Speed Traps - Your Thoughts?

[Rath Darkblade]

To be honest, I've never seen speed traps here in Australia. Is it just a NA (US and Canada) thing? Or maybe it happens here in Melbourne, but not around my suburbs. All we have are speed cameras, and those are always hidden so you never spot them until you see that bright flash and think "Uh oh."

On the other hand, the kind of stories I've been reading on this thread are terrible. The things cops would stoop to, in order to make someone speed... eek. If only they'd put so much time and energy into catching criminals. I don't get it. *shrug*

[Tawmis]

To be honest, I've never seen speed traps here in Australia. Is it just a NA (US and Canada) thing? Or maybe it happens here in Melbourne, but not around my suburbs. All we have are speed cameras, and those are always hidden so you never spot them until you see that bright flash and think "Uh oh."

Interesting. Because in the States (well California) - there's signs that tell you "Lights Ahead Are Camera Enforced." Or something to that degree. So you know which Lights are Speed/Red Light enforced.

[DeadPoolX]

Interesting. Because in the States (well California) - there's signs that tell you "Lights Ahead Are Camera Enforced." Or something to that degree. So you know which Lights are Speed/Red Light enforced.

Same here. Well, I know they did that in Houston. I can't remember if they do that in Vancouver (not that it'd make a difference, seeing as everyone goes well above the posted speed limit).

Speeding is a huge issue here and the police rarely do anything about it. The drivers will tailgate you and push you to go faster, even if you're already driving faster than the speed limit.

They'll honk, they'll yell, they'll dodge and weave and one even gave Maia the finger. He was apparently angry that we wouldn't drive 40km over the speed limit. We were already going 20km over, but that wasn't fast enough for him. I guess he couldn't wait to get stuck behind someone else.

What's weird is that I never encountered such aggressive/angry driving in Houston. We had plenty of idiotic drivers, but they weren't so vicious. Maia said the same thing about driving in Edmonton.

[Tawmis]

They'll honk, they'll yell, they'll dodge and weave and one even gave Maia the finger. He was apparently angry that we wouldn't drive 40km over the speed limit. We were already going 20km over, but that wasn't fast enough for him. I guess he couldn't wait to get stuck behind someone else.

What's weird is that I never encountered such aggressive/angry driving in Houston. We had plenty of idiotic drivers, but they weren't so vicious. Maia said the same thing about driving in Edmonton.

See, that's where I would go insane. Or used to. I think because of the High Blood Pressure... before I became medicated for it... I was VERY susceptible to VICIOUS Road Rage... like if someone tail gated me, I'd slow DOWN - so when they passed me, I'd tail gate them, throw on the high beams, flicker them, pull up next to them and slowly go into their lane... I was insane. I can relate four stories where I literally chased people down in their cars, and once even chased a guy to his house (he lived in the same complex as I did)...

[DeadPoolX]

They'll honk, they'll yell, they'll dodge and weave and one even gave Maia the finger. He was apparently angry that we wouldn't drive 40km over the speed limit. We were already going 20km over, but that wasn't fast enough for him. I guess he couldn't wait to get stuck behind someone else.

What's weird is that I never encountered such aggressive/angry driving in Houston. We had plenty of idiotic drivers, but they weren't so vicious. Maia said the same thing about driving in Edmonton.

See, that's where I would go insane. Or used to. I think because of the High Blood Pressure... before I became medicated for it... I was VERY susceptible to VICIOUS Road Rage... like if someone tail gated me, I'd slow DOWN - so when they passed me, I'd tail gate them, throw on the high beams, flicker them, pull up next to them and slowly go into their lane... I was insane. I can relate four stories where I literally chased people down in their cars, and once even chased a guy to his house (he lived in the same complex as I did)...

I'd like to hear (or read, as the case may be) those stories!

[Tawmis]

I'd like to hear (or read, as the case may be) those stories!

One of the first ones - I used to work at a company (now long defunct) called "Advanced Access." And I was driving my cool little Nissan Sentra at the time. Well, going down Miramar Road (which is a pretty long, straight road) - and right before (or close to the actual freeway entrance to go 15 South) there's a gas station. I am cruising doing about 45MPH, because I have the right away, no lights to stop me and I am going to be zipping onto the Freeway in a moment (during this time the speed limit was 55MPH on the freeway). My friend Matt is with me. (The dude has a heart of gold, and can look pretty tough, but is the most NON confrontational person in the world!) - anyway, I am about to zip onto the Freeway when this dude pulls out of the gas station in front of me, doing about 10 MPH.

