Slow down out there.

I see a lot of cop cars lately, mostly in places they usually aren't. I see State cops setting up radar on County back roads etc. Yesterday someone called into a radio talk show, he worked for the County Clerk's office, "Yep, we're processing way more tickets than usual."

It's the economy, stupid.

Yes, it certainly is! Here in SC, we have an interesting combination of a state gov. that claims lack of funding for basic infrastructure, promises of smaller gov., less taxes, and more tickets than ever and higher registration and other fees than ever. Now to add insult to injury,our plantation bred governor wants to refuse bailout money in a show of propriety! Hell, I cant drive on fiscal conservatism,paint some lines on the road,etc. This place will likely dry up and blow away .

gpcaines wrote: Hell, I cant drive on fiscal conservatism

Talk to Dr. Hess, I think he can get you a wheel setup that will work for this

Couldn't resist

I have also noticed not just more law floating about, but more people actually pulled over than I have seen in a LONG time. Keep an eye out for Smokey.

Yep, I just got a ticket a week ago, right after a woman in a giant SUV pulled out right in front of me! The cop asked if I knew why he pulled me over, and I said I had no idea. He said, don't worry, I t's not because that lady pulled out in front of you, that was totally her fault, but you were going a bit fast. I clocked you going 45 in a 30 (which was BS, I might have been going 35 MAX). If the cops were concerned with safety, like they claim, don't you think he would have went after the lady that almost killed me?

Even here in Atlanta Metro, where we've been allowed to blitz along at 75-85mph for years, there are officers running speed traps four days a week now (used to happen about two days a month). I even saw the State Patrol with a trap last week, and they used to hardly ever come into town.

I just made the trip from Fort Worth to Florida (Daytona) and you could tell the states with budgetary shortfalls.

Louisiana had cops about every 20 miles. Alabama about the same. Florida had them about every 5 miles. At numerous junctions I'd see local, sheriffs and FHP within yards of each other.

Lucky for me, my truck can't speed unless I try really, really hard and am not on a freeway. In the Miata, on the other hand, I need to be careful as the rollbar/loud exhaust tends to attract unwanted attention.

Around here (Upstate SC), the small local towns are running radar out on the interstate, well out of the town limits. Don't know how that is legal.

gpcaines wrote: Yes, it certainly is! Here in SC, we have an interesting combination of a state gov. that claims lack of funding for basic infrastructure, promises of smaller gov., less taxes, and more tickets than ever and higher registration and other fees than ever. Now to add insult to injury,our plantation bred governor wants to refuse bailout money in a show of propriety! Hell, I cant drive on fiscal conservatism,paint some lines on the road,etc. This place will likely dry up and blow away .

The bail-out money is allocated to entitlement programs and would force states to actually add people to the rolls.

Since the Fed funds dry-up in two years, the states would have to cover the inherited additional costs by rolling back the benefits, increasing taxes, cutting back on other expenditures or go groveling back to D.C. for more funding.

So what, exactly, is wrong with a little fiscal foresight on your governor's behalf?

Now, now, oldsaw, don't be applying LOGIC here. This is all about the FEELINGS. Here's a FEELING. We're gonna PARKING LOT some Caribbean islands so we will have a nice local place to autocross, and it will cut down in the illegal immigration at the same time. That's a FEELINGS generator. Other FEELINGS generators are: "Free healthcare," "Fix the roads and bridges," and "It's only a Trillion dollars." I mean, seriously, it's only like ten large for every family in the U.S. You can't even get a decent bike for that. You can't get a new Corolla for that. So, we're only talking pocket change here anyway.

Besides the FEELINGS, it has been my observation here in BFE, Arkansas, that the heat is out in force. They got some new dark grey "stealth" highway patrol cars. I've seen one that was an Impala and another that was a Charger, I think. Light bars inside the windshields, no markings. So, yeah, be real cool until The O gets kicked out in 8 years and things can start to get back to normal, if there's anything left of our country by then and if he doesn't pull a Chavez and "change" the constitution further to allow himself a third term. Or, he could just ignore that pesky part too, like the part about being a natural born citizen. I know: He could "seal" the records from his first term, that way it never happened and the third term would really be his second. This is important, after all. It's For The Children.

