Do I need to report this to the FAA?

[Mr_Creepy]

Trust me, I have no delusions of curing the world. I just couldn't remain silent while guys brag about breaking the law, criticize the police, and plot to evade the punishment. If I can make just one person think twice before he turns the ignition key, it will have been worth the time typing.

We're old enough to be fathers to some of the guys here, and I suppose it's my father that speaks some times. I have four children that are driving age, and the subject is a very sensitive one to me. I try not to dwell on it, but every time one of them leaves the house in one of my cars, I face the very real possibility that instead of seeing them return, I might instead recieve a phone call from the police. If there weren't so many drivers with attitudes exactly like the ones displayed above, I might not think about it as much.




Perhaps we can help change attitudes, one at a time.





Enjoy the birthday - - they grow up so, so fast.






.

Yeah they do - It does not seem like five years ago when I held a little baby girl.

OK no more crying

 

[Sprint100]

If i had such a disregard with the law, i'd probably been arrested about 100 times by now, have a criminal record the size of texas, and have a buddy that's in the pen. That's not the case. I respect authority, to an extent. Start being an ******* to me and it's out the window.

On the yellow light thing, you are correct, my mistake. That one i couldnt help, i was told by one of my teachers at school. And since, a teacher that has been driving for 20 years has more knowledge than me (hopefully), i took her word for it.

I also stand for myself in terms of getting a ticket for something that is utterly rediuclous (thank god havent experienced it yet).

Now got a quick question, we have some weird lights in my city. The light changes pretty quickly from green to yellow, then rapidly to red with no general flow. One time it could be green for 8 seconds, then green for 40 seconds. If im approaching the intersection at 40mph (speed limit) and im about 100 feet away from the intersection and it turns yellow what should one do? For sure our big SUV cannot stop from 40 in 100 feet? Do we blow by the red light, or slam on the brakes and end up in the intersection?

Okay, back to topic. Now, for one, you took my quote about "simple" out of context. I was discussing quoatas, which is constantly denied that exist.

Oh just remembered, what if the consequences to something "wrong" was set too high or unfair?

I like to think if you were unfairly treated, you have every right to fight something, agree? Family friend was driving 72 in a 65 and was pulled over, while the car next to him was PASSING him?

Now does it justify him breaking the law? Naw

But someone broke the law to a greater extent - who really deserves the ticket?

Dog, it's not all about what is legal. It's all about common sense. First off, when speed limits are created it isn't for the SUV, an SUV isn't a car legally. Common sense comes into play to avert dangerous situations. I bet ya'll go 60 in that SUV probably at 100 feet or less from the car in front of of you, definitely sounds like it.
I can't believe how some try and justify stuff like this, then cry when something bad happens. I got fam out there and attitudes like this disgust me.

 

[Bigey]

Dog, it's not all about what is legal. It's all about common sense. First off, when speed limits are created it isn't for the SUV, an SUV isn't a car legally. Common sense comes into play to avert dangerous situations. I bet ya'll go 60 in that SUV probably at 100 feet or less from the car in front of of you, definitely sounds like it.
I can't believe how some try and justify stuff like this, then cry when something bad happens. I got fam out there and attitudes like this disgust me.

Whoa whoa whoa, slow your roll bud. Stop making assumptions.

We drive our SUV very occasionally now, with the gas prices higher and all, it's not that feasible to drive it.

And second, how much space would you like us to give everyone? 400 feet? 18 wheelers drive closer to cars than we do. That's one thing we've learned when driving the "beast." Cant expect to stop like a regular car could (although does have amazing braking power).

But i asked for a scenario, and you dont answer it and start telling me off about it. Trust me, we've been in the same scenario. Approaching light at about 40 and about 100 feet away, the light turns yellow, so we know for sure we cant stop, so we just glide through the intersection. Thankfully for us, our car was only about 10 feet still in the intersection when it turned red.

