305RSlc

Hey all, well I've had a crappy night so I need to vent.

I was on my way home from work. I had just gotten done with a 4-12 shift so I was tired, but pretty amped because some hot girls from work wanted to go out to a local club. Of course, this put me in a rush to get home and change to meet them up there. My drive home usually consists of one road that is a 45mph road. Instead, however, I decide to take the "city" route which is all 35mph roads, dunno why. Anywho, I'm cruising and come up to a stop light and alongside comes this black prelude with fart cannon. He revs the **** out of his car, and I just sit there. Light turns green he hauls *** and I goose the tires a little cuz I was in 1st...L98 auto, and it's a little damp outside. Well he gets ahead and pulls in front of me and slows to like 20-25mph and I and cruising at 30...2nd gear. So I go to pass him on the left lane and as soon as I get to his door....at about 35mph, he guns it and I am accelerating as well...still in 2nd gear, to 45mph. Then I spot the patrol car sitting on a side road and let off instantly cuz this isn't good. Well, of course the patrol car pulls out and nabs the prelude and then another guy comes up behind me flashing the red and blues. I'm like...what? So I pull over and then about 3 other cars squeel in behind me. The trooper comes up and asks "Is there any reason why I shouldn't take you to jail tonight for street racing?" I'm like, I wasn't, he says "come on, better be a good excuse" So I was honest and said I was attempting to pass the dude.....yeah, that was a joke. He runs my **** and comes back with a criminal citation saying that I am not going to jail tonight but I have to call and appear in court and all this. But I wasn't street racing, they didn't get me on radar or anything. Yes I was speeding, but I was attempting to pass a car in the legal manner. After doing some research, it turns out that here in good old ****ing Florida, I could have anything from a $250-500 fine, up to 60 days in jail, and the mandatory revocation of my license for 1 year. What the hell!?!?!? I was tryhing to pass someone to get home so I could go out....What should I do you guys? I just got my license back less than 2 months ago for some other BS I had to deal with, and now this?!?!I'm seriously frustrated. I CAN"T lose my license again because I am starting school and have work that is relatively far away....Any lawyers out there?!?! This hasn't been the best night in the world....sorry for my rant, I'm going to bed now, so much for the club

jocww

u should hav just let off once he gunned it and stayed at the limit that way it doesnt look like ur racing or u could have been a smart *** like me prob and say if i was racing ud know it that prelude would be so far back

Airpak

speeding and legal don't sit well together

911rsq

slim84maro

i usually dont have good advice but i like to post it anyways.

well first off i would have did like a smart *** and said if i was racing the other car would be way back behind me. then if i was racing i doubt i would have stoped for you. and the actual thing i prolly would have done was not bother with the geay *****. never went over the speed limit. and just got infront of the car right away cause i hate sitting behind those annoying sounding turd cannons.

well looks like your screwed. prolly wont get out of it. maybe but doubtfully because you didnt get a speeding ticket to fall back on. but who knows. knock on some wood and i bet you'll come out strong. just have faith. hope everything works out in your favor.

Goumba T

Man that sucks, I hope you're able to get this fixed.

The problem is, while everyone's out there fighting emissions laws, nobody's fighting the fact that laws as written about street racing are way too vague in most places. In fact, the law they were working on in NYC last I heard had no definition of "street racing", just specifically defined the penalties. If an officer wanted to say someone was street racing, then they were subject to the penalty. Pretty much it leaves it up to the judgement of the officer. A coworker of mine got nailed for street racing when he (in his beat up Jeep) and an import accelerated from a green light at the same time. Neither of them had exceeded the limit nor had any intention of racing. He managed to get off on some BS ticket... but had the officer persued the matter he'd have no real defense as there's no law that says what street racing is.

Sucks, doesn't it. From what I hear many localities operate in this manner.

