Total Motorcycle Community Forums

Sorry I didn't feel like hijacking the other thread. Got a speeding ticket in Mass (on the turnpike) last week in my cage driving home from vacation. I'm usually great at spotting cops early since in NY they use laser (I *think* that's all they use) and need to be in L.O.S. of the vehicle. This cop on the MA turnpike got me on radar doing 80 in a 65 (I was matching traffic), from around the corner and behind trees. By the time I saw him he was already pulling out. it's a $150 fine, and the entries "radar" and "estimation" are marked on the ticket. How much effort will I need to beat this? i heard radar isn't all that reliable, and at the same time he checked estimation...so that makes it unreliable*2 in my eyes.

What do you guys think? I live in southern tier NY so a drive to MA would be inconvenient unless I knew I had a chance at this. I've had one other speeding ticket in the past, 2.5 yrs ago.

I'm putting this in the soap box forum since it doesn't have anything to do with motorcycles.

Thanks in advance for the advice!

I won't pretend to know anything about New York law or even any law, but I do know that in theory you should show up to fight the ticket and if the cop doesn't show up, you shouldn't have to pay. I also know when I tried that the cop didn't show up, and the judge told me if I didn't just pay the ticket he'd lock me up. I expressed that I thought I knew the law, and he informed me that what I knew didn't matter. So who knows.

I hate when everyone is speeding, and they pick one guy out of the flock. I mean, what about safety? Seems more important on a freeway to stay with the flow than follow the law, but I don't see that changing any time soon. Good luck.

Unlike my husband... I believe that if you were indeed speeding and happen to be the one who got caught, then pay up. It's the law. I'm not saying that I don't break the law - literally I break speeding laws every time I drive. But I do it to the point where I'm willing to pay the consequence. In the cage I put the cruise control at 5-7 over the legal limit. I believe this will keep me out of trouble. Now if I'm going faster than that, I may have my reasons, but I am willing to pay a speeding fine if caught.

Scan failed to mention that you can ask the judge for leniency whether or not the cop shows up. He/She may drop the fine and/or the points down a bit - they did it for Scan (our insurance still went up a bit though...)

Good luck.

Cheers,
Loonette

Loonette wrote:Unlike my husband... I believe that if you were indeed speeding and happen to be the one who got caught, then pay up.

No, that is not unlike me. If you speed, I think you have to pay up. I just think the speed laws and the enforcement is crazy sometimes. I've told our kids before, if you break the law you pay the price - even me. So I speed and know I may have to pay.

scanevalexec wrote:So I speed and know I may have to pay.

Oh, okay - you're just upset with the actual laws...

Anyway, if your last ticket was 2.5 years ago, then the judge might go easy. But since speeding tickets are a huge revenue booster, it might not happen that way. What types of points will this ticket carry? That's what might be worth fighting for - a reduction in points.

Cheers,
Loonette

don't have a domestic in the forums.


Anywho FYI, I was in court one time for running a red light and the dude who was up before me was there for a speeding ticket. He said that the cop didn't have a radar gun to prove he was speeding. The judge said that the officer had enough experience with speeding offences to be able to accurately estimate speed. The guy had to pay the ticket. So be careful of what you think is the law. I was surprised by the ruling but dodo happens.

rapidblue wrote:

don't have a domestic in the forums.

I know - this is a first for us. And we share the same room, sitting back to back, while entering posts. Crazy...

Cheers,
Loonette

I would be more than happy to pay the $150 fine if it meant I wouldn't get any points. But how do I tell that to the judge without making it sound like I'm admitting to it?

Loonette wrote:

rapidblue wrote:

don't have a domestic in the forums.

I know - this is a first for us. And we share the same room, sitting back to back, while entering posts. Crazy...

Cheers,
Loonette

gotta love the digital age

i'm sure there are a few traffic ticket fighting companies in your area, do a google and you can probably find a lot of fact and fiction about how to fight tickets.

to answer the radar and estimation check boxes, that might be required simply because he zapped the pack and you were keeping up so you must have been doing roughly the speed on the gun. or that since radar isn't as exact as laser he might have to do that by his codes of conduct.

he also could have messed up or, he might just be filling a quota of tickets and left you an "out" there to fight it, sort of a peaceful protest

since i am not a cop nor do i live in your area i couldn't say what the practice is.

that being said, if you were at the back of the pack, he got you because you were the straggler, try putting yourself in the middle.