Waldo Florida Spped Trap
Waldo, Florida on US 301 is back in the news again because of their speed trap. They have been told that they must write so many speeding tickets in a 12 hours shift. They are being investigated agai...
Forum Discussion
Quote:
Speed signs are suggestions not absolutes.
I heard that all my life.
True story:
I live in the country, the roads all around me are asphalt. I have no clue what the speed limit is on the road I actually live on, there's no speed limit anywhere on it ... anywhere. (North South road). But the East-West roads all have speed limits. First one North of me is posted 55. (remember this is all 100% pure country here!)... Running a tad late to work one morning, I hit 60. (Oh my ... I REALLY do speed sometimes ... don't I!)
Anyway, next thing I know an unmarked county police car pulls up behind me. I'm actually VERY surprised, usually folks run much faster than 60! I was nice, he was nice, and gave me a warning for being 15 mph over the speed limnit. He said he was just trying to get folks to slow down a bit. (HUM? I did not argue, I just thanked him and had a nice day after all). On my way home from work, I drove that road the entire distance, and it was clearly marked 55.
Another story:
One road further North of that is clearly marked 45 mph. I have (more than not) found myself going much faster than 45 on it. I could never figure out why the speedlimit was 45. Sure it was kind of narrow, compared to other roads, but not "that" narrow. Then one day I had the camper hitched behind the truck running 55 and OMG! I then realized why it was 45! That one ton dually and trailer with Weight Distribution, sway bar, and everything, porpoised (up and down motion on the rear of the truck) so bad, I thought I was going to loose control.... Slowed way down. I then realized something.... there ARE reasons for posted speed limits! You'd never feel that up-and-down movement in an automobile, but hook up a trailer, or maybe a semi-truck or something like than, AND if they go faster, it's a disaster waiting to happen.
So you know ... when speedlimits are posted, it's not always because some politician is trying to glean funds from the public by speeding tickets. Sometimes (and I say sometimes), the conditions of the road are JUST not conducive for EVERY type of vehicle. So when a speed limit is posted, yes ... YOU in your automobile, even towing our RV's may be able to navigate much faster on the road, but add ice, trailers, 18 wheelers, buses, pedestrians, side roads (oh yea, don't forget side roads connecting into the main road you're on), what if someone jumped out in front of you... you're going faster than the posted speed limit ... can you stop in time? ALL these factors go into the positioning of a posted speed limit. Just because it appears YOU or ME can drive it comfortably in bright sunny summer days, does not mean an 18 wheeler loaded with a million tons on hazardous material can speed effectively through that same spot in the fall when leaves start falling on the road, or it rains and gets slippery. Speeding then, would be disasterous. And YES, far too many think they can still drive successfully any way they want, even under adverse condition. If this really were true, NONE of us would ever have to carry automobile insurance .. Posted speed limits are that, taking into account the environmental hazards and based on that, sometimes drives the speed limit to change up and down over short distances.
Posted speed limit ... not always obvious why it's there, but more than not, it's that posted speed for a reason. (other than a revenue maker). Please think about that.
Another edit: I'm on a roll. sorry folks if I'm rambling.
There's an intersection about 3 miles from my home with a clearly marked 4 way stop. 100% country .... 100% open fields all 4 directions. Why a stinking Stop sign! You can see 1/2 a mile up the road either direction when driving.... WELL .... in the fall when the corn is up, you can't see NOTHING! You creep into the intersection and just pray nothing comes zooming through ignoring the stop sign. It doesn't make sense in the winter when the crops are down, but in the summer when they are up ... it sure makes sense. Can the county go and change the Stop sign to a "yield" sign every few months and then switch back again... no. So the sign is put there based upon the worst case conditions. (And do I blow through that stop sign in winter when I'm the only one on the road and CAN see for 1/2 a mile all directions .... Yup! I SURE do!) Still ... am I wrong. Yes! technically, I should arrest myself! But, I'm not a policeman, so I just let myself off with a warning! Accident waiting to happen? perhaps someday! Yes.
