Bennington Triumph Bash

I've had bad luck these last three years.

In August 2005 I got a ticket in Vermont (in my car, three days after I got it); don't remember the speed, but it was in a construction zone so the fine was doubled. First ticket I ever got in Vermont (moved here in 1997). I paid it.

In June 2006 I got a ticket in upstate NY (in my car) for 86 in a 55, plus an additional ticket for allegedly failing to dim my high-beams (cop looked like he couldn't have been more than 22, obviously wanted to make a splash; he also breathalyzed me and was visibly disappointed when I passed). This was at 11pm on a Saturday in the middle of nowhere, at the end of a long, straight, steep downhill stretch with no other traffic -- the speed creeps up on you on that hill and you don't even notice (you have to actually ride the brakes coming down the hill to avoid speeding up). Combined, the tickets would have been 10 points and up to $1400 (up to $800 for regular fines, plus mandatory NY DMV surcharges of $600 despite the fact that I'm not a NY resident). I hired a lawyer for this one; he got it cut down to $270 and 2 points. I bought a Valentine One radar detector and even with that, I keep my speed down on long drives.

In August 2007 I got a ticket in Vermont while test-riding a Sprint RS. 81 in a 50. The cop followed me back to Cyclewise, talked to the owner, threatened to arrest me, but ended up cutting me a break because I only had the one Vermont ticket on my record in ten years of living here, plus I had been extremely cooperative the whole time. So he "only" wrote me a ticket for $320 and 2 points (thank god he cut me slack on the points...). Only ticket I ever got on a motorcycle. I paid it. After that I watched my speed much more closely on the bike -- I've always been good about slowing down in towns, but I started being more careful on open roads too.

On Sunday I was driving across town (so I wasn't using the radar detector) to meet up with a friend to go to the movies. I took a shortcut I don't normally take, speed limit was 25, which I noticed at the same time as I noticed the cop sitting on the side of the road... too late. 43 in a 25. Fuck. $150 and 3 points. I paid it.

Must. Slow. Down. Fucking pain in the ass. Given the performance and handling of today's cars and bikes, speed limits are too low. It's actually difficult to drive 25 in my car. On a residential street I could understand it, but this was in an open area between Winooski and South Burlington. I've learned to drive and ride close to the speed limit on the open road and right at the speed limit in towns I'm unfamiliar with; now I'm reminded to slow the fuck down even within a few miles of home.

So anyway... apologies to everyone I ride with this summer (especially Tito and Dan), but I'm going to need to be kind of pokey. Need to keep it within 10mph or so of the speed limit, at least within Vermont -- got 5 points now, and it takes 2 years for them to expire.

This is also why I can never own a sportbike. I would lose my license very quickly.

--mark

You have had a bad run. At least they have you under control now. I'm sure writing you all these tickets has increased the safety in Vermont many fold and that is a good thing since I will be spending a good deal of time up there.

I feel safer already.

Now if only they'd do something about the people who are actually unsafe, like the idiots yakking away on their cell phones.

--mark

mark wrote:Now if only they'd do something about the people who are actually unsafe, like the idiots yakking away on their cell phones.

we have a law here in Georgia for it.

Hi Mark!

No need to apologize. We will be speeding for sure, Dan does not ride slow.

And BTW I lost my license in VT for about a month about 18 years ago. SPEEDING


Tito

Ton Up!

I'll tell my only pulled over and NOT get a ticket story.

Was living in Worcester, right after college, and driving a 91 Saturn SL2 at the time. Surprisingly quick car, and it'll get 33 mpg doing 85 on the Maine turnpike FYI.

So anyway, my buddy Tom had met me after work and we went into Boston for dinner with friends. We picked up my car at my office on the way home, and he was following me home, staying at my place for the weekend. So we were taking the ramp from 495 N onto 290 in Marlboro, and I thought he was the second car behind me. There was a Bronco or something in between us. So we get onto 290, basically the beginning of the road, and in my mirror I see his lights jam over into the left lane to get around the Bronco.

I hit the gas. I was doin 85 and he was CLOSE to me, like barely see his lights. So I stuck my hand out the sunroof and gave him the finger. A pretty common greeting amongst my friends.

