[NewSong]

[Hawkeye]

There is a town in Iowa that is notorious for giving tickets for anything over the speed limit, even 1 mph.

I could only find one blog about it, was figuring some of the news stories they had on tv would still be online. It was a big deal a few years ago.

"Let me enlighten you all about Windsor Heights Iowa.
This town is a small suburb of Des Moines.
Boundaries 73rd st to 63rd street west to east.
I 235 to HIckman road north to south. ( no room for expansion)
City wide speed limit is 25 mph except for the stretch of 63rd from I-235 to University which is 35 and University to Hickkman which is 30.
73rd from I-235 to University which is 35.
This freaking hell hole is a notorious speed trap, (They make Big Cabin OK look like bumbling idiots).
They have a small force of Barney Fife wannabees, whose rare excitement is setting up on I 235 between 73rd (8th st in WDM and 63rd St)
These people are A-Holes from the word go.
They will write you for 1 mph over the limit, including stopping EMT's and Firefighters if they exceed the limit under Blue Lights going to the scene of an emergency.
I was with their Fire Department in my early years after high school and I cannot tell you how much I hate that town.
If their cops had gotten wind of what this kid did, there is no telling what they
would have done to them.
Oh yea, just for your information if you see a Windsor Heights cop anywhere on I-80 or I-35 or I-235 in the Polk County area and they turn their lights on, you had better stop for them. "

From...http://roundtable.truck.net/viewtopi...59579&p=603525

[Maestro]

Yep 1 MPH over in most state is speeding and ticketable, however CA also have previsions about reasonable and prudent speed, and this depends on what section of the vehicle code you were written up against.

I know in CA it use to be the general understanding as long as you are with the follow of traffic and that traffic was not going too much over the limit you were fine. However, lane changers and tailgaters got tickets first since CA so those activities to be more dangerous then speeding.

But in recent years the police seem to be more focus on speeders than anything else.

This definitely a winnable ticket since it would be hard to prove it was exactly 66, there are so many possibilities for error that that it would be impossible to say we was not going 65 or less.

[kyleb350]

If you don't get the ticket thrown out, you could get the charge reduced to a faulty speedometer. That's assuming it's a reduction, lol. I've never gotten a speeding ticket that low. It's probably not even worth hiring a lawyer over but there are probably a dozen different outs on going 1 mph over.

[BMWFM]

+1 on fighting it. This officer is really wasting people's time and endangering others for no good reason. Also, do really consider a complaint against the officer if you can find any reason. It will go to their record. By the way, cop may not even be present at the court...

As a separate story, told on another thread, a cop in a bad mood wrote me 5 tickets with 14 points at once. Idiot. We had enough to file charges against him at a similar level.
All dropped but one with 2 points by my lawyer. Dropping the last one would have meant a full blown trial with witnesses which we could have won but would have been a big waste of my time. Where principles meet reality of my schedule...

FM.

[jopa489]

Originally Posted by persian54

technically, 66 IS illegal...

but yeah fight it

+1

But it'll get thrown out. What a waste of everyone's time and tax dollars.

[E90SLAM]

Next time I'll speed 65.545638 mph...just in case....

[jpsum]

I have to call BS on this one.

[jpsum]

Originally Posted by Maestro

Yep 1 MPH over in most state is speeding and ticketable, however CA also have previsions about reasonable and prudent speed, and this depends on what section of the vehicle code you were written up against.

I know in CA it use to be the general understanding as long as you are with the follow of traffic and that traffic was not going too much over the limit you were fine. However, lane changers and tailgaters got tickets first since CA so those activities to be more dangerous then speeding.

But in recent years the police seem to be more focus on speeders than anything else.

This definitely a winnable ticket since it would be hard to prove it was exactly 66, there are so many possibilities for error that that it would be impossible to say we was not going 65 or less.

+1

Let's just say the ticket is real. I would like to see the spec sheet for the radar gun. What is the error rate? At least +/- 1 mph I'm guessing. Nothing is that accurate. Also, when do you think that radar gun was last calibrated?

[rolling18]

Originally Posted by lkw15

How did the cop gauge the speed? Was he pacing or was it done through radar/laser? The reason cops usually give a +5/7 range is because just like any other electronic equipment, radar can also be a bit off.

