Most expensive speeding ticket?
#1
01-30-2009, 07:41 AM
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Most expensive speeding ticket?
So, it was a nice day in November when I was pulled over on I-285 right outside of Atlanta. Those of you that are familiar with 285 know that it is damn near impossible and very dangerous to only do the speed limit on this road. Here is a great movie that some GA students put together about this same stretch of road (55: A Meditation on the Speed Limit).
The speed limit on 285 is 55 and I was definitely doing well over 55, but keeping up with traffic. The officer shooting radar was a Sandy Springs officer and he had caught me along with 2 other drivers riding behind me in their cars. They were running a speed trap on this day and that’s how they got all of us. The officer that pulled me over was polite and I was very courteous to her as well. She said that her sergeant clocked me doing 90 (35 over). I could not believe that I was going that fast but I did just tune up my bike the day before and with my side mount speedo, I wasn’t really concentrating on my speed, but rather concentrating on the car behind me riding my ***.
The point of this post is not about weather or not I was speeding or even weather I should pay the fine. I know that I was speeding, that I deserved a ticket and I have already went to court and paid my fine. My problem is with the prosecutor and the fine itself. On the court date, I showed up in a suit and tie and spoke to the prosecutor to try to make a deal. This was my first speeding ticket, so I really didn’t know what to expect. They sat me in a room and gave us all lectures on court etiquette that included no cell phones. While waiting an hour and a half I noticed one prosecutor texting most of the time between making deals and sometimes while speaking with people making deals with them. When she finally called my name to discuss my ticket she informed me that this would be a $1000.00 ticket and that would be the best deal she could do. My mouth dropped and I did agree to pay the fine. I was very polite to her (yes mam, I understand I was speeding… etc…)
I thought this fine for speeding was ridiculous and when I went out into the court room to pay the fine I heard the judge set a fine of $350.00 for someone doing 87 mph on that same stretch of road. Hell, the fine for a DUI is $1000.00 (from what I read in the pamphlet that they handed out in the court room).
Needless to say, I will do my best to stay away from Sandy Springs and not do any business there.
My question is this, what is the biggest speeding ticket you have got and what was the fine?
The speed limit on 285 is 55 and I was definitely doing well over 55, but keeping up with traffic. The officer shooting radar was a Sandy Springs officer and he had caught me along with 2 other drivers riding behind me in their cars. They were running a speed trap on this day and that’s how they got all of us. The officer that pulled me over was polite and I was very courteous to her as well. She said that her sergeant clocked me doing 90 (35 over). I could not believe that I was going that fast but I did just tune up my bike the day before and with my side mount speedo, I wasn’t really concentrating on my speed, but rather concentrating on the car behind me riding my ***.
The point of this post is not about weather or not I was speeding or even weather I should pay the fine. I know that I was speeding, that I deserved a ticket and I have already went to court and paid my fine. My problem is with the prosecutor and the fine itself. On the court date, I showed up in a suit and tie and spoke to the prosecutor to try to make a deal. This was my first speeding ticket, so I really didn’t know what to expect. They sat me in a room and gave us all lectures on court etiquette that included no cell phones. While waiting an hour and a half I noticed one prosecutor texting most of the time between making deals and sometimes while speaking with people making deals with them. When she finally called my name to discuss my ticket she informed me that this would be a $1000.00 ticket and that would be the best deal she could do. My mouth dropped and I did agree to pay the fine. I was very polite to her (yes mam, I understand I was speeding… etc…)
I thought this fine for speeding was ridiculous and when I went out into the court room to pay the fine I heard the judge set a fine of $350.00 for someone doing 87 mph on that same stretch of road. Hell, the fine for a DUI is $1000.00 (from what I read in the pamphlet that they handed out in the court room).
Needless to say, I will do my best to stay away from Sandy Springs and not do any business there.
My question is this, what is the biggest speeding ticket you have got and what was the fine?
