Are New Mexico Drivers Really This Aggressive?

[franznietzsche]

I have been given the bird for only driving a langorous 10 miles per hour over the speed limit...in a zone with double speeding fines...during rush hour...in the slow lane...

Need i say more?

 

[larkspur]

I have been given the bird for only driving a langorous 10 miles per hour over the speed limit...in a zone with double speeding fines...during rush hour...in the slow lane...

Need i say more?

Watch out for the prairie dogs too!

 

[Pengwuino]

You're in rush hour going 10mph over the speed limit? What kinda rush hour is this?

 

[mattmns]

Welcome to New Mexico Franz! Pengwuino we don't have rush hours like Cali

 

[wolram]

I have been given the bird for only driving a langorous 10 miles per hour over the speed limit...in a zone with double speeding fines...during rush hour...in the slow lane...

Need i say more?

How strict are the coppers out there, would they do you for going 10 mph
over the limit ? you have standard speeding fines but some places you have to pay double

 

[Astronuc]

you have standard speeding fines but some places you have to pay double

Double fine for speeding in construction zone in NY, NJ, CT - and second offense - loose one gets a suspended license.

 

[franznietzsche]

How strict are the coppers out there, would they do you for going 10 mph
over the limit ? you have standard speeding fines but some places you have to pay double

In New Mexico they have these things called safety corridors, where the speeding fines are just doubled. No construction or anything. Just crazy lab drivers.

Actually, I just got ticketed yesterday . Coming out of Los Alamos you're driving down the side of this mesa on what has to be 10%+ grade, foot on the brake the whole way. I missed my exit off the highway, and so had to drive several miles before I could turn around. Going down the hill the speed limit suddenly drops from 55 to 40, and there's a cop waiting a quarter mile past the sign. I didn't slow down fast enough apparently I wasn't speeding before the 40 zone, I know that much). They just kinda camp out there catching a dozen or more lab commuters a day.

@Penguinwo: like I said, the drivers here are insane.

 

[Mech_Engineer]

In New Mexico they have these things called safety corridors, where the speeding fines are just doubled. No construction or anything. Just crazy lab drivers.

Actually, I just got ticketed yesterday . Coming out of Los Alamos you're driving down the side of this mesa on what has to be 10%+ grade, foot on the brake the whole way. I missed my exit off the highway, and so had to drive several miles before I could turn around. Going down the hill the speed limit suddenly drops from 55 to 40, and there's a cop waiting a quarter mile past the sign. I didn't slow down fast enough apparently I wasn't speeding before the 40 zone, I know that much). They just kinda camp out there catching a dozen or more lab commuters a day.

@Penguinwo: like I said, the drivers here are insane.

They're catching WAY more than 12 speeders a day. More like 12 an hour! While I was sitting getting the stupid ticket, I probably saw 5 other people get pulled over, and it was only about 15 minutes.

I got a ticket in the exact same place yesterday, for doing 52 in a 40. AND I WAS GOING SLOWER THAN EVERYONE ELSE. Total BS. They have some cop with a laser speed gun (I have a Radar detector, but the darn laser catches you before the detector even goes off!) and he just radios to one of his 10 buddies with a car description and speed, and they pull you over. They're going to be out there for like 3 more weeks too.

$190 because it was doubled in the B.S. "Safety Zone" too.

 

[Cyrus]

Damn, 190 bucks outch.

 

[chroot]

Hah, $190. Big friggin' deal. A *carpool lane violation* out here -- not even a moving violation -- has a minimum fine of $370.

- Warren

 

[Cyrus]

Yeah, carpool is 250 fine here. But that's carpool, I can understand. It says on the sign, 250 fine for HOV.

190 for speeding 52 in a 40 is excessive. I was going 70 in a 50 and only got 1 point and 80 bucks.

 

[franznietzsche]

They're catching WAY more than 12 speeders a day. More like 12 an hour! While I was sitting getting the stupid ticket, I probably saw 5 other people get pulled over, and it was only about 15 minutes.

I got a ticket in the exact same place yesterday, for doing 52 in a 40. AND I WAS GOING SLOWER THAN EVERYONE ELSE. Total BS. They have some cop with a laser speed gun (I have a Radar detector, but the darn laser catches you before the detector even goes off!) and he just radios to one of his 10 buddies with a car description and speed, and they pull you over. They're going to be out there for like 3 more weeks too.

$190 because it was doubled in the B.S. "Safety Zone" too.

I was mostly pissed just because I only was in the 40 cause I missed the White Rock exit. And yeah you're right about it being more than 12 a day actually, there were three other people pulled over in a line right behind where I got stopped.

Yeah the cop said 3 more weeks. $190? I believe he said mine was $110. Actually that is really cheap compared to speeding tickets back home. My first ticket (which I really deserved, I was driving way too fast) was $280. I'm really not concerned about the ticket as much as dealing with points on my license and insurance rates. Thats a much bigger problem. And I'm not from here, so I don't know what the options are (if there are any) and the officer was not exactly helpful, other than saying that I would have to 'work it out with a judge' which now means I have to head down to Santa Fe to figure this crap out. The joys of driving a red convertible.

