Question for TOXXIC about speeding...

[Animal Mother]

In all seriousness, if you were to pull a dude over for going....oh....say 175 (if you caught him of course), what would you HONESTLY do to them? Can you take their bike away for driving at such high speeds? What on earth would the fine be for something like that? Just currious...Thanks for your help.

P.S. Anyone here been pulled over for excessively high speeds (like 130 and above?)-If you dont mind me asking of course :roll: :oops:

[TOXXIC]

I am a city cop, so it's doubtful, if not impossible for a bike to hit 175 in my jurisdiction.

However, a WSP Trooper would definitely arrest the operator for Reckless Driving and impound the motorcycle. So, beware of WSP, Triple A, (AAA) with a badge.

Reckless Driving in Washington is a mandatory appearence before a judge, with the possibility of a large fine, $1000.00 and time in jail.

To answer your question, if I pulled a squid over for 175 on a city street, I'd most likely be forced to take some enforcement action, or he/she would most likely be dead very soon.

I have NEVER written a sportbike rider, though I have pulled squids over for wheelies. (Guy told me, "having problems with my clutch officer.")

I have written a couple tickets for no motorcycle endorsement, no helmet, and exired tabs on a moped.

[Animal Mother]

Thank you very much for your detailed response TOXXIC! Very informative. Again, excuse my ignorance to certain things relating to riding, but what is a "squid"? I mean, thats what i was called when i first joined the Navy. It referenced the "new" guy. Is a "squid" like a new rider?

Thats good, problems with the clutch

[vetteman]

i dont think i would try the "clutch problem" with a serious cop. someone cool like tim, no problem. :razz:

squid is kinda hard to define. different people have different thoughts. but basically someone who wears sandals (sorry nik), ball cap turned backward, shorts, tank top. and they do crazy stuff like wheelies, stoppies, etc. i think there is a little squid in all of us :wink: .

edited to correct a spelling error. :???:

[TOXXIC]

Took this from Carlos' web site:

Squid: Any person who rides his motorcycle more aggressively than you. Usually riding the crotch rocket too fast, switching erratically from lane to lane just to get there 5 seconds before you, wearing shorts, sandals, sunglasses and tank top, with his girlfriend with bare feet and a bikini top hanging on wishing she'd taken her mother's advice. Often changes species to poser, depending on mood. Click here for an example of a squid, and the story of his death.

Squidly: An act befitting a squid, but not necessarily meaning the perpetrator is a squid. We've all done a squidly act or two on our bikes, particularly in the presence of a female pillion or spectator, but if you make it a way of life you are promoted to full squid status

Having been in the Army, I know what a Naval Military Squid is: Intense desire to get drunk and stupid the first port you tie your BGB, (Big Grey Boat) up next to!!

Tim

[RodeRash]

I took my Hot Air Balloon pilot flight exam from a FAA examiner that used to work for the North Dakota Hiway patrol. He used to patrol in an airplane, and track speeders from above.

During our flight, I asked him if he had any good traffic stories to tell. He told me that they used to track speeds by measuring the time it took to go from one paint marker on the road to another. (A distance of one mile). He was tracking a guy in aCorvette that was in the middle of a top speed run, when suddenly, the Corvette blew a motor. Even with the engine destroyed, the guy still coasted through the second marker quickly enough to give him an average speed of over 100 mph.

I'll bet it really sucks to trash the motor of your car, and while you are sitting beside the road trying to figure out what to do next, have the hiway patrol pull up and write you a ticket for speeding.

[N1K]

but basically someone who wears sandals (sorry nik),

Oh don't be... If the shoe (er sandal) fits?!

signed

rsb

(resident squid boy)

[DirtTorpedo]

it's doubtful, if not impossible for a bike to hit 175 in my jurisdiction.

Sounds like a challenge to me! Any takers?

[Alanb]

Tempting...... I think I could get to at least 150 in some spots.... but I doubt I'll try. Now is no time to get myself in trouble with the law, right Tim?

Alan

[SwampNut]

I got stopped for a verified 101 in a 45 zone (middle of nowhere, middle of the night, six lanes wide) though he first clocked me at 157 hard on the brakes. He said he "knew that had to be wrong" so tried again and got 101. He wrote me for "not reasonable and prudent, 65+". Very cool. I totally did everything by the book as far as pulling over and keeping my hands visible, etc. and was completely straight with him. "Well, no I don't know how fast I was going, at that crazy speed I was watching the road." He liked that.

I also got a criminal speed once and they did not arrest us. It was pretty bodus though, he claimed to have visually estimated our speed from 1/2-3/4 mile behind us in the middle of the night. He also claimed he could "hear us" going fast. Dismissed.

My brother got a "120+" in the middle of the night on an LA freeway. They didn't arrest him or impound, but he ended up with over $1k in fines.

In most jurisdictions you can get reckless or "criminal speed" for seemingly small infractions. It is possible to get criminal speed for 85+ in AZ on tertiary highways. Which describes nearly every road in the state.

Once the charge is criminal, whether speed or reckless, then in most jurisdictions an arrest and impound is up to officer discretion.

The good thing about a criminal charge is that the court rules are better for you. In a civil infraction case, it's a preponderance of the evidence. The cop has to be 51% believable, and they always are in the eyes of the court. Court rules are lax. For criminal charges, the rules of evidence are strict and the charge must be proven "beyond a reasonable doubt" rather than simply a preponderance.