#3
01-30-2009, 07:49 AM
Sounds like a little discrimination there to me. Damn bikers
As far as a ticket and fine, I dunno, never got one (knock on wood). Guess I'm a poser.
As far as a ticket and fine, I dunno, never got one (knock on wood). Guess I'm a poser.
#4
01-30-2009, 08:04 AM
Madame Moderator
Al, I think that's insane for a speeding ticket, period. The East Point section of 285 if also a speedtrap. I got one there are few years ago doing 78 in the 55 and paid $193. At $1,000 would have probably been worth taking a lawyer buddy (if you have one) along to see if you would have had better luck getting them to back off that fine. Did they tell you how much it was for each mph over the limit as they usually have a formula for that. Sorry man. That's not a fine; that's rape! 
The prosecutor should have been at least classy enough to kiss you first.
The prosecutor should have been at least classy enough to kiss you first.
#5
01-30-2009, 08:08 AM
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I have a real problem with this whole thing in that you had no ability to address your accuser, the RADAR. If you get hit with RADAR the first thing you should be asking to see is that read out. If they clear it they have a problem. Additionally, if you were on a bike and there were any number of others right there with you how do they know just how fast you were going as that RADAR will always pick up the greatest mass be it a truck a cage and so on.
Clifford Baldowski made a cartoon that was a billboard. It stated "Welcome to Long County Georgia highway hold-up capitol of the world." Hah, it's not just Long County. That whole state is crazy. They actually tried moving their border north a few miles because of a water dispute with Tennessee last year. They said the original survey was wrong. They lost....
Clifford Baldowski made a cartoon that was a billboard. It stated "Welcome to Long County Georgia highway hold-up capitol of the world." Hah, it's not just Long County. That whole state is crazy. They actually tried moving their border north a few miles because of a water dispute with Tennessee last year. They said the original survey was wrong. They lost....
#7
01-30-2009, 08:22 AM
Elite HDF Member
Probably would have been worth your while to get a lawyer, for getting stopped, for going that fast over the limit.
Yesterday, I was weaving my way through a cluster of slow traffic, on a 4 lane blvd. I came up on 2 cop cars in the median, that I didn't see, since I was in the far lane. As I passed them, one cop flipped on his lights. He was up behind me in 1/2 mile. I pulled over on the shoulder and he went by and stopped the lead car, that I would have passed, if I hadn't seen the cops.
Thought for sure he was after me, so all I could think of was how much the ticket was going to cost, my insurance going up and if he would cite me for loud pipes also.
I assume the radar didn't lock in on my bike, because of all the traffic around me, kind of cloaked me from it.
Tom
Yesterday, I was weaving my way through a cluster of slow traffic, on a 4 lane blvd. I came up on 2 cop cars in the median, that I didn't see, since I was in the far lane. As I passed them, one cop flipped on his lights. He was up behind me in 1/2 mile. I pulled over on the shoulder and he went by and stopped the lead car, that I would have passed, if I hadn't seen the cops.
Thought for sure he was after me, so all I could think of was how much the ticket was going to cost, my insurance going up and if he would cite me for loud pipes also.
I assume the radar didn't lock in on my bike, because of all the traffic around me, kind of cloaked me from it.
Tom
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#9
01-30-2009, 08:30 AM
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When she finally called my name to discuss my ticket she informed me that this would be a $1000.00 ticket and that would be the best deal she could do. My mouth dropped and I did agree to pay the fine. I was very polite to her (yes mam, I understand I was speeding… etc…)
For $1000 you should have got a bj!
For $1000 you should have got a bj!
#10
01-30-2009, 08:30 AM
Ultimate HDF Member
That was no deal. That was robbery. You should've said you wanted to go to trial and may want the case postponed so you could get an attorney's advice.
In all likelihood they would've cut a better deal with you to avoid taking up the court's time with a speeding ticket.
In all likelihood they would've cut a better deal with you to avoid taking up the court's time with a speeding ticket.