Heh...unless you're in Vancouver. All the cops are going hardcore on street racing.

 

i do race at a strip locally, but this was just a quick little red light rumble. (just to clear anything up about "street racing".)

i never got above 45 mph (the speed limit on the road) because i never even got into third gear before i saw the cops and laid off. i was arrested with no explanation, other than "you were racing" after telling them they did not clock me for speeding, and if so, i wanted to see it. no explanation. i was completely truthful with the officer, told him i took off fast, might have laid drag, but i was not "racing". i also let him know that i did have a few beers much earlier that night. he immediately ran to the car, got a breathalyzer test and shoved it into my mouth with no reasoning, not telling me i had a right to deny it. (i passed it fine).

i was then handcuffed and taken to jail. told the fine was $1050. i am getting a lawyer.

ben

 

Dude,

If they didn't clock you, and you never went over the speed-limit, then they really can't do anything about it... It's your word against there's. Tell them you weren't even paying attention to the car next to you... tell them those beers had finally gotten to you and you romped on it because you had to take a ****. Say that you knew you couldn't exceed the speed limit, so the only way you could get to your toilet faster was to accelerate quicker.

Do you have a copy of ticket? That seems like a pretty steep fine. If you don't have it, get a copy of it... now exactly what you are being charged on.

Crap, if they can't pin you for more than "quickly accellerating to 45 MPH" then you'll get all your other fines waived based on the fact that you spent a night in jail when you shouldn't have.

If they are going to pin you for actually racing, a good lawyer will be able to play the fact that you gave up immediately, and were completely cooperative with the police. He will have no problem working the fine down because it is completely excessive.

Good luck... and never do it again.

One question I have though... your story leads me to believe you were racing someone and never even got to 45 MPH before the cop pulled you over. That leads me to believe that a) your lying or b) you were racing in the immediate vicinity of a police officer. As you have no reason to lie to us, I have to ask... did you look around the intersection for some law enforcement before you went WOT off the light.

 

Don't know about Ga....but in texas you don't have to exceed the speed limit to be charged with racing.....in fact they can even get you if there isn't anyone next to you at all....all they have to do is witness you "burning rubber" and taking off....its officially called "exhibition of acceleration".....in other words RACING....its their word against yours....and it sounds like to me from your last post...that you ADMITTED to the cops that is exactly what you were doing.....

don't hesitate.....get the lawyer.....one that specilizes in Traffic Law......

at least if you come out on the nasty end of the stick....it won't be because you didn't give it your best shot.


mopho, if you will read the discription below this forums listing...you will find that it reads "Protege Club does not endorse Street Racing"...... :{D

 

this is true. but i would take an exhibition of speed ticket. that's fine. or a laying drag fine. but what i was charged with was "racing". i am fighting it though. we'll see. my lawyer is out of town for a week, so i will see.

ben

 

Same thing here in NC I believe, on the day my husband graduated (before I ever met him), he was driving a friend's SS Camaro and leaving the highschool spun his tires a little bit... Officer Eudy more than likely was the cop that pulled him and gave him a warning, luckily no ticket. That's all it takes to get a ticket around here though! They really don't play.

 

I'm not taking anyone's side here.. but I agree with what Mopho is saying. Street racing IS dangerous. I guess people don't realize how bad it is until something wrong happens. I agree that racing should be done in closed areas!! I also lost someone close to me as a result of careless driving.

But as for you Ben, I'm just glad you didn't hit or killed anyone and I do hope that next time you'll want to race, that you'll think twice!! You're lucky you only got a fine a one night of jail.. could have been much longuer (for killing someone).

TAKE IT EASY OUT THERE AND DRIVE SAFE!!!!! (gosh I'm sounding like my mom!!)

 

If the fucken cops to like it so much they should use all those exessive fines to build a track near by. Don't take this as a personall attack makavelli but some of us do not have the privillage of having a strip in our home town so we make our own, keeeping in mind the safety of innocent people.

 

Guys i agree that racing is dangerous, but the fact is that is is dangerous at the track too, i mean racing and daily driving is dangerous also. the only reason i get worked up soo much on things like this is because some people pass judgement on street racers, i don't like **** talking so i wont do it. But morpho should not be talking **** like that he dosent know the circumstances that ben was in so just zip the **** and we will all get along just fine.

 

preciate the backup man.

ben

 

long, but well said. i guess some of us are really lucky to have a track to run locally. 12 bucks and you can race til close here.

and for those who keep talking about speeding...if you read the post, i was not speeding.

ben

 

In Canada they call it "stunting" Which can be spining tires, chirping tires, doing ANYTHING that can distract another driver. And here the odds of getting off are slim. A ticket for "racing" is another story, they burn your butt hard here, and you dont have to be speeding, just racing.

Don

 

Anytime man, just sticking up for a brotha.

 

Wil, there is only few problems with just going out and building a strip to get the street racers OFF the street and on to a track.....for starters, how many parents do you think KNOW their sons/daughters are out there street racing and condone it....I bet the number is VERY VERY small. That track WILL belong to someone....or at a minimum the City/State/County....there is a little matter of liability.....NOW, if you have the land....private land, build a track, MAN the track (someone is certainly going to have to get paid to do upkeep and run it) collect money....presto chango you got a business....there is still liablility issues....yes you CAN have everyone that sets foot on the property read and sign releases for all damages/injuries.....but you can bet your last dollar that some kid will be there WITHOUT their parents permission...will get into the wall and total their PARENTS car or worse get hurt....and you will find yourself in court. THOSE are the things that Cities/Counties/States are not willing to do.....its EASIER to use NEGITIVE reinforcement by just fining the crap out of those that they can catch. Does it solve the problem? nope....not even close.....but when has government EVER come up with a good answer for this kind of problem.......NEVER that I can remember. Its just their way.

 

I’d get yourself a lawyer for starters, many lawyers will try to cut deals with the arresting officer before you see the district judge. I had my lawyer get my speed dropped from 86mph to 65mph. Doesn’t seem like much but in PA anyone going over the given speed limit by 31mph can loose their license. And on the other side of the story the year before that I had a Zx-7 before they redesigned them, State police clocked me on radar @ 136mph, lost my license on that one, 5 points & had to take a logic test to keep my license. The officer wouldn’t drop the speed @ all. After looking back since its been 10 years, its rather stupid to do that crap on a public highway!