Any lessons learned? Yeap, slow down to oncoming intersections to about 5-10 mph below speed limit. Has it payed off? Absolutely.

 

[Gonzo]

Trust me, I have no delusions of curing the world. I just couldn't remain silent while guys brag about breaking the law, criticize the police, and plot to evade the punishment. If I can make just one person think twice before he turns the ignition key, it will have been worth the time typing.

We're old enough to be fathers to some of the guys here, and I suppose it's my father that speaks some times. I have four children that are driving age, and the subject is a very sensitive one to me. I try not to dwell on it, but every time one of them leaves the house in one of my cars, I face the very real possibility that instead of seeing them return, I might instead recieve a phone call from the police. If there weren't so many drivers with attitudes exactly like the ones displayed above, I might not think about it as much.

I am a lot younger than you Tony but I agree with you 100%. I got into racing cars legally at a young age which gave me the opportunity to learn a lot about driving. On a race track you have to know what's around you at all times. I try to instill the lessons that I learned into my family and friends some listened some don't. This is also a very sensitive subject with me because I've been to far to many funerals for friends who died of other people's mistakes or because they didn't fully understand defensive driving. Tony reading your posts for the last year or so on many different boards I get the impression you're a no nonsense kind of person who's willing to make an unpopular stand and willing to admit mistakes. Unfortunately most people are not willing to admit shortcomings. So people who don't know how to drive teach their kids all their bad habits. Then when a kid turns 16 the parents proceed to hand them over a loaded weapon.
I go on ride a longs with police officers that are friends of mine all the time. I think it should be a requirement before getting a driver's license. Trust me those police officers don't want to write traffic citations.

 

[Gonzo]

why don't you go and give someone a BS ticket for having a light out....

Those are not BS tickets those are very important tickets. The first thing a defense attorney does when trying to throw out a search of a vehicle is to see how many citations that particular officer wrote for the violation the vehicle was pulled over for. I know it's BS the drug dealers can get off on technicalities like that. I would rather police officers right BS (as you call it) tickets that allow drug dealers off any day of the week.

 

[Sprint100]

Whoa whoa whoa, slow your roll bud. Stop making assumptions.

We drive our SUV very occasionally now, with the gas prices higher and all, it's not that feasible to drive it.

And second, how much space would you like us to give everyone? 400 feet? 18 wheelers drive closer to cars than we do. That's one thing we've learned when driving the "beast." Cant expect to stop like a regular car could (although does have amazing braking power).

But i asked for a scenario, and you dont answer it and start telling me off about it. Trust me, we've been in the same scenario. Approaching light at about 40 and about 100 feet away, the light turns yellow, so we know for sure we cant stop, so we just glide through the intersection. Thankfully for us, our car was only about 10 feet still in the intersection when it turned red.

Any lessons learned? Yeap, slow down to oncoming intersections to about 5-10 mph below speed limit. Has it payed off? Absolutely.

I can't slow my role, cause I know my role and I'mma ride it to till the wheels fall of.
I can say that I stand corrected as long as you are a safe SUV driver:rawk:

 

[Chris_Ford]

Wow, I'll bet a lot of us look like ants from some of you folks' high horses.... Jeez!

Since I came into the thread late...
1) Everybody speeds. That doesn't justify it, but don't chastise someone who speeds because you've probably sped before, and it is not necessarily UNSAFE to go above the speed limit
2) People get distracted in cars. CD players, kids, cell phones, kids, radios, kids, other people in the car. Again, don't chastise people for this, you never know how well they can multitask (I've driven to work [60 miles on freeways] so many times I can do it with just my knees steering )
3) TonyC, I always find you intelligent and insightful, but you still need to learn how to be succinct Some of us have a short short attention span, but want to hear what you have to say, causing a little bit of cognitive dissonance within ourselves

 

[Sprint100]

Wow, I'll bet a lot of us look like ants from some of you folks' high horses.... Jeez!

