Thought i would offer a space for drivers to comment on their most miserable or memorable ticket experience.
Fall of '65, i had just bought a '63 TR-4. Was a college Frosh at Nebraska, drove up north to a tiny town, Bancroft, where my dad grew up. Picked up my two cousins, one a guy, the other his sister. We wedged ourselves into the tiny cockpit, but it being already cold, and with dark approaching, headed over to another small town, Lyons. Had the top up.
I was the Big City Kid, out from Virgina, in my hot English sports car, a handsome White Triumph. The three of us cruised the very short main street, blipping the throttle of that ancient motor, until on one trip down main street, a car pulled out to follow me.
It was dark by then, and all i could tell was that a car with bright lights was right on my tail. Remember, i had the top up. I muttered to my two cousins, "let's show this farm kid what a hot sports car can do."
I raced thru the gears, by the end of the street, right by the town cemetary, i was well into fourth, pulling a bit over 70 mph, this being down a 20 mph street, when all of a sudden the car right behind me turned on its cherry top light.
I had not been able to see the policecar's red light because my cousin Marcia and the low top had kept my vision to the rear obscured. I pulled over by the cemetary, and the young officer told me i was going 50+ mph over the limit, and my fine was $25. I wrote out a check on the hood of his car, and he escorted me to a mailbox in which i dropped the payment envelope.
I sheepishly drove back to cousin's farm, feeling like the Stupid Kid from the Big City. At least, i can recall now that my first ticket was for drag racing an unmarked cop car.
Then there was the time a year later, in a tiny town in Iowa, when the mayor came in his bathrobe, asked how much money i had, so i lied and said $15, and he said "pay the man, and you can go on." I have had one other ticket, again in a speed trap in Iowa, back in '85. None since.
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Hal Copple
Stroked SPF
"Daily Driver"
IV Corps 71-72, Gulf War
It was Halloween, I dont know what year but I just got my license. A buddy and I had this old water fire extinguisher so we filled it, and went to the local gas station, filled it with air and decided to squirt some kids...well we got these three kids...but good. 10 minutes later 4 cop cars come out of nowhere and surround us...screamin...guns out...crazy. Apparently, We squirted one of the officers kids. Not a good night. I look back on it though, and the look on the guys face who's kids we nailed was priceless. Man was that guy pissed.
My worst was also my best. I got pulled over for 62 in a 30 in Massachusetts and it was a $270 fine. I was barely into my first yeat out of college and it was ALOT of money then. I was guilty as sin, but bought that book; "How to beat the radar rap". I used every trick in the book and the officer did not show. To this day, I do not know if it was the book, or the cop just couldn't make it.
The judge, after waiting forever for the cop said, "Charges are dismissed, you are not guilty,..and this has been an expensive day for the court."
I did get tagged for 95 in a 55 many years ago, but again knowing I was guilty as sin, I paid it and was happy the cop didn't throw the book at me.
Was 16 at the time and dating one of the city council men daugthter in a small town (250) about 25 miles and the local cop picked me up for doing 20mph in a 15mph zone at 12:30 on the way to her house, ask how mutch money I had told him $4.00 said to bad bail was $5.00 took me to jail (not the size of our bathroom) got to call my mom at 8:00 told her my mess she called my uncle Bill who worked for the FBI he send two bureau officers to retrive me about 11:00 the worse thing I didn't know what was going on they just came in and open the cell and told me to go get in the car and we left though I was done for. My last date with her.
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Talent is your head in communication with your balls.
'66 Datsun 1600, I was 20 years old, about 1973...
My worst ticket was the 2nd one I received on the same stretch of road by the same policeman for doing the same speed (54 in a 25) a week after I got the first one.
I got a good one. I was waiting on big raise at work and decided that once I got it I was going to buy an new Corvette. The day I got the raise I left work and drove to the dealership. I went for a test drive with a lady from the dealership. It was near rush hour on a busy street by the dealership so I was immediately stuck in traffic. The lady told me to make a righ on a street up ahead and I could "test it out" there. I make the right and there is a nice long straight road...a 35 MPH straight road. Well I bury the pedal for no more than 4-5 seconds and this vette roared. Just as I'm letting off the pedal, I hear the woman next to me say "OH ****...A COP!" . The sneaky motorcycle variety hiding in a parking lot. Man was he pissed! Wrote me up for 70 in a 35 and reckless driving. Cost me $1000. Funny part was he was clocking cars going the opposite direction...he just heard the motor scream behind him when I opened her up. I don't think he actually locked me on radar.
