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I have to say this -- Consumerist, you have made me so happy. Will you marry me? I think I really do love you.
I have to say this -- Consumerist, you have made me so happy. Will you marry me? I think I really do love you.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-8695-100x100.png\")
This is a joke, I worked for the highway patrol and they don't have \"traps\" except for on the interstate where there are white lines that cross and they use aircraft (about once a week for two hours) to get your speed. Otherwise all the piggies just hide anywhere. Not like certain bushes are better than others.
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medalian: wouldn't you say that some towns are more aggressive about giving tickets than others though? perhaps this is how the site can help.
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Yeah, the term \"speed trap\" is kinda debatable. But it's clear that there are certain roads/areas where cops can easily get you for a violation if you're not paying attention.
Around my area, the cops wait for you at the bottom of the hill and catch you for speeding; even if you're only 5 MPH over the speed limit.
Well, here in Hernando County, FL there are definitely spots where the cops hide more often than others, usually because the location allows them to catch speeders as they come around a bend or over a hill. They also use a technique of parking an empty cruiser in the median to make people slow down, but you can always spot those fake traps by virtue of the fact that they're in the most visible location possible vs. a \"sneaky\" location where you're not going to see the cruiser until they've clocked you. Oh, and the local cops use LIDAR (laser \"radar\"), too, so a radar detector is next to useless.
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If you have a car pc/gps you can get the speed traps elsewhere in a csv file so it alerts you when you are near. This is particularly effective against the camera traps that cant move.
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BTW: That picture is of a piece of art on South First Street in Austin, TX.
I pass it every day on my way to work and back.
And every day it makes me hit my breaks.
I hate that thing.
oh yes, there are spots........
medalian1 says:
This is a joke, I worked for the highway patrol and they don't have \"traps\" except for on the interstate where there are white lines that cross and they use aircraft (about once a week for two hours) to get your speed. Otherwise all the piggies just hide anywhere. Not like certain bushes are better than others.
Did you actually look at the site before you poo-poo'ed it? I checked the listings for my area and it had user-submitted locations of where actual motorists have spotted police hiding on a regular basis .
I don't care if you call this a \"speed trap\" or a \"place where cops hang out on a regular basis.\" That site provides a way for me to keep track of the police so that I can make an informed decision, take the appropriate precautions and modify my driving habits accordingly.
How is that bad a thing?
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As Pestie mentioned, the state police here like to use empty squad cars as some kind of speeding deterrent as well. One day while driving home I noticed someone had attached an empty Dunkin Donuts box to the top of the empty squad car...made my whole day. Incidentally, I haven't seen the empty squad cars since then.
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*Technically* a speed trap is what Medalian describes (although it doesn't necessarily have to be clocked by an aircraft) but in common parlance everyone refers to a cop hiding behind a thicket of shrubs as a \"speed trap.\"
And yes - there are spots that are frequently used. There is one spot on my way home from work that has a car there 2-3 times
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The Kenner police left an empty police cruiser on the median outside of the New Orleans airport for so long that it had grass and weeds growing around it from where the mower couldn't cut when they mowed the median. It was hilarous.
Wow, what a resource. Is this the same organization that was offering speeding ticket insurance?
It's a great idea really. Considering the thousands of speeders on any given highway, and a policeman can only pull one over at random at any given time, it would be a big money maker, and quite convenient for the members.