Quote: "I heard him coming"

[VEGASRIDER]

Went to court today to fight my speeding ticket that I received on the first of the year. Took it to trial and the officer who wrote me the ticket was on the witness stand and said: "I heard him coming and noticed that he was approaching me at a high rate of speed so I picked up my radar gun."

That would be my Remus Exhaust. Just having the officer say that in court was worth the $140 fine. It was beautiful.

Here in Las Vegas, we have the option of getting our tickets fixed by a traffic attourney, and they reduce it to a parking ticket. It does not go on your record and no points. But I opted to take it to court because I had never been to court before.

Just for the record, I was creating a safety margin by creating time and space away from the vehicles that were behind me coming off a red light. It was during the evening of a national holiday, the vehicles behind me were probably driving impaired. Always assume the worst case scenario.

Unfortunately the Judge wasn't a rider, and couldn't relate. Although the cop was a motorcycle cop, we all know that everyone never crowds a cop when they see one. So he really couldn't relate as well.

 

[Norbert]

How does this effect your MSF instructor duties?
Don't you MSF guys need to be squeaky clean?

 

[Motogiro]

Yeah he heard you coming, all the way from the bank! Sorry Kenny, not like anyone does maintain the speed limit and you can get caught just passing someone. With our bikes increase in speed is very quick!

 

[VEGASRIDER]

How does this effect your MSF instructor duties?
Don't you MSF guys need to be squeaky clean?

Were allowed some wiggle room.

 

[CHEMIKER]

We know you well enough to know that you weren't doing anything extraordinarily stupid Kenny. Probably something a lot of us do every day; just you got caught.

The crappy thing is that on New Year's Day in Las Vegas they're pulling over a sober guy for speeding, and probably getting passed by hundreds of drunk asses who are actually dangerous while he's writing you this BS ticket.

You're right - that comment made the fine worth it.

 

[OZXJR]

How fast did he get you for ?

 

[Tailgate]

I am always attracted to the big billboards in Vegas advertising ticket resolution/dismissal (like it's 100% guaranteed). We sure don't have that in CA! Here, with certain "infractions" we can keep it from going on our record if we complete a traffic school course (2-4 hours, online available). Of course, we still have to pay fine and another $30-50 or so for the traffic school (and can't have done traffic school in the previous 18 months). I'm concerned more about insurance rates skyrocketing more than anything so I will do traffic school if possible.

 

[abacall]

^^Same in Utah. We can got to traffic school twice a year, and the ticket points are dismissed. School is $50, +$25 fees for dismissal, and add on the fine. It gets pricey, but still cheaper than adding points.
I just went last week, cost me $250 total for going 54 in a 35. I was doing the exact same thing as Vegas. Coming off a stoplight, wanted to get away from a Utah Jazz game traffic. I was also pulled over by a bike cop, when I told him why, he said, "Yeah, I get it. But you were still speeding, you could have just zoomed off and stayed at 45. We give you a 10 mph buffer." He was right (damn Fazer throttle), the info was appreciated, and I paid the fine.

 

[Motogiro]

Rick Clemson also heard you coming Hahaha! Caught you on the Multi Specrum Focused Light Recorder! LOL! Look at him! Hahaha! Representin!!

 

[VEGASRIDER]

I am always attracted to the big billboards in Vegas advertising ticket resolution/dismissal (like it's 100% guaranteed).

Yes it is, they usually charge around $50-$100 or sometimes even for free by certain lawyers because they want you coming back in the event you have a real $$ case. But if you go down and do it yourself, trying to take it to trial, they will eventually give you the same deal. The prosecutor offered to reduce it to a parking ticket twice on two different occasions and I said no. I wanted to take it to trial just because I wanted to go thru the whole judicial process because I have never done it before. Whether I was found guilty or not guilty by the judge was irrelevant.

I just went last week, cost me $250 total for going 54 in a 35. I was doing the exact same thing as Vegas. Coming off a stoplight, wanted to get away from a Utah Jazz game traffic. I was also pulled over by a bike cop, when I told him why, he said, "Yeah, I get it. But you were still speeding, you could have just zoomed off and stayed at 45. We give you a 10 mph buffer." .

Funny, the cop said exactly the samething. But I always like to wait one - two seconds after the light turns green just in case there are any late red light runners. So if there is a vehicle next to me, they usually get a head start. But in my case, it was on New Years, and the liklihood that more drivers are driving impaired on that given time, I made the decision to give myself "Extra" safety margin. Unfortunately that "EXtra" was 13mph over.

Chemiker was correct, the cop could have used better judgement on that day, concentrating on catching the drunks, rather than wasting his time writing a simple speeding ticket becuase that was the whole reason I was speeding.

 

[Roadstergal]

One crime at a time. If I'm on a bike with a loud exhaust, non-stock lighting, or something else that draws attention, I keep the speed down. That's why I like stock-looking bikes (especially stock plate location and turn signals), and why I kept the stock pipes on my FZ6. I could act up a little more.

 

[FZ1inNH]

He "heard you coming" . . . . so does that mean, had you still been using the stock stealth exhaust, he wouldn't have heard you, not had enough time to get the gun on you and you wouldn't have had a ticket?

Might have saved $140 right there... Hey! New T-Shirt! "Loud pipes attract Police!" :justkidding:

 

[The Toecutter]

He "heard you coming" . . . . so does that mean, had you still been using the stock stealth exhaust, he wouldn't have heard you, not had enough time to get the gun on you and you wouldn't have had a ticket?

Might have saved $140 right there... Hey! New T-Shirt! "Loud pipes attract Police!" :justkidding:

LMAO!!! :rof: That's a great idea for T-shirt !! :rockon:

 

[RJ2112]

One crime at a time. If I'm on a bike with a loud exhaust, non-stock lighting, or something else that draws attention, I keep the speed down. That's why I like stock-looking bikes (especially stock plate location and turn signals), and why I kept the stock pipes on my FZ6. I could act up a little more.

Non descript, silver/gray bike.... quiet..... seems to be pretty much invisible.

 

[lonesoldier84]

People who make or enforce laws can never wrap their heads around the concept that their rules aren't iron-clad and truly perfect in their application to the many people who live under them.

What is safe for a semi-truck carrying a 300 ton load is exactly the same thing which is safe for a 300lb motorcycle.

Stupid lawmakers. Our problem is we don't form a lobby group and change laws. We just grumble and pay. When we complain in court, they just say "well go change the law then you speed-demon".

There is talk of dropping a 50kph speed limit on backroads here to 30kph. I am beside myself in bewilderment at the idiocy of this.

 

[Tailgate]

Many traffic laws are nonsense. Take my neighborhood, for example. The main road through it used to be almost stop sign free. Then, because some cranky citizens thought---I guess--that some motorists were exceeding the speed limit they had the county install about 10 stop signs. Now, if one goes at/under the speed limit the whole distance but, say, doesn't make a complete, full stop it's at least $162 fine. The only reason for which stop signs were installed was to slow people down and now motorists are knicked not for speeding but for not making a complete stop. Other neighborhoods get speed bumps put in instead to control speeding. I remember years back CHP officers used to--get this---catch and cite motorists for speeding. Now, it's B.S. stop sign enforcement.

 

[VEGASRIDER]

Might have saved $140 right there... Hey! New T-Shirt! "Loud pipes attract Police!" :justkidding:

No need to joke, you're absolutley correct! But I still prefer the loud pipes over the stock stealth mode.