Speed Trap Towns

[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