Let me tell you my little "incident" that happened just a couple weeks ago... First off, let me say I'm not anti-authority or anti-police. I respect the job they do, & I'd never want to do what they do, or put up with some of the things they have to put up with. I have friends that are officers, & they are outstanding guys.
I was headed to Chattanooga for the weekend, when I encountered a little bog down on the interstate. A guy had decided that 50-60 mph was fast enough for the left lane. With all the semi trucks on the road at the time, it took awhile for me to take my turn to get around this special person. A black Escalade saw his chance in front of me, & I followed right behind. Right under the exit ramp sat a small town cop. He popped me passing the guy at
96... I drive an off-road slightly modded 4WD. I was doing 60. I couldn't believe I could get to 96 in the short amount of time it took to pass the special person.
I was polite...yes sir...no sir...I apologize sir... He goes back to his car & 15 min later returns with a ticket.
"Here's your ticket for Reckless Driving. Here's the court date." I'm stunned... I tell him I apologize again, what am I supposed to do? It's my word against his. I mean, I was speeding, but I may have gotten to 88 tops, but 96??? Not a chance... Even though I'm not a habitual speeder, & doesn't seem fair, speeding is speeding, regardless.
Here's the racket... Come to find out, the only ticket they can write on the interstate here is Reckless Driving, & that 96mph is the exact number it has to be. They're writing tickets for income knowing their exit is right after a steep mountain incline, so people are doing the same thing I did. If he would have clocked me another mile down the road, he would have gotten me doing maybe 74 tops in my gas guzzler. Plus, you HAVE to show up for the court date. If you just pay it & don't show up to dispute it (who would?) they get you for a FTA, then suspend your DL, then you have to go up there & give them more money. It's nothing more than a money generator for the rinky dink town.
I wasn't going to dispute it, but a buddy of mine is an ex-cop-now-lawyer. And not 2 days later, another guy told me the same thing happened to him in the same spot, & that he lost his DL over it, just like my lawyer buddy said would happen. He told me he thinks he can get me out of it, so my fingers are crossed.