“Perturbed”

Yes, I made a mistake. I got caught speeding 40 km and I know I did it. It actually makes me feel ill to know that I was going that fast. I don't have an excuse - I was on the 407 and distracted by an indepth conversation regarding my father's funeral planning. It was a beautiful day and there was no traffic on the rode at all, I didn't pass anyone. I drove right past the officer, never even saw him and apparently he followed me for 4 km at this speed before I looked in my mirror and moved over to the right lane, at which time he turned on his lights and made me pull off the road. I don't actually know how fast I was going - but I believe the officer. I deserve my ticket. Regardelss, I am too nervous a person to actually go and plead "guilty with and explanation" and I could never lie and deny my speeding through a court.

My problem is this. I feel discriminated against. I have friends that have been "let off", "warned" every single time they get pulled over for speeding. One person I used to work with was telling me every two weeks that she was pulled over on the hwy and she never got a ticket. I have been driving for 16 years and have been pulled over 5 times - 4 of which were speeding. All four times I have been charged and this time my speed wasn't even dropped a little. The fifth time was for a burnt out headlight during daylight hours and they gave me a ticket and I had to go and show my fixed headlight the next day. Seriously! In each of these obviously I broke the law but why do I always get fined? What am I doing wrong? Is it that I'm quiet and don't put up a scene? That I'm honest and don't make excuses? That I'm not pretty enough or flirtatious enough?

So as usual I will just pay my fine, my insurance will go up, I'll have 4 points but if there is a next time what is it that people say to get off? I'm not a speeder - usually - all of my tickets are a minimum of 2 years apart.

A radar gun is not a Discriminating devive!

You were 40 over the PSL another 10 over and you would have been classed as a "Street Racer" no car for 7 days!

Do NOT do anything other then getting some help in the form of a paralegal, ASAP!

Sorry for the loss of your Father!

There are so many variables involved in each stop and each officer is different.

Some deciding factors I use are:

- admitting to offence (honesty)

- polite

- music off or low

- all windows down

- interior light on at night

- not an offence that has directly affected me (cutting off my cruiser, fail to move left)

- pull over prior to light activation

If there are multiple offences on one stop, I tend not issue the biggest offence and issue all the rest.....if all items mentioned above are demonstrated by the driver.

*********************************

Every time we drive, we risk being charged with something -- that's just a fact of Ontario life. And it is not likely that a police officer who has decided to stop your car will then turn around and not charge you with whatever he or she thinks they can successfully write you up for: that would be just a waste of everybody's time. If such a "break" happens, great -- but don't count on it. Your friends were either lucky, or cute, or were able to banter with the officer in a way that entertained him or her to the extent that they became well-disposed. Like you, BelSlySTi, I'm not likely to be a winner in the roadside game, because I am as baffled as you are about its rules.

For example, I am not likely to catch hwybear's attention on the highway, but if I ever do, I know now (if I ever hoped otherwise) that I'd be dead meat as far as getting any "break" is concerned.

hwybear wrote:

- all windows down

- interior light on at night

- pull over prior to light activation

If there are multiple offences on one stop, I tend not issue the biggest offence and issue all the rest.....if all items mentioned above are demonstrated by the driver.

I would never have thought of having all my windows open. Ferpete's sake, why? Or, for that matter, to have the interior light on at night. And why should I have pulled over just because the car behind me was a police cruiser (proceeding normally, without lights activated). I would have thought that pulling over in that situation would be an indication that I as the driver might have a guilty conscience about something that might bear investigation.

Like you, BelSlySTi, and like most of us, I just don't think like a police officer, and that is what puts most of us at a disadvantage when we have to interact with one.

Proper1 wrote:I would never have thought of having all my windows open. Ferpete's sake, why? Or, for that matter, to have the interior light on at night. And why should I have pulled over just because the car behind me was a police cruiser (proceeding normally, without lights activated).

We do not know (never met the person before) who we are pulling over and a majority of the vehicles are tinted. Lowering windows and turning a light on at night, help the officer see inside the vehicle quicker and makes the environment safer/friendlier for the officer.

When I uturn behind a vehicle on a 2 lane hwy or come from a uturn on the 401 and come up at a rapid pace and pull behind the vehicle, it is getting pulled over. It is not the average driving along as mentioned. About 2% of people just pull over without the emgerncy lights coming on, hence the break.

Proper1 wrote:For example, I am not likely to catch hwybear's attention on the highway, but if I ever do, I know now (if I ever hoped otherwise) that I'd be dead meat as far as getting any "break" is concerned.

forgot the big one that I give breaks for... HONESTY!!

Yesterday reminded me of this topic......

I was parked X-ways on a uturn on the 401, full B&W cruiser. Saw a vehicle coming at a high speed, using lidar I hit the vehicle around 750m with a speed of 135. Again around 500m 134, 300m 135 and last reading at 116m away at 136km.

I put the cruiser in gear, just as the driver went by I pulled out behind and the driver signalled and went onto the shoulder, no lights activated.

Polite, honest, apologetic....admitted to not seeing me until he was "going past my cruiser". Yes, he got a ticket, but saved 4 points and $220.

It's not always that easy bear and you know it.

Prop, nice avatar. I can't look at it without laughing.........

Prop, nice avatar. I can't look at it without laughing.........

Why, thank you, Reflections. It's my high school graduation pic.