 

[Pengwuino]

I got a speeding ticket last year for going 55 in a 40mph zone. The speeds changed from 55 to 40 out of nowhere for seemingly no reason (except maybe because the university is there) and i was pulled over. It was bull though because the speed limit sign is at this one point on the road and i pulled onto the road a 1/2 block north of the sign and went north. Cop stopped me before another sign showing the speed limit even appeared so i had no idea the speed limit went from normal to dumbass.

 

[larkspur]

The joys of driving a red convertible.

When I drove a red convertible I was pulled over for things I could normally get away with in a regular car. In fact, I had never been pulled over before I got the red convertible and have not been pulled over since selling it. I only got one ticket though...I think most of them just wanted to check out the car.

 

[Moonbear]

In New Mexico they have these things called safety corridors, where the speeding fines are just doubled. No construction or anything.

Is that what a "safety corridor" is? I saw signs in NJ that never used to be there just marking certain parts of the road as safety corridors. No explanation, no nothing. I was wondering what that meant, and started thinking they were having problems with crime or something. How would anyone know that meant double fines for speeding? Not that I see the point...you can't speed on NJ roads anyway. At least in construction zones, they post signs that say double fines for speeding, and the same on the toll roads where they allow 65 mph speed limits with double fines if you drive over, though, in reality, you drive whatever speed the person riding your bumper wants you to drive.

I still find the speed limits amusing around here. On the interstate, the speed limit is 70...not many cars are able to drive 70 mph up a mountain...coming down the other side, on the other hand...well, I guess I average 70 mph.

When the speed limit abruptly drops by more than 10 mph with no obvious change in the road conditions (it doesn't get curvier, or busier, or nearer a lot of businesses or residences or schools or parks), I do usually hit the brakes pretty hard...that always smells like a speed trap to me.

 

[wolram]

Hah, $190. Big friggin' deal. A *carpool lane violation* out here -- not even a moving violation -- has a minimum fine of $370.

- Warren

What is a carpool? over her it is when people share a car, fred may pick up tom and dick.

 

[Moonbear]

What is a carpool? over her it is when people share a car, fred may pick up tom and dick.

Same here. We have dedicated lanes on major highways that are only allowed to be used by those carpooling in order to encourage more people to do it. It's usually going much faster due to less cars in it, thus the incentive to pick up a few extra people to be able to avoid sitting in traffic. If you drive solo in that lane, you get a big fat ticket.

The "carpool" lanes are usually marked as "HOV" lanes, for High Occupancy Vehicle...people carpooling and buses.

 

[Evo]

And people have been caught using the carpool lanes with "blow up" dolls as passengers.

Does the law really stipulate that the other occupants being living, breathing, humans?

What if I wanted to carpool a bunch of fruitbats around?

 

[wolram]

And people have been caught using the carpool lanes with "blow up" dolls as passengers.

Does the law really stipulate that the other occupants being living, breathing, humans?

What if I wanted to carpool a bunch of fruitbats around?

I think the transport of many fruit bats would be classed as (dogo) similar to cargo , so me thinks you would get a big fine.

 

[hypatia]

I find if you avoid old men in big white cars wearing white hats, you'll be be just fine.


{sorry Dad}

 

[edward]

BINGO
http://lanl.gov/news/index.php?fuseaction=nb.story&story_id=7525&nb_date=2005-11-16

I also seem to remember an occasional truck load of Hazmat passing through that corridor.

 

[Danger]

I find if you avoid old men in big white cars wearing white hats, you'll be be just fine.


{sorry Dad}

You're the KFC heiress?! Who woulda thunk it?
Here, we have the decency that all downward changes are marked in advance with signs that say either '50km/hr' with an upward arrow, or 'reduced speed ahead'. We also have signs that indicate when there is a photographic presence such as Multinova or red-light cameras.
Larkspur, your convertible anecdote brings something to mind from my (early childhood ). I heard about this from a couple of friends, and thought that they were shining me on; then I heard it on the local radio news. This was in '69 or '70.) The speed limit on the 401 was 70 mph (before we went metric). If you were doing less than 80, no problem. A bit over that, and the OPP might give you a warning. So... this dude was cruising out of Windsor on his way to who-knows-where in an easterly direction. He was doing only about 75mph, but a cop glommed onto his ass. Everyone in the tri-county area knew that he just wanted to get a closer look at the car. If buddy had pulled over, he probably would have been asked to pose for a picture, but no,,, he's got to matt the sucker. This was a hemi Daytona Charger. So... the cop lost him at 150mph. They dispatched a Bell Jet Ranger chopper from Chatham to chase him... he lost it as well (they're cute, but not very fast). Chopper-based radar clocked him at 215mph, then he caught the off-ramp into London and was never heard from again. (He's my hero :!) .)

