and highways have a far more dangerous and demanding job than any Cop who is focusing on, as you put it, the real criminal. Traffic Cops run into more real criminals than any other Cop. That's a fact.

venms96

 

[2BADD 4U]

venms96,

I could NOT have said it any better than you just did! I am both impressed and respectfull of your post. You certainly "Tell it like it is". Every word you posted IS the truth. You are a STANDUP guy.

Dave

 

[BLWNASP]

Yeah, Yeah, tickets happen. I spend more time looking in my rear view mirror then anything else.

 

[kcobean]

Forgive my Viper newbishness (uh, just made that one up), but what's the deal with all the smoke? Is this specific to your car, or is this something all Vipers do?

 

[NHL2133]

venms96,

I could NOT have said it any better than you just did! I am both impressed and respectfull of your post. You certainly "Tell it like it is". Every word you posted IS the truth. You are a STANDUP guy.

Dave

I'll second that!

 

[V10SpeedLuvr]

Chad, what is your problem ? You always have something negative to say about this subject. This post was about a guy getting a break !! Which happens way more than people on here will ever admit to. And there are plenty of Cops out there "focusing on real criminals", as you put it. I'm glad there are Cops where I live who pull over the erratic drivers on a major Interstate highway, whipping from lane to lane, never using their turn signal. How many times have you wished you could pull someone over because they **** at driving. It's amazing that you don't think Traffic Safety is a priority in today's world. Maybe you don't live in a populated area where people from all over the country drive thru carelessly, with no regards to the local on-coming ramps, exit ramps, lane changes, etc. People drive like idiots these days, and I'm glad there are Cops that work the "Road". Just the other day, a Traffic Cop pulled over 2 guys in a truck. This led to a (lawful) search of the vehicle that ended up with $180,000 dollars Cash in a hidden compartment, and a few Kilos of ******* and a stolen pistol. Now, do you think that is an example of a "real criminal" ? And that Cop usually gives out Traffic tickets.
There are Cops that have their finger on a Radar button everyday, and then the next minute they are at someone's house because the drunken husband & wife just thumped each other. (The most dangerous call a Cop can respond to by the way).
You don't have a realistic picture of today's Cop Chad. And this post isn't anything personal and don't misread my writing. This post is not just my opinion, it's facts about where I live and what I see. The Cop who works the roads and highways have a far more dangerous and demanding job than any Cop who is focusing on, as you put it, the real criminal. Traffic Cops run into more real criminals than any other Cop. That's a fact.

venms96

I dont have anything against policeman at all. But, yes I do feel sitting a guy on the side of Interstate with a radar gun is a waste of tax payer's money. Sure every once in a while, they'll get lucky and make a big bust off a routine traffic stop. But, most of the time, the people with the drugs and other illegal stuff do not speed, so they dont run the risk of being pulled over. I'd much rather see more policeman "walking the streets" and in high crime areas. They'll get a lot more drug busts in ghettos than they will in a month of pulling speeders over and getting lucky and finding a stash of drugs and/or weapons. MOST people on Interstate are law abiding citizens. But, if you go to where you know crime happens, thats when the ratio flips and you find more "bad guys", who deserve to be in jail. Would I feel safe going into a high crime housing project at night (or in the daytime) with no police in sight? No. I'd rather see a policeman patrolling neighborhoods and areas like downtown so noone tries to rob a bank or mug anyone. For the most part, I feel safe driving on Interstate but I agree there are a lot of bad drivers in the world. I have no problem with police on the highways being on the lookout for erratic drivers. But there is a difference between driving fast and driving erratically. I place part of the blame on unrealistic speed limits. I say jack the speedlimits up to 80 and then if someone is going 95, then give them a ticket. But noone should have to worry about a speeding ticket and increased insurance rates because they went 70 in a 55 zone. If someone is driving erratic (swerving, cutting people off, etc) then they should get a ticket. Again, I do NOT have a problem with police, I just have a problem with the system having unrealistic speed limits and the police being told to enforce these limits.

 

[AG98RT10]

There are at least two issues here. First is "street racing." A guy in a Bimmer "wanted some" of the Viper. Well, that's kind of ******** in itself, isn't it? What was he trying to prove, that the sky is blue? An M5 is no match for a Viper, everyone (should) know that. Even so, I'm not going to cast judgement down for "street racing" per se, but I am going to wonder aloud at the choice of location. I wasn't there, so I can't say, but how many people who engage in this kind of spontaneous testosterone challenge on a public highway really take time in the heat of that moment to consider what might happen to them at 120 mph? Do they really cover all those contingencies? And are they prepared (really) to face the consequences of their actions? This just sounds very ill-considered.
Now, it's hard to imagine a Viper owner never "getting on it." But I would hope they choose the location and situation fairly carefully first, not respond to some puerile provocation from a Bimmer driver.
Second, traffic cops. Yeah, sounds like he got a break from the copper. It does happen - most of us have so benefited. But it doesn't take away from the fact that localities and states use "traffic enforcement" for revenue generation. Once a "gubbamint" organization, on any scale, comes to rely on an income stream, it's very hard to reverse it. Speed enforcement has become a joke. On highways, the big trucks are networked well-enough that they can speed with impunity, and the "little guy" gets cut out of the herd and fined. Chances are, the guy in the Camry was just trying to stay out of the way of six eighteen-wheelers bearing down on him a mile or two ago. They all slowed down for the "unmarked at milepost 113" but the deaf and dumb Camry plowed through the speed trap at 77. Is this helping anyone drive more safely? That, my friends, is a travesty, and that is what having governments come to depend on traffic ticket revenue has resulted in for those who drive our highways.
As for cops, there are good ones and bad ones - most are somewhere in between. I think we have way too many focusing on traffic enforcement.

 

[Fishtail]

Stay out of future trouble by making it a learning experience
-lou

 

[snampro]

move to georgia and you'll understand Chad's frustration with traffic enforcement. Its really more like the entire East Coast, but georgia is certainly a flagship...

California it is not...

 

[VENOMAHOLIC]

As a teenager, I paid lots of dough in speeding tickets and insurance premiums. I admit I was a reckless youth. A little older now and I have an appreciation for cops. Today, the idea that I could get a ticket and have those rates go up again keeps me sane on the road. If there were no speed traps, the roads would be chaotic and deadly in populated areas.

America does need to have a US version of an Autobahn where unlimited speed is safe. Either that or more tracks where people can speed safely and cheaply.

 

[gthomas]

America does need to have a US version of an Autobahn where unlimited speed is safe.

We first need to teach people to drive.