City of Florence Speed Trap

Sometimes an officer is sitting in an area where people normally speeds just to slow people down. They have no intentions on writing a ticket at that time. I bet everyone slowed down when they saw him or her over there, even those who were not speeding.

quote:

Originally posted by _Joy_:
The reason we call an area a "speed trap" is because is tricks people into speeding. 55...45...55...if someone is unfamiliar with the area & not expecting the fluctuation in speed, they fall into the trap. Sounds like a good way to tick people off to me.

However, I'm not sure this is what CE is describing. Something was set up? I don't know what you are referring to. If you mean someone was hiding to catch you speeding, I'd have to pat the officer on the back for a job well done.

After reading all the responses, I hold to my first post. To me, a trap is an unnecessary and unusual fluctuation in speed. In any other circumstance I can think of, if you choose to break the speed limit, you also choose to get a ticket. It's that simple.

I got a ticket recently on my way to the airport. I was in a hurry & it was sprinkling rain. I rationalized that since it wasn't raining enough for me to have my wipers on that I need not slow down to the "if raining" limit. The officer disagreed. Yeah, it irked me, but I could have simply obeyed the "when raining" limit & avoided getting the ticket. My choice...my fault.

I think this is the most ridiculous conversation anyone could ever have. Police officers are paid to do their job just like everyone else. I am not a cop nor never will be one, BUT they do their job. Everyone knows if you speed, you will most likely get a ticket. DUH! Pay attention to the road and signs and you will not ever have to worry about this happening to you. I think we are all adults here and you should grow up and deal with the consequences.

quote:

Originally posted by _Joy_:

quote:

Originally posted by _Joy_:
The reason we call an area a "speed trap" is because is tricks people into speeding. 55...45...55...if someone is unfamiliar with the area & not expecting the fluctuation in speed, they fall into the trap. Sounds like a good way to tick people off to me.

However, I'm not sure this is what CE is describing. Something was set up? I don't know what you are referring to. If you mean someone was hiding to catch you speeding, I'd have to pat the officer on the back for a job well done.

After reading all the responses, I hold to my first post. To me, a trap is an unnecessary and unusual fluctuation in speed. In any other circumstance I can think of, if you choose to break the speed limit, you also choose to get a ticket. It's that simple.

I got a ticket recently on my way to the airport. I was in a hurry & it was sprinkling rain. I rationalized that since it wasn't raining enough for me to have my wipers on that I need not slow down to the "if raining" limit. The officer disagreed. Yeah, it irked me, but I could have simply obeyed the "when raining" limit & avoided getting the ticket. My choice...my fault.

Hey Joy Please tell this old woman what the "if raining" speed limit is? Guess I have been driving so long, that I am "ignorant" of that one, lol.

quote:

Originally posted by tune002:
I think this is the most ridiculous conversation anyone could ever have. Police officers are paid to do their job just like everyone else. I am not a cop nor never will be one, BUT they do their job. Everyone knows if you speed, you will most likely get a ticket. DUH! Pay attention to the road and signs and you will not ever have to worry about this happening to you. I think we are all adults here and you should grow up and deal with the consequences.

DUH!!! We ALREADY knew that!

KS, the area I'm talking about is between Florence & Athens. I think the limit posted is 55/45 if raining. It's a little goofy. It seems like it's raining every time I go to Huntsville, as if going through the construction areas isn't aggravating enough. I absolutely despise that drive...guess that shows a lack of patience on my part.

