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A lesson in Radar Detection

RTRandy

New member
My experience living and riding in Texas seems to have most cops lying in wait under a shade tree or cruising down the highway with their radar always on. Piece if cake. I slow down and everyone is happy.

On super straight roads out west such as Highway 50 riding across Nevada is a whole new situation. You are riding on a perfectly straight road where you can see for 40 miles front or back and may not see a car in either direction for 30 minutes. There in lies the problem. You might have one state Trooper who has to patrole for a hundred miles each day so basically he's riding towards you from far away and won't throw it on until you both are closing in real fast. After all, there just aren't many cars out there.

The think the key is to be vigilant of the profile of the oncoming cars to read if it could be a cop and even slow down until you can get a good visual. You can't tell here, but the front of this pick up truck has blue and red lights flashing in the grill and strobe lights on the strobe lights. The light cluster on the roof should have been a give away, but he had been coming from far away and it was my first time with "instant on".

This is after he threw on the lights and did a U-turn to give me a ticket. His lights are all flashing here , but the photo doesn't show it.
There was so little traffic, I asked him if he minded if I took a picture and walked across the street standing in the oncoming lane holding a conversation with the guy while he had to fill out forms.

I was doing 90 in a 70 when the radar detector went off full blast and the engine braking wasn't quick enough. He ended up writing me what he termed a "warning", 75 in a 70 and no points. Just mail a check to Nevada for $67.
 

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Hmmm, seems odd, a police truck?

I think it would be a more likely scenario for a Police RT to pull over a civilian Chevy Silverado.


For a funny twist it would have been cool to have a photo of your bike behind him like you pulled him over.
 
Actually it turn's out there's a lot of police pick up trucks out west. Colorado and New Mexico have quite a few.

I ask anyone, if you're on a road like this, how fast would you be going? The speed limit was 65 or 70 here . . . I don't think so. :brow
 

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I think if you listen carefully that road is wispering


K1200S
 
>Hmmm, seems odd, a police truck?

Out West, you'll see everything from SUVs to Camaros. And for all you guys on the way East to the National, Nevada uses planes, a LOT, and Utah HP is almost exclusively instant-on and their favorite tactic is parking on remote overpasses where their elevation can help them see you from miles away.
And while Randy's advice about knowing the profile can help, you're just as likely to get pulled by John Law in his personal vehicle. Since I got nailed by a CHP at triple digit speeds in his, I never speed around ANY other vehicles.
 
dlearl said:
>Hmmm, seems odd, a police truck?

Out West, you'll see everything from SUVs to Camaros. And for all you guys on the way East to the National, Nevada uses planes, a LOT, and Utah HP is almost exclusively instant-on and their favorite tactic is parking on remote overpasses where their elevation can help them see you from miles away.
And while Randy's advice about knowing the profile can help, you're just as likely to get pulled by John Law in his personal vehicle. Since I got nailed by a CHP at triple digit speeds in his, I never speed around ANY other vehicles.

Somehow that just doesn't seem sporting to get busted by a personal vehicle. Oh and just as an FYI Ohio also likes to use helicopters. If anyone is coming from the east via US30 watch your speed around Bucyrus DAMHIK.
 
Ditto the warning for you easterners traveling out west. LE uses all types of vehicles and many are slick tops (no light bars). With the LED lights in the grill, side mirrors, and windshield, there is no mistaking when you get lit up. California is big on aircraft. Just hope you don't run intro this:

speed-trap.jpg
 
Hint. On these roads, you'll occassionally see a sign that says "do not pick
up hitchhikers". This means there's a prison off to one side.

I didn't know this but the trooper was kind enough to explain it to me.

He was coming down the road (several miles worth) when he saw me
coming. I never saw him either. Same ticket only I was going a tad bit
faster.

I must say that in all the places I've ever gotten a ticket, NV is at least
nice about it. I think the vast majority of troopers realize how ridiculous
the speed limit is and as long as you're not being stupid, will remind you
of the limit with a ticket that's not going to end up costing you a ton of
money in the long run.

Ian
 
I saw in the Mpls Star-Trib that MN just passed a rule that if you are triple digits, mandetory yanking of the license for 6 months. :cry
 
He's ba-a-a-ck!

Around here you can be ticketed by a LEO riding a mountain bicycle.

Hey, Randy, glad you're intact.
 
Thanks! 11 states, 14 days, 5780 miles on the GPS. Never went over a yellow line once, and never a close call unless you want to call getting pounded by hail east of Las Vegas, New Mexico a close call. ;)
 
Speed Checked by Radar....

100% untouched by Photoshop and taken with my camera on a back road just outside of Paonia, CO. (T.O.R. Rally)
 

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That's great !!!!!

Wish I had taken a photo, but someone had put a small round red sticker on the nose of the black deer symbol on one of those yellow warning signs.
 
Radar Detectors

Threw mine away years ago, not worth the trouble. Oh, the things I've learned since becoming a (omitted) is that those in possession of a 'radar detector' are admitting to the fact they wantonly speed even before getting pulled over. No sane person would spend $000.00s on one of those things if they didnÔÇÖt believe it would help them avoid the embarrassment and cost of a ticket. Also, there are so many other ways to 'trap' your speed with non-detectible methods. Do I drive fast, sure you bet I do, and not only for safety's sake (constant avoidance of blind spots, that's my excuse and I'm stickin' to it, or did you see that pick up with the ladder on top, those things are the number one highway obstacle, officer, I was just trying to get in front of it before it flew off). Sometimes I just want to get there. ÔÇÿCourse none of those excuses will work in the desert; youÔÇÖre kinda on your own out there. (Officer, I was just caught up in the moment and not paying enough attention to my speed, then bang, you got me, looked at the speedo and well, thank you in advance for being lenient. Say that's a pretty sporty ride you got there, how fast will she go?) :brow

Now, the best part: Free advice; [if you can] always challenge a radar/laser/timing devise ticket in court. The best you do is find out some tech guy forgot to sign the service log book, or the officer didnÔÇÖt receive proper and timely training, or doesn't show up for court, case dismissed. The worst is you pay the fine anyway. So much room in between for a lesser penalty though because you took the time.
 
SFDOC said:
Now, the best part: Free advice; [if you can] always challenge a radar/laser/timing devise ticket in court. The best you do is find out some tech guy forgot to sign the service log book, or the officer didnÔÇÖt receive proper and timely training, or doesn't show up for court, case dismissed. The worst is you pay the fine anyway. So much room in between for a lesser penalty though because you took the time.

Good advice. I used to travel the state on business back in the bad old 55mph days and I managed to collect awards on a fairly regular basis. I ALWAYS gave them the opportunity to prove their case in court. I'd start with a motion to dismiss because the officer who signed the ticket had not been properly sworn in beforehand. That actually worked a few times. Once a prosecutor re-filed it and that time I was able to plead it down to a lesser speed (fewer points). My usual method was to find the officer and/or prosecutor before court started and whine about how I had to travel and about insurance rates and that always resulted in at least a reduction. Twice it resulted in an outright dismissal.

If you see me at the rally ask about the time the judge threatened me with a contempt charge over a speeding ticket.

John
(somewhat reformed)
 
John Brase said:
Good advice.

If you see me at the rally ask about the time the judge threatened me with a contempt charge over a speeding ticket.

John
(somewhat reformed)


Wish I could, work and distance are competing for my time this year. Have fun at the rally :beer :buds
 
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