Since I came into the thread late...
1) Everybody speeds. That doesn't justify it, but don't chastise someone who speeds because you've probably sped before, and it is not necessarily UNSAFE to go above the speed limit
2) People get distracted in cars. CD players, kids, cell phones, kids, radios, kids, other people in the car. Again, don't chastise people for this, you never know how well they can multitask (I've driven to work [60 miles on freeways] so many times I can do it with just my knees steering )
3) TonyC, I always find you intelligent and insightful, but you still need to learn how to be succinct Some of us have a short short attention span, but want to hear what you have to say, causing a little bit of cognitive dissonance within ourselves

Chris, speak for yourself. I don't speed even when others around me are nor do I try to let distractions happen, unlike some that purposely do this and that to distract their attention. If you want to think I'm on a high horse, then so be it. It's funny how this society has turned, your on a high horse for trying to do right

 

[Gonzo]

Wow, I'll bet a lot of us look like ants from some of you folks' high horses.... Jeez!

Since I came into the thread late...
1) Everybody speeds. That doesn't justify it, but don't chastise someone who speeds because you've probably sped before, and it is not necessarily UNSAFE to go above the speed limit
2) People get distracted in cars. CD players, kids, cell phones, kids, radios, kids, other people in the car. Again, don't chastise people for this, you never know how well they can multitask (I've driven to work [60 miles on freeways] so many times I can do it with just my knees steering )
3) TonyC, I always find you intelligent and insightful, but you still need to learn how to be succinct Some of us have a short short attention span, but want to hear what you have to say, causing a little bit of cognitive dissonance within ourselves

Chris I do not speed even when everyone around me is going faster. I understand going above the speed limit is not unsafe but it is against the law. I also know some people cannot drive safely at the posted speed limit as well as some vehicles are not safe to operate at the posted speed limit.
Chris don't confuse people who accidentally get distracted with people who brag about being able to multitask in the car.

 

[Rocketman99]

Swen,

Haha, I didn't know it existed either! I was changing lanes and at the same time a guy was speeding up to try and cut me off...nevertheless -we hit each other...I got the ticket. Who knows? I was pissed to say the least...

Anyone else have any stories like this?

That's exactly what happened to me back in December when I wrecked my car except it was a woman driving the other car instead of a guy. The cop cited me for "improper turning procedure." I took it to court and won. No ticket, no fine, no points. But still gonna get raped when I re-up my insurance in a few more months.

 

[Chris_Ford]

Chris, speak for yourself. I don't speed even when others around me are nor do I try to let distractions happen, unlike some that purposely do this and that to distract their attention.

So you don't listen to the radio, and only roll down your windows when you're completely stopped?

As far as I'm concerned, we need to start driving more like European drivers. Faster, more efficient, less crashes.

 

[Gonzo]

As far as I'm concerned, we need to start driving more like European drivers. Faster, more efficient, less crashes.

But that would require us to adapt the European-style requirements to get driver's license. There are people who think our current system is too time-consuming and intrusive.

 

[Chris_Ford]

Our current system is a joke. I wouldn't mind having to jump through an extra hoop to do it euro style.

 

[Gonzo]

Our current system is a joke. I wouldn't mind having to jump through an extra hoop to do it euro style.

Unfortunately you're thinking like a person with above-average intelligence. You understand jumping through hoops today is beneficial for you in the long run. Unfortunately most people want the path of least resistance.

 

[Sprint100]

Our current system is a joke. I wouldn't mind having to jump through an extra hoop to do it euro style.

Our current system is OK, not perfect by any means, but just OK. It's the people that are a joke, those that don't use common sense, venture into uncharted territory(for them), and those don't heed the rules that got them the dl.

So you don't listen to the radio, and only roll down your windows when you're completely stopped?

Those aren't distractions for me. Now reaching to turn the radio dial or pushing the button could be a distraction. If I have to manually do the windows, then that is a distraction and I don't move 'em up or down while driving.

