Speed Trap Towns

[Down South]

Thoughts about towns/cities that make a large portion of their revenue from the motorist who pass through their boundaries came to my mind after reading and posting in another thread about radar detectors.

I travel a good bit relating to my job or just needing to get too to one place from the other.
My routes take me down toll roads, freeways, interstate highways and rural roads.
I have come to despise what I call speed trap towns. Most are easy to spot and all have a reputation of being tough on anyone that can be issued a citation for anything.

Sure signs of a speed trap town include the grass in the medium if there is one being full of tire tracks where patrol units have cut across from one lane of traffic to the other to stop their offenders/victims. Four brand new patrol cars, nice ones in a one horse town. Seeing someone pulled over on both sides of town at the same time, lights a flashing.
Do not misinterpret my intentions. I understand that that there are a number of motorist that deserve citations.


I've had encounters with a few of these types of towns in my past and it's pretty much the same deal with the ones I've had experience with or heard about.
They write you a citation for whatever minor offense that you just committed and you are encouraged to go straight over to city hall or the courthouse and pay the fine now, preferably in cash and the ticket will not go on your record. Makes sense to me. I don't want my insurance company knowing I just got a speeding ticket.
It leaves you with a bad feeling in your stomach that you just got robbed by someone wearing a badge and there is not a damn thing you can do about it.
It makes sense to the offending agency too. You get ticket for $160 for doing 5 mph over the limit, you go pay, the agency puts both copies of the ticket in file 13 and since it's not going on your record, No record of the ticket exists after payment.
Neat huh.

I remember the last speed trap town ticket I got. It was long ago, maybe 20 yrs. I knew the town and it's reputation but I had to drive through it to get to my camp on the river. When my oldest grandson was in grade school, we were heading to the camp for a couple days of fishing. He and I were ratchet jawing and I knew a route that avoided much of the city limits and that was my usual route. But as speed trap towns, they are good at scrambling up the speed limit through short sections of road. This particular road went from 55 to 45 to 35 to 25. The 25 mph section only lasted for a couple hundred yards. Well, I missed the first 25 sign and the blue lights came on. My grandson asked, paw paw, what did we do wrong as I was being pulled over.
A young black female officer requested to see my license and informed me I was going a few mph over the limit.
I pleaded that it was an honest mistake but that was a no go so I questioned why? The young officer was polite to inform me that all their officers "HAD TO" issue a citation if they pulled someone over or else. I thought, Wow.
Of course, she informed me that I could go directly to city hall, pay the ticket in cash or check and it would not go on my record which I promptly did.
Less than two years went by and the headlines were about the FBI raiding the police station, confiscating the computers, the mayor going to jail and several of the police officers.
kinda left a warm fuzzy feeling, you know what I mean?
The next time I went through that town, I saw some new faces riding around in those shinny patrol cars.

The towns that I classify as speed traps are a disgrace to the men and women who wear a badge and carry out their duties in fairness and in good judgement.

Not long ago, the wife and I were headed from our place in Louisiana back to our little place in Texas. I usually travel with a radar detector as a tool to help me keep within the boundaries set by the governing authorities. If it beeps, I check my speed which is usually good but not always. I may be distracted and be over by a few mph.
Anyway, the wife and I were just about midway in a small town we were traveling through, I had swapped vehicles and left the radar detector in my truck.
As we were riding through the town jabbering away to each other, the blue lights came on.
I pull over and the officer approached and asked the age old question, do you know why I pulled you over? I said the only thing I can think of is I may have been speeding a bit since the wife and I were not paying as close of attention as we should. The officer asks for my license which I give him along with my CCW, "Law in La".
he goes back to his patrol car for a few minutes, checking my record I'm sure. He comes back, says, Mr W, you need to slow down a bit on this section here, I know exactly where you got over the limit. The limit dropped just back there pointing his finger.
He gives my license back to me and says have a good day.
I may never see that officer again in my life but he caused me to have respect for him and his department.
He could have issued me a citation but believed that I did not need one.

It is my earnest desire that more officers not only in law enforcement but other agencies as well would issue citations when they were needed but not because they can.

[labradigger1]

Worst speedtrap town i have EVER seen, Summersville WVa, you will receive a ticket for +1 mph over. Stupid speedtraps

[opos]

Be careful in Arizona as you cross under freeway overpasses....the Kodak man is often taking pics and the ticket comes in the mail...