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"There are 10 types of people out there....the ones that understand binary and the zeros that don't."
I was 16 yrs. old, had just tuned the car up, and it was running beautifully. Backed out of my friend's driveway, revved her up, and dumped the clutch (such fun going sideways) until I heard the siren. I hadn't noticed the PD topping the hill behind me before my "grand show".
Results: One reckless driving ticket
The Officer still works with the PD that I now work with........
Cobra Make, Engine: Classic Roadsters 351 Windsor 405 HP
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On my way to New Hampshire to retrieve son from college.Had a brand new '84 Maxima wagon. Trip started in pouring down rain. Just past Hartford Conn. the road opens up to 4 lanes,rain cleared and I was late. Passed a Mustang on the side of the road jacked up with tire off. About a mile down the road smokey waved me over. He said what's your hurry? I said late to pick up son,was I speeding? Yup 102 mph oops!!! $648.00 ticket ouch!!
Cobra Make, Engine: Heritage body, built the rest..460 Toploader..9"
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Boy does this bring back some memories....I was 18 years old and had just bought this big 63 1/2 Galaxie It had a 427 2-4's etc. Who new what a light weight Galaxie was then!!! My parents couldn't figure out why I wanted a car without a radio or heater... That car was fast and furious. No one in my town would even touch me, until someone visiting a friend with a 1969 Rambler Scrambler 390 came around. We raced at the local cruise spot, and by the time I had cracked 3rd gear, this RAMBLER was pulling me so hard my eyes blurred. Anyway red lights were everywear, but this RAMBLER kept going. To make a long story short, 1 cop came over the loudspeaker for me to pull over and not move, and he and another went after the other one. The three showed up shortly, at which time I recieved a ticket for participating in a speed contest, breaking traction, and several other items that cost me a consideral amount of money back then. I will never forget that Rambler or my Galaxie that terriorized the street.
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6year Heritage A&F
&
1969 Hurst SC/Rambler(only 1,512 made) in the middle of restoration.
Location: Right in the middle of the beautiful Texas Hill Country - Boerne, Texas,
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1992...going to Military School in Roswell, NM. On my way home from weekend national guard drill in Albuqurque, and running late. 1986 'vette. headed out of Clines Corners south on 285...115mph...100mph....115 mph...cruising right along at sunset up and over the hills. in my rear view I could see 2 lights way off in the distance...they kept getting closer...and closer...and closer...and I was thinking, "man, this guy is really hauling ass..." over a hill, I hit the brakes and slowed to 60 mph...about 1-2 minutes later...2 state police cars right on my bumper....about 10 seconds later..the lights go on. I pull over...said he was 'pacing me' at speeds over 100mph. I told him I was speeding but never over 90-95mph, and I was late returning home from drill. I was even in my uniform. Pulled me out of the car and lectured me for a half-hour about 'i've pulled people out of these cars that were in 100 pieces, etc..etc..'. I apologized and tried to explain my situation...to no avail. ticket: 95 in a 55. $270.00
blake
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"They're lining up on both sides of the ocean..
and nobody's willing to compromise
in the search for the smoking gun..."
So many tickets to talk about... My worst was when a buddy and I decided to make a u-turn on an arterial highway. Besides just missing getting hit in the drivers door by another car the u-turn worked just fine. In the process of making this illegal move I decided that lighting up the tires for about 50+ yards sounded like the right thing to do. Funny thing, the WSP that was coming up on us saw the whole mess didn't think it was so cool. I think the year was 84 or something like that and the Negligent driving ticket was 300+. OUCH!
Cobra Make, Engine: Original ERA 427sc, Powered by Gessford
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Blake-
Did you go to NMMI? My cousin went there and I was there to visit him a couple times- neat place. He is several years younger and was probably there around 1998 or '99.
As for my worst ticket . . .
