Just got caught speeding - whats my next step?

[THAFUZZ]

I did one extremely dumb thing when I was 18 that still makes me sweat when I think about it and how I could have easily killed somebody.

We had one small hill in a residential neighborhood that you would get the butterflies if you took it above the speed limit. Brilliant me thought it would be cool to go over it as fast as possible, keep in mind the speed limit was 25mph. I was driving a 1977 Chrysler Cordoba, a 5,000 pound hunk of Detroit Iron, I burried the gas pedal about 75 to 100 yards before the hill and launched off of it at 85mph. Yes you read that right I launched as in got all 4 wheels off the ground so I had no chance of stopping, veering or even slowing down if somebody had been in the road on the other side of the hill and it was totally blind because I had no way of knowing if anybody was on the other side. That has to be the dumbest driving I've done in my life and I've done plenty of dumb things, I'm sweating now just thinking about how easily something really tragic could have happened.

I could hear the 'Dukes of Hazard' theme playing now, as I envision Your Jump Don.

 

[MasterBlaster84]

I did one extremely dumb thing when I was 18 that still makes me sweat when I think about it and how I could have easily killed somebody.

We had one small hill in a residential neighborhood that you would get the butterflies if you took it above the speed limit. Brilliant me thought it would be cool to go over it as fast as possible, keep in mind the speed limit was 25mph. I was driving a 1977 Chrysler Cordoba, a 5,000 pound hunk of Detroit Iron, I burried the gas pedal about 75 to 100 yards before the hill and launched off of it at 85mph. Yes you read that right I launched as in got all 4 wheels off the ground so I had no chance of stopping, veering or even slowing down if somebody had been in the road on the other side of the hill and it was totally blind because I had no way of knowing if anybody was on the other side. That has to be the dumbest driving I've done in my life and I've done plenty of dumb things, I'm sweating now just thinking about how easily something really tragic could have happened.

I could hear the 'Dukes of Hazard' theme playing now, as I envision Your Jump Don.

Never thought of it but yes it was kind of like that.

 

[MasterBlaster84]

Glad none got hurt,BUT the Cordova is meant to be abused!!!
Man my friend burned his!! Yes you heard me right-he burned his
76'!

He like the smell of the burning Corinthian leather!!

That was "Fine Corinthian Leather" according to Ricardo Montalban.

 

[Reli]

That said, I have the documentation to prove My visual estimation accuracy within 1-2 miles per hour.

I find that rather hard to believe. Are we talking pure visual estimates, or were they assisted by using the elapsed time between 2 road markers/objects? And what kind of roads and speed ranges are we talking about here? Highways with a lot of room to judge distance, or residential areas? Busy traffic, or a solo vehicle? And how many observations were included to calculate that 1-2 mph average?

 

[Lasonic TRC-920]

That said, I have the documentation to prove My visual estimation accuracy within 1-2 miles per hour.

I find that rather hard to believe. Are we talking pure visual estimates, or were they assisted by using the elapsed time between 2 road markers/objects? And what kind of roads and speed ranges are we talking about here? Highways with a lot of room to judge distance, or residential areas? Busy traffic, or a solo vehicle? And how many observations were included to calculate that 1-2 mph average?

Lets the Secretes Of The Fuzz Be Known To All

 

[Lasonic TRC-920]

Glad none got hurt,BUT the Cordova is meant to be abused!!!
Man my friend burned his!! Yes you heard me right-he burned his
76'!

He like the smell of the burning Corinthian leather!!

That was "Fine Corinthian Leather" according to Ricardo Montalban.