 

[Cyrus]

Hahahahahahahahahahahahhahahah

 

[Moonbear]

Here, we have the decency that all downward changes are marked in advance with signs that say either '50km/hr' with an upward arrow, or 'reduced speed ahead'.

We have the "reduced speed ahead" signs, when the speed limit is actually being reduced for a valid reason, as opposed to because a small town needs more money to support their police force, so want to write more tickets by catching people the instant they pass the sign with the change in speed limit.

 

[wolram]

This side of the pond a load of drivers got let off a fine ,becuse one guy found out that the cops were not calibrating the radar guns often enough,
so you guys should ask for proof that the equiptment that they nabed you with is accurate.

 

[edward]

A nation of habitual law breakers

It seems that most every moderate to large size city in the U.S. has a freeway or two, or three. They usually are numbered by the interstate numbering system (the locals needed the federal funds to build them) and so usually have a posted speed limit of 55 mph in the most congested areas.

I seldom see a vehicle traveling that slow. Somewhere between 65 to 75 mph seems to be the average here depending on what lane the driver is in. The fast lane is truly the fast lane. (California is just plain nuts). The police aren't even stopping people in any lane unless they are doing at least 10mph over the limit. Older people are the only ones who seem to drive the 55. Why don't they just raise the speed limits and then Gramps won't end up with an eighteen wheeler in his rear seat.

I can only assume that the drivers, myself included, are counting on the "safety in numbers" factor to avoid being ticketed. I usually let someone get in front of me in the fast lane and hopefully someone else falls in line behind me.

Then we drive like hell ,,until... THE BIG SLOW DOWN, when all of a sudden everyone in all lanes is braking like crazy. Sometimes there is an accident ahead, or a cop has someone pulled over, but usually there is nothing. I then drive along with my fellow freeway buddies in spurts alternating between acceleration and heavy braking. Other times traffic just creeps along at 25 mph for several miles and then speeds up again. I look to see what might have caused all of this chaos and for the most part I never see a blasted thing.

I have read that the big slowdowns are frequently caused by a, "platoon merge", ie a number of cars spaced too closely together come zipping up, or down, an on ramp and a lot of jockying for position and lane changing is the result. Most people can find their brake pedal before they realize that they could have steered out of the situation. Two traffic lanes can squeeze in three cars side by side if people are paying attention.:zzz:

It seems like this should not be an unsolvable problem. Should we all take driver's Ed again? One thing's for sure, it takes me an extra 15 minutes to get across town when this happens.

This has been Edwards Friday night rant. You may proceed with caution and turn right on red at the next intersection if that is your disire.

 

[Pengwuino]

A nation of habitual law breakers

You know... have you ever been told by someone that there's too many traffic laws and then they back that claim up by going "the average driver breaks the law 16 times per trip!" or somtehing in the teens? The more I drive... the more i start to think "wait a second, yah the average driver breaks the law 16 times per trip because everyone seems to be driving like a meteor is about to hit uptown". It's like... where else in life are laws broken in such a blatant manner? And then they complain when a cop stops them for doing 80 on a main street.

I also hate the "well that guy infront of me was driving faster!" bull crap excuse. I feel like telling those people "ok if you both robbed the same bank and the cop grabbed you while the other guy got away, would you demand to be released becuase they didn't catch both of you?"

I remember back in high school being a passenger in my friends car. I swear to god... i think she broke 16 laws every half mile. She hit ... HIT some guy 3 times on the same off-ramp. I seriously feared for my life when she was driving. And there she was iwth her stereo booming with crappy punk music while I am in the back literally praying that all you evolutary supporters are dead wrong. My arms literally shook when she would be going god knows how fast down a side street...

 

[edward]

You know... have you ever been told by someone that there's too many traffic laws and then they back that claim up by going "the average driver breaks the law 16 times per trip!" or somtehing in the teens? The more I drive... the more i start to think "wait a second, yah the average driver breaks the law 16 times per trip because everyone seems to be driving like a meteor is about to hit uptown". It's like... where else in life are laws broken in such a blatant manner? And then they complain when a cop stops them for doing 80 on a main street.

I also hate the "well that guy infront of me was driving faster!" bull crap excuse. I feel like telling those people "ok if you both robbed the same bank and the cop grabbed you while the other guy got away, would you demand to be released becuase they didn't catch both of you?"

I remember back in high school being a passenger in my friends car. I swear to god... i think she broke 16 laws every half mile. She hit ... HIT some guy 3 times on the same off-ramp. I seriously feared for my life when she was driving. And there she was iwth her stereo booming with crappy punk music while I am in the back literally praying that all you evolutary supporters are dead wrong. My arms literally shook when she would be going god knows how fast down a side street...

LOL. Lucky for you she didn't have a supersised coke in one and and a big Mac in the other. whoa maybe she did.

 

[Pengwuino]

LOL. Lucky for you she didn't have a supersised coke in one and and a big Mac in the other. whoa maybe she did.

Incredibly, this all happens with both her hands on the wheel...