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*RANT* The California Highway (Robbery) Patrol

TheJollyRancher

TheJollyRancher

Yesterday while driving on Highway 41 near Highway 46 (the intersection where James Dean was killed for you history buffs) I passed a semi with Haz-mat (Skull & Crossbones) placards...it is not good to stay behind those (and gravel trucks) for safety reasons...who knows what that tanker was carrying?

The zone was 55 and a broken line so all is well to pass...I sped up, overtook, and merged again...

Before passing I scanned the road ahead and saw a car in the distance...it was still safe but as I was decelerating back to the 55 Mph speed limit I noticed that the oncoming car off in the distance was a CHP...

Upon passing, I merged and noticed the officer heading in the opposite direction hit his brakes, flipped around and overtook the truck....he got behind me for a while (my cruise was set to 55) and he pulled me over and cited me for exceeding the speed limit from his ONCOMING RADAR!!!:shocked:

Arguing with law enforcement is worthless as they really don't care what you have to say so I didn't say much...I was absolutely dumbfounded until he told me what I was in trouble for (I thought maybe it was an unsafe pass or something like that but I didn't see how)...reaching for my registration and insurance I told him that its a 55 mph zone and was obeying that and he commented "it is, until you slowed down!"...

ARE YOU FREAKIN' KIDDING ME????!!!!

I waited in my car...just fuming...then he returned...
His ticket book was down to two tickets...and as he handed me his book and asked to sign I commented with no reply from him that "you've been busy"

I have driven many years and well over 100,000 miles since my last speeding ticket...

needless to say I am still ticked about it! he didn't tell me how fast I was going and just wrote the ticket regardless...

I see how desperate the State of California is for revenue but this is a sham! I felt like I was cheated and robbed! They say that they are out "for our safety" but in all actuality they are just out to write tickets, take $ from you, and make $ for the state... I intend to fight it but with the court being so far from home and the vagueness of the CVC code for passing I don't see how a judge would rule against him...I have done Trial by Declarations years ago but with no luck...

as I drove home tonight I kept it on cruise...didn't pass anyone for any reason...and just listened to the mindless AM radio band for 6 hours...

Thank You, California Highway (Robbery) Patrol!!!!
 
Well according to your post your were speeding when you passed the truck.
 
thehotpepper.com said:
Well according to your post your were speeding when you passed the truck.
Click to expand...

Isn't that splitting hairs?

I "accelerated" to safely pass the truck (which is legal to do according to the CVC) then decelerated to 55 mph when I was clear to merge...my point was that the CHP is doing whatever they can to make a dollar...he got behind me and knew for a fact I was doing 55...I even looked down at the car's internal speed measuring device to ensure I was ok.....I was....


Rules on Passing...

21750. The driver of a vehicle overtaking another vehicle or a
bicycle proceeding in the same direction shall pass to the left at a safe distance without interfering with the safe operation of the overtaken vehicle or bicycle, subject to the limitations and exceptions hereinafter stated.


21751. On a two-lane highway, no vehicle shall be driven to the
left side of the center of the roadway in overtaking and passing
another vehicle proceeding in the same direction unless the left side is clearly visible and free of oncoming traffic for a sufficient distance ahead to permit such overtaking and passing to be completely made without interfering with the safe operation of any vehicle approaching from the opposite direction.




the 2nd rule applies to me....and it says nothing about speed!



Next time ill go 40 mph and let someone else get a ticket and contribute toward the State's budget deficit :lol:
 
TheJollyRancher said:
Isn't that splitting hairs?
the 2nd rule applies to me....and it says nothing about speed!
Click to expand...
Which only means the speed limit is still in effect. He could have let you slide since you slowed back down, but technically you were speeding.
 
the second rule doesn't say anything about speed, it doesn't say anything about speeding up to overtake either.
the speed limit of the road is the speed you are limited to, if you need to accelerate past the seed limit to get past a vehicle in front you are breaking the legal limit.
But i agree with your cops just out for cash rant, at least
Your cops are actually doing something for the cash.
Over here they just put up static speed cameras, if you are travelling a new road and you don't know there is a camera and you're going a little to fast you'll see the flash
In your rearview, then at some point in the next 2 weeks a letter will arrive with a pic of your car and a request for a £60 fixed penalty fine.
And before you ask sending them a pic of a £60 cheque don't work!!
 