"Corinthian leather is a term coined by the advertising agency Bozell to describe the upholstery used in certain Chrysler luxury vehicles. The term first appeared in advertising in 1974.[1] Although the term suggests that the product has a relationship to or origination from Corinth, there is no relationship; the term is a marketing concept."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corinthian_leather

 

[Reli]

LOL @ Chrysler..........Probably 90% of their cars were based on the K-car platform during the 80's

Lancer
Daytona
Omni
Duster
Charger
Reliant

..........all the same damn thing, just a different body & interior

 

[Lasonic TRC-920]

LOL @ Chrysler..........Probably 90% of their cars were based on the K-car platform during the 80's

Lancer
Daytona
Omni
Duster
Charger
Reliant

..........all the same damn thing, just a different body & interior

Yep, saved the company ....really crappy cars

 

[MasterBlaster84]

LOL @ Chrysler..........Probably 90% of their cars were based on the K-car platform during the 80's

Lancer
Daytona
Omni
Duster
Charger
Reliant

..........all the same damn thing, just a different body & interior

Yep, saved the company ....really crappy cars

It's pretty funny how a line of crappy cars like that could have saved any company.

 

[Reli]

LOL @ Chrysler..........Probably 90% of their cars were based on the K-car platform during the 80's

Lancer
Daytona
Omni
Duster
Charger
Reliant

..........all the same damn thing, just a different body & interior

Yep, saved the company ....really crappy cars

It's pretty funny how a line of crappy cars like that could have saved any company.

Consider the state of the American auto industry during the 80's

Omnis may have been junk, but they were still way better than Escorts or Chevettes.

Also consider that during the early 80's, the top-level Camaro/Firebird only had like 160-170 hp or something like that

 

[MasterBlaster84]

Consider the state of the American auto industry during the 80's

Omnis may have been junk, but they were still way better than Escorts or Chevettes.

Also consider that during the early 80's, the top-level Camaro/Firebird only had like 160-170 hp or something like that

The big 3 seriously sucked from about the mid 70's to the mid 80's and only sucked a little bit less from the mid 80's to the mid 90's.

 

[baddboybill]

I worked at a Dodge dealer in 85-86. Believe me when I say they were the worst built cars. Every one of the 4 cylinder motors had problems with blown pistons and bad crank shafts around 70000 miles after the 60000 mile warrantees were up. Chevette and ford did not have this issue. Also Chrysler was the worst car for rusting because each one had rust treatments that buyers paid for. Rust treatments were actually bad because it allowed water to settle and not dry in door jams and rear quarters. Believe me Chrysler/Dodge was the WORST vehicles to own in the 80's!!!


Bad Boy Bill

 

[THAFUZZ]

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[baddboybill]

That said, I have the documentation to prove My visual estimation accuracy within 1-2 miles per hour.

I find that rather hard to believe. Are we talking pure visual estimates, or were they assisted by using the elapsed time between 2 road markers/objects? And what kind of roads and speed ranges are we talking about here? Highways with a lot of room to judge distance, or residential areas? Busy traffic, or a solo vehicle? And how many observations were included to calculate that 1-2 mph average?

Really? 4Hrs of Visual estimation. Tested on real world commercial thoroughfare, residential AND on closed courses to show differences. Keep this in mind Reli, CHP helicopters spotter's visual estimations from the air of a violator IS admissible in court as well. There are roadside markers that can be used in a specific equation to verify a vehicle's speed that is admissable in court. A patrol unit can issue a traffic citaion for the Air ship simply by adding the Ofcr's (Spotter's) name and badge onto the citation. I've done it for once for one of the Dept's Air ships. That Ofcr had to go to court, I was simply the stopping unit. Our class's Visual Estimation passing score was 3-5 mph degree of accuracy. Mine was 1-2 mph and, signed off by Instructors who can be called upon to support their training Certs. Again, it all boils down to Experience. Visual estimations are to be used to identify a Target Vehicle first, Radar is then used to confirm an Officer's estimation. You can doubt, but I know.

Sorry for the poor quality pics. I was in a hurry

Very interesting!!!!!


Bad Boy Bill

 

[Lasonic TRC-920]

Consider the state of the American auto industry during the 80's

Omnis may have been junk, but they were still way better than Escorts or Chevettes.

Also consider that during the early 80's, the top-level Camaro/Firebird only had like 160-170 hp or something like that

The big 3 seriously sucked from about the mid 70's to the mid 80's and only sucked a little bit less from the mid 80's to the mid 90's.

WAY OFF SUBJECT....But...