Clearly he did not look to even see if there was anyone coming down Miramar Road. I literally had to slam on my brakes to prevent from T-Boning his car. He proceeds to pull out and go, as if nothing happened. As if he was oblivious to the fact that my car nearly crushed him on his driver's side. I honestly don't know if he EVER did see me (or hear me coming to a halt). He's in one of those 1960's VW Hippy Vans. And just goes onto the freeway.

Now keep in mind, back then when I snapped with Road Rage... it's the strangest sensation. Like... the best way to describe it is something in my brain simply... clicked. Snapped. Not sure how to best describe it. I literally only saw red. And that's hardly an exaggeration. Matt, who is panicked and thankful to be alive, is gripping my dashboard, when I suddenly slammed on the gas and got right on the guy's tail. I began honking my horn, flashing my high beams, etc. The guy ignored me at first, but then began intentionally slowing down (way beyond 45MPH on the Freeway, clearly to annoy me, since I was annoying him). So I pulled up next to him, and literally got parallel with him and rolled down the passenger window and began yelling at him to pull over. The dude gave me the bird and kept driving. So I began going into his lane. I literally FORCED him to pull over. When he slowed so did I. He finally pulled over and I jumped out of my car cussing up a storm. Needless to say, the "F" word was in just about every other word. My blood was POUNDING in my head. Like it felt like my eye balls were about to explode from the amount of blood pounding through my veins.

The guy got out of his car and was literally like 6'2" and weighed like 300lbs - easy. I was (back then!) still a pretty skinny lad. But it didn't stop me. He told me to get back in my car, and I think based on his size, he expected me to oblige to his request - but I got in his face and was literally nose to nose with him, saying I was going to give him first swing, then it was my turn and that I was going to push his arse into the traffic. He actually backed down from me, and Matt had to literally pull me away, even as the guy got in his car.


Another infamous one was when me, Amiee, Paul and his then wife Christi were on our way to Vegas. We had pulled off on some random exit to get gas. I was at the front of a red light to make a left. I watched the light, waiting patiently - and literally the SECOND it turned green, the woman behind me LAID into her horn. So I first went slow when making the left - and as we made the left, she literally went AROUND me into the next lane, and LAID into her horn again. I pulled into the gas station and watched her as she pulled into the McDonalds NEXT to the gas station. So I parked the car at a gas pump, got out, calmly walked over towards the McDonalds, where I could HEAR her yelling at the people in front of her ordering. Keep in mind this great woman is in a convertible car (so she probably thought she was the Queen of the world). So I got there and began tearing into her. (She had two kids in the back seat, my only regret in hindsight, but at the time, I was again, seeing red). But the guys in front of her (who she had been yelling at) began cheering at me (which I didn't care about, thought it was funny in hindsight). The things I said to her, I wish her kids hadn't heard.

The third classic time is probably one of my "favorites." Sometimes, Karma is kind of awesome. So The 15N Freeway has a merge onto Friar's Road. It's partially the way the road is, but it's more so this guy's fault for trying to speed. The merge from 15N to Friars happens QUICK. Like the lane to exit merges into the existing lane rather rapidly. So, the wife and I are coming home from somewhere on Friar's and this dude zips off the 15N freeway and rather than SLOWING down to be behind us, he tries to SQUEEZE between the rapidly merging/fading lane and our car - and SQUEEZE by us using our lane and what is - by this point - an emergency lane. He NEARLY clips my car in the process, and freaks Amiee out (neither of us saw him coming) up so quickly, as we would have thought he'd do the logical thing and slow down and just merge BEHIND us.

The fact that he nearly clipped my car didn't bother me. It was Amiee's reaction and her fear that made me snap. So I gunned the car after him, and did the whole tailgate thing, flashing high beams, honking horn. He kindly rolled down his window and flipped me off. To his dismay, the light ahead turns red. There's a car in front of him, so he can't pass it and keep going. I pull up behind him and get OUT of my car and start cussing at him. Light turns green, I jump in my car, he makes a right turn. Awesome. I need to make a right turn here to head home anyway!