Dr. Hess wrote: Now, now, oldsaw, don't be applying LOGIC here. This is all about the FEELINGS. Here's a FEELING. We're gonna PARKING LOT some Caribbean islands so we will have a nice local place to autocross, and it will cut down in the illegal immigration at the same time. That's a FEELINGS generator. Other FEELINGS generators are: "Free healthcare," "Fix the roads and bridges," and "It's only a Trillion dollars." I mean, seriously, it's only like ten large for every family in the U.S. You can't even get a decent bike for that. You can't get a new Corolla for that. So, we're only talking pocket change here anyway. Besides the FEELINGS, it has been my observation here in BFE, Arkansas, that the heat is out in force. They got some new dark grey "stealth" highway patrol cars. I've seen one that was an Impala and another that was a Charger, I think. Light bars inside the windshields, no markings. So, yeah, be real cool until The O gets kicked out in 8 years and things can start to get back to normal, if there's anything left of our country by then and if he doesn't pull a Chavez and "change" the constitution further to allow himself a third term. Or, he could just ignore that pesky part too, like the part about being a natural born citizen. I know: He could "seal" the records from his first term, that way it never happened and the third term would really be his second. This is important, after all. It's For The Children.

Sorry, Doc, but FEELINGS are highly over-rated.

BTW, I don't have any children. And if I did, I'd still be more concerned about the country's future than theirs. To coin a phrase, "What's good for the country, is good for my kids."

The sheeple who bought the "change we can believe in" mantra will realize that the CHANGE (as delivered) is a bit more than promised. The "O" has until 2010 to make it work or the Congressional dynamics will change. And, if the D's lose ground in 2010, "O" will have a real hard time achieving a second term. At least that what I'm FEELING right now!

As for PARKING LOTting some of the Caribbean, how about glassing a buffer zone about a 100 miles south of the border, bounded by 50' tall fortified orange towers (shaped like cones) 30' apart running from Gulf to Gulf? There would be areas prime for hillclimbs, ample room for acres of auto-x pavement and plenty of off-road opportunities, too. And don't forget those handy off-shore re-fueling rigs ( once owned by PEMEX) just south of Nawleans!

Gee, am I mixing some FEELINGS and LOGIC in this response?

Parking lot this country and glass that country...it's terrifying that people who say things like this are otherwise intelligent. Seriously, do you guys think that's a remotely acceptable thing to do, or even joke about, because some of them tried to sneak into your country? Do you think you're so different?

BTW this is what you need to drive on fiscally conservative roads:

Works for me.

Naw, Hess meant Jamaica, not Barbados! I haven't the fuzziest idea what he was talking about.

Oh, why didn't he say so? That makes it okay rolleyes

How'd we go from talking about enforcement levels to Obama rants again? I must've missed a post or skipped it due to repetition.

Xceler8x wrote: How'd we go from talking about enforcement levels to Obama rants again? I must've missed a post or skipped it due to repetition.

It started with this: gpcaines Feb. 23, 2009 6:54 a.m. gpcaines New Reader

Yes, it certainly is! Here in SC, we have an interesting combination of a state gov. that claims lack of funding for basic infrastructure, promises of smaller gov., less taxes, and more tickets than ever and higher registration and other fees than ever. Now to add insult to injury,our plantation bred governor wants to refuse bailout money in a show of propriety! Hell, I cant drive on fiscal conservatism,paint some lines on the road,etc. This place will likely dry up and blow away .

Xceler8x wrote: How'd we go from talking about enforcement levels to Obama rants again?...

That would be the H. He's a flounder fisherman you know, got a whole boat full of em...

I haven't seen a noticeable increase around here, but then again I don't think we are in quite the hole that other areas are in. They are talking about releasing a lot of inmates early in LA. That probably won't go well. I suspect the job market will not be real receptive to them.

derekshannon wrote: Back to the OP... I hear all kinds of compalints (not talking about here) about... wait for it... cops doing thier jobs! Listen, If the speed limit is 65 and you're driving 75-85 and up like so many do, then you SHOULD get a ticket. Step 1) You're speeding. Step 2) You get caught beaking the law (ie: speeding). Step 3) Cop issues a ticket for speeding. Step 4) Keep mouth shut and take the fine. Why is it when things like "increased traffic enforcement" occur, people get all riled up? Just because you got used to being able to break the law for months/years on end doesn't mean you can cry about it when you finally get bagged.

I'll bite.

The cops are vaguely doing their "law enforcement", not their public safety job. It keeps them from doing valuable, albet non revenue generating, work. Things like robberies, assaults, etc. All because they are out issuing tickets for various "law infractions". This is why I oppose this sort of action.

