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Wyoming Speeding Ticket

Sunday morning there was an increased law enforcement presence. I took Hwy 59 south out of Gillette and was surprised to see 3 of Gillette's finest running radar not at the incoming traffic, but at the outgoing traffic. Which at that time was a large number of BMW's. Then later out in the open on Hwy 59 I saw a WY Trooper on the side of the road chatting with a couple on an RT with CO plates. OOPS!

Personal Responsibility is something thats greatly lacking in the general public these days. While I would reserve my rights provided by the Constitution. I would pay the fine. I did it and I was caught, I'll do what it takes to make amends to the State.

I've also been in the "outrun the storm mode". If the State Trooper I met wanted he could have citied me for at least 20 MPH over the limit. When we meet he did slam on his brakes....then I think he realized what and why I was traveling at such an elevated speed. Was I lucky? Yes, would I have paid the fine? Yes. Would I have wanted to sit in his Crown Vic? Oh hell yes the storm was closing in fast.

I liked your comments on "personal responsibility" and "reserve my rights provided by the Constitution."

I often reflect on my memories of my parent's generation, it having survived the global turmoil of WW II, and how 'personal responsiblity' was a way of life...an expectation of maturity.

Nowadays, there are so many slick avenues out of taking responsiblity, whether they be legal loopholes, corrupt lawyers, crooked cops, political influence, etc. that we are nuturing a society devoid of shame, dignity and honor.

A speeding ticket (ANY ticket) sucks, and the subsequent fine and point assessment will hurt. That's why they're something to be avoided!

But the original poster of this thread didn't deny her speeding. Therefore, while she has a 'Constitutional right to counsel,' she has no need for counsel. Decision to Speed + Getting Caught + Getting Ticket = Pay Ticket.

You know what happens when you make an effort to take more personal responsibility for your behavior? Your behavior improves, you feel better about yourself as a person, and your outlook on life becomes so much more positive.

Give it a try. If it doesn't quite work out, the ACLU will always maintain a toll-free number.
 
I just can't imagine "fighting" an out of state ticket.

I don't see why you wouldn't - usually it takes calling a local attorney who will often work with the prosecutor to reduce the charges before it even gets to court. The costs are usually a bit more than just the fine, but in the long run it usually pays off.

A speeding ticket (ANY ticket) sucks, and the subsequent fine and point assessment will hurt. That's why they're something to be avoided!

Yep - though not all of us can count on "professional courtesy" to make things less painful.
 
I liked your comments on "personal responsibility" and "reserve my rights provided by the Constitution."

I often reflect on my memories of my parent's generation, it having survived the global turmoil of WW II, and how 'personal responsiblity' was a way of life...an expectation of maturity.

Nowadays, there are so many slick avenues out of taking responsiblity, whether they be legal loopholes, corrupt lawyers, crooked cops, political influence, etc. that we are nuturing a society devoid of shame, dignity and honor.

A speeding ticket (ANY ticket) sucks, and the subsequent fine and point assessment will hurt. That's why they're something to be avoided!

But the original poster of this thread didn't deny her speeding. Therefore, while she has a 'Constitutional right to counsel,' she has no need for counsel. Decision to Speed + Getting Caught + Getting Ticket = Pay Ticket.

You know what happens when you make an effort to take more personal responsibility for your behavior? Your behavior improves, you feel better about yourself as a person, and your outlook on life becomes so much more positive.

Give it a try. If it doesn't quite work out, the ACLU will always maintain a toll-free number.

:thumb Amen to this line of thought. Age, along with self modulating responsibility resulted in a much happier life for me.
 
I can't help because I've never fought a ticket. Even the ones I thought I didn't deserve I paid because of the many times I didn't get a ticket when I deserved one.

Not many years ago I got stopped 6 times in 8 months in various parts of the US and Canada, with never a ticket. The sixth time was by a trooper outside Greybull WY for going 72 in a 65 zone. At that point I figured the universe was trying to tell me something and so I slowed down (mostly).