I agree with alot of you, and disagree with some too. Im a police officer in the shoals area and just wanted to briefly touch on some things. I'm now in my mid thirtys and have been a police officer for about 9 years now. Before that I was a reserve officer for amost 3 years. When I was growing up I received multiple tickets for various violations, everything from speeding, improper passing, failure to dim headlights, and a couple more speeding tickets, all before the age of 25. Yet I never complained a single time. I think its rather odd for an adult to blame a court system or a police officer for costing themselves money, when they knew what they were doing was wrong. Laws are made for a reason. Each time I got a ticket as before mentioned I treated the officer with complete respect and appoligized for my actions. I wasnt always happy with his or her attitude but understood they were doing there job. I still keep this in mind when making traffic stops and issuing tickets to this day. I understand people make mistakes. I also understand that mistakes cost lives. People sometimes ask me "Ohh so I guess you never did this when you were my age!". I usally responded with "Yes I did, and when I got caught, just as you have, I paid my ticket without complaint". Its a learning experence, that will hopefully be learned early in ones life.

quote:

Originally posted by _Joy_:
KS, the area I'm talking about is between Florence & Athens. I think the limit posted is 55/45 if raining. It's a little goofy. It seems like it's raining every time I go to Huntsville, as if going through the construction areas isn't aggravating enough. I absolutely despise that drive...guess that shows a lack of patience on my part.

Went through that area today. They've changed the sign. Now it says "60/45 if wet". I must have not been the only one rationalizing. LOL

Thank you, protect-n-serve, for your imput. I agree with you.

quote:

Originally posted by _Joy_:
KS, the area I'm talking about is between Florence & Athens. I think the limit posted is 55/45 if raining. It's a little goofy. It seems like it's raining every time I go to Huntsville, as if going through the construction areas isn't aggravating enough. I absolutely despise that drive...guess that shows a lack of patience on my part.

I can't understand why there is a difference in speed limits on that highway either. It is the only highway I've ever seen with separate speed limits for wet and dry conditions. 45mph for the 15 miles or so between Elk River and Athens is ridiculous.

ace1965,

A couple of years ago, there were about five fatality and near fatality accidents between Elk River and Athens on US Hwy 72 in about three months. All of them were because of one vehicle or another hyrdoplaning on a rain slick highway, and crossing into the oncoming lanes of traffic. The highway is not engineered to allow water to run off correctly, and without some type of median barrier, cars and trucks were slamming into each other head on at 70 plus. The Governor's office got in on it, and the State Highway Engineer's recommendation was to reduce speed in the area, specifically when the roadway was wet. The only other option was a major rebuilding of the highway, with lots of 35 mph zones for a LONG time.

quote:

Originally posted by alacharger:
ace1965,

A couple of years ago, there were about five fatality and near fatality accidents between Elk River and Athens on US Hwy 72 in about three months. All of them were because of one vehicle or another hyrdoplaning on a rain slick highway, and crossing into the oncoming lanes of traffic. The highway is not engineered to allow water to run off correctly, and without some type of median barrier, cars and trucks were slamming into each other head on at 70 plus. The Governor's office got in on it, and the State Highway Engineer's recommendation was to reduce speed in the area, specifically when the roadway was wet. The only other option was a major rebuilding of the highway, with lots of 35 mph zones for a LONG time.

Well I guess that explains it.

Simple solution to a simple problem: do NOT speed. Use your speedometer. It is what it is there for. Stop, do not Kalifornia stop, at stopsigns or traffic lights.

However, I do feel that 65-55-45-35-35 zones with 100 feet or less between zones is irresponsible and should be looked into. All signs should have brush and trees removed so all can see the posted signs. My wife got busted in rural South Carolina last year because the speed limit sign was obscured by tree limbs, with a cop nearby (local yocal small town type). She called the courthouse the day before the hearing to ask directions so she could appear in court. This suprised the other person on the line, and next thing you know, points dropped, and pay X amount of dollars for the fine (this proved that the town was only interested in money, probably funding for their library).

Use your cruise control. Also, pay attention to road conditions and weather. Do not tailgate, do not road rage (been to Miami before....almost had to use Dr. Samuel Colt on a road rager once there....no joke and not making this up).

A Florence PD cop who is a friend of mine told me this: on highways with say 65 mph speed limit for example, cops use the 10MPH limit rule. Thid due to radar technology not as precise as one would think. If you are 10MPH or over over the speed limit, you are busted. 9MPH to 1MPH over the posted limit, you are OK. Except for wet or other strange conditions. 1MPH or over in a school zone or slow area, say residential, you are busted.

