speeding tickets survey

["Andrew D.Mendez" <AMENDEZ@xxxxxxx>]

This isn't totally off-topic because the famous
BMW grill attracts the attention of cops like free
donuts. I went by one radar trap at the 35mph
limit (radar detector saw it coming half mile
away) where the cop kept his radar gun rigidly
fixated on my puttering M3, tracking me for 100+
yards, oblivious to about a dozen cars flying by
me at 15-25mph over the limit! Guess he couldn't
believe a BMW was going the speed limit. Anyway,
I've had awful luck with cops and never get away
with warnings for speeding. (Been very lucky with
other things though). Nothing has worked for me --
I've tried both politeness & playing dumb (Me:
"Er, I was changing a tape & didn't notice my
speed." KS trooper: "For over 3 miles?"). I have 3
tickets in the last coupla years (58 in a 35 while
testing a 328 convertible (no detector)); 95+ in a
70 (written down to 80 (whew!) where the cop used
a stopwatch & timed mile markers); and 80 in a 70
while in a rental car (no detector & trooper said
1 more mph would've gotten me a trip to the
station. These things have cost me over $700 in a
little over 2 years, not to mention the $400+ I
spent on a V1 in response. I also narrowly escaped
a trip to jail on 2 of these occassions. I've
learned my lesson & toned down the excessive speed
for the most part. 

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