Mea Culpa

[pictor]

70 in a 50 zone.

I am forced to admit that the excuse that 70 is still the pretty much de facto standard speed along Walkley road is not really a defense. I have gotten in a particularly bad habit of exceeding speed limits by 15 to 20 kph. In my very rickety defense, a lot of other people do as well. I truely do not feel unsafe when I do so, largely because I always make sure to leave a large lead space between me and the guy ahead of me. Ask Helen, I'm a champ for leaving that room and it scales with my speed. So I still feel completely safe doing so. Of course the fact I can maintain that space means the guy ahead of me is doing the same speed. None the less, the limit was 50. When Mr. policeman gives me a ticket for doing 65, since the reduced fine means I lose no points from my liscense, I understand he is doing me a favour, I won't bitch about it. The dice were rolled, and they landed on me. My fault for sitting at the gaming table.

Do be warned ladies and gents, my ticket came from a speed trap pure and simple, and I think I saw another radar gun along Riverside. It may be a sting in general to fight speeding. I am going to try and get in the habit of limiting my speed excess to only 10 kph (yes that's still speeding, I can guarantee you though, that at 60 along Walkley, they will be passing me constantly). 120 is still my queensway speed though, and again, I am passed constatntly at that speed.

Comments

[matilda-z.livejournal.com]

Ach! Too bad. No one does less than 80kmh on Riverside North in the morning rush hour...even though it is 60km/h, also.

I'm a much happier commuter now since I've been driving thrugh the countryside to get to work and home again each day. It adds about 10 minutes to my journey, but there's very little traffic, occasional deer grazing in a field, and gorgeous landscape. I refuse to go any faster than about 90-93 km/h and I get passed a bit, but there's never any problem because there are tons of places to pass. I hate it when people tailgate me... my reaction is to immediately reduce my speed about 5-10 km/h to force them past. I hate those loosers, they disturb my easy peasy Zen morning commute.

Sorry about your ticket. I find 50 zones very stressful because the traffic behind you starts to tailgate badly at speeds under 60... too bad. It's always nice to have someone in front and someone behind when your speeding to act as police decoys...

[mikepictor.livejournal.com]

Naturally. It's true, everyone does it. At that, I think I do it more safely than 90% of the people on the road as I leave more headroom than *anyone* around me, I *don't* tailgate.

It was bad luck really, though I was still undeniably speeding.

Yeah but

[beable]

as you say it was the "keeping up with the speed of traffic" speeding.

I think it must have been a week sting or something. There were also speed traps on Monday on Maitlan near Carling. I didn't get stung largely because I was slowing down for a red light anyways so I was already below the limit, but they had numerous police cars to chase would be speeders.

I think it's a waste. People who tailgait or people who weave are much more of a traffic menace then the "keeping up with the flow of traffic" speeders or even the "I am 30 over the limit because the road is completely empty" speeders.

Re: Yeah but

[dagibbs.livejournal.com]

Speeding is easier to prove in court -- clear numerical evidence of a violation, no issue of "judgement" of whether you were following "too close" or weaving "too much".