Now that I've lived out here a while, I have found that generally the Wyoming LEOs - state and local - expect a lot closer adherence to the speed limit than do they in the more populous states.
 
speeding ticket

I have had a few tickets and always lawyer up and make it go away. It will cost more but no moving violation points. You usually won't have to show up, that's what the lawyer does for his $300 or so. It is just the system. The local lawyer knows the prosecutor and they just work a deal. You still pay the fine so the local jurisdiction gets their pound of flesh (after all, isn't that what it is really about?) and you get a ticket for a faulty turn signal or tail light.

If you want to speed, get a good radar detector and use common sense. Don't crest a hill or round a curve 15 over. Even with a radar detector, instant on will get you every time. I saw several Troopers/locals around Gillette, two writing up speeders. All were heading away from town.
 
You still pay the fine so the local jurisdiction gets their pound of flesh (after all, isn't that what it is really about?) and you get a ticket for a faulty turn signal or tail light.

.


Well Mike, I guess your perception is different than mine.

In my opinion, laws are the basis of civillization, not a voluntary tax.

As others have posted, it's best in my opinion, to take responsibility for my own actions.

Every ticket I've been given, as well as every warning, has been deserved. I'm a slow learner, so I've had several speeding tickets.

Regards, Rod
 
In my opinion, laws are the basis of civillization, not a voluntary tax.

As others have posted, it's best in my opinion, to take responsibility for my own actions.

A couple of issues here. I get the ticket and yeah, they are getting steep. $185 for 80 in a 65 on the Maine Turnpike a couple of weeks ago. I pay it. Cost of doing business.

My issue isn't with the ticket, it's with the $600 - $800 that gets tacked onto my ticket by the insurance company, payable over the next 4 or 5 years. And it gets worse -- that $600-$800 is for EACH vehicle I register and insure in Massachusetts.

It's the blatant inequity of the penalty that pisses me off. And we keep electing the same old moonbats who write the laws.
 
I think Mike was trying to point out the difference between a civil infraction, a ticket that results in a fine and frequently points, and a criminal violation of a misdemeanor or felony, which can carry the threat of arrest and imprisonment.

There is a reason why you are asked to sign such a citation at the time it is issued - it is to acknowledge that you may either either admit fault and pay the fine or go to court to contest the citation. While I respect those who gladly avail themselves of the first option, frankly it frightens me that many of those same folks feel there is some moral high ground that prevents opting for the second option, an option that is codified in and guaranteed by the very same set of laws.
 
I continue to be amazed at the number of motorists who speed 10 or 20 + with seeming impunity. It seems that speeding enforcement must be perceived by these folks as worth taking the risk of a citation. Many times I was passed by packs of cars seemingly beating my 5-10 by a large margin.

I try to stay under 10 and lately even closer if the limit is on the high side (75-80). I remember the dreadful days of the 55 mph limit and am very grateful that now in most places we can legally drive at 65+.

A few times on my trip I was restricted to 55 and it brought back bad memories from the 70's.
 
Busted

I have a Paralegal firm here in Oshawa, :stick Pay the fine.


sorry to be so blunt but as stated unles you have a green or other authorized light on that bike or vehicle to speed(or one hell of a fish story) then your busted.:deal :deal
 
While I respect those who gladly avail themselves of the first option, frankly it frightens me that many of those same folks feel there is some moral high ground that prevents opting for the second option, an option that is codified in and guaranteed by the very same set of laws.

I've run with the traffic at well over the limit and have done triple digits in the open spaces, but generally I ride close to the limit because I have a low hassle tolerance. (One reason I live in small-town Wyoming.) I pay my tickets for the same reason, but I have no problem with those who work within the system to lessen the impact.

I don't think the moral divide is between the payers and the fighters but between those who accept their lumps and those who are indignant that - this time - they got caught.

As for Massachusetts (see tommcgee), the vehicle insurance system is a nightmare. In Mass it's not so much working the system but working to protect yourself from the system.
 
My two more cents;

I live in the middle of nowhere. The towns around here are really small. There isn't a lot of traffic on the local roads. Some of my neighbors, though few they may be, don't always look before pulling out. Nobody is ever coming, right? This is especially true in the small towns.

