Ticketed for Road Rage!

On my way to work this morning about 6:15 am. Still dark outside, a
car with no lights moves abruptly into my lane w/o signals. I slow
down. Suddenly his trunk pops open and junk and/or paper garbage
starts flying out into my lane. I then decide to get around this
idiot. I blow by him in a flash.

It turns out that the car in front of the idiot was a cop and he
immediately pulls me over. His argument was that I was enraged ("road
rage" per the cop), and that I was menacing and swerved w/o
signalling. He admits he saw the whole thing, but that "these things
happen all the time" and that I "should restrain myself" from driving
menacingly.

I'm over 50 years old, haven't had a ticket since 1987 (and never an
accident), but now I have one for improper lane usage. The cop says he
let me off very easy due to my clean record. I guess I'm lucky I
wasn't labeled a terrorist as well...

Matthew
00 528i Sport
Menacing Cosmos Black on black w/tinted glass

"maxima1" > wrote in message
om...
> On my way to work this morning about 6:15 am. Still dark outside, a
> car with no lights moves abruptly into my lane w/o signals. I slow
> down. Suddenly his trunk pops open and junk and/or paper garbage
> starts flying out into my lane. I then decide to get around this
> idiot. I blow by him in a flash.
>
> It turns out that the car in front of the idiot was a cop and he
> immediately pulls me over. His argument was that I was enraged ("road
> rage" per the cop), and that I was menacing and swerved w/o
> signalling. He admits he saw the whole thing, but that "these things
> happen all the time" and that I "should restrain myself" from driving
> menacingly.
>
> I'm over 50 years old, haven't had a ticket since 1987 (and never an
> accident), but now I have one for improper lane usage. The cop says he
> let me off very easy due to my clean record. I guess I'm lucky I
> wasn't labeled a terrorist as well...
>
> Matthew
> 00 528i Sport
> Menacing Cosmos Black on black w/tinted glass

These things happen all the time?? Where do you live that this cop sees
this kind of garbage ejection "All the time"? I've been on the road as long
as you have and I've NEVER seen that. Apparently its a common occurance in
your locale that your local law enforcement tolerates. And, apparently the
litterbug got away clean.... You pierced with a helical fastener.
Stan
97 528iA w/ V1 to detect those hiding in the dark, radar gun in hand
01 Z3 3.0 5-spd

On 30 Sep 2004 12:50:26 -0700, (maxima1) wrote:

>I'm over 50 years old, haven't had a ticket since 1987 (and never an
>accident), but now I have one for improper lane usage. The cop says he
>let me off very easy due to my clean record. I guess I'm lucky I
>wasn't labeled a terrorist as well...


If you're looking for sympathy you can find it between "****" and
"Syphilis" in the dictionary.

R.C.

..........and if you look up asshole in the dictionary you will find "R.C."
We do people have to be so negative ALL THE TIME...like this R.C. Joker?

> If you're looking for sympathy you can find it between "****" and
> "Syphilis" in the dictionary.
>
> R.C.

maxima1 wrote:
> On my way to work this morning about 6:15 am. Still dark outside, a
> car with no lights moves abruptly into my lane w/o signals. I slow
> down. Suddenly his trunk pops open and junk and/or paper garbage
> starts flying out into my lane. I then decide to get around this
> idiot. I blow by him in a flash.
>
> It turns out that the car in front of the idiot was a cop and he
> immediately pulls me over. His argument was that I was enraged ("road
> rage" per the cop), and that I was menacing and swerved w/o
> signalling. He admits he saw the whole thing, but that "these things
> happen all the time" and that I "should restrain myself" from driving
> menacingly.
>
> I'm over 50 years old, haven't had a ticket since 1987 (and never an
> accident), but now I have one for improper lane usage. The cop says he
> let me off very easy due to my clean record. I guess I'm lucky I
> wasn't labeled a terrorist as well...
>
> Matthew
> 00 528i Sport
> Menacing Cosmos Black on black w/tinted glass

Usually, one gets busted for what one does, regardless
of the circumstances. I empathize with you, but if you
commited a ticketable offence, then the cop was right
to bust you. There's no excuse for road rage.

What's galling is that the simpleton who started it all
got away scot-free. That's the part that sucks. But I'm
sure you're old enough to know that life just ain't fair.

Yes what a dick-head...

"mjc" > wrote in message
...
> .........and if you look up asshole in the dictionary you will find "R.C."
> We do people have to be so negative ALL THE TIME...like this R.C.
> Joker?
>
>> If you're looking for sympathy you can find it between "****" and
>> "Syphilis" in the dictionary.
>>
>> R.C.
>
>
>

"maxima1" > wrote in message
om...
> On my way to work this morning about 6:15 am. Still dark outside, a
> car with no lights moves abruptly into my lane w/o signals. I slow
> down. Suddenly his trunk pops open and junk and/or paper garbage
> starts flying out into my lane. I then decide to get around this
> idiot. I blow by him in a flash.
>
> It turns out that the car in front of the idiot was a cop and he
> immediately pulls me over. His argument was that I was enraged ("road
> rage" per the cop), and that I was menacing and swerved w/o
> signalling. He admits he saw the whole thing, but that "these things
> happen all the time" and that I "should restrain myself" from driving
> menacingly.
>
> I'm over 50 years old, haven't had a ticket since 1987 (and never an
> accident), but now I have one for improper lane usage. The cop says he
> let me off very easy due to my clean record. I guess I'm lucky I
> wasn't labeled a terrorist as well...
>
> Matthew
> 00 528i Sport
> Menacing Cosmos Black on black w/tinted glass

The cop is out of line. If you were avoiding trash that was falling out of
the car in front of you, there is no reason to ticket you for improper lane
useage.

