drallison Posted September 9, 2015 Report Share Posted September 9, 2015 Just wondering....has anyone had experience with crooked cops, being targeted for being not a local? And can anyone tell the rest of us any places that you've been stung with a speed trap (legitimate or not)? With so many RVs on the roads, both backroads and main roads,and as much as my Pollyanna-mind would like to believe it'd never happen, can members here clue us all in on what the "real" world of travel includes....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TireHobby Posted September 9, 2015 Report Share Posted September 9, 2015 When going south on US-301 after entering Florida and a few miles short of Lawtey there is a billboard (put-up by AAA) that warns about speed traps in Lawtey and Waldo. A mile or two over the posted speed limit and you will be ticketed if they are operating their speed guns. 38' fiver - Dodge Dually AKA: FastEagle USN Retired - DOD Retired - SSA Retired Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2gypsies Posted September 10, 2015 Report Share Posted September 10, 2015 I guess our take would be obey the speed limit. We've never gotten a ticket. Full-timed for 16 YearsTraveled 8 yr in a 2004 Newmar Dutch Star 40' Motorhome and 8 yr in a 33' Travel Supreme 5th Wheel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drallison Posted September 10, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 10, 2015 Obeying the speed limit is ideal...but from what I've heard--horror stories---one doesn't have to actually be speeding in alot of places, just have "different" license plates. Some places have front plates, some do not. Some states and provinces have similar plates, some are quite distinctive. A crooked cop, lying in wait for victims to pad up his number of tickets-written, can discern from a distance who is local and who is not. ..... Sometimes, that's all it takes to get nabbed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chirakawa Posted September 10, 2015 Report Share Posted September 10, 2015 Some States have a law which requires advanced warning of a reduced speed limit. However, some places stretch the law a bit. For example, you're traveling along on a 70 mph highway. You see a sign which says "Reduced Speed Ahead", then a couple hundred feet later "65 mph Speed Ahead". You go a few hundred feet more and the speed limit sign says "65 mph", just like the warning stated. Then, 100' later "45 mph" You just have to be alert to such tactics and hope you don't get nabbed. Those type, to me, are speed traps. They may meet the letter of the law, but not the spirit of the law. They are designed to get you. Everybody wanna hear the truth, but everybody tell a lie. Everybody wanna go to Heaven, but nobody want to die. Albert King Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dutch_12078 Posted September 10, 2015 Report Share Posted September 10, 2015 "Florida town infamous for speed traps disbanding police force" WALDO, Fla. -- The City Council of a tiny north Florida town known as one of the nation's worst speed traps has voted to disband its small police force. The Waldo City Council on Tuesday voted 4-1 to eliminate the department just weeks after the chief and interim chief resigned because of state investigations into many issues, including an illegal ticket quota. Dutch 2001 GBM Landau 34' Class A F-53 Chassis, Triton V10, TST TPMS 2011 Toyota RAV4 4WD/Remco pump ReadyBrute Elite tow bar/brake system Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skp51443 Posted September 10, 2015 Report Share Posted September 10, 2015 My favorite was Nolanville, TX they were so bad that Texas threatened to close their ramps onto SR 190 at one time. Their listing: http://www.speedtrap.org/city/11451/nolanville Speedtrap.org isn't a bad spot to browse if you are going to an area you don't know. I can live with a traffic ticket if I mess up but getting a whopper because I have out of state plates and then punished by my insurance company for many years smarts. http://www.speedtrap.org First rule of computer consulting: Sell a customer a Linux computer and you'll eat for a day. Sell a customer a Windows computer and you'll eat for a lifetime. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randyretired Posted September 10, 2015 Report Share Posted September 10, 2015 Many years ago there was a road with 2 lanes of travel. The one way road suddenly changed to one lane by marking one lane as right turn only. The problem was the sign marking this change was covered mostly by an overgrown tree. Additionally the the lines marking the change were old and not clear. I passed this intersection 5 days a week for a year and 2 to 3 days a week the Denver Police had numerous cops in a parking lot writing tickets to those that traveled straight through the intersection. I didn't get caught there but several were. Just yesterday there was an article about a person who was taking his car to an auto glass repair facilities to fix a windshield that a vandal cracked the passenger side. As he pulled into the repair facility a cop pulled him over and wrote a ticket for defective vehicle. He explained to the cop he had an appointment at the lot he pulled into to get the windshield fixed and the repair people confirmed his story. Still got the ticket. He said the vandal beat him twice. The only comment the police dept had was each officer has discretion. Luckily these are isolated cases but when it is you that is caught it doesn't feel that way. Randy 2001 Volvo VNL 42 Cummins ISX