[starmac]

LOL I got a ticket in Rogers Tx once for one mile over, that was back inthe 70's and the first time I ever dealt with a woman judge. lol Yep I ended up paying it.

I was pulled over in Sour Lake Tx, once. I was paying particular attention to my speed as I had just paid a speeding ticket in Lomax that morning. lol When I stopped at the 4 way stop, not really a town in sight, I looked in my mirror as I slowed and there were lights flashing, I pulled as far to the side for him to pass, but he pulled in behind me. lol
I told him I was sure I had done something, but what was he stopping me for. When he said speeding I told him that he could put the ticket book up, because I know for a fact I wasn't speeding. lol His answer was we don't drive 55 in a school zone around here. Yep there was a school a couple miles out of town and I completely spaced it. So I told him write the ticket. lol, after he did he asked how much money I had on me, to which I replied it wasn't any of his business. So then he explained that I had to pay the fine before I could leave town, and asked if I had enough, but didn't know what the judge would charge me. lol When we went to the judge, he did ask the judge to drop some off the fine, because he said I had the best attitude about it that he had ever run across. lol

I was pulled over the other night, and same thing I mentioned I probably did something, but what was it. lol I had went to the dump and was driving a pickup that I hardly ever drive, and my insurance card was expired. I keep it in a baggie with the registration, so when he asked if I had a currant one somewhere else, I told him no That If I had of put it in the pickup, I would have put it there and ditched the other one, but it was insured on the same policy as the rest of my pickups. He didn't even write me a warning, because he said he figured I probably did have insurance and the fine for not having proof was 500 bucks.

There are some good ones to deal with and bad ones to deal with, I don't mind paying if I am breaking the law, but have made them lock me up and feed me when they had an attitude and wrote me up a bogus ticket too.

[brtelec]

There is a town in Louisiana called Golden Meadow. It is on the way down to Grand Isle where there is a lot of great fishing and the ports for the oil industry. They will write you for 1 over. There is another town in Louisiana called Patterson, they have a State trooper that is notorious for sitting where the road comes down a hill from a bridge and the speed limit changes right at the bottom. He will write you for 1 over also.

[JSH]

Two towns local to me that I am on edge and alert when I get into their city limits. I have received tickets in both for speeding all under 5mph over. I have even been pulled over for going to slow in a school zone!
Basehor and Lansing Kansas. I will drive 50 miles out of route if I have too, to avoid going through either. If these guys would spend more time patrolling the city limits rather than parking and waiting for a " victim". The cities would be better off in the long run.

[Blacksmith]

A number of the small towns on the "Eastern Shore" peninsula that contains most of Delaware and parts of Maryland and Virginia derive a large part of their income from speed traps. Be extremely cautious in or near any of the small towns. Some have annexed surrounding farm land just to get a section of major highway inside the town limits. You have been warned.

The National Speed Trap Exchange
http://www.speedtrap.org/

Trapster
https://www.trapster.com/

[starmac]

I don't remember which town it was in Ok, but it was bad enough that some trucker made huge sign out of his 53 foot vans and parked them on private property both sides of town to warn folks.

[Hawkeye45]

When I became the police chief, along with other duties in town the state patrol told me that because of the tolerances of speedometers and radar guns at the time (late 70's) not to write tickets unless they were over 5 MPH over. Did I mention that it was such a small town that I was the pharmacist, fire chief and police chief?. LOL I only gave one ticket in the city limits and that was to the mayors wife. [smilie=b: That went over big. The pharmacy and firehouse were destroyed in a tornado a few years back. ( it was Woodward Iowa by the way).

Mr. Ed

[bayjoe]

Elida, NM That guy will give his mother a ticket. Blanca, CO also that guy lives to give tickets

[unclogum bill]

There is a story, doubtful true, but out there anyway, When you mail in your ticket, overpay it by three dollars. The court will issue you a refund and you "DO NOT" cash it. Until you do the paperchain is not complete and they do not send a notice to your insurance. Kind of sits in internet limbo forever. Got caught in one gas station town (Boulder MT.) once . Portly sarge and a trainee were up on the hill gazing down with field glasses. My rolling stop was not good enough and they roped me. Can't have no one blasting through their town. I may have been the only car they saw in an hour. Even the trainee was rolling eyes as the sarge explained truth , justice and the American way.