The worst (and only) ticket I ever got was the only one I didn't deserve. I was pulling out of a road on my college campus and was approaching a stop sign. I stopped probably 8-10 ft in front of the stop sign. However, because I could see clearly down the road from where I stopped, I did not stop again immediately in front of the stop sign before proceeding through it. As I was accelerating through the stop sign, I cop pulled onto the road and saw me drive through it- however, he did not see me come to a complete stop just seconds earlier. I tried to explain to the cop that I did stop a few feet in front of the stop sign before accelerating through it, but to no avail. He said that he couldn't do anything for me because his sergeant was in the car. I really did not deserve that ticket.
However, there were several times when I clearly deserved tickets, but didn't get them. But that's a story for another thread. On balance, I figure I'm still ahead of the game.
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Replica is not a dirty word.
"If you can't be a good example, then you'll just have to be a horrible warning."
On the topic of undeserved tickets, mine was in '76, the day after breaking-up with a city counsel-man's daughter in a small town of maybe 800 people. It was a setup, I paid the fine and left town.
I was returning from a week long business trip. I was drained and it was 11:30pm. I was flying along a stretch that contained me, trees and maybe some squirrels in the woods. I get to my driveway and drive up. It's 700 feet long, so I'm hussling up it as well. Get to the end and go around the circle (house on the left, garage on the right) to back into the garage. As I round the far end of the circle, I see that there's a car just getting to the circle...with blue lights on. I drive over, get out and walk over to the slightly pissed police officer, who yells "Is there a race somewhere that I need to know about?".
Fortunately for me, I only get a warning that if I am ever caught doing anything again, I'll be written up for everything under the sun. Hhew.
I had been married a year; I was 21 years old and babysitting the last mansion on the north end of Palm Beach (Florida). Its owner was spending the summer in Jerusalem. The home was beyond fabulous, but that's another story.
Since we were newlyweds and young, we fought frequently. After one such argument, I tried to smooth things over with an ice-cream cake. On the way back from the store, I met her coming the other way; we both stopped and made up; only now my cake was melting. So I floored it...as much as you can in a 1978 Vega! The roads are winding and the speed limit was 30 MPH...I was doing over 70 MPH in a residential zone...NOT to smart! About a block away from the mansion, the cops caught me...I didn't even realize I was being chased! DUH! I quickly hopped out, admitting my guilt, and asking the cop to follow me...so I could at least get the cake in the freezer...THEN he could write the ticket. Unbelievably, he said OK! As I got out with the cake, he checked the contents...I put the cake in the freezer and returned outside. The cop said he'd been a cop for 20 something years, and this was the first "ice-cream defense" he'd ever had...
He let me off with a warning! I'm grateful to this day!
Are we talking ticket or arrest? My worst was 2 days in jail for evading arrest and reckless driving (I wasn't but it took him 15 min to catch me after I stopped for lunch boy was he pissed).. The worst ticket I never got was shortly after that...
I was going home from a club and and I had just been to jail on the preceeding charge a few months earlier. It was 2:30 in the morning and I was headed home to Napa from Concord, Ca.. About a 45 mile haul we typically did in 30 min including stoplights.
I was north bound on Hwy 29 in the fastlane at 95 or so and I came up on a "slower" car. It seemed like I wasn't going around him in a timely manner and he hadn't moved over so I kicked it up to 100-105 and I did start closing on him.... I was about 100 yards away when I realized his trunk had a familar logo.. HIGHWAY PATROL..
Ok.. Thought process... He's got me at 110. I'm pretty much done. I'm going to jail (again) but this time It will be for a week. I will lose my lisense for a year... NO WAY at 21 that would be the end of my social life.
So conclusions... possible solutions. 1). Pull over and go to jail.. 2). Run, A). get away B). dont get away (see item 1).
The guy was in a 1988 5.0 mustang, 0-60 in 6.0 seconds maybe, top speed of 134ish.. I was in a 1966 mustang GT, 302 0-60 in 5.4 or so.. Hmmm.. Pretty slim chance.
Then the Ford gods stepped in.. I was behind this guy all this time. We came up to a light at the Napa airport. He got into the left turn lane. Interesting.. Did he not care we were cruising through his piece of heaven at a buck ten. I know he paced me... He must be moving over to come in behind me.
