Waldo Fl. speed trap update

We do use pull outs when they are available. This past summer on our trip to Alaska, I had the Mile Post open on my lap so we could find pullouts and we used them extensively. If we even had one vehicle behind us, we pulled off as soon as we could find a pull out where we fit. We had one very close call near Homer where a pick up towing a huge boat passed us on a double yellow. No turn out in sight or believe me we would have pulled over. We had to stop on the road and so did the approaching car to avoid a head on collision. It was that close and we were traveling the speed limit. The driver was just a jerk. Plenty of them out there too.

fj12ryder wrote:
An extra 2 1/2 hours spent on the road instead of being at your destination. It all adds up.

Indeed it does. That 2.5 hours subtracts from the roughly 657,000 hours you might have on the planet to 656997.5 at age 75.

I choose to slow down and enjoy the journey. Your results may vary.

Rancher Will wrote:
We were motioned over by a man in an unmarked pickup truck. The man was wearing a badge but no uniform.

I can buy a badge in a dollar store. Never in a gazillion years would I have pulled over.

Since this post refers to speed traps, I have observed that when you are in a speed trap your speed is not important. Three times in my life I have received a citation in a speed trap and each time I was driving under the posted speed limit. I believe each time I was cited for the reason that I had an out of state license. Once in Florida, once in California and the last in Texas.

For example, the last time, on US Highway 287 just east of Childress, Texas we were driving on cruise control at 60 mph in a posted 65 MPH zone. We were the third vehicle in a line of traffic, all traveling at the same speed.

We were motioned over by a man in an unmarked pickup truck. The man was wearing a badge but no uniform. I was issued at ticket that stated that I was driving 10 percent over the speed limit, but no mention on the ticket of the speed limit.I was the only one stopped from the line of traffic. The ones in front and passing me I noticed all had Texas Plates.

The "officer" and the information on the ticket gave me an option to go to a county court more than a week later, or call a phone number to pay the fine. Since we live in Colorado I called the phone number. The person answering the phone was not the county court. In fact was not even a court employee. I was informed that the person worked for a private company that collected fines for courts from persons who chose not to appear in court. I was only asked for the ID number on the citation that I had received. I was then informed of a fine amount and told that I could pay by credit card.

I assumed that I was the victim of a scam so I payed by my American Express Business Card, knowing that I could get a confirmation of the whole deal from AMEX. The next day I phoned AMEX, explained the situation to the AMEX Personal Account Representative and was told that AMEX would check it out. If it was a scam the charge on my AMEX card would be cancelled.

About a week later I received a phone call from the Clerk of the County Court in Taxes informing me that American Express intended to cancel the fine charge unless I confirmed that the charge I had made on the citation fine was legitimate. I requested the Court Clerk to FAX me the details on a court letterhead with their identification to prove that they were actually a County Court.

I received the FAX indicating that the court had received the money paid by the company that collected the fine, less a fee paid to the private company by the court, charged on the AMEX card. I notified AMEX to go ahead and pay the fine and close the case.

I believe that I was a victim again of a speed trap.

Yep, 70 mph vs 55 mph will get you there only 15 minutes quicker if you travel an hour.

But surely you travel more than an hour in a year? Probably much more, so if you travel, say 10 hours a month, now you're looking at 150 minutes and that's 2 1/2 hours. Which means your journey now takes you 12 1/2 hours. An extra 2 1/2 hours spent on the road instead of being at your destination.

It all adds up.

down home wrote:
Ten to fifteen over is allowable, in most places now.

Would you, or someone, explain why this is? And further, why it is acceptable in some areas more than others, if indeed that is the case? Why bother with speed limits at all if what you describe is true? 70 in a 55? 85 in a 70? Well sure, go for it. I'd love to hear from a LEO about your statement.

Further, if you drive 70 in a 55 zone, over my hour you will get to your destination 15 minutes ahead of me. 15 MINUTES! Was it worth the cost in terms of always having to look over your shoulder for LE and the increased wear and tear on your vehicles (presumably since you are posting in a general RV issues forum you utilize one)?

Just on a practical note, given that 15 mph differential between 55 and 70 with a few exceptions (don't go there and miss the point) most vehicles will experience a significant increase in fuel mileage at the lower speed to the benefit of everyone.

Tachdriver wrote:

Big Katuna wrote:
Double yellow lines means no passing.

I don't want to see more enforcement.

We need much better drivers training and testing.

Wet skid pad training, tours to emergency rooms and rehabs.

And junkyards.

Agree, todays fix to a ticket is drivers school. What needs to be done is to take the offender out in a car with an instructor and cover the basics including courtesy. I know that is a stretch but a person may re-think their driving if they know they would be subjected to a 4-hour class of "The Red Pavement" and a driving lesson with a fine to cover that.

This is not for the speed trap but for the offenders who drive 10-15 over depending on the speed limit.

(getting flame suit on).

.....

Big Katuna wrote:
Double yellow lines means no passing.

I don't want to see more enforcement.

We need much better drivers training and testing.

Wet skid pad training, tours to emergency rooms and rehabs.

And junkyards.

Agree, todays fix to a ticket is drivers school. What needs to be done is to take the offender out in a car with an instructor and cover the basics including courtesy. I know that is a stretch but a person may re-think their driving if they know they would be subjected to a 4-hour class of "The Red Pavement" and a driving lesson with a fine to cover that.

This is not for the speed trap but for the offenders who drive 10-15 over depending on the speed limit.

(getting flame suit on).

Saw today that Waldo,Fla has disbanded their police force...

There are many, too many here, who would drive 110 if the speed limit were raised to 100. They have something to prove. Unfortunate that their self esteems are based on "getting over" at whatever cost.

I'm happy with who I am. I can live within the posted speed limits even if I think I could go faster. I'm in no hurry.