If it keeps the soccer mom driving her minivan full of kids with one hand so she can use the other to smoke and hold her cell phone from following my motorcycle by a distance of <30' at triple digit speeds, then I'm all for increased enforcement.

derekshannon wrote:

foxtrapper wrote: I'll bite. The cops are vaguely doing their "law enforcement", not their public safety job. It keeps them from doing valuable, albet non revenue generating, work. Things like robberies, assaults, etc. All because they are out issuing tickets for various "law infractions". This is why I oppose this sort of action.

Oh sure, I see it all the time... "No, Sarge. I'm on Oak Street waiting to bag innocent people for speeding. That robbery-in-progress will have to wait." Your argument just happens to be the best example of a "strawman" I've ever seen. And how on earth is stopping speeders not a public safety issue. Have you been on the roads when school lets out? Remember, not all speeders are guys like you that can handle a car above posted speeds. When I'm putting my 6 y/o on the bus, it's mostly 18-20 y/o girls flying up over our hill on the wrong side of the road.

It's all about revenue and you know it. If it wasn't, why did the cop go after me and not the person whom he witnessed almost kill me?

Funny story...

Well, not so funny, but rather sick, twisted, and sad.

There is a bad intersection about 3 miles away from my house where they have at least one accident a week. It's inconvienently the intersection where the exit from the parking lot where we have our weekend "Cruise-ins" are.

Caveat: The following story could be interpreted as happenstance.

One Friday night, there was a BAD accident, where an Explorer t-boned a mustang at about 40 mph while trying to beat a light, while the mustang was making a left turn without the right of way. We called 911, and waited almost half an hour for anyone to show up. Including the police. Serious injuries to the girls in the Mustang. They had to use the Jaws of Life to get them out. Luckily, no one died.

The very next night, similar situation. Pathfinder vs. Mercedes, almost exactly the same spot, position, everything.

THIS TIME, we called 911 and reported street racing on US31N, because we were pretty disgusted at how long it took them last night. And every time we make a "lap" around the area going the speed limit and obeying traffic laws, we always get harassed. (Ok, some morons/ricers like to try to tag along and do dumb E36 M3.)

LITERALLY 4 minutes passed when an officer showed up.

Maybe someone else called it in as an accident. I'm sure someone did. But it just seems extremely ironic how this all happened.

I live next to a cop. He shares about the same sentiments. He's disgusted with the "guilty by association" bs that the officers tend to pull. If ONE person is doing something dumb within the whole group, they WILL pull over 10 cars or so, and fish for stuff to give tickets for.

It IS all about the revenue.

I'm not saying speeding is good, blah blah blah... i don't complain when/if i get a speeding ticket, or any ticket for that matter, as long as i was guilty.

"Yes officer, i was going 65 in a 55mph zone. I'm sorry."

That goes a long way. Officer doesn't have to deal with an attitude, and you don't get the third degree, and you can move on with your life after recieving a fine for what law you've broken.

derekshannon wrote:

16vCorey wrote: It's all about revenue and you know it. If it wasn't, why did the cop go after me and not the person whom he witnessed almost kill me?

Yeah, it's all about revenue. But tell me, are they enforcing existing laws or are they not? (seriously, please answer)

They are enforcing bullE36 M3 laws that are in place for the purpose of revenue generation.

derekshannon wrote:

DILYSI Dave wrote: They are enforcing bullE36 M3 laws that are in place for the purpose of revenue generation.

You're just pissed that you got a ticket. It's gotta be that because logic and fact sure aren't on your side.

I'm not pissed. I haven't gotten a ticket in 8 years. I just think speeding laws are in place for the purpose of revenue generation.

I use the G.A.S.P. method to try to avoid being the guy who gets the ticket. Generally Accepted Speeding Practices. I try to hover around 10 above the posted limit, more if traffic is flowing faster (as it usually is). Using GASP method and keeping my eyes open for signs of a hidden trooper on the side of the road (sudden mass brakeing from cars in front at the usual places) has kept me from getting a ticket in state for over 15 years. Out of state is a whole 'nuther story.

Going less than the 65+ that traffic is moving is just plain dangerous...worse so when done from the middle or left lanes. A posted limit of 55mph is purely for revenue generation, safety has nothing to do with it in this day and age.