US-75 stop for "speeding"

[Oldgringo]

Along the lines of concealed is concealed, I would point out that the state law says speeding is speeding. And along those lines, I thought I would point out this line:

Pulled him over for "speeding" (not likely; hubby ALWAYS uses cruise control at about 2mph over the limit)

And for those of you who might get upset at someone signaling a scofflaw to slow down, I thought I would point out that this activity is specifically allowed by the law. Penal Code section 38.05 says it is illegal to warn someone of the police ahead unless the warning is specifically intended to bring the person back into compliance with the law. By flashing the lights, you are telling the other person to slow back down and come into compliance with the law, or else.

Tell it to the judge...

[lancermit]

Speaking of warning of speed traps...

http://speedtrapahead.org/wordpress/about-us/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[gemini]

I'll still flash my lights a few times at opposing traffic. I get no enjoyment knowing
someone might be pulled over and ticketed.
If I'm riding a motorcycle, I'll touch the top of my helmet to let another biker in
opposing traffic know there's a radar trap ahead.
The really crazy, super speedy, weave in and out of traffic drivers? Well, they usually
get caught from sheer stupidity. All the light flashing and helmet touching in the
world won't matter to them.
Have fun and ride safe.

[surprise_i'm_armed]

Note of correction to the OP:

I-75 = Interstate 75, which runs from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan
to the Naples, Florida area. It does not have any miles in Texas.

The highway that runs through Collin County, Texas is US 75.

"US" prefixed the original federal highway system.

"I" prefixes the more modern federal highway system,
authorized by President Eisenhower, circa 1957.
Although Texas inexplicably refers to these roads as
"IH" on signage.

SIA

[Oldgringo]

Note of correction to the OP:

I-75 = Interstate 75, which runs from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan
to the Naples, Florida area. It does not have any miles in Texas.

The highway that runs through Collin County, Texas is US 75.

"US" prefixed the original federal highway system.

"I" prefixes the more modern federal highway system,
authorized by President Eisenhower, circa 1957.
Although Texas inexplicably refers to these roads as
"IH" on signage.

SIA

You are so correct. Good eye!

[randomoutburst]

Note of correction to the OP:

I-75 = Interstate 75, which runs from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan
to the Naples, Florida area. It does not have any miles in Texas.

The highway that runs through Collin County, Texas is US 75.

"US" prefixed the original federal highway system.

Ouch, my mistake. I feel silly. :)

[MojoTexas]

I quit caring about speed traps around 1995, when the National Maximum Speed Law was repealed, allowing the states to set their own speed limits again. Typically this meant the end of the "55 MPH" speed limit on most major highways and interstates.

Back in the days before 1995, when the maximum speed limit was 55 MPH, I had little respect for the law. I followed it only because I feared a ticket, and exceeded the speed limit when I felt I could get away with it and the conditions were safe (such as daytime, light traffic, interstate highway...the roads that now have 70 MPH speed limits).

Nowadays, the speed limits are mostly reasonable, and I find myself driving the speed limit, or at most, maybe 5 miles per hour over the limit, and I find myself HOPING that speeders get stopped and ticketed, especially when driving along the same US-75 in Collin County, headed home to McKinney from Richardson, and seeing some idiot weaving in and out of rush hour traffic at 95 MPH. I get so angry when I see people driving like that, because inevitably there's an accident that blocks several lanes of traffic which means it takes me twice as long to get home.

I guess another factor is age...prior to 1995, I was in my 20s and early 30s. Now it's 2010 and I'm 40, so maybe I'm slowing down some just because I'm slowly becoming a cranky old man.

MojoTexas

[C-dub]

I'll still flash my lights a few times at opposing traffic. I get no enjoyment knowing
someone might be pulled over and ticketed.
If I'm riding a motorcycle, I'll touch the top of my helmet to let another biker in
opposing traffic know there's a radar trap ahead.
The really crazy, super speedy, weave in and out of traffic drivers? Well, they usually
get caught from sheer stupidity. All the light flashing and helmet touching in the
world won't matter to them.
Have fun and ride safe.

Helmet touching! I've been a licensed rider for almost 30 years and was unaware of this signal.

[gemini]

I'll still flash my lights a few times at opposing traffic. I get no enjoyment knowing
someone might be pulled over and ticketed.
If I'm riding a motorcycle, I'll touch the top of my helmet to let another biker in
opposing traffic know there's a radar trap ahead.
The really crazy, super speedy, weave in and out of traffic drivers? Well, they usually
get caught from sheer stupidity. All the light flashing and helmet touching in the
world won't matter to them.
Have fun and ride safe.

Helmet touching! I've been a licensed rider for almost 30 years and was unaware of this signal.

I ride a FLHRC, but I learned the helmet touch from a crotch rocket jockey awhile back. Now I use it.
I've only seen it from another rider once...... but now that I know.... I slow down.
Maybe it started with cafe racers ....who knows?

[fickman]

I still warn people, but rarely on freeways.

I give warnings in tricky situations. . . like 30-40 mph roads with steep hills that require you to ride the brakes in order to stay at the limit. Police in the suburbs love to run radar at the bottoms of these hills.

I also give warnings in school zones (whether I see a cop or not). I had a lady wake me up as I was cruising through a school zone. 7 of the 8 entrances to this zone had flashing lights. . . the side street I entered from didn't. I missed the sign completely. She didn't just help me avoid a very expensive ticket - she alerted me to the school zone and helped me avoid speeding through it!

Not everybody out there is a scofflaw. Some just miss a sign, have something important on the mind, are tired, dealing with distractions (kids, glare, whatever).

The jerks will get theirs over time.

[gigag04]

Some just miss a sign, have something important on the mind, are tired, dealing with distractions (kids, glare, whatever).

Driver inattention frequently contributes to accidents or increases the severity of an accident.

[randomoutburst]

Some just miss a sign, have something important on the mind, are tired, dealing with distractions (kids, glare, whatever).

Driver inattention frequently contributes to accidents or increases the severity of an accident.

True, but it doesn't mean that it doesn't happen. If everyone only drove when they were alert, fully awake, and without distraction...there'd be no drivers on the road!

[jmra]

What I should have clarified when I said my hubby was told he was pulled over for speeding is that he was supposedly going MUCH over the speed limit, not just 2 mph. I know 2 mph over is still speeding. Yikes!

And Oldgringo - I'm not saying traps are unfair, just that they are what they are. How else are they going to catch people breaking laws...dumb luck? :)

it's not about catching law breakers, it's about generating revenue.

[randomoutburst]

What I should have clarified when I said my hubby was told he was pulled over for speeding is that he was supposedly going MUCH over the speed limit, not just 2 mph. I know 2 mph over is still speeding. Yikes!

And Oldgringo - I'm not saying traps are unfair, just that they are what they are. How else are they going to catch people breaking laws...dumb luck? :)

it's not about catching law breakers, it's about generating revenue.

Yes, but to do that they have to have a reason, yes? Hence the catching of speeders using traps. They don't leave it to chance to find law-breakers because they're looking for revenue.

[mymojo]

Pulled him over for "speeding" (not likely; hubby ALWAYS uses cruise control at about 2mph over the limit)

I'm trying to picture using cruise control on that stretch of pavement. Does your hubby work nights?