Racers in Illinois

[buzzinhalfdozen]

Chris, I agree laws are required however those same people texting, speeding ect. never posessed common sense apparently it's no longer required. Having towed nearly 75,000 miles I've seen quite a few things that made me say "huh?" I believe it' was the great American...Ron White that said it...."you can't fix stupid". That being said I DO NOT speed in construction zones which here in Ohio is any paved road. Using common sense and being careful are not widely used skills anymore. I guess the tactic they're using bothers me more than the law their trying to enforce.... at least for now here in Buckeye country Barney still has to work for it.Joe For the record the worst offenders I see are the "Professional truck drivers" they'll damn near push you thru construction.

[novassdude]

I don't like the way they are doing it but I like the cell phone part. Any one who remebers Jon Christianson (SS/I racer from Mitchel South Dakota) knows what happens when idiots come into construction zones screwing with a cell phone. Any fine was not worth what happend there.

[Chris1529]

I totally agree with not speeding through construction zones, or getting distracted by cell phones etc. But I do not think it should become the American way for local or county or state police to pull you over and issue tickets because they think your license plate lights aren't bright enough. Althought it would probably get me in more trouble, I would respectfully tell them they need to take that up with the USDOT (or whatever agency) that determines which size light bulbs go into a license plate frame, or parking lights, or tail lights, etc.

[Dan Bennett]

I really hate the concept of photo revenue enhancement, but after logging a bunch of miles on the interstates I support anything that will keep a guy just trying to make a living from being flattened by someone doing something stupid.

However, Illinois is the WORST state for this to be used in. Their construction zones are a joke. If a project involves repairing seams along a ten mile stretch, every state I've seen sets up a zone for a couple of miles at a time where the work is progressing. It moves as the work does.

Not Illinois. It's a fifteen mile long work zone, where you'll see a pickup truck and three guys working after riding at 40 mph for 12 miles. Simply ridiculous and part of the mindset that allows idiots like those who gave Bret that ticket.

I'm pretty good at spending other peoples' money, but Brett, you really need to fight that citation. If the light was DOT/SAE approved there ain't no way in blazes a ticket would stand.

[bigshow2966]

I've seen that letter many times, I usually get it in a forwarded e-mail at least twice a year. I drive the expressways and tollways a lot and have never seen any cameras in any construction zones.

That being said, I do not speed in construction zones when workers are present. I have friends who work on road crews and know what they go through.

[Bret Kepner]

Originally Posted by Dan Bennett

Bret, you really need to fight that citation.

I appreciate the sentiment, Dan, but I was smart enough NOT to fight it. This isn't about rights or freedom or all the other blather. This is about revenue with no restrictions. Anybody who argues that point...especially with a trooper or a judge...is an idiot.

[Chris1529]

I would at least need them to show me the written law they were following to give such a rediculous citation.

[Rob Petrie E395]

Bret
We call it a fishing expedition around here as it happens all the time EVERYDAY. I cant tell you how many repair orders I write every year for one bulb or some other minor deal that the car owner was written a ticket for. We or another shop write a RO and replace the bulb and charge the customer a few bucks. All of our local counties dismiss the charge with a repair order. If you fix it yourself no dice. They (Cops) really dont give a damn about your light or any of that stuff its a excuse to legally pull you over. What they are looking for is the good stuff that pays well like DUI or no insurance. But when you are out late at night and have not been drinking, dont have drugs or guns and spot lights in the car and have insurance they are forced to write you for something to justify the stop. So they write you the BS ticket. The other new BS deal in our great state is all of the small towns adopting the state code. What this does is they can write tickets and keep all of the money for themselves with out giving any to the county or state if you pay the ticket at town hall. Nobody fights the tickets because if you lose it goes against you on your license. If you just pay it the state and your insurance co. never know about it because the small towns are not required to report to the state violations of thier local "city" laws. Another little piece of good info for anybody who gets a ticket in IL is this. Every county in IL has whats called "Court supervision" and all you have to do is ask for it. Some counties it even states on the back of the ticket how to do it. What it amounts to is they add some more money to the ticket, you pay it and they set a time period (usually 3 months) if you dont get another ticket in that county during the time period it all goes away and the Sec of states office ( where we go for our DL and tags) never knows about it and therefore your insurance company does not either. You can be on court supevison on every county in IL at the same time. But you can only get it once every 365 days in each county. I have never got a ticket. But know plenty who have. My son got a ticket for 93 in a 55 at 16 having only had his license for maybe 2 months. We had to goto court and asked the states attourney if he was eligable. She said sure but get ready he is going to get a chewing from the judge. I could not believe it how easy it was. He took his butt chewing paid 250 and stayed out of Marion Co for 3 months. The hardest part for him was no driving for 90 days imposed by ME! I will give anybody a hundred bucks if you can drive past a Centrallia IL cop with a light out and not get a ticket they are the worst for these BS fishing expedition tickets

[Chris1529]

Originally Posted by Bret Kepner

I appreciate the sentiment, Dan, but I was smart enough NOT to fight it. This isn't about rights or freedom or all the other blather. This is about revenue with no restrictions. Anybody who argues that point...especially with a trooper or a judge...is an idiot.

The thing that bothers me most about situations like these is that you have to now prove y ourself innocent instead of law enforcement proving you guilty. I am afraid our "free" country has turned into a police state. I live in WV and it is a rarity now that I drive anywhere that I don't see a police car, and all the agencies from the state police down through counties and cities are still wanting to hire more officers. There is no way to make a law for everything, but that seems to be what is happening.

[Jim B]

As a point of information the work area reduced speed limit is in effect WHETHER OR NOT THE WORK ZONE IS ACTIVE at least in New York and Florida. I was the recepient of a "faster than posted limit" speeding ticket in an inactive work zone. There were no visible signs and all the road work equipment, cones and barriers were neatly stacked on the grass off to the side of the shoulder. There was absolutely no indication that it was an active work zone and there were no personnel working or present. There were police personnel parked under the next overpass and stopping groups of vehicles as they passed. The officer told me there was a speed limit sign attached to a chain link fence that I had failed to notice. (We circled back and couldn't find the sign he was talking about but the squad had moved on and there were no police there anymore) Now I'm sure this was just a revenue producing b***s*** road stop but the lesson that the work zone speed limit law also applies to an inactive work zone at least in New York and Florida is what should be kept in mind. As another poster aptly put it..."Revenue with no restriction"