Re: Airplane enforcement

[Chris.Prael@xxxxxxxxxxx (Chris Prael)]

Since the citation was issued in the state of California, it is not only
unfair, it is illegal.  If you will take a look at the definition of a
"Speed Trap" in the California Vehicle Code, you will find that timing a
vehicle through a measured distance is one form of speed trap.  (Using
radar on a piece of road on which the speed limit has not been justified
by a traffic survey is the other form.)  

Most of the traffic court referees and judges in San Mateo County know
and understand this law.  Take you ticket into court and tell the
referee that you were timed from an airplane.  You would be astoundingly
unlucky if he failed to dismiss the citation.

This is only one of a number of unlawful practices engaged in now by
the California Highway Patrol.  They depend on your ignorance and
laziness to get away with it.  Don't let them.

Chris Prael

> From: Alan Lambert <gerard@domain.elided>
> Subject: Re: Airplane enforcement
> 
> On Sat, 1 Aug 1998 joxxer@domain.elided wrote:
> 
> > Is there anyone who has been caught by the airplane
> > enforcement out in the scarcely populated regions of the state? Or even
> > the densely populated regions? My theory is that it is just an inside
> > joke among the state troopers.
> 
> You got lucky--I didn't--
> 
> On #280, going South,about 1/2 mile south of #92 (for the non-locals, this 
> is about 10 miles south of San Francisco, leading down the Peninsula) I 
> passed four or five Patrol cars parked on the right. Having seen them in 
> plenty of time, I slowed from 80 mph to the 65 mph limit. A few moments 
> later, a patrol car came up behind me and turned on his red lights. When 
> I got over to the right and stopped, he came by the window and told 
> me, " You were going at 78 mph, and tail-gateing a Honda." He then 
> explained how the plane had clocked me. After the Officer in the plane 
> clocks a car, he radios to the patrol cars on the ground, describing the 
> car, it's speed etc. The patrol car then pulls up behind the suggested 
> car and radios to the plane asking if this is the correct car. If the 
> plane says it is, the red lights come on! IT AIN'T FAIR!!
> ================================================================================
> Regards,
> Alan G. Lambert___________________________________<gerard@domain.elided>
>            *******Los Altos, California (office)*******

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