When I ride or drive around here, I take into consideration the known to me danger points. For instance, there is this farm situated right at the exist of a curve. His hay barn is on one side of the road, and the cattle pens on the other. I can't count the number of times I've come around that curve to find the road blocked by a big ol' tractor with a round bale of hay stuck on the front of it. So, I always slow down when entering that curve. And then there is the creek bottom were 7 out of 10 times I'll have some form of wildlife cross the road. There are other known dangers on my ride to the main road, and I prepare for the worst before getting to them.

The small towns out in the sticks will probably have a lot of older folks driving around. I volunteer at the senior center here, and I know we have people drive to the center for lunch that probably won't see you coming, even if you have everything flashing. They're like horses that have followed the same path for years; they can do it blindfolded. And in some cases, that would be an improvement.

That's why, when I come close to civilization out in the boonies, I pull it back to the speed limit or slightly below. Call me cheap or a coward, but speeding through small towns isn't something I would recommend doing.

Now, out in the open spaces? Well, all I'll say is that I ride one of those incredibly stable at high speed K1200RS's. I have met the patrolman out of Alliance, NE. (Last year.) And, I have contributed (gladly, considering what it could have been) to the local treasury. So, I understand the "need for speed" at times, but we have to remember, the locals are likely to be in there own world as they go about their day, and we're not part of their routine. Be careful.

Tom
 
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While I can't advise NYRTGRL one way or the other about fighting the ticket, the last ticket I received I did hire an attorney. I was willing to pay the fine to the city/county or what ever; I just didnÔÇÖt want to pay for the ticket for years to come on my insurance. As far as the cops are concerned they are by far the most hypocritical group of people I have ever known. They practice something called Selective Law Enforcement. If its one of their own speeding, do you think theyÔÇÖll get a ticket? ItÔÇÖs very rare that a cop will apply the law equally to all people regardless of their profession.


Richo
 
Common Sense

Why would you pay a lawyer's fee to save a few bucks on the fine and maybe insurance rates?

Unless you already have a bad record, one ticket won't make much of a difference.
 
A BMWMOA member rode his brand new BMW R1200RT out of the dealership. Taking off down the road, he cranked it to 80 mph, enjoying the wind blowing through what little hair he had left.

'Amazing,' he thought as he flew down I-90, cranking the grip even more up to 100 mph.

Looking in his rear view mirrors, he saw a state trooper on a HD behind him, lights flashing and siren blaring.

He took it to 110 mph, then 115, then 120. Suddenly he thought, 'What am I doing? I'm too old for this,' and pulled over to await the trooper' arrival.

Pulling in behind him, the trooper walked up to the cycle, looked at his watch and said, 'Sir, my shift ends in 10 minutes. Today is Friday. If you can give me a reason for speeding that I've never heard before, I'll might let you go.'

The old gentleman paused. Then said, 'Years ago, my wife rode off with a State Trooper on a Harley. I thought you might be him bringing her back.'

'Have a good day, sir,' replied the trooper as he mounted his HD.
 
Thanks for all of the spirited discussion and sound advice! I am most relieved to report I checked with NYSDMV and this speeding ticket will NOT add any points to my license. The fine is going to be paid and this can all be put behind me. I was never trying to avoid my responsibility to pay the fine - my major concern was racking up six points. The ticket was for 94 in a 65. The fine was doubled to $230 because of a road work zone - all fifty miles or so was designated this way according to the trooper, there was no road work in or around the area I was in so don't be too quick to draw conclusions!

Thanks again and hope to meet you all some time down the road!
 
Why would you pay a lawyer's fee to save a few bucks on the fine and maybe insurance rates?

Unless you already have a bad record, one ticket won't make much of a difference.

Because, in California and Washington -- where I have lived and have experience about it -- you could pay a lot more than $300 in increased insurance over 3 years. Also, if you can conceivably save the points this time, it might be an advantage when you can't the next time.

I got home last night from the national and the Top of the Rockies rally, with just over 5,000 miles over two weeks of travel. Had a great time at both!

My closest call was 60 miles from home on one of the bay area freeways where a few CHP motor officers were having a field day picking off speeders (everyone, and I mean everyone, on that freeway was going at least 10 over). I managed to both see them and slow down enough without being run over...
 
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