 

[Chris_Ford]

Those aren't distractions for me. Now reaching to turn the radio dial or pushing the button could be a distraction.

So basically what you're saying is that you don't mind hearing "My Humps" 50 times an hour?

 

[Sprint100]

So basically what you're saying is that you don't mind hearing "My Humps" 50 times an hour?

In that case I would have to make an exception!!!!!!!!!

 

[MidlifeFlyer]

Those are not BS tickets those are very important tickets. The first thing a defense attorney does when trying to throw out a search of a vehicle is to see how many citations that particular officer wrote for the violation the vehicle was pulled over for. I know it's BS the drug dealers can get off on technicalities like that. I would rather police officers right BS (as you call it) tickets that allow drug dealers off any day of the week.

That's right. Darn that Constitution, requiring the government to have an actual =reason= for stopping someone! It's very important to allow police officers to violate people's rights in order to protect them!

Sorry. But having been the victim of that kind of BS a long time ago from some local yokel just because I was a "long-haired college student" I just can't go along with your philosophy. The ending of my experience ("Gee, you know, maybe you =did= signal change lanes back there.") didn't help a bit.

I guess that some people have a lot more faith in the authorities than others.

Of course, you never know. =You= may be next.

 

[Theotokos]

WOW! i'm surprised.. you got really lucky there...you should be thanking your lucky stars! not only did you not die or cause someone else's death, you got away with "just" a ticket. Running that red light was a really stupid move, i'd suggest looking in your rearview mirror and if you don't have anyone behind you or they're far enough away...slam on the brakes next time!

were you actually approaching a full on red light or green turned yellow? yellow lights are typically 3 to 4 seconds in length...plenty of time to make a judgement to stop..you must have really been zoning! haha

too many red light runners in this world and I dunno why most of them don't give a damn!!

as far as the other accident, it could be that the cop noticed that you *might* not of looked in "all" directions before making the decision to move forward or did the other guy run the stop sign? either way, it's called "defensive" driving for a reason right?! you can't trust any driver out there!!

*sorry, just ticks me off some cuz it seems like the only thing that bothered you was getting a ticket and not so much the fact that someone could have *easily* been killed!!

Oh, I am willing to plead guilty and will. Just want to get the facts straight. I am very glad I did not kill anyone. I understand your concern and I was being somewhat self centered. I will slam on the breaks next time. The guy behind me can get over it. I feel like an idiot, yes. Thank you. I have seen these wrecks. The side is one of the worst places to be hit. I would have done the same thing. Honked at the guy and cussed. I did it today. Some guy almost rammed me by pulling out when I had the right of way.It was a three way stop and he pulled out and almost hit my side. I sped up as I saw him and said, "Gee, that would have sucked." It would have been minimal damage and his fault, but I do not want to deal with the problems of a wreck.

 

[ETAV8R]

Wow this thread is a long one. I didn't take the time to read all the replies just yet. I am free and clear of paying the fine and incurring the points to my record. Just got the letter today.
Tony C, I am sure you are without guilt in any regard in your life aren't you? Was I speeding? Probably. Was everyone else? Yes.
Do you live in CA? If so, or if you ever come here, do not talk on your cell phone without a hands free device while driving. It's against the law. Does everyone do it? Yes. Does that make it ok? No.
You do understand that the ticket system in CA brings in a substantial amount of income for the state. The state also fails to inform people about how they can fight a citation. It is much easier to take it in the arse and pay the fine.
I have integrity. I stated in my arguement to the citation that my speed was just with road conditions and flow of traffic. Long story short, I get my bail money back, no points on my record, and no traffic school to attend.

Thanks for stating for us that you are holier than thou. I am sure you never speed. I am sure you would feel great and not want to fight a ticket a couple mph over the posted speed limit. Would you say "thank you officer for citing me, I was over the speed limit and I feel much safer now that you stopped me. Can I pay you now or should I wait to pay later?"

I'll read the rest of these posts and see what the general concensus is. Carry on.