Take the time to go to court over the ticket. Odds are he won't even show
up and that the citation will be dismissed. I would.

-Fred W

So, a guy is driving on the freeway, in the dark, behind a cop, without his
lights on, and the cop pulls you over for passing the clown that has crap
falling out of his car?

You do not say what state you are in, but allow me to assume you are in
California for a moment. In California, the law states that all cars must
turn the headlights on within one-half hour after sunset, AND the headlights
must remain on within one-half hour before sunrise. If sunrise this morning
was 6:45 or later, the driver in front of you should have been stopped for
failure to use his headlights. If the officer says he observed the "entire
episode", then hs should also be talking to that driver for allowing crap to
fall out of his car.

The car in front of you, and behind the officer, was a much more serious
danger to the public welfare than you, indeed this driver was a direct and
serious danger to YOUR safety. If there were no, or very few, cars around
you, and none that would have benefitted by your use of turn signals, then I
think you have a strong case to get your ticket thrown out. The duty of the
Highway Partol is to protect the safety of the public, you are a member of
that public and the guy that drove up and cut you off without his headlights
on and open his trunk to spew crap from his car caused a significant impact
to your safety. Your lane change and subsequent passing of this person is
the only reasonable action you could take at the time. Had you slowwed, the
car in front would have slowwed as well, and he would have followed you
(even if in front of you) into the adjacent lane and continued to spew crap
from his trunk. Your safety depended upon getting in front of this guy, and
EVERYBODY else's safety was compromised by the guy with his lights off.
Clearly the target of the police should have been the guy with his lights
off, ESPECIALLY when we are told in TV and radio ads of a thing the police
and the insurance industry calls a "swoop and squat". The S&S is a manuver
where one car cuts in front of you and a second car pulls along side. The
first car then stops short causing you to run into him. You had every reason
to believe this was activly happening to you, and the only defense is to get
out of the situation before the second car comes along.

I think you have a good case to make that you felt your safety was in
jeopardy, and the officer saw the whole thing developing, but apprehended
you instead of the threatening driver. A huge part of your defense is that
the freeway was clear, and this car could have driven in any of several
other lanes, but instead chose to pull in front of you where his new
position caused you a hazard, then his actions subsequent to that confirmed
your fear that this person was engaged in an attack of some sort against
you.



"maxima1" > wrote in message
om...
> On my way to work this morning about 6:15 am. Still dark outside, a
> car with no lights moves abruptly into my lane w/o signals. I slow
> down. Suddenly his trunk pops open and junk and/or paper garbage
> starts flying out into my lane. I then decide to get around this
> idiot. I blow by him in a flash.
>
> It turns out that the car in front of the idiot was a cop and he
> immediately pulls me over. His argument was that I was enraged ("road
> rage" per the cop), and that I was menacing and swerved w/o
> signalling. He admits he saw the whole thing, but that "these things
> happen all the time" and that I "should restrain myself" from driving
> menacingly.
>
> I'm over 50 years old, haven't had a ticket since 1987 (and never an
> accident), but now I have one for improper lane usage. The cop says he
> let me off very easy due to my clean record. I guess I'm lucky I
> wasn't labeled a terrorist as well...
>
> Matthew
> 00 528i Sport
> Menacing Cosmos Black on black w/tinted glass

"Fred W." <Fred.Wills@'remove this to reply to' myrealbox.com> wrote in
message ...
>
> "maxima1" > wrote in message
> om...
> > On my way to work this morning about 6:15 am. Still dark outside, a
> > car with no lights moves abruptly into my lane w/o signals. I slow
> > down. Suddenly his trunk pops open and junk and/or paper garbage
> > starts flying out into my lane. I then decide to get around this
> > idiot. I blow by him in a flash.
> >
> > It turns out that the car in front of the idiot was a cop and he
> > immediately pulls me over. His argument was that I was enraged ("road
> > rage" per the cop), and that I was menacing and swerved w/o
> > signalling. He admits he saw the whole thing, but that "these things
> > happen all the time" and that I "should restrain myself" from driving
> > menacingly.
> >
> > I'm over 50 years old, haven't had a ticket since 1987 (and never an
> > accident), but now I have one for improper lane usage. The cop says he
> > let me off very easy due to my clean record. I guess I'm lucky I
> > wasn't labeled a terrorist as well...
> >
> > Matthew
> > 00 528i Sport
> > Menacing Cosmos Black on black w/tinted glass
>
> The cop is out of line. If you were avoiding trash that was falling out
of
> the car in front of you, there is no reason to ticket you for improper
lane
> useage.
>
> Take the time to go to court over the ticket. Odds are he won't even show
> up and that the citation will be dismissed. I would.
>
> -Fred W
>
>

Even if the cop does show up, if the facts presented so far are accurate, if
I was the judge I would dismiss.

"Jeff Strickland" > wrote in message
...
>
>
> Even if the cop does show up, if the facts presented so far are accurate,
> if
> I was the judge I would dismiss.

Yeah, but you are not a judge. Common sense does not always apply...

-Fred W