[daniel lawecki]

Woodville Ohio is a speedtrap town they even have a diner called the Speedtrap. There's a old Black and White police car on the roof from the 50s. Everyone in Northwest Ohio has heard of this place. Speed limit changes three times in about a mile or less.

[starmac]

Elida, NM That guy will give his mother a ticket. Blanca, CO also that guy lives to give tickets

Must have got a cop in Elida during the Clinton every town needs a cop era. Back when I ran that country Elida didn't have a cop.

[dilly]

There was a time when people who forcibly stopped you and forced you to pay money before continuing were called highwaymen. Now they are highway patrolmen.

Couple suburbs of the city I live in are a little like this. Lots of that money probably goes to pay for the planes they fly so they can write more tickets, so that they can afford to keep the pilot and plane to write tickets. (The redundancy is intentional to highlight the circuitous reasoning.)

[waksupi]

The small towns on both sides of me have old patrol cars parked as scarecrows to slow down traffic. They have stuffed dummies in them. People are well enough indoctrinated, that even the locals who know they are fake usually slow down.
And just to keep it interesting, occasionally the real highway patrol will park their car there, and re-educate people when they get too used to the fake.

[starmac]

The small towns on both sides of me have old patrol cars parked as scarecrows to slow down traffic. They have stuffed dummies in them. People are well enough indoctrinated, that even the locals who know they are fake usually slow down.
And just to keep it interesting, occasionally the real highway patrol will park their car there, and re-educate people when they get too used to the fake.

I have noticed this same scenario all over the country, especially so after the federal grant money for small one horse towns went away.

[oneokie]

I don't remember which town it was in Ok, but it was bad enough that some trucker made huge sign out of his 53 foot vans and parked them on private property both sides of town to warn folks.
Sounds like Stringtown. And there is another small town just west of Ft. Smith, AR that shares the title with Stringtown.

[starmac]

Stringtown rings a bell, did they get in hot water over their speedtrap policy a couple years back??

[oneokie]

Stringtown rings a bell, did they get in hot water over their speedtrap policy a couple years back??
They have been in "hot water" several times through the years with their speed trap policy.

It is on US highway 69 if that helps. The other town is on Interstate 44.

[Dale in Louisiana]

Sounds like Stringtown. And there is another small town just west of Ft. Smith, AR that shares the title with Stringtown.

Bonita, Louisiana, astride US 165 between Mer Rouge and the Arkansas line has signs somebody put up on both sides of town that say "Speed Trap Ahead". The signs have lights. Very well done. Somebody went through some trouble installing them. The speed limit though Bonita drops to thirty, they have ONE patrol car, and I imagine that some of the agricultural trucks from the grain elevator north of town have contributed heavily to the city fund.

US 165 has a bunch of great places to drop some cash into the local coffers: Mer Rouge is another. Grayson, Georgetown, Pollock, Ball, Kinder, and Fenton all fit the mold.

Fenton's single patrol unit is a black SUV with the police logo in dark grey. When that' larda** flips the lights on, you'd think that UFOs were landing.

They're clowns, but it ain't funny when they get you for five over on a five-lane highway with a forty MPH speed limit in 'city' limits.

dale in Louisiana

[BD]

The US national champion speed trap town is Ridgeland, South Carolina. US 95 goes right through town with plenty of advertising for food and gas at the exits. The exit ramps (wide sweeping ramps , several of them two lanes wide), dump onto a four lane, (but not limited access), where the speed limit is suddenly only 45, (I-95 is 75 mph through there). The cops are always waiting. The two lane through the outskirts of town is 55, 45 35, 45, 35, 25, 35, 45, 55 in just under three miles, with no distinct population center, and no other discernible reason for the difference in speed limit. It took me two tickets to figure out that I'd better learn exactly where the changes occurred. But the thing that makes them the nation champs was the towns decision to install speed cameras on I-95 and just mail photo tickets to those over the limit without even pulling them over. This doubled the towns revenue for a couple of years before the state supreme court ruled against it. The up-side for the local residents is that they have by far the lowest property taxes in the area.

[shooter93]

The whole state of Ohio is a speed trap....smiles.