Just then his blue lights came on. Gee when did Tom get a Crown Vic? I thought he drove a VW?

I'm fucked.

I started laughing outloud because I knew I was screwed. I had my (Vermont) licence ready when the cop came to the window. He took it and said, in a legitimately surprised sounding voice "do you have any idea how fast you were going?"
"Bout 85?" "Yup. where ya headed?" I'm sure he saw the VT plates and WPI sticker and knew, but I told him Worcester. He tapped my licence on his fingers a few times and said "This is a bite out of the apple. There's some new guys down the other end that would love to write a ticket. Let's keep it under 65." "Yessir!" And off I went. 60 MPH the whole way home. When I got there, Tom was sitting on his trunk laughing. Then I told him I didn't get a ticket! He couldn't believe it! He said he even tried to call my cell when he saw the cop come around him. That's what friends are for I guess.

I sat on friday night in 99 handcuffed to a damn street sign while the Female officer checked every inch of my bike 66 shovel she thought I was a hells angel or something. Anyway I sat there for like thirty minutes still cuffed to the sign when the shift commander came to check on her and he saw me and hit the fuckin roof. I forgot to state my father is a 30 year Judge he flipped out on her and almost broke my arm trying to get the cuffs off me. I never heard how sorry he was for her being so stupid. Not being the first time in hand cuffs it wasn't that bad and everyone that rode by new I was a fuck up.
So me being the kind person I am told him she was just doing her job whats the big deal. I walked in the house and dad called me wanting to know what did you do this time. I cant win so why even try.

Jimmy

TonUp wrote:No need to apologize. We will be speeding for sure, Dan does not ride slow.

Yeah, that was my point... I'm going to be holding you guys up because I can't afford to get another ticket.

--mark

mark wrote:

TonUp wrote:No need to apologize. We will be speeding for sure, Dan does not ride slow.

Yeah, that was my point... I'm going to be holding you guys up because I can't afford to get another ticket.

--mark

We will pull over as needed. LOL



Tito


Ton Up!

I'm going to figure out how to rig up the radar detector on the bike. At least that will help. So if we're riding along and you suddenly see me slow down, you'll know why.

--mark

Has anyone ever tried to drive 25mph for over a mile? It is almost impossible.

So I'll share another quick story from my younger days. Back in the late 80's I had a Kawasaki GPz 750 Turbo and the bike was an animal. i was traveling at night in some back road of Monroe CT and of course I'm speeding. The lights go on and I pull over. I tell the cop that if he gives me a ticket i will loose my license and if i loose my license I will loose my job and that will be the end of my life! All of that was Bull Shit but I heard it from another friend of mine who ran it by a cop and he said it worked. Well, sure enough it worked, he said he would just write me up with a warning and I should slow down. I thanked him and bid him a good night. I got back on my bike and drove the speed limit for about 2-3 miles and then I proceeded to WOT again. 15 seconds later out of complete darkness the light come back on and he pulls me over. He comes out of the car and smiles to me -now your getting the full boat! Yes I did!

I have received quit a few tickets over the past 25 years most of them in Florida and California. The fastest one I got out off was During Daytona Bike week we were doing over 140mph on a 50mph in the rain. Boy that Cop was pissed, he kept repeating himself and I started to laugh. He let us go.



Ton up!

While trail riding with some friends back in the early 70s, we needed to cross a road. I led the charge and was immediately pulled over by a local constable. He carefully scrutinized my not quite legal dirtbike. He asked for my registration, I had none. He asked where I got the license tag, and I told him I borrowed it. It was the truth, as at the time was working at a motorcycle shop and I had borrowed the plate off a bike in the service department. He proceeded to write me a ticket for illegal tires, illegal lights, inadequate muffler, stolen license plate, no horn etc.. I thanked him forr his attention to detail and he left. My riding buddies showed up, and one of them took the tickett from me. He said he would take care of the ticket. He did take care of it as he was the assistant Commissioner of motor vehicles in the state of Connecticut. It's not what you know, it's who you know.

Excellent read Bucky - thoroughly enjoyed wasting an hour of my workday reading through this and I'm not even done. I think I'll take a ride over to Staples for some office supplies and swing by the Apple store and come back and read the cops version!