Solution.. Recalculate.. 3-5 seconds to cross the intersection, 2-3 seconds to turn, 4-5 seconds to check traffic and get back in behind me.. 10 seconds.. 12-13 really... Hmmm.. This guy want's me to run. 13 seconds is a quarter mile....
The light turned green my foot hit the floor. Sure enough, one one-thousand, two one-thousand. I see the red light in the distance. Two miles from the intersection there is a Y where 29 and 221 split and go into Napa. At 1 mile I shut off the lights and drove by streetlight.
I hit that Y at 135+ and I didn't slow down until I was well away taking every back road through town. Needless to say I needed to keep the mustang under wraps a while...
So I was driving my dads 1967 Plymouth Barracuda. He always told me it was fast. I decided to see.. I pulled out of the Shell station and must have not expected the thing to break loose. well it did.. 7" poly glass tires and no posi and this thing is so out of shape, tire smoking... I'm side ways in the intersection of hwy 29 and Trancas, (Napa, Ca)...
Guess who the first car through the intersection was coming the other way.. Yup.. Napa's finest. But that is another story. I will say this. 67 Cuda's have nothing on 66 Mustang GT's. I got away but not by speed.. It was a hell of a week.
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michael
A man that is young in years, may be old in hours, if he have lost no time. But that happeneth rarely. Generally, youth is like the first cogitations, not so wise as the second. For there is a youth in thoughts, as well as in ages... Sir Francis Bacon (1561-1626)
Cobra Make, Engine: 427 Unique Roadster, FE by FE Specialties, 470hp, Top Loader, 3:31 Jag
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The year 1968 - Saturday night, 8 PM - I'm out cruising with a buddy (I'm driving a '63 'vette, split-window, 327, Crower roller, high rise, dual quads sticking out of the hood, etc). My brother pulls up in his '57 Chevy hard top (327 that's pumped up as well). Well, one thing leads to another and we're off - going down a street that is somewhat the main drag. I shut it down at about 110 MPH 'cause I'm way ahead and why take a chance, right? He blows past me figuring he's gonna be in front no matter what and goes another half-mile. We both pull into the local burger place - he pulls in first, I round the building and as I come around the building there is a CHP parked behind him. I'm chuckling until I see red all over my dashboard.... from the cop’s lights behind me!
In the end, I wound up selling the ‘vette to pay for traffic fines and to pay attorney fees (I'm not proud of it, but I accumulated a string of drag racing tickets with that bad boy). Anyway, sold the 'vette, bought a VW Bus and shortly after was drafted and off to beautiful South East Asia. Right out of American Graffiti before anybody even though of making a movie!
IVE HAD AFEW, BUT THE MOST MEMORABLE WAS IN '67.ON MARKET STREET AND CASTRO (YES THAT CASTRO) STOPPED AT A LIGHT. A NEW VETT PULLS UP ALONG SIDE. IM DRIVING MY COBRA CSX2192. WE COME OFF THE LIGHT SMOKING. THE WEBERS KICK IN AND I PULL HIM REAL,REAL BAD. PARKED WATCHING THIS "THRILLING SHOW OF MANHOOD" IS ONE OF SAN FRANCISCO'S FINIST. I LOOK IN THE MIRROR AND HES COMING. FIGURE HE CAN ONLY GET ONE OF US SO I TURN RIGHT ON NOE STREET AND STOP. NOT MY DAY. HE WRITES ME UP FOR 60+ IN A 35, BUT THIS BECOMES A EXPADITION OF SPEED TICKET...5 POINTS, PLUS A MANDATORY COURT APPERANCE. SO I ASK THE "GENTLEMAN", "YOU HAD A CHOICE, WHY TURN FOR ME". THE GUY HAD A SENSE OF HUMMOR. SAYS THAT I PULLED THE VETT SO BAD THAT HE FELT SORRY FOR THE GUY AND DIDN'T WANT TO MAKE HIS DAY WORSE! BY THE WAY, I MET THE NEW OWNER OF CSX2192 AT SEARS POINT A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO AT THE WINE COUNTRY CLASSICS.
My worst ticket.....
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Don't forget the "ice-cream" defense!
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