How soon after purchase of M5 did you get speeding ticket ??

gramsay said:

Well, Im in my 3rd week of ownership of my first M5.

How soon after your purchase of the M5 did you get your first speeding ticket ??

So far no tickets and no plans to get any.

Peace,
GR

Click to expand...

Oh well, guess I spoke to soon and jinxed myself.

In my fourth week just got 1st ticket in M5.

Pretty cheesy one too.

Havent had a ticket in about 10 years.

Midday I was cruising south on the Florida turnpike on Saturday leaving West Palm Beach on the way to South Miami. Traffic was light and I was just cruising. I was overtaking cars and driving in the far right lane and didnt think I was speeding. As I approached Boca Raton exit I slowed down to 70mph knowing that troopers love to hang out and bust people there. I was still in the far right lane and a car past me in the far left. Then he hit the brakes, then I saw a trooper in the median. I slowed down to 60 and maintained speed. The trooper did not budge. Then soon after I saw 4 more trooper cars on the right side with at least 2 cars pulled over. I said "whew" Im glad I was going under speed limit (65mph). I passed the 5 troopers and maintained low 60s speed in the far right lane, thinking I was in the clear :cool2: .....................

Well I guess not .......................

Then all of a sudden I see flashing blue lights behind me. Im like what the ???.
So I pull over, sit, wait.

Trooper approaches on the right side and says ....

"Buddy, know how fast you were going ??"

I reply "60mph".

He smirks, then pauses, then says "wrong", "you were doing 88mph".

We had a "bird in the sky, clocking you at 88mph".

I thought to myself .... "bird ????" , then paused and realized he meant .. PLANE.

I thought "****", I must have been doing 88mph earlier when I was passing cars, but that was minutes before I approached Boca.

I had no more reply for the trooper and just sat and waited after giving him my license, registration and insurance. Luckily all the documents were in order and legit, however I did have California plates (still valid until 5/2006) on the M5 from my old car. I thought thats why he pulled me over (the plates) as speeding never crossed my mind.

So the ticket is $205 and he says if I go to traffic school its 18% discount off speeding fine and no points and no ill-effects for insurance.

I guess I have no choice and will have to get a good book/magazines while I attend traffic school.

In the past (as a youngster) I was able to beat speeding tickets by stating that the officers radar gun was out of calibration and therefore the stated speed was wrong. Won three cases, that way, since officer must appear with radar calibration book/records, which most dont.

Well in this case .... PLANE radar .... out of my league.

Im sunk !

Peace,
GR

wilsodh said:

Ouch. Last time I got a ticket, the cop told me if I simply paid the fine, the points wouldn't appear on my record, etc... Boy was I stupid. Two months later I got a suspension notice (I had one or two other really stupid tix in the previous six months... ) grrrrrrr

Also, all of my speeding tickets have been with the radar detector ON, so don't be lulled into thinking you are safe with the Valentine!

Cheers,

Click to expand...

Oh boy, that cop did you wrong. I would have complained and have him feel repercussions. Insurance and driving privileges is no joke.

Like I said its been 10 years so this is kinda new.

Im still like ... wow ..... caught by a plane ??? :nono:

I did not hear/see no planes, but then again the radio was on and the sunroof was closed.

I have no clue how accurate plane radars are and how they work.
Got some research to do.

Peace,
GR

Thanks for feedback, davem3smg,PhilSeastrand

So no radar, huh .....

Hmmm, seems to me there is a greater potential for inaccuracy than radar since measurement is done visually(human) and plane instrumentation, etc.

If I have time I will try to build a counter-case.

Will also look out for white stripes on turnpike, next time.

I guess Florida troopers were out to make a killing over the holiday weekend since they had 5 trooper cars and a plane for just a 10-15 mile stretch on the turnpike.

Guess it worked, they got me and I wasnt even pushing the M5. Otherwise they may have nabbed me at 100+ mph.

Peace,
GR

Rule number 1 in my book: Never admit guilt and pay your fine right away!

Plead non-guilty, ask for a court date and go for a plea bargain. Worked like a charm every time I've tried it. You always have a freebie should the cop not show up on that day (and automatic dismissal of the ticket), or, you can talk him into a much decreased penalty. Unless the cop is a smart ***, he doesn't care too much beyond getting a monetary collection, so moving violations frequently get bumped down to parking fines of equal value (e.g. Handicap Parking Violation). All parties stay happy.

To illustrate, a friend had a 'Racing on a highway' ticket (calling for 6 month license suspension and max number of points) waived down to "Failure to carry Vehicle Registration" after a plea bargain right before the court hearing. Especially if you have a clean driving record, you can always play dumb and absent minded and work their softer side. Of course, always remain respectful and show regret for your 'sin' (which in my mind is driving a car with a third of its potential) hiha