The real reason was they were trying to clean cars emissions up but din't have the computer chip to analyze all the sensors that they put on the car to control the emissions. That era of automobiles are the worst ever made Analog nightmares

 

[baddboybill]

Bad Boy Bill

 

[Reli]

That said, I have the documentation to prove My visual estimation accuracy within 1-2 miles per hour.

I find that rather hard to believe. Are we talking pure visual estimates, or were they assisted by using the elapsed time between 2 road markers/objects? And what kind of roads and speed ranges are we talking about here? Highways with a lot of room to judge distance, or residential areas? Busy traffic, or a solo vehicle? And how many observations were included to calculate that 1-2 mph average?

Really? 4Hrs of Visual estimation. Tested on real world commercial thoroughfare, residential AND on closed courses to show differences. Keep this in mind Reli, CHP helicopters spotter's visual estimations from the air of a violator IS admissible in court as well. There are roadside markers that can be used in a specific equation to verify a vehicle's speed that is admissable in court. A patrol unit can issue a traffic citaion for the Air ship simply by adding the Ofcr's (Spotter's) name and badge onto the citation. I've done it for once for one of the Dept's Air ships. That Ofcr had to go to court, I was simply the stopping unit. Our class's Visual Estimation passing score was 3-5 mph degree of accuracy. Mine was 1-2 mph and, signed off by Instructors who can be called upon to support their training Certs. Again, it all boils down to Experience. Visual estimations are to be used to identify a Target Vehicle first, Radar is then used to confirm an Officer's estimation. You can doubt, but I know.

When you were being tested, did someone have a radar/laser gun, giving you feedback after each estimate? Or did you actually write down all your estimates and hand them in without ever knowing how good you did?

Also, what happens later, after the test? Would the accuracy remain? Do you feel confident that you could wake up one day, drive to an empty stretch of road you've NEVER been to before, park, and wait for the FIRST car to go by, and accurately judge it within 1-2 mph? Even if it was going super-legal speeds?

As for the bit about CHP helicopters, I would actually trust their judgement over a patrol unit, because they're hovering up above, looking at reference markers, and maybe using a stopwatch for all I know.

I'm sure estimates are pretty good if the guy's been sitting on the side of the road for awhile, comparing one car to another, and getting familiar with the road noise etc.........But what about when he's unprepared, like when he's rolling out of Burger King, and sees a speeder shoot by......How accurate is a rushed, unprepared estimate like that going to be?

Hope I am not offending you, I am just a very skeptical person

 

[MasterBlaster84]

Consider the state of the American auto industry during the 80's

Omnis may have been junk, but they were still way better than Escorts or Chevettes.

Also consider that during the early 80's, the top-level Camaro/Firebird only had like 160-170 hp or something like that

The big 3 seriously sucked from about the mid 70's to the mid 80's and only sucked a little bit less from the mid 80's to the mid 90's.

WAY OFF SUBJECT....But...

The real reason was they were trying to clean cars emissions up but din't have the computer chip to analyze all the sensors that they put on the car to control the emissions. That era of automobiles are the worst ever made Analog nightmares

Chris your right but I take it farther, basically all aspects of the cars were crap.

 

[Reli]

Seems like every 80's Chrysler I saw was faded down to the primer on the top surfaces after only 8-10 yrs

 

[bantytfv]

Off topic - the big three simply were not prepared for the cry for clean air, and the gas crunch of the mid seventies, The Japanese and European automakers had been building small cars for a long time and had the jump on the big three due to gas already being very expensive in the own countries. Vega, Pinto,Gremlin, Pacer vs. Corolla, Celica, 4WD Subarus . I've owned most of them, and there was no comparison to the quality edge the Japanese had. The last American car I had that I liked was a 69 Chevelle SS 396/350 HP, M-21 4 speed, 3.55 Positraction. You don't care what gas costs when you lay the hammer down in a good muscle car. Hope you get some type of reduced penalty for the speeding ticket. I would plead no contest and throw myelf on the mercy of the court if he got you on radar or laser. He may not show.