I am sorry to hear that you had a bad experience with a police officer. I have heard of people getting speeding tickets for speeding up for passing another vehicle. I have also heard of people getting a ticket for going to slow, "impeding the flow of traffic". But, I would venture to bet that if that guy was writing you a ticket, to "take $ from you, and make $ for the state..." that not all CHP officers are. Like all careers, there is a few bad apples in every bunch. But, the vast majority of officers do their jobs for the safety of the whole. I also know that some of the hardest laws to enforce are traffic laws, because some seem ridiculous. But, in fact those same traffic laws were put in place to keep people safe, at least in the long run.

I am sorry that this police encounter left you feeling bitter and taken advantage of. I'm also sorry that this officer wasn't professional enough to explain everything satisfactory enough for you. He should have given you an opportunity to ask any question that you may have had. At least that is what I do and I truly encourage people to ask ANY question they may have regarding why they were stopped regardless whether I issue a warning or write a ticket.
 
you got caught speeding :lol::P
whats the big deal ? when I've been caught speeding what ya really suppose to think ? other than yea you caught me, now I gotta pay !#^(&^% fine LOL

I like it when they ask " do you know why I stopped you ? " like its supposed to be some trick question LOL

like pepperfreak said, not all are the same. I remember 1 cop (years ago when this happened was a teenager) I was at a stop light he pulled onto the road right behind me, & I'm like F!
sure as shit lights went on when light turned green.

"do you know why I stopped you ? " :lol:
aww maybe!
expired tag. can I see your lic. & ins.
awwww, heres my lic. & I dont have ins.
why dont you have ins. on this ?
cuz I cant afford it right now & explained why.
runs me through & comes back.
I can understand your deal & I'll just pretend I didnt hear you say that BUT you better drive straight home & leave the car parked there until you get ins.!
OK!! by thanks alot!!

just a warning.
 
Well, if you feel you've been wronged, make sure you contest this citation in court. I'd have to say 3 out of 5 times i've fought tickets in court and won. It's a pain in the ass missing work to have to go to court but if you don't then you will have to pay, so you might as well give it a shot and see what happens. I mean, you have to pay court costs anyways, so you might as well go to court about it.
 
I always figured you need to be a certain kind of a-hole to be a cop...i mean something that is built in to your system to charge one of your old school mates for spitting on the pavement at 3 am on saturday....


....for the good of the community & society as a whole (note i added a "w")

To be honest I was thinking yesterday how good it would be to set up a website so i could take cell-phone pics of all the lunatics talkin on their phone while driving - one pic of car with plate - 2nd with driver on phone.
 
bentalphanerd said:
I always figured you need to be a certain kind of a-hole to be a cop...i mean something that is built in to your system to charge one of your old school mates for spitting on the pavement at 3 am on saturday....


....for the good of the community & society as a whole (note i added a "w")

To be honest I was thinking yesterday how good it would be to set up a website so i could take cell-phone pics of all the lunatics talkin on their phone while driving - one pic of car with plate - 2nd with driver on phone.
Click to expand...

Then I'll have to set up a site that hosts pics of people driving while taking pics with cell phones of people driving while talking on cell phones. :shocked:
 
bentalphanerd said:
I always figured you need to be a certain kind of a-hole to be a cop...i mean something that is built in to your system to charge one of your old school mates for spitting on the pavement at 3 am on saturday....


....for the good of the community & society as a whole (note i added a "w")

To be honest I was thinking yesterday how good it would be to set up a website so i could take cell-phone pics of all the lunatics talkin on their phone while driving - one pic of car with plate - 2nd with driver on phone.
Click to expand...

Is spitting on the sidewalk against the law i OZ ?
 
bentalphanerd said:
I always figured you need to be a certain kind of a-hole to be a cop...i mean something that is built in to your system to charge one of your old school mates for spitting on the pavement at 3 am on saturday........for the good of the community & society as a whole (note i added a "w")
Click to expand...

Bent, I can assure you that the vast majority of us in uniform are not "a-holes" but rather dedicated people who will at a moments notice charge into a building where some lunatic is shooting people while everyone else is charging out, only worrying about their own skin.