A lot of good comments here, and I agree with most of them. Joy, it has been a long time since I went that direction, I dont like it, lol...

And there is one sign that I can show any police officer that says speedlimit 25, down from 35 down from 45.... the kicker, there is no warnining, none... and then all of a sudden you are there on top of the sigh, which IS hidden by a telephone pole, and it has the thingie installed that tells you the speed you are going... if you are doing 35, like you were directed a few hundred feet before, THEN you are speeding when you hit the 25 one... it is NOT visible until its too late, that is what I call a speed trap.

As I have said numerous time, I do not advocate any moving violations, Insurance is high enough as it is, but I do agree with fairness.

Thanks protect and serve for the job you do for our area, officers aren't being put down here, .. that signage would be a City/County/State issue, and only up to the officer to enforce it.

The biggest speed trap around is in the little place of North Courtland. They do not have rights to write speeding tickets on the hwy20/alt72, but they can give a "too fast for conditions". I went to court to settle the ticket by attending driving school in Town Creek. The Chief at Town Creek that was signing me up for the driving school looked at my ticket and pointed out to me that I was # 261. This meant that 260 people before me have been ticketed and the count began at January 1st and the current month was March. He even said this was ridiculus. BTW, I was doing 70mph in a 65mph zone. I was written up for 70mph and demanded to see the radar gun which I was quickly reprimanded and told to stay in my car or go to jail. I drive this everyday to work from Muscle Shoals to Huntsville. The court room that night I went for my ticket was packed and the line went out the front door. I vividly remember the court clerk that was accepting money and bagging it said to the judge, "We're gonna need to go make a deposit before the end of court tonight". The money bag would not even close it was so stuffed. BTW the conditions were clear, 10:15pm on Sunday night and no traffic.

Kindred you are so right, we do need to vote em all out, but, really, now..would anything change? the FPD have always been the way they are now. I personally have paid court costs twice when I never saw the inside of a courtroom. It really galled me, but I would have lost my job if I laid up in court trying to defend myself. Once I was really speeding so I didn't get too hacked about that one, but the second time I was absolutely doing nothing wrong and I think I got the ticket because I argued with the cop....I had to pay up but let me tell you I was one unhappy criminal....I also, and this is kinda funny, got a ticket for changing parking places in the wal mart parking lot and neglecting to rebuckle my seatbelt before I changed parking spaces (it was once row over...) the Nazi got me!! Busted, I should have been murdering someone and I would have walked.........thanks to all of you who post, I love to read these things, ya'll make my day....

quote:

and this is kinda funny, got a ticket for changing parking places in the wal mart parking lot and neglecting to rebuckle my seatbelt before I changed parking spaces (it was once row over...) the Nazi got me!!

Hate to break it to you southernwaters, but walmart is private property. Seatbelts are not required nor can they be written on private property. Shouda questioned that one.

quote:

Originally posted by protect-n-serve:

quote:

and this is kinda funny, got a ticket for changing parking places in the wal mart parking lot and neglecting to rebuckle my seatbelt before I changed parking spaces (it was once row over...) the Nazi got me!!

Hate to break it to you southernwaters, but walmart is private property. Seatbelts are not required nor can they be written on private property. Shouda questioned that one.

I respectfully disagree with ya, protect-n-serve. The seat belt code is one of very few that does not require street/road/highway use. It specifically says "when the vehicle is in motion". With very few exceptions, all other traffic codes do specify being on a street/road/highway, but this one (like DUI and reckless driving) does not.

Section 32-5B-4
Requirement of front seat occupants of passenger cars to wear safety belts; exemptions of certain persons.
(a) Each front seat occupant of a passenger car manufactured with safety belts in compliance with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 208 shall have a safety belt properly fastened about his body at all times when the vehicle is in motion.

