Unfair traffic tickets

[Artemis Windsong]

An article written about how dangerous to drivers going through small towns.  I'm sure just the wrong license plate in some of these small towns causes ticketing.

www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/this-louisiana-town-runs-largely-on-traffic-fines-if-you-fight-your-ticket-the-mayor-is-your-judge/ar-AA1k1yyJ?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=bad69ddf754249b08f6a4d2cc8b2310e&ei=16

[billisonboard]

I was stationed in Mississippi in 1976 and heard a local radio announcement that said something like,  "If you got a traffic ticket driving through ..., please contact the state Attorney General office for representation fighting the ticket."

[laterbloomer]

Is this new to you? As a Canadian, when I mention the possibility of a road trip through the States I am advised to have a significant amount of cash on me to pay "speeding tickets". I'm told that if I can pay cash on the spot the trip is easier. A friend of mine that would drive from Michigan to Nevada tells me he's paid tickets like that 4 times.

[alabamagal]

When I lived in rural South Georgia, there were several towns that were known traffic speed traps. Two of them were on long stretches of 4 lane highways that you suddenly had a lower speed limit. Every time you drove by you would see a cop with radar or a cop with a car pulled over. After driving long stretches, it is hard to slow down, have to use brakes, not just coast.

Advice we also follow is to not speed in city limits to avoid speed traps. On rural highways, just go with traffic flow. In western US where there is little traffic you can probably do what you want.

[billisonboard]

On the other hand example: my small town has a sign indicating 25 mph zone ahead, then  a radar sign telling you your speed, then the speed limit sign which is actually visible when you are looking at the one that reports your speed. There is ample time to slow down between the two. 

[busymom]

I was told when driving thru Iowa, do NOT carry a lot of cash.  The police apparently automatically assume that money is for illegal activities, and will take it, and you have to actually fight in court to get your own money back.  

[TheOtherMe]

Nov 17, 2023 11:13:35 GMT -5 busymom said:

I was told when driving thru Iowa, do NOT carry a lot of cash.  The police apparently automatically assume that money is for illegal activities, and will take it, and you have to actually fight in court to get your own money back.  

I think this does happen but it's after entering Iowa from states where marijuana can be purchased legally.  They make a lot of assumptions in Council Bluffs that any car with Colorado plates will have marijuana in.

Here if people are going to Illinois to buy marijuana, they go farther than across the bridge because the police do sit at the bridge and know how long it takes to go to the small town just across the bridge.  If I were going to buy marijuana I would be going a lot farther in to the state.

The speed limit in front of my house is 25.  This subdivision was annexed in to the "city" about 20 years ago, so the speed limit used to be higher.  It also used to be the highway that led to Dubuque, which is now a 4 lane road and my road is no longer the main road.  Once you leave the city limits, the speed limit is 50.  

My neighbors who have small children have tried to work with the city council to actually issue tickets but all the city does is put one of the flashing radar signs and nobody slows down because they know there is no consequence.  

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

Nov 17, 2023 0:44:59 GMT -5 laterbloomer said:

Is this new to you? As a Canadian, when I mention the possibility of a road trip through the States I am advised to have a significant amount of cash on me to pay "speeding tickets". I'm told that if I can pay cash on the spot the trip is easier. A friend of mine that would drive from Michigan to Nevada tells me he's paid tickets like that 4 times.

What That's not how this works. That's not how any of this works. 

[daisylu]

Nov 20, 2023 10:28:18 GMT -5 Knee Deep in Water Chloe said:

Nov 17, 2023 0:44:59 GMT -5 laterbloomer said:

Is this new to you? As a Canadian, when I mention the possibility of a road trip through the States I am advised to have a significant amount of cash on me to pay "speeding tickets". I'm told that if I can pay cash on the spot the trip is easier. A friend of mine that would drive from Michigan to Nevada tells me he's paid tickets like that 4 times.

What That's not how this works. That's not how any of this works. 

I have never heard of that either. I have not received many tickets for speeding, most recent was in September before that probably a decade, but it has always been:

1. the cop gives you a citation
2. the citation lists a traffic court date and a phone number to call if you do not want to contest and just pay

I have never heard of "paying on the spot". Are these people paying (read: bribing) police in order to not receive an actual citation?

[laterbloomer]

Nov 20, 2023 10:28:18 GMT -5 Knee Deep in Water Chloe said:

Nov 17, 2023 0:44:59 GMT -5 laterbloomer said:

Is this new to you? As a Canadian, when I mention the possibility of a road trip through the States I am advised to have a significant amount of cash on me to pay "speeding tickets". I'm told that if I can pay cash on the spot the trip is easier. A friend of mine that would drive from Michigan to Nevada tells me he's paid tickets like that 4 times.

What That's not how this works. That's not how any of this works. 

I've been told that's how it works for Canadian license plates.

[laterbloomer]

Nov 20, 2023 10:49:38 GMT -5 daisylu said:

Nov 20, 2023 10:28:18 GMT -5 Knee Deep in Water Chloe said:

What That's not how this works. That's not how any of this works. 