I know that is an extreme example, but here's another, one I have witnessed time and again. The vast majority of police officers are dedicated men and women who place the general welfare and safety of others before our own. It always sickens me when I'm called to a fight and there are 6 or more people JUST standing around while some poor schmuck is getting the living snot beat out of him by ONE individual, yet no one even attempts to break up the fight. COME ON!!! We are all Brothers and Sisters, yet most of society could care less about someone else's welfare or safety.

However, there are a-holes everywhere. I have met a-holes working in restaurants, hospitals, banks, general stores, if you look for them you can find them just about everywhere.

Sorry to rant, but that is just a miss-conception people have about the police and while I'm ranting here's another b**ch. There is a lot of people in today's society that want to disrespect the police and spit in our faces while M-F*ing us. Then the next night something always happens and the same person that was spitting in our faces are calling with a dire emergency wanting, needing DEMANDING our services. I guarantee that if you treat your bank teller like that, you probably would be asked to never return and to take your business elsewhere.
 
yeah - i've no doubt got a biased view as someone who is regularly pulled over for no reason and license checked & searched simply because i look a little different.
 
Hey PF,

I back you 100% on the "they are anywhere, just look" thing.

As most customer service staff in this country dont require tips for their living, service here is shit and some are waaaayyyy too snotty to hold a restaurant job. Recently, not to me, there has been gelati-gate which is quite the tail of poor sevice!

As a friend to some and a nieghbour of a cop, I admire their dedication and courage in all manner of situations.
 
bentalphanerd said:
yeah - i've no doubt got a biased view as someone who is regularly pulled over for no reason and license checked & searched simply because i look a little different.
Click to expand...

I used to get that a lot when i was younger, but then (for me at least) it stopped when i stopped trying to attract attention to myself...i.e., being a skinhead and dressing and acting like a jackass and stuff. The part of New Jersey i lived in was white trash central, and there was a lot of petty crime going on. So, when you dress like a skinhead or a headbanger, and hang out with them, the police tend to keep their eye on you more than others.
 
Pepperfreak said:
Bent, I can assure you that the vast majority of us in uniform are not "a-holes" but rather dedicated people who will at a moments notice charge into a building where some lunatic is shooting people while everyone else is charging out, only worrying about their own skin.

I know that is an extreme example, but here's another, one I have witnessed time and again. The vast majority of police officers are dedicated men and women who place the general welfare and safety of others before our own. It always sickens me when I'm called to a fight and there are 6 or more people JUST standing around while some poor schmuck is getting the living snot beat out of him by ONE individual, yet no one even attempts to break up the fight. COME ON!!! We are all Brothers and Sisters, yet most of society could care less about someone else's welfare or safety.

However, there are a-holes everywhere. I have met a-holes working in restaurants, hospitals, banks, general stores, if you look for them you can find them just about everywhere.

Sorry to rant, but that is just a miss-conception people have about the police and while I'm ranting here's another b**ch. There is a lot of people in today's society that want to disrespect the police and spit in our faces while M-F*ing us. Then the next night something always happens and the same person that was spitting in our faces are calling with a dire emergency wanting, needing DEMANDING our services. I guarantee that if you treat your bank teller like that, you probably would be asked to never return and to take your business elsewhere.
Click to expand...

bentalphanerd said:
yeah - i've no doubt got a biased view as someone who is regularly pulled over for no reason and license checked & searched simply because i look a little different.
Click to expand...

One reason for those biases and prejudices is that usually people tend to take for granted everything that works right. So nobody tells you that the nurses in this or that hospital treat their patients nice and Dr. X or Y operates great on your broken bones and Officer Z charged into a fight to get that poor old lady out of danger. It's a people's thing and also a media thing that only bad news are good news. So only bad news are told. If a surgeon saved hundreds of lives you won't hear that. But if the scar of one appendektomy is a little bit too visible they will tell you! If hundreds of officers keep a community safe nobody cares. But one black sheep spoils the image of the whole unit. If a musician plays good music it may sell records. But if he is caught DUI or peeing into a bush or contacting a hooker or beating his wife that sells papers.
 
Stop saying you were speeding because you don't know you were.

The radar the cop has was purchased on state contract and it is cheap crap and inaccurate. He didn't calibrate the cheap piece of crap the day he used it on you. He had no idea how fast you were going.

Plead not guilty and tell the judge you were not speeding; go ahead and lie, the cop is lying........ . He has no idea how fast you were going.
 
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