[knifemaker]

Alot of the problems with speed trap towns is the powers to be that run that town or police agency. Some look at giving out tickets as a big source of income for their coffers and will require their officers to not give any breaks. Just write the ticket.
I was lucky and worked 30 years for sheriff's office and our department rule was the officer had total discretion on writing or not writing a ticket. Most Sheriff's departments in Northern CA. are that way. In fact I remember one officer getting chewed out by the patrol capt. that he was not a traffic cop and should be looking for the burglar instead of tying up his time writing B.S. tickets. He did not last too long after with our dept.
Most speed traps are done by small city police depts. where the city fathers are looking for revenue to run the city and the police chief is in their pocket.
During my travels I also observed that the Arkansas state police like to use deceptive metholds to catch speeders. Several times I observed their patrol vehicle parked at the bottom of a long hill in the grassy divider and facing downhill coming traffic. They would also raise their hoods, as if having engine problems, and it would hide the overhead red & blue lights and use radar to catch unsuspecting speeders.

[dilly]

Not to digress too far, but there are those who very short sightedly respond to this argument by saying "if you don't want a ticket, don't speed." That is of course a preferable solution, but just look at how complicated, nonsensical, unintelligible, uninhibited and convoluted ALL the layers of ALL laws (federal, state, county, city, etc.) are. Whatever problems that chaos may have caused in the past are nothing compared to the problems that will be caused in the era of omniscient enforcement which we enter thanks to the information age fueled by drones, NSA spies, and the general lack of privacy. I foresee a lot of discriminatory and persecutory enforcement of all these old laws in the future.

[dagger dog]

Before the U.S. Interstate Highway system, it was a lot worse.

One that stands out for Kentucky boys was Bonnieville (oxymoron) on US 31 south, another on US 42 at Bedford, KY must have trapped a local farmer, because he put up a 50' billboard on the outskirts of the burg, on his property, warning unwary travelers about the local police.

[RoyEllis]

I don't remember which town it was in Ok, but it was bad enough that some trucker made huge sign out of his 53 foot vans and parked them on private property both sides of town to warn folks.

LOL Yep that's the cr@phole known as Big Cabin Oklahoma, on Hwy 69 just south of Vinita. One of those trailers still sits there on the south end of town. Since the Cherokee's built a huge casino in Catoosa, it has become one of those speed traps as well.

[Riverpigusmc]

Pay attention to the speed limit signs in Waldo in North Florida between Gainesville and Jacksonville. They change quick, and the cops take the limit seriously

[dagger dog]

I was singled out of a line of 10 vehicles, I was the 4 th car in the line, on the Florida Keys Highway north bound, double yellow line no passing 45mph limit, by a FLA SP, he did a flip flop and leap frogged up the line of cars and pulled me over for speeding. ??????

Guess the Ohio front tags on my GF's car tipped him off, made me follow him to the next island and put me in a monkey cage at the JP office because all I had was a couple 100 dollar bills, and they didn't have change ! Had to wait 45 minutes for my GF to leave and get change.

[starmac]

I didn't know it was possible to get a speeding ticket on a florida interstate. They drive faster there than any other state, and it is usually ignored.

[Goatwhiskers]

Talk about speed traps! Livonia, La. on US190 is a classic. Public records show that they make over $35,000 a month from traffic stops. Got the most up-to-date equipment available, too. GW

[Down South]

There is a town in Louisiana called Golden Meadow. It is on the way down to Grand Isle where there is a lot of great fishing and the ports for the oil industry. They will write you for 1 over. There is another town in Louisiana called Patterson, they have a State trooper that is notorious for sitting where the road comes down a hill from a bridge and the speed limit changes right at the bottom. He will write you for 1 over also.
I know both towns well. I used to go through Patterson once a week and did it for a number of years. I knew the reputation of the town well. I always set my cruise control 1 mph below the posted speed limit while going through.
I was on my way home several years ago with cruise set driving in the right hand lane. There were several people passing me on the left lane as I was going through.
I saw the blue lights come on behind me. I was thinking, well, they are going after one of those that just passed me but no, they were stopping me. I thought, what the heck is up? I pulled over. A young black male office approached me and he had an attitude. He says I clocked you going 18 mph over the limit. I say, no way. Cruise was set below your limit, you clocked one of those going around me. It was about the Walmart area of Patterson.
Anyway, he would have nothing to do with what I said and made several smart remarks to me. One of the last was that I could take it up in of in their court if I questioned his judgement.
I just shut up and took the ticket. If I'm guilty of something, that's one thing but don't write me a ticket for something I didn't do and shove it up my rear.
I work in the oil and gas business. I know a lot of people high up in the political arena in Louisiana plus it was an election year. One phone call took care of the ticket but I really wanted revenge to the young smart a$$ officer that had a severe attitude problem.
I won't go into detail there but my thoughts are, why have an attitude when it's not needed. I was nice, tried to explain in plain English that I believed he made a mistake. I even offered him to check my cruise, drive my truck and see what it was set at. That was a stupid request on my part. It wouldn't have mattered if I had a halo glowing around my head with this kid.