I have never heard of that either. I have not received many tickets for speeding, most recent was in September before that probably a decade, but it has always been:

1. the cop gives you a citation
2. the citation lists a traffic court date and a phone number to call if you do not want to contest and just pay

I have never heard of "paying on the spot". Are these people paying (read: bribing) police in order to not receive an actual citation?

My friend felt more like they were paying blackmail than bribing anyone. From what I'm told this happens in the rural areas, not the big cities.

[wvugurl26]

I've heard this about US citizens driving in Mexico. My high school Spanish teacher went to Mexico every summer. He said you kept cash in your wallet behind the license and the cop would take the cash.

[Tennesseer]

Related article.

Federal judge grants injunction banning 'Kansas Two-Step' Highway Patrol tactic

The Kansas Highway Patrol must stop using a tactic known as the “Kansas Two-Step” to detain out-of-state drivers long enough to find a reason to search their vehicles for illegal drugs, a federal judge has ruled.

U.S. District Judge Kathryn H. Vratil on Monday granted a permanent injunction. The injunction was not unexpected. It follows Vratil's ruling in July that determined that the tactic violated drivers' constitutional rights against unreasonable searches.

KHP spokeswoman Candice Breshears said the order is being reviewed by the state attorney general's office and declined further comment. A message left Tuesday with the office of Attorney General Kris Kobach was not immediately returned.

The injunction has several requirements, including cameras and audio for all marked and unmarked patrol cars. It also says troopers must inform drivers that they can refuse or revoke consent for a search at any time. The injunction also requires better training and documentation.

With the “Two-Step,” troopers finish the initial traffic stop, issuing a ticket or a warning, and start to walk away, then turn back to talk more to the driver. That allows them to keep looking for grounds for a vehicle search or to buy time for drug-sniffing dogs to arrive.

The American Civil Liberties Union sued on behalf of three drivers and two passengers traveling in 2017, 2018 and 2019 from neighboring Colorado, which has legalized recreational marijuana use. The judge concluded that the patrol targeted drivers traveling along Interstate 70 to or from states that have legalized either the medical or recreational use of marijuana. Kansas has authorized neither.

Rest of article here:  Federal judge grants injunction banning 'Kansas Two-Step' Highway Patrol tactic

[Tiny]

Just before smart phones (and where GPS was only in high end luxury vehicles) I was driving home through a Neighboring State. I thought I had missed my exit and so took the next exit (LOTS of miles between exits). Figured I would try to get my bearings while NOT traveling at a high rate of speed alone in my car. The exit was basically in the middle of nowhere. Once I had gotten off the highway - I decided it might be a good idea to get gas and stretch my legs... so I followed the sign for gas/food. It was 5 miles away thru cornfields. The local police car pulled me over for speeding just before I got to the little town. I hadn't notice that the speed limit dropped from 55 to 25. I had started slowing down (so I wasn't doing 65 anymore)  because I saw signs of civilization in the distance over the stalks of corn when I topped a rise in the road...

I was confused (I'm a City Girl) as to why I got pulled over. I wasn't even sure where the police car came from.  It was just me on the 2 lane highway.  There wasn't any difference in the two lane highway - corn fields to the left, corn fields to the right - no cross road in sight. Nothing (other than a speed limit sign I didn't see) to clue me in to a change in speed. I did ask about the sudden drop in speed, but didn't argue with the officer. I guess there was a school on the other side of the corn field (but no cross roads) or something like that.

I did ask where the gas (and food) was - as I had pulled off the highway to check my directions and to get gas.
I had to drive another 2 miles (on 2 lane highway with a speed limit of 45).

The officer said I could pay right away or I could have the ticket mailed to me and then mail back the fine. Or I could schedule a court date (I was 4 hours from home).

I decide NOT to pay it right away and opted for the ticket to be mailed to me. I did mail back payment.

I did get gas, was able to check/get instructions for getting on the right highway going in the right direction and what to watch for so I would take the right "cut off" in order to get home.

I almost felt like I should have claimed that ticket fine as "charity" or a "donation".

All that to say, yes, I can see how revenue from traffic tickets given to people "passing through" could be critical to a towns bottom line.

[zibazinski]

There are parts of Florida known for this. So bad that AAA issued warnings not to drive through there. The police chief was interviewed and basically said “ oh well.” It was solved by building a highway around the three offending cities.

[chiver78]

Dec 19, 2023 8:02:19 GMT -5 zibazinski said:

There are parts of Florida known for this. So bad that AAA issued warnings not to drive through there. The police chief was interviewed and basically said “ oh well.” It was solved by building a highway around the three offending cities.

yes, I was warned by all my Tampa-area friends about route 301 near Gainesville when we had to drive to meet the cruise one year. we saw a bunch of cars pulled over as we got closer to the city/route 75. here we were in a huge rental Expedition with NY plates.