I didn't know about the private property thing. Thanks for telling me, although I have to admit I buckle up now even if I am driving two feet. Lesson learned...and no court costs involved....thanks, and hey, regardless of what you read here, we know you are not all bad...we just pick out the bad things and tell them. Recently, in fact, a woman took the whole front end off my car when she ran a light and I was treated so nicely by the officer that I was really impressed.

quote:

Originally posted by protect-n-serve:
[QUOTE]quote:
Originally posted by protect-n-serve:

quote:
and this is kinda funny, got a ticket for changing parking places in the wal mart parking lot and neglecting to rebuckle my seatbelt before I changed parking spaces (it was once row over...) the Nazi got me!!



Hate to break it to you southernwaters, but walmart is private property. Seatbelts are not required nor can they be written on private property. Shouda questioned that one.



I respectfully disagree with ya, protect-n-serve. The seat belt code is one of very few that does not require street/road/highway use. It specifically says "when the vehicle is in motion". With very few exceptions, all other traffic codes do specify being on a street/road/highway, but this one (like DUI and reckless driving) does not.

quote:

quote:
Originally posted by protect-n-serve:

quote:
and this is kinda funny, got a ticket for changing parking places in the wal mart parking lot and neglecting to rebuckle my seatbelt before I changed parking spaces (it was once row over...) the Nazi got me!!



Hate to break it to you southernwaters, but walmart is private property. Seatbelts are not required nor can they be written on private property. Shouda questioned that one.



I respectfully disagree with ya, protect-n-serve. The seat belt code is one of very few that does not require street/road/highway use. It specifically says "when the vehicle is in motion". With very few exceptions, all other traffic codes do specify being on a street/road/highway, but this one (like DUI and reckless driving) does not.

hey alacharger.. Below is one of few titles that lay out the rules or specify where title 32 (rules of the road) applies. Notice the part about "The provisions of this chapter relating to the operation of vehicles refer exclusively to the operation of vehicles upon highways...". I understand what your saying but due to this rule, all of title 32 with the noted exceptions apply to the operations of vehicles upon highways, unless specified within the title itself. If a title doesnt specify within itself or is not alreay mentioned within this title, then it only applies to highways or roadways. This rule has already laid the ground work (which is on highways or public roadways) for all of Title 32 that follows.
Kinda like saying "everything that is in title 32 applies on roadways unless it is already listed here as an exception". But they also threw in the fact that any given title itself could specify if it applied on private property. This was added to prevent them from having to re-write Section 32-5A-2 everytime a new law was added that applied to private property.



Section 32-5A-2
Provisions of chapter refer to vehicles upon highways; exceptions.

The provisions of this chapter relating to the operation of vehicles refer exclusively to the operation of vehicles upon highways except:

(1) Where a different place is specifically referred to in a given section.

(2) The provisions of Sections 32-7-37, 32-7-5, 32-7-12, 32-10-1 through 32-10-12, as they now exist or may hereafter be amended, and any other statutes of this state relating to accidents and accident reports, and also Sections 32-5A-190 through 32-5A-195 shall apply upon highways and elsewhere throughout the state.
(Acts 1980, No. 80-434, p. 604, §1-101.)

quote:

Originally posted by protect-n-serve:

quote:

Originally posted by protect-n-serve:
[QUOTE]quote:
Originally posted by protect-n-serve:

quote:
and this is kinda funny, got a ticket for changing parking places in the wal mart parking lot and neglecting to rebuckle my seatbelt before I changed parking spaces (it was once row over...) the Nazi got me!!



Hate to break it to you southernwaters, but walmart is private property. Seatbelts are not required nor can they be written on private property. Shouda questioned that one.



I respectfully disagree with ya, protect-n-serve. The seat belt code is one of very few that does not require street/road/highway use. It specifically says "when the vehicle is in motion". With very few exceptions, all other traffic codes do specify being on a street/road/highway, but this one (like DUI and reckless driving) does not.

quote:

quote:
Originally posted by protect-n-serve:

quote:
and this is kinda funny, got a ticket for changing parking places in the wal mart parking lot and neglecting to rebuckle my seatbelt before I changed parking spaces (it was once row over...) the Nazi got me!!