I never had any problems in Golden Meadow. It is on the way to our dock in Fourchon. Been through there a number of times with no problems but I have heard about it.

[uscra112]

Bellevue and Hailey, Idaho. Only route for the tourists and skiers heading for Sun Valley and beyond. Set the cruise control and just wait it out - or else. But it keeps the taxes low. . . NOT.

[starmac]

I hate to tell you guys, but the WHOLE state of lowsyana luvs money. lol The even have unwritten laws the scalehouses use, and they will tell you that if you come back to fight it, they will give you half of the money back. lol

A few years back my niece got herself locked up in Lake Charles, on some assault charge (no dead people). I used to do a little work and a lot of partying in that country, back in the 80's. My sister calls and asked what she needed to do as she was getting ready for the trip over there, I said just make sure you take a whole pocketful of money. Turns out things haven't changed, when she went back to court, my niece mentioned she sure didn't want any felony on her rcord, and he told her straight, all it took for it to go away was MONEY.lol Nothing has changed since my partying days. lol

[uscra112]

The whole state of Ohio is a speed trap....smiles.

No it's not. Not where I live in the Ohio River hill country. Been here four years and have never seen a speed trap, except for the new 20MPH zone near the new school in town. Rural limit is 55, and even on my motorcycle I'm hard pressed to get up to 55, the roads are so twisty.

[Kull]

Medford, OR. I-5 speed limit drops to 55 through that area, which is just silly slow imho for an arrow straight two lane divided freeway.

[starmac]

Medford, OR. I-5 speed limit drops to 55 through that area, which is just silly slow imho for an arrow straight two lane divided freeway.

Who cares, it is 55 max anywhere in oregon for many of us, it should be for everybody, same as cali. plus I have to pay 13 cents a mile up front before I can even enter the state without paying a huge fine. I go way out of my way sometimes to bypass oregon, if I can't I cut up into Wa, and drive two lanes at the very first chance depending on which way I am coming from.

[725]

Oswego, NY. The town is great but the campus of S.U.N.Y Oswego is a speed trap. My daughter just got a 35 in a 20 zone. 15 over !! She just turned off a one lane in each direction 45 mph county route onto the 4 lane divided (30 foot wide grass median w/ curbs) 20 mph campus road - no buildings or foot paths anywhere nearby. Campus police, who are real police there, wrote her for the 35 in a 20. Really? 35 mph ! Have you ever driven 20 mph on a 4 lane divided highway? They get their pound of flesh and my 18 year old has to deal with a speeding ticket.

[rondog]

Kiowa Colorado, drive nice and slow through there!

[archmaker]

Golden Meadow is on my list, went there once and one of our member lives there, and HE said it was bad, I saw a person pulled over while I was leaving.

I will throw in Montgomery, TX, big wide open 4 lane road, not much around, but in the city speed limit, and the limit is 40, then 30. They are always getting people on the way through the town, I am like Dale, I drive it 1 under. (Every where else I don't exceed by more than 4-5 over)

[Mk42gunner]

Archie, MO. The city Police like to sit on the overpass and poach on US 71, now I-49. Not real sure how bad they are in town itself, but I am always careful when I have to drive there.

Robert

[Kull]

Who cares, it is 55 max anywhere in oregon for many of us, it should be for everybody, same as cali.

I was only talking about I-5 at Medford, and I don't understand your statement that it's max 55 anywhere in Oregon for many of us.

