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Nunquam_Idem · 07-08-2004, 01:24 PM

I've been pulled over 3 times. First 2 times within 2 weeks of each other, both resulted in tickets. That sucked.

First one was in Iowa, I didn't see where he'd come from but I must have recently passed someone and he had to have passed several before I realized he was behind me. 82 in a 60. Since I was nice (as it was my first, I was really polite and couldn't believe it was happening to me, you know, 18 and invincible) and from out of state, he dropped it to a 80 in a 60, meaning that I didn't have to actually show up in court in a couple weeks when I wasn't going to be in Iowa any more. Coming back to court for a ticket in another state would have sucked so bad. The ticket was somewhere near $60, I think.

I obeyed every sign I passed after that.

However, that was not entirely the case. The next ticket was later that week or the next week- on the way home from Iowa, outside of Kansas City on the Interstate. That time I was following my friends, who seemed to really like driving fast. I wasn't much for it, but I didn't want to lose them. So I tried to keep up and sped. I think the HP was on a down ramp of an exit, I never saw him until he had been behind me for a while. Pulled over. If I couldn't believe the first one, I was really in shock over this one. Two tickets in two weeks. I'd been driving for a couple years at that point, I guess I thought I really was invincible. Again, I 'm not one for getting angry, I was just in disbelief at my recent streak of really bad luck. 91 in a 70. I tried to explain that I was following (and now rapidly losing) my friends and was even stupid enough to say "This is my second ticket in 2 weeks" to which the officer dished out the old cliched "You should have learned from the first one". Mucho suckage. $145, and I had to show up for court on this one. Anything over 20 MPH apparently has to.

I was scared to death of what *this* would do to my insurance.

When I got home I looked up my options online for what to do with the tickets. One of those sites had the now busted Urban Legend "send in more than the amount of the ticket, they will have to send you a check, don't cash it! If they can't close the case, it won't go on your record!". I did that for the Iowa one. I got the check back, never cashed it (I still have it in a folder somewhere, I think). As of this day, I have yet to find out if it showed up on my record, and have changed insurance companies a couple times, no one has mentioned it or upped my rates. Still crossing my fingers :-)

For the KC ticket, I looked up hired and hired a local lawyer in the area. They were able to get the ticket reduced to a "Faulty equipment - non-moving violation" that wouldn't show up as an insurance problem. That was an owie $300 lawyer fee. I felt it was better than having jacked insurance rates for the next 7 years, so I think it was worth it. I also paid over the ticket amount, just to be safe ;-)

Third and most recent was in town, going home for lunch, coasting down a hill in a semi-residential area. The cop was at the bottom of the hill. I was so close to my house that after the cop caught up from flipping his U-turn I was already home. Tthe limit was 25 and I did 36. He was really nice, and just gave me a warning because it was the first time in a long time, and said they'd keep the record for any other in town violations.

So, any more, I don't do anything over 9 MPH over the limit. That and I have a similar policy to bermuDa.

I have heard that some people treat their tickets like a hunting permit. They just pay their Speeding Fee when they get pulled over.

Ah well, that's enough of me blathering. Carry on, folks... Carry on...

07-08-2004, 01:24 PM	#40 (permalink)
Nunquam_Idem Tilted Location: On the 'Mostly Harmless' planet Earth	I've been pulled over 3 times. First 2 times within 2 weeks of each other, both resulted in tickets. That sucked. First one was in Iowa, I didn't see where he'd come from but I must have recently passed someone and he had to have passed several before I realized he was behind me. 82 in a 60. Since I was nice (as it was my first, I was really polite and couldn't believe it was happening to me, you know, 18 and invincible) and from out of state, he dropped it to a 80 in a 60, meaning that I didn't have to actually show up in court in a couple weeks when I wasn't going to be in Iowa any more. Coming back to court for a ticket in another state would have sucked so bad. The ticket was somewhere near $60, I think. I obeyed every sign I passed after that. However, that was not entirely the case. The next ticket was later that week or the next week- on the way home from Iowa, outside of Kansas City on the Interstate. That time I was following my friends, who seemed to really like driving fast. I wasn't much for it, but I didn't want to lose them. So I tried to keep up and sped. I think the HP was on a down ramp of an exit, I never saw him until he had been behind me for a while. Pulled over. If I couldn't believe the first one, I was really in shock over this one. Two tickets in two weeks. I'd been driving for a couple years at that point, I guess I thought I really was invincible. Again, I 'm not one for getting angry, I was just in disbelief at my recent streak of really bad luck. 91 in a 70. I tried to explain that I was following (and now rapidly losing) my friends and was even stupid enough to say "This is my second ticket in 2 weeks" to which the officer dished out the old cliched "You should have learned from the first one". Mucho suckage. $145, and I had to show up for court on this one. Anything over 20 MPH apparently has to. I was scared to death of what this would do to my insurance. When I got home I looked up my options online for what to do with the tickets. One of those sites had the now busted Urban Legend "send in more than the amount of the ticket, they will have to send you a check, don't cash it! If they can't close the case, it won't go on your record!". I did that for the Iowa one. I got the check back, never cashed it (I still have it in a folder somewhere, I think). As of this day, I have yet to find out if it showed up on my record, and have changed insurance companies a couple times, no one has mentioned it or upped my rates. Still crossing my fingers :-) For the KC ticket, I looked up hired and hired a local lawyer in the area. They were able to get the ticket reduced to a "Faulty equipment - non-moving violation" that wouldn't show up as an insurance problem. That was an owie $300 lawyer fee. I felt it was better than having jacked insurance rates for the next 7 years, so I think it was worth it. I also paid over the ticket amount, just to be safe ;-) Third and most recent was in town, going home for lunch, coasting down a hill in a semi-residential area. The cop was at the bottom of the hill. I was so close to my house that after the cop caught up from flipping his U-turn I was already home. Tthe limit was 25 and I did 36. He was really nice, and just gave me a warning because it was the first time in a long time, and said they'd keep the record for any other in town violations. So, any more, I don't do anything over 9 MPH over the limit. That and I have a similar policy to bermuDa. I have heard that some people treat their tickets like a hunting permit. They just pay their Speeding Fee when they get pulled over. Ah well, that's enough of me blathering. Carry on, folks... Carry on... __________________ Oh no, not again.