While 66 is technically against the law, it is likely within the margin of error - and I can't imagine any judge would accept it.

add to that IF he did use electronc equipment, he and his department are required to keep maintenance and calibration record for it.. and the officer should have his current certification for that specific equipment available at trial

he cant do that acurate of a pace or guess..

[M_Six]

I got pulled over on my bike (FJ1200) once by a lunatic cop. I asked the cop what I did wrong and he asked if I knew how fast I was going. He had been riding my tail *really* closely for about a mile, so I was only doing 55 in a 65 zone. He wrote me up for 80 and said, "That's for all the times you've been speeding and got away with it."

I have a friend who's a cop in the next town and one who is a state trooper. They both said this cop was a sick bastard who somehow made it onto the force. Wonderful. I fought it and won, of course. The cop didn't even show up in court. The prosecutor and clerk snickered when they heard the cop's name being read. I was left to wonder why this idiot still had a badge if everyone else knew he was a jackass.

There are definitely cops who will take a bad day out on a randomly chosen driver.

[Neutrino45]

Originally Posted by Nikkahtropolis

exactly.

wtf would be the point of making up a story like this.

To get attention because you're lonely.

[mJ335]

I'm calling BS on this one too. I really want to see a scanned ticket.. it's just outrageous.

[blu330ciracer]

You would definitely be able to fight the ticket and I would have to say without a doubt that you would win it- There are a lot of ways to fight speeding tickets- There is also a lot of resources out there that help people plead their case in the most favorable way so that they end up getting their Cases dismissed.

Good luck

[Koroush]

scan the ticket please?

[darkcloud]

Sucks.

Here in Ohio you would even get looked at for anything less then 10mph over on the highway, 7 over in a 25 and 35 are typically good as well. Hell our State Troopers usually give 15 mph over so that if you are caught you have no chance in fighting the ticket.

[silvergray545]

Originally Posted by Hawkeye

There is a town in Iowa that is notorious for giving tickets for anything over the speed limit, even 1 mph.

There's a small city in Ohio that is the same way. It's called Wakeman, Ohio. They are terrible about giving tickets out but they have two good reasons. One, you have to pass through that city to get to the drag strip (Norwalk) so a lot of fast cars are always ripping through there. And two, Buschur Racing is located right in the middle of that city. If you don't know what Buschur Racing is, some of the fastest Evos come out of that shop. They also have one of the few AWD dynos in the area. I know the few times I went to the track this summer, I heard some sick Evos being dyno'd. So I guess I can see why they have a boner to pull over everyone and their brother.

Originally Posted by darkcloud

Sucks.

Here in Ohio you would even get looked at for anything less then 10mph over on the highway, 7 over in a 25 and 35 are typically good as well. Hell our State Troopers usually give 15 mph over so that if you are caught you have no chance in fighting the ticket.

This is true...but every time I got pulled over was for 20+ lol.

[UncleWede]

Remember that question on your driving test: What is the maximum speed allowed? No faster than is safe.

I remember my one trip to traffic school. There was an older gentleman who kept complaining because he got a ticket for going 55 in a posted 55 zone. When we looked at his ticket, visibility with fog was listed as < 50 feet . . .

[maswastage]

Originally Posted by UncleWede

Remember that question on your driving test: What is the maximum speed allowed? No faster than is safe.

I remember my one trip to traffic school. There was an older gentleman who kept complaining because he got a ticket for going 55 in a posted 55 zone. When we looked at his ticket, visibility with fog was listed as < 50 feet . . .

You cited one extreme. What happens when "no faster than is safe" is significantly faster than the speed limit? Should you be ticketed if even if you're driving safely? Why is safe driving synonymous with slow driving? You can drive 85 in a 55 and be no less safe than somebody obeying the speed limit As long as you aren't weaving through traffic and are maintaining proper following distance, what makes 85 any less safe than 55?

This is only further proof that speed limits are arbitrary and irrelevant. Tailgating and improper lane changes should be much more strictly punished than speeding.

[its_errick]

fight it! the cop is retarded.