[starmac]

LOL Yep that's the cr@phole known as Big Cabin Oklahoma, on Hwy 69 just south of Vinita. One of those trailers still sits there on the south end of town. Since the Cherokee's built a huge casino in Catoosa, it has become one of those speed traps as well.

That would be it, I used to travel 69 to vinita a lot, cuz I am just too stubborn to pay the toll. lol

[Jeffrey]

South Louisiana, west of Baton Rouge, Atchafalaya Basin Bridge: prone to heavy fog, has been the scene of MULTI car pileups. Police on both ends take the speed limit signs SERIOUSLY. Not a "speed trap" per se, as the limit does not suddenly drop without posting. Just putting this up as a warning to those that might be coming through to mind your speed through there. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atchafalaya_Basin_Bridge

[missionary5155]

Greetings
Show Low, Arizona is another of those fine communities that much enjoy the tourist trade.
Mike in Peru

[contender1]

I was reading a lot of these posts & was wondering,,, until I saw the post about Waldo Fl.
There is that stretch of road in North Fl that has a few speed traps,,, with Waldo being the worst. As others have mentioned,, you can find "SPEED TRAP" billboard signs as well.
What I found to be an unconcerned (for safety) officer was in Waldo several years ago. Speed limit was 65, then 55, then 45 (at that time) in a .4 mile stretch. I was driving a 15 passenger van, (Owned by my BSA Troop & so marked) with 12 people inside. We were hauling a heavy trailer full of camping AND SCUBA gear. (Tanks & weights add up quickly.) We travel in BSA uniforms.
I knew the area was a speed trap. I also have a REQUIREMENT by the BSA to drive safely & within the law. I had the cruise set on 63. I saw the 65 sign, then a few hundred feet, a reduce speed ahead, and at the .2 mark from the 65 mph sign, a 55 mph one, followed by a reduce speed sign, followed by a 45 mph one. All the signage was spaced .4 miles apart total. At the "Reduce speed ahead" sign, I tapped the brakes to disengage the cruise, and started feathering the brakes. (Nobody likes a heavy load suddenly shifting.) I passed the 45 mph sign doing exactly 48 mph.
Yep one of Waldo's finest Barney Fife's was waiting & wrote me a ticket, TOTALLY ignoring the safety factor of slamming the brakes on a heavy load that I tried to explain to him. (I met the 45 mph limit & less in just a few moments after I passed the 45 sign.) BSA, in uniform, heavy load & NO break.
I didn't have to go & immediately pay the ticket, so when I did my return trip, I actually measured & documented the distances. Upon reaching home, I tried to file a complaint with the County seat, as well as the State Attorney Generals office. I got NO response. During the time I filed a written complaint, the time to pay the ticket passed. I then called the State, and after several people passed me off, I did finally have somebody tell me that my letters were most likely filed away with the THOUSANDS of others, & IGNORED.
So, while I chose to have my attorney (a friend) send the next letter, I got a notice that my home state had been sent a notice of my failure to pay a speeding fine. My state was suspending my license because of this. I immediately had my lawyer file in my local court against the NC DOT about my license.
I went to court, kept my license from being suspended,, but unless Fl dropped the case, I still had to pay their fine. I mailed my fine, via my attorney to the Fl State Attorney Generals office, with his letter of the possible impending lawsuit. The "revocation" order from Fl was recinded, (about my license,) but I got a bill for a "LATE FEE" ($15) for paying my ticket after the date on the original one. Nothing was said or replied to about my possible pending lawsuit. My lawyer advised me to just pay the $15 & drop it, as it's cost a whole lot to fight them.
A few years later, I had a Highway Patrol officer I knew who went to Waldo to train some of them in some stuff. He told me of MANY horror stories of how they ran their LEO department. He got bit**ed out for NOT arresting a 60 yr old woman from up north for doing 70 in the very strip I got pulled in. He ticketed her & let her leave. It was 1 am in the morning, and no traffic. Waldo LEO's threw a fit on him.
A few years after all this,, I was able to speak to Gov. Bush.
I told him I was a strong conservative. A true believer in the Constitution, and the law. But I told him that he, his office, and the Attorney General in Fl is failing the state by NOT addressing issues such as places like Waldo. No concerns for safe driving, or properly marking an area to allow safe reduction of speeds.
He ignored me as well from what I've seen.