Hate to break it to you southernwaters, but walmart is private property. Seatbelts are not required nor can they be written on private property. Shouda questioned that one.



I respectfully disagree with ya, protect-n-serve. The seat belt code is one of very few that does not require street/road/highway use. It specifically says "when the vehicle is in motion". With very few exceptions, all other traffic codes do specify being on a street/road/highway, but this one (like DUI and reckless driving) does not.

hey alacharger.. Below is one of few titles that lay out the rules or specify where title 32 (rules of the road) applies. Notice the part about "The provisions of this chapter relating to the operation of vehicles refer exclusively to the operation of vehicles upon highways...". I understand what your saying but due to this rule, all of title 32 with the noted exceptions apply to the operations of vehicles upon highways, unless specified within the title itself. If a title doesnt specify within itself or is not alreay mentioned within this title, then it only applies to highways or roadways. This rule has already laid the ground work (which is on highways or public roadways) for all of Title 32 that follows.
Kinda like saying "everything that is in title 32 applies on roadways unless it is already listed here as an exception". But they also threw in the fact that any given title itself could specify if it applied on private property. This was added to prevent them from having to re-write Section 32-5A-2 everytime a new law was added that applied to private property.



Section 32-5A-2
Provisions of chapter refer to vehicles upon highways; exceptions.

The provisions of this chapter relating to the operation of vehicles refer exclusively to the operation of vehicles upon highways except:

(1) Where a different place is specifically referred to in a given section.

(2) The provisions of Sections 32-7-37, 32-7-5, 32-7-12, 32-10-1 through 32-10-12, as they now exist or may hereafter be amended, and any other statutes of this state relating to accidents and accident reports, and also Sections 32-5A-190 through 32-5A-195 shall apply upon highways and elsewhere throughout the state.
(Acts 1980, No. 80-434, p. 604, §1-101.)

Seat belt law (T32-5B-4) is in a different chapter, specifically one titled "Alabama Safety Belt Act of 1991". T32-5A does refer to "Rules of the Road", and is titled that way.

Title 32, Chapter 5A, Section 2

Title 32, Chapter 5B, Section 4

Two different chapters in the same title...the requirements of T32-5A-2 don't apply to T32-5B-4.

a sure sign of a speed trap

Here's my idea of a speed "trap"

Yeah, I went through there on my bike the other day...I outran that copter though...



.

If ya haddn't been warned, he'd a got ya for sure!!!

quote:

Originally posted by Big Bubba:
Got me one of them big fat tickets a few months ago.

Florence has a new speed trap -- it is on Chisholm road between the red light at Rickwood and the Red light at Pine STreet...they sit -- up to 6 motorcycle cops the other day -- in the little neighborhood next to Georgetown apartments -- the speed limit goes from is like 40 through there, but on either side I think (I may be wrong) the temp is 50 on one side -- so be on your toes...

Why do we have 6 officers in one spot may I ask if it is not a speed trap? There is plenty of other crimes and wht not going on without this...guess the FPD got a new quota mandate from the powers that be...

I have been driving for almost 46 years and can only remember getting about 7 or 8 speeding tickets. Some of them I deserved, and paid without comment. (just the cost of being stupid)
A couple, tho, I still resent, and will tell of them-
1 speed limit dropped from 65 to 45 at the sign. 2AM, I'm the only car on the road (except the cop who was about 100' passed the sign. Caught me for doing 50 (I had just let my foot off the gas and not slammed on the break). Next morning on the news, at a 7-11 1/2 mile away, at the same time I was getting the ticket, a man was robbed and killed.
2. on a road I travelled every day, speed limit was 45 for years. One day they changed it to 35, and about 300' passed the new sign I got a ticket for doing 46. They made a killing that day, and a couple of weeks later, they put the limit back up to 45.
Don't know about legal, but to me this sort of thing is just wrong.

I just hate idiot drvers.