Speed signs are suggestions not absolutes.
I heard that all my life.
True story:
I live in the country, the roads all around me are asphalt. I have no clue what the speed limit is on the road I actually live on, there's no speed limit anywhere on it ... anywhere. (North South road). But the East-West roads all have speed limits. First one North of me is posted 55. (remember this is all 100% pure country here!)... Running a tad late to work one morning, I hit 60. (Oh my ... I REALLY do speed sometimes ... don't I!)
Anyway, next thing I know an unmarked county police car pulls up behind me. I'm actually VERY surprised, usually folks run much faster than 60! I was nice, he was nice, and gave me a warning for being 15 mph over the speed limnit. He said he was just trying to get folks to slow down a bit. (HUM? I did not argue, I just thanked him and had a nice day after all). On my way home from work, I drove that road the entire distance, and it was clearly marked 55.
Another story:
One road further North of that is clearly marked 45 mph. I have (more than not) found myself going much faster than 45 on it. I could never figure out why the speedlimit was 45. Sure it was kind of narrow, compared to other roads, but not "that" narrow. Then one day I had the camper hitched behind the truck running 55 and OMG! I then realized why it was 45! That one ton dually and trailer with Weight Distribution, sway bar, and everything, porpoised (up and down motion on the rear of the truck) so bad, I thought I was going to loose control.... Slowed way down. I then realized something.... there ARE reasons for posted speed limits! You'd never feel that up-and-down movement in an automobile, but hook up a trailer, or maybe a semi-truck or something like than, AND if they go faster, it's a disaster waiting to happen.
So you know ... when speedlimits are posted, it's not always because some politician is trying to glean funds from the public by speeding tickets. Sometimes (and I say sometimes), the conditions of the road are JUST not conducive for EVERY type of vehicle. So when a speed limit is posted, yes ... YOU in your automobile, even towing our RV's may be able to navigate much faster on the road, but add ice, trailers, 18 wheelers, buses, pedestrians, side roads (oh yea, don't forget side roads connecting into the main road you're on), what if someone jumped out in front of you... you're going faster than the posted speed limit ... can you stop in time? ALL these factors go into the positioning of a posted speed limit. Just because it appears YOU or ME can drive it comfortably in bright sunny summer days, does not mean an 18 wheeler loaded with a million tons on hazardous material can speed effectively through that same spot in the fall when leaves start falling on the road, or it rains and gets slippery. Speeding then, would be disasterous. And YES, far too many think they can still drive successfully any way they want, even under adverse condition. If this really were true, NONE of us would ever have to carry automobile insurance .. Posted speed limits are that, taking into account the environmental hazards and based on that, sometimes drives the speed limit to change up and down over short distances.
Posted speed limit ... not always obvious why it's there, but more than not, it's that posted speed for a reason. (other than a revenue maker). Please think about that.
Another edit: I'm on a roll. sorry folks if I'm rambling.
There's an intersection about 3 miles from my home with a clearly marked 4 way stop. 100% country .... 100% open fields all 4 directions. Why a stinking Stop sign! You can see 1/2 a mile up the road either direction when driving.... WELL .... in the fall when the corn is up, you can't see NOTHING! You creep into the intersection and just pray nothing comes zooming through ignoring the stop sign. It doesn't make sense in the winter when the crops are down, but in the summer when they are up ... it sure makes sense. Can the county go and change the Stop sign to a "yield" sign every few months and then switch back again... no. So the sign is put there based upon the worst case conditions. (And do I blow through that stop sign in winter when I'm the only one on the road and CAN see for 1/2 a mile all directions .... Yup! I SURE do!) Still ... am I wrong. Yes! technically, I should arrest myself! But, I'm not a policeman, so I just let myself off with a warning! Accident waiting to happen? perhaps someday! Yes.