[John Guedry]

U.S. 190,Livonia,Krotz Springs,and Port Barre La. I think all of them balance the budget with fines.

[Dale in Louisiana]

U.S. 190,Livonia,Krotz Springs,and Port Barre La. I think all of them balance the budget with fines.

Yeah, I have a station just east of Port Barre and I have been warned. Trust me, though, just about any little town in Louisiana can make this list.

Baker, LA used to be famous for its speed cameras, but I think they're taking them down now. Lafayette, LA had them, too. I don't know if they're still running there. A couple of those got pushed over into a ditch.

dale in Louisiana

[DougGuy]

ROFL!! I have BEEN through Waldo, FL! He ain't joking about the billboards either! There are several other podunk towns along Florida 301 that do the same thing Waldo does.
_______________________

Zebulon, NC. Notorious trap coming into town from NC 96, speed drops from 45 to 35 and the city does NOT want to call your attention to this fact! That is their CASH COW.

Somebody put two plain orange diamonds on top of the 35mph sign, don't know if it was the state, city, or county that put those on there, but I went before the judge on this one, and I explained to the DA that those diamonds were an improper sign because there is NO reference as to what their purpose is, in the North Carolina Driver's Handbook. All the other caution signs in the handbook are clearly described, with pictures, and the intended meanings of these warning signs is very clearly spelled out. I asked him, how am I as a motorist, supposed to understand the meaning of these diamonds if the meaning is not designated in the driver's handbook?

My ticket got dismissed....

[starmac]

The city of Houston is still after several years, trying once in a while to collect on a ticket they issued me from a camera. The problem is I hadn't been in houston for over a year when they took a picture. lol

The city of Albquerque sent my son a ticket when he was in high school, and he hadn't been there at all. we requested the picture and there was nothing in common with his rig. The picture they sent us was a 66 chevy pickup, with a complete different license number. They however cleared it up with a phone call, while houston just says to pay it. lol

[colt 357]

cedar rapids iowa has the speed trap cameras and yes they got me for $75.00 Now I no longer go there to spend money. I use to go there some time just to get out of town. That was about three years ago. Cedar rapids has lost alot of business from me because of that. wonder how many other feel that way.

[unclogum bill]

" has lost alot of business from me because of that. wonder how many other feel that way.
In 2010 I got on the Census gig and was amazed that every time I passed the school zone cops had someone. Wrote an article in local paper describing every car and motorcycle police used and how a stop gave them endless things to look at and fine you for. Mention of the term "bandidos" did not warm police chief to me in his rebuttal article. I also mentioned what tourist will come back after getting his pocket picked. Funny thing , for about a year it stopped.

[rondog]

It's getting to where I drive like an old woman anymore, pretty much everywhere. For fear of just this kind of BS.

[arjacobson]

cedar rapids iowa has the speed trap cameras and yes they got me for $75.00 Now I no longer go there to spend money. I use to go there some time just to get out of town. That was about three years ago. Cedar rapids has lost alot of business from me because of that. wonder how many other feel that way.

Same here........

[starmac]

I was only talking about I-5 at Medford, and I don't understand your statement that it's max 55 anywhere in Oregon for many of us.

Have they raised the truck speed limit, since I have been there??? The last time I was there they still had the split speed limit, but it has been a little over 3 years.

[WarEagleEd]

I don't know if it still is, but Harpersville, AL (southeast of Birmingham on U.S. Hwy 280) used to be a speed trap. The speed limit dropped 10 mph right at the city limits though the road remained 4 wide lanes. I still drive through there right at or just below the speed limit.

Ed

[Kull]

Have they raised the truck speed limit, since I have been there??? The last time I was there they still had the split speed limit, but it has been a little over 3 years.

Now I get what you were saying earlier, your a truck driver. Sorry, I'm slow like that.

[starmac]

Now I get what you were saying earlier, your a truck driver. Sorry, I'm slow like that.

Yep my wages takes a cut once I hit any west coast border state. lol

[brtelec]

The worst part about the Golden Meadow La. speed trap is getting caught as an out of state driver. In my business a lot of our guys live in Louisiana, but they do not change their plates and their lic. If they get stopped in Golden Meadow they take them to jail and you have to pay the fine on the spot. If you can not, they know your company will send someone to pay you out. I have had to leave the vessel before and drive up their to get some of my guys out. They don't want to take a chance on you leaving the state without them getting your money.

