OK had a state statute that made it tougher for a town to become a speed trap but a state legislator managed to hide some language in another tack-on for impending legislation and speed traps were validated again a few years back.
It was discovered that 2 towns in this guy’s legislative district were some of the worst offenders. They were ticketing people for going 2 MPH over and for one year in question one of these towns derived 84% of their operating revenue from traffic tickets; mostly from out of towners.
The justification was that these small towns would go bankrupt without issuing all of those tickets.
I got caught in Tucson, dead to rights, 11 mph over the speed limit (I was trying to get my wife to the hospital - another story altogether). In AZ if you take an 8 hour defensive driving “class” you only have to pay the $185 fee but no points - such a deal! You can take the class on line! Well I kinda’ forgot until the night before the deadline - so I went to take the class online - you have to go to special site to do so - oops. So I went online to sign up for classes - I was in luck, one was scheduled for the next day, so I signed up. BUT, you have to pay with a money order - did you know that Circle K doesn’t sell money orders between midnight and 6 AM? Quik Trip only sells when a manager is around. So, after a few hours of sleep I got up, hit the ATM, bought a money order and printed out the particulars of the class, headed for the freeway to attend class. At the stop light at the entrance ramp I glanced down at the print out - the class was in Spanish… I went to the class anyways - they had to have handouts in English too, right? The “teacher” took one look at me and said “You don’t speak Spanish, do you?” Then told me I could atend anyways and get credit - I said, “Like pennance?” “Si” she replied. No handouts in English or Spanish! Well when in high school I took 4 years of Spanish, and still remembered 30 or 40 words (it was a mere 35 years ago). I listened, and read the Power Point slides and came out with a headache that wouldn’t quit. I have been extra careful to keep to the speed limit and toss my wife in the trunk when she needs to get to the hospital.
In general I don’t have a problem with the cameras - they have gotten rid of some of the wackos that were slaloming through rush hour traffic at 15 or 20 mph above the average speed of the rest of traffic, and the guys bombing around at 90 or so just for fun. Just stay within 10 mph of the limit and life is good. Running red lights - no exuse - saw a woman do this just the other day - yacking on the cell phone - oblivious to the traffic signals. Hay chihuahua!!!
Many years ago when I attended truck driving school, one of the things I was taught was that, while approaching a green light, if it turns yellow either at or after you pass the entry point of the right-turn deceleration lane (an imaginary line called the “Line Of Commitment”) , KEEP ON GOING, because an attempt to stop at that point would result in you being halfway thru the intersection by the time you stopped, and you’d have to roll on thru anyway. There have been times when I’ve made an error in judgement while in my own personal vehicle (4-wheeler), and panic-stopped at the sight of a yellow light, ending up nosed out into the intersection and having to back up; and it’s true that many yellow lights change to red very rapidly. So, nowadays, if I’m past that “Line Of Commitment” coming to an intersection and the light suddenly turns yellow, I normally floor the gas pedal and breeze on thru, to beat the red light; but I ONLY do this if I’m past the “Line Of Commitment” and know for sure I can get thru BEFORE the light turns green for cross-traffic (there is a split-second delay between a light turning red for one road and turning green for a cross-street). And I prefer saving my brakes from wearing out prematurely, so I can use them in a real emergency, like when some idiot at a stop sign on a side street pulls out in front of me without even looking; I’d be rich if I had a nickel for every time some idiot has pulled a stunt like that and almost caused me to wreck.
As for fighting tickets in court, unless I had to fly across the country, I’d go and fight it if I didn’t agree with it, just to be a burr on someone’s butt. I’m normally a good guy, but I can be a real jerk when I take a notion. I know there are many GOOD cops out there, and GOD BLESS them; however, there are plenty of others out there who are a real disgrace to their badge and uniform, and of such “cops” I regard them about as much as amoebae sliming around on the underside of a whale turd at the bottom of the ocean. But, please, no offense to all the good cops out there, and THANK GOD I’ve dealt mostly with good ones, many of which have been very gracious. And one other thing, I DO NOT agree with the use of traffic-light cameras because of the potential for them to be mis-used or inappropriately used.
I know there are many GOOD cops out there, and GOD BLESS them; however, there are plenty of others out there who are a real disgrace to their badge and uniform, and of such “cops” I regard them about as much as amoebae sliming around on the underside of a whale turd at the bottom of the ocean. But, please, no offense to all the good cops out there, and THANK GOD I’ve dealt mostly with good ones, many of which have been very gracious. And one other thing, I DO NOT agree with the use of traffic-light cameras because of the potential for them to be mis-used or inappropriately used.