Autoshift Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WeBeFulltimers Posted September 10, 2015 Report Share Posted September 10, 2015 Not really a "speed trap", I guess, because I was doing about 9 over. After small town cop in TN finished writing my ticket he said "pay this promptly and I'll be sure it doesn't go on your driving record with the state....we just want our money" ! I did and he did. Fulltiming since September 1, 2010 2012 Ford F-350 PSD SRW Lariat Crew Cab 2012 Montana 3585SA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skp093018 Posted September 10, 2015 Report Share Posted September 10, 2015 Anywhere in the state of VA, but main highways are most targeted....I-85, I-95, Hiway 58....All of the various county deputies lurk in the Interstate pull-thru's, awaiting speeders. Going 20 mph over the posted limit, or over 80 mph, will earn you a reckless driving citation. While RV'ers generally do not travel that fast while pulling, we are all drivers of normal vehicles...so just be aware. Speeders are a major revenue source in VA, and counties take full advantage of the constant stream out of state drivers passing thru VA going to or from vacations in the south. Plug "speeding in VA" into your search engine for some reading. Regards Gemstone '06 Elite Suites, '08 Softail Classic, '06 Softail Deuce. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teacher's pet Posted September 10, 2015 Report Share Posted September 10, 2015 My wife posted this one on RV.net in 2010. I was the lucky receiver of the said ticket that afternoon. "Don't go through Lake Providence, Louisiana. You don't have to even be moving to be "clocked" doing 44 in a 25. This is between stoplights in a city block. . . .like you could even get the DP up to 44 with traffic in that amount of space between red lights. Saw one motorhome flagged down and they pushed a bribe out the side window and were sent on their way.The per capita income in the town just from traffic tickets was over $900. Guess they don't have other taxes there." Teacher's Pet '06 40' Phaeton QSH 350 Cat. '04 R-Vision B+ Model 213, 6.0 Chevrolet. http://www.skoolzoutforever.blogspot.com http://map.datastormusers.com/user3.cfm?user=3912 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wildmandmc Posted September 10, 2015 Report Share Posted September 10, 2015 Well speed does kill. especially speeding in a class a. lots of wt there. moral of the story, if your going slightly under or at speed limit no need to worry about getting a ticket. slow down enjoy life an smell the coffee. 2000 Itasca Horizon DP (Got Total During Irma). Vice President of Charlotte County Defenders LE MC http://charlotte.defenderslemc.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike and Claudia Posted September 10, 2015 Report Share Posted September 10, 2015 I think you will find that in most cases these "Crooked Cops" are being driven by CROOKED POLITICIANS. I suspect that the reason that most policemen tend to have a pretty fair sense of right and wrong. I don't believe that this is the case for many politicians. If you don't believe me, just closely follow the presidential debates. If you were in a life threatening situation, who you gonna' call: The ordinary street cop, or Donald Trump? Traveling America in "God's Grace" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randyretired Posted September 10, 2015 Report Share Posted September 10, 2015 A friend of mine who was also a sgt of a swat team had some interesting words on who to call in an emergency. For those of us in rural areas and camping in rural areas the response time is considerably longer than the duration of most crimes. He said when we get there we are usually dealing with the aftermath and whatever has happened is overwith. Randy 2001 Volvo VNL 42 Cummins ISX Autoshift Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coachmac9 Posted September 10, 2015 Report Share Posted September 10, 2015 There used to be several up and down Hwy. 59 in east Tx...one was so bad a book and movie was even made about it (Terror on 59) this was around Shepherd south of Livingston, Patton Village north of Houston used to be known as a speed trap and in the past several years Teneha (north of Nacogdoches) has had several ugly incidents regarding out of state folks being stopped in the city limits and treated harshly...seems like all the incidents that I recall are local law enforcement officers not state troopers...guess I was lucky, back when I was young and stupid and thought those speed limit signs were just suggestions I managed to never get a ticket and now I don't find it necessary to go above the posted limits and also having to maintain a CDL for my employment I am extra careful because those "points" add up quickly!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rdickinson Posted September 10, 2015 Report Share Posted September 10, 2015 Well speed does kill. especially speeding in a class a. lots of wt there. moral of the story, if your going slightly under or at speed limit no need to worry about getting a ticket. slow down enjoy life an smell the coffee. Just tailgaiters so close they can't be seen in the truck mirrors or if doing that in a Smart car, again, so close all you see is the bumper of the vehicle behind. They think it's funny with less than half a second separation. With our rigs there should be minimum 5 second separation b/w me and a vehicle in front. Add another 2+ if weather and road conditions warrant. In some conditions driving under will stack up traffic behind and someone will do something stupid like pass vehicles on a double solid on an outside curve. In Wa state on the peninsula there are pullouts and signs telling drivers it is illegal to allow the line be hind exceed ? cars. Can't remember the #. I figure that is a good idea. Banff and Kootenay park the limit is 90 kms, that is enforced probably due to the many animals killed on the roads. Bears, moose and elk make a mess of car and occupants. Especially Moose, cars drive under and the body takes out the top of the car and occupants. I generally set the cruise for 63 or 3-5 over. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hdonlybob Posted September 10, 2015 Report Share Posted September 10, 2015 Ridgeley West Virginia (Close to where I used to live) had a national article written about it as a speed trap...would grab you for ~2-3 miles over the speed limit. Unfortunately I live in a town now that will do the same thing... Sad.. 1989 Safari Serengeti 34'Towing a 1952 M38A1 Military Willys Past HDT owner Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ronmon Posted September 10, 2015 Report Share Posted September 10, 2015 In South Padre Island, Tx they'll ticket for anything over 2 mph above the posted limit AND will also ticket parked vehicles if they're not BETWEEN the stripes. Ron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lou Schneider Posted September 10, 2015 Report Share Posted September 10, 2015 Not a speedtrap, but several years ago I was going through Escalante, UT. As I came into the town the road widened out to 4 lanes with the curb lane sloped towards many roadside trees. Since there was no one else in sight front or back, I decided to use the left lane to avoid the overhanging branches. Halfway through town I spotted a hamburger stand with a large parking lot on the left side of the street, so I turned in and parked. Before I got out of the truck I saw the town cop drive slowly past in the direction I was travelling and look over at me. While walking to the order counter he passed by the other way, again looking at me as he went by. He was impossible to miss since this was the shoulder season and there were no other vehicles on the road. I was also the only customer at the restaurant. After I placed my order I asked the order taker whether it was normal for the town cop to cruise the boulevard like that. She laughed, and said it was lucky I made the left turn into the restaurant, one of the town's favorite revenue tricks was ticketing RVs and trucks for driving in the left lane. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BooneDocks Posted September 10, 2015 Report Share Posted September 10, 2015 If you are on your way to South Padre Island, be sure to watch out in the town of Los Fresnos. Presently MotorHomeLessFollow Our Full-Time Travels Through Our Blog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
remoandiris Posted September 10, 2015 Report Share Posted September 10, 2015 http://wfla.com/2015/09/09/video-angry-florida-driver-to-deputy-no-wonder-you-people-get-shot/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sushidog Posted September 10, 2015 Report Share Posted September 10, 2015 About a year ago I was given a ticket on The Lake Pontchartrain Causeway (by New Orleans, La.) for going 75 in a 65. My cruise control was set at 62, but I was in a yellow sports car, so I guess the cop just assumed I was speeding. I fought the ticket and won. It helped that I had a clean driving record. Chip Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drallison Posted September 10, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 10, 2015 Thanks, everyone, for your input so far.... I read the posts and sat here shaking my head---seems there's lots of places where we all need to "beware". And Stanley---I will go now and check out that speedtrap.org site. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandsys Posted September 10, 2015 Report Share Posted September 10, 2015 After I placed my order I asked the order taker whether it was normal for the town cop to cruise the boulevard like that. She laughed, and said it was lucky I made the left turn into the restaurant, one of the town's favorite revenue tricks was ticketing RVs and trucks for driving in the left lane. We got stopped in Casa Grande once for driving in the left lane. I told the cop we were looking for the Denny's we knew was on the left and didn't want to be in the right lane when it came time to turn in. He apologized for stopping us and wished us a good breakfast. Maybe I've been lucky but it seems to me most cops are that considerate. Linda Sand Blog: http://sandcastle.sandsys.org/ Former Rigs: Liesure Travel van, Winnebago View 24H, Winnebago Journey 34Y, Sportsmobile Sprinter conversion van Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vladimir Posted September 11, 2015 Report Share Posted September 11, 2015 Between Leavenwroth and Wenatchee the Washington State Patrol and other law enforcement agencies use the highway for teaching cops how to write tickets. Don't laugh.....a ticket has a probable cause statement and is really a pain in the butt to fill out.....correctly. I got a written warning for doing 57 in a 55 on that stretch of highway. Since my family ALWAYS complained about how slow I drive I framed and hung that warning on the wall in my office. IF the trucks are doing the speed limit. IF he locals are doing the speed limit.....so am I!! Vladimr Steblina Retired Forester...exploring the public lands. usbackroads.blogspot.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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