[Down South]

Well, from reading all of the responses, it appears my home state of Louisiana is the worst on the list for having speed trap towns.
No wonder I have such a dislike for these towns. I'm driving through them most of the time. There are many more of these towns in Louisiana that I could mention.

[starmac]

Like I said before the WHOLE state of lowsyiana loves them some of dat money. lol

I worked with a crew of coonass roughnecks, some 30 odd years ago, and Tony (derrick hand) and Basketball (his brother) went home to Bunky La one weekend. Tony was pilled over for speeding (I think) and since he didn't have a drivers licence, they arrested him and told basketball to follow them to get him out of jail. lol This was back in the 55 mph days. Basketball followed them a couple miles at 70 mph, at which point they pulled over and ask him, son do you know how fast you were driving. lol YUP he got a ride the rest of the way too. lol

[brtelec]

That's funny. A guy I work with got a DUI on the way to a job and got locked up in Abbeville La. So he calls his roommate to come bail him out the next morning. His roommate shows up to bail him out and he is hammered when he gets to the station. The cops take the bail money and give him his roommate. When they pull out of the parking lot the Abbeville police pull him over and arrest him for a DUI and the cycle continued! These two ********* are legend at the company.

[Down South]

The city of Houston is still after several years, trying once in a while to collect on a ticket they issued me from a camera. The problem is I hadn't been in houston for over a year when they took a picture. lol

The city of Albquerque sent my son a ticket when he was in high school, and he hadn't been there at all. we requested the picture and there was nothing in common with his rig. The picture they sent us was a 66 chevy pickup, with a complete different license number. They however cleared it up with a phone call, while houston just says to pay it. lol
I believe they took all the red light cameras in Houston down about two years ago. I remember reading the headlines about law suits going from several directions. One was from the company that owned and operated the cameras. Their contract had several years left but the cameras that I know of came down anyway.
I decided to do a search on this before I pushed the post button and it appears I'm correct. See links below.
http://news.yahoo.com/houston-latest-us-city-end-red-light-cameras-213804104.html
http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=news/local&id=8513986

[popper]

When I get pulled over it's justifiable. Passed a brown car on 71 going into KC. Lights on, he just says slow down - no body else in sight. From Texas hauling 3 gals to Yellowstone. Poped a hill & passed a Toyota of asians going 35. long drop down the hill, sweeping curve & straightaway ~ 3 miles - saw a car coming the other way. Passed the LEO and he turned around, lights on. He felt sorry for me, just a warning. Our berg had some complaint about a speeding 'quota'. Major 4 lane through town, shops all around it. I told the mayor to keep it up, my taxes will go down. It's a racetrack during rush, most LEO/EMS calls are for accidents at the light. Most ticketed don't have license, expired insurance or on drugs, a few warrents. Yea team, keep it up.

[brtelec]

Oh, I agree, with the exception of a couple of 1 and 2 mile over speed trap incidences all the other times I have been pulled over I had it coming. Of course as I get older I have had fewer and fewer run ins with law enforcement. I guess I just do not see the need to rush anymore.

[waksupi]

I like to drive under the speed limit, and make a full stop at stop signs. Just to piss off the people behind me!

[Down South]

I like to drive under the speed limit, and make a full stop at stop signs. Just to piss off the people behind me!
LOL, you would not survive in Houston. Not unless you are driving a tank.

[slim1836]

Cross Plains Texas and West Point Kentucky, both are 24-7 speed traps.

Slim

[bayjoe]

Quote Originally Posted by starmac View Post

I don't remember which town it was in Ok, but it was bad enough that some trucker made huge sign out of his 53 foot vans and parked them on private property both sides of town to warn folks.

The town is Langston, OK

[Dale in Louisiana]

Cross Plains Texas and West Point Kentucky, both are 24-7 speed traps.

Slim
Oh, I remember West Point, KY. They'd send a copy of the ticket to the Provost Marshall on post and then when it filtered down through the system to your unit, you were liable to get an Article 15 and lose a few MORE bucks.

dale in Louisiana
(Fort Knox 1968-69, 72-74)