So I persist with the tailgating, high beams, honking. At the next light he stops. I stop behind him. Keep honking at him. He goes through the light when it turns green, and so do I - as this is the same way I go home. So this is working out great for me. I figure I will torment him till he goes a different way.

He then makes a right down a street. Now down this street, when you make a right - you're either heading for the stadium (no game), or heading into my parking lot for the apartments where I lived.

Guess where he turned?

Right into my apartment complex. So I rapidly park my car, and run out to see where he parks.

You know that moment, when a mouse suddenly sees a cat? Or a rabbit sees a hawk?

This dude suddenly saw me and BOLTED - and I mean BOLTED - for his apartment. And the chase was on! (I wasn't going to do anything, just yell and get in his face! But as soon as he bolted, I was like a mad man! I was laughing hysterically - perhaps at the sweet irony that this guy LIVED in my apartment complex!) and ran to his apartment, as he slammed the door and locked it! I POUNDED on his door, cussing WILDLY (I wasn't even HALF as mad as I was making myself out to be, seriously - at this point, I felt insane with laughter!)


All of that said... many, many, many, many years later when my cat would bite my hand as I was breaking him and my mother in law's dog apart from a fight, which got extremely infected, and landed me in the hospital - I discovered I had EXTREMELY high blood pressure. Got all medicated for the blood pressure (as well as some heart meds, because my heart apparently got damage from being "over worked" causing a heart palpitation and such). Now - with my blood pressure under control, I don't know the last time I have ever snapped to road rage since being on the medicine.

So if you're quick to feel road rage, might want to check your blood pressure!

[Jules]

Geez, Tawm! Let me say that you had the balls that I never had to go after those a-holes! I can only go so far and honk the horn. Very amusing stories, the last one was my favorite! Good for him! And good for you that your blood pressure is now regulated.

[Maiandra]

Wow. I never would have imagined you as a road rage kind of guy. I always thought it was the mood affecting the blood pressure and it never occurred to me that it might work the other way around. At least you've got it well managed now, since that's not something you want to have to worry about.

[Tawmis]

Wow. I never would have imagined you as a road rage kind of guy. I always thought it was the mood affecting the blood pressure and it never occurred to me that it might work the other way around. At least you've got it well managed now, since that's not something you want to have to worry about.

Well the thing is - I was normally a very calm guy. Hardly EVER got upset. But there was something about being in a car (and someone being a jerk off) that easily triggered the road rage. If someone cut me off if I was riding a bike, I might give them the finger. Someone cut me off while I was in my car, I'd want to see their head on a pike!

Regardless, now that I've been on the blood pressure meds, people can cut me off and I might honk at them and yell - but that's about as far as it goes these days!

[Tawmis]

So today - where I had previously mentioned - there was two cops, in cop cars (not motorcycles, which is usually the case) - in their cars. One had his door open, sitting half way out, with his radar gun. I observed him get someone - and go after them. In the time it took me to drive past this, the second guy, then got out of his car, assumed the same position of sitting half way out of his car, with his radar gun - ready to get the next person.

(Like my dramatic zoom effect to give you a feel for it?)



At any rate - so I wouldn't mind it so much (because - first, they're saving gas, beats driving around looking for people speeding; so it's better for the environment)... but they're going after people doing about 75mph. They're not nailing people who are zooming by doing 90. (I mean I am sure they are when they do get someone - but just folks going a little over the speed limit, which is 65mph, are getting hit). I'd much rather these cops either busting people who are doing 80+mph or getting out there and doing what the side of their car says and "Protect and Serve" - go bust some drug dealers, some robbers, something else, other than just sitting there, waiting for someone to zoom by doing 75mph.

(Note, I was not given a ticket, so that's not why I am ranting. I am well aware of the two common speed traps on the 125 Freeway... Just irks me that these cops are sitting on their duff).

EDIT: How freaky. The post above this was just one day shy of being a year old. Apparently it's around this time that cops have to make their quota...!

[Collector]

As I had posted earlier in the thread, visible cops do more to slow traffic than speed traps.

EDIT: How freaky. The post above this was just one day shy of being a year old.

I had noticed that.

[Tawmis]

As I had posted earlier in the thread, visible cops do more to slow traffic than speed traps.

Aye. Have a cop car sitting on the side, visible, and people will slow down. But if they do that, they don't get to issue tickets.

Annoying.

I just want to pull over and tell them to get out there and do something more useful than hide behind bushes and nail people doing 10mph over the limit.