305RSlc

Yeah, after reviewing the "laws" again, street racing is very vague and is definitely left up to the descretion of the officer. I respect what they do and all, but seriously leave me the **** alone when I am driving. I guess being "legal" but exceeding the speed limit while trying to pass was wrong on my part, but I was by no means street racing. They didn't get me on radar, the other officer that was there only speculated to my speed, which I knew to be less than 45mph cuz I thought I was hitting a speed trap. They claimed I spun out and whatnot, and after driving by the intersection that this supposedly happened, there wasn't a single tire mark there, not even in the left hand lane from the Prelude. I'm gonna fight this one and see how it comes out, cuz this is some BS. I feel like I was profiled, young "teenage" kid, sports car, late night, I have to be racing right? From what I gather though, they really have no defense to stand on so I believe it is in my favor and hopefully I can get off with a speeding fine or something. Any advice from you guys? I plan on talking to a lawyer and going from there, but seriously, I've had friends, or aquaitances, die from excessive speed in areas not suited for it, and I damn sure wouldn't put my, or anyone else's, life on the line just to show off....I outgrew that a while ago.

CaysE

You're not going to get out of it yourself. Get a lawyer and explain all of this to him/her, not us.

To be honest, it sounds like you were racing. And don't worry about it, I flipped over one of my cars doing the same stupid crap. At least you still have yours. It's frustrating and an inconvenience, but you'll be fine.

305RSlc

How's that? I didn't spin out at the light when the prelude took off, my car just lurched a bit because I was in 1st gear, but I didn't accelerate in a dangerous manner or as if I was "racing" and I never topped the speed limit until I went to pass him, only went up to ~30mph before he got in front of me. That's what the police said though, is that I was racing from the stop light, I don't even think they knew I was "speeding" when I was attempting to pass the guy. Yes, a major inconvenience but hopefully it will work out.

freestylzz

Ya, this one's tough call. I hear what you're saying and all. "I was just trying to overtake him.." or "I wasn't racing..." or "I never really exceeded 30...". Fact is you got caught and even though there is no radar proof it's ultimately the word of the officer and the court will take that over yours.

I had a friend who had the same thing as you happen to him. He got a "record of disclosure" to show the officer had no radar proof and took it to court hoping the officer wouldn't show up. He probably would have got off if the officer didn't show up but he did, so the prosecutor was ready to nail his *** to the wall. Funny thing was the other dude who got pulled over was also there and pleaded guilty to a reduced penalty of something like 30 over the speed limit, which in Canada hits you with a reduction of "points" off your licence. My buddy had hired "X-Copper" to represent him and the prosecutor gave him a choice of either taking 40 over the speed limit or trying to fight the racing charge. Good thing he didn't cuz that would have really messed him up. Sad thing is he got hit with a plea which was more than the other dude ( my buddy pleaded to something like 40 kms over) and he ended up dishing out $350 to X-Copper who didn't do a thing other than show up. He coulda pleaded the same deal and saved himself a whole load of cash! It's too bad cuz this goes on his driving record and effects his insurance premiums.

Btw, I was actaully at the courthouse and seen this all go down.

Tough call, hopefully you can take something from this.

It's just not worth it (street racing).

ridecamro

ohh.. yeah about them not having you on radar. that dosen't matter. a cops eye is spouse to be just as good as a radar gun. so if he thinks your speeding your speeding. me personally have been pulled over many of times. for speeding loud exhaust or other BS. they have gone though my whole car before. but found noting. i was doing 25 in a 30 i got pulled over for doing 40 in a 30 when i was doing 25. i have video of it and i brought it to court and the cop got introuble for profiling. another time when i blew the 3-4 clutch pack on my 700r4 the cop said i was doing 60 in a 50 and my car wouldn't go about 45 in 2 and i was trying to just get home so i could tear it apart. i explaned it to the cop. and he mearly laughed at me said i've herd that one before and gave me my ticket. need less to say i brought pics to court about the car and it's trannmsions and the how fast it would actully go.showed it at court. and they waved it. thats if i don't get another ticket in a year.

your best bet is to plee guilty and say sorry. or tlak to a lawyer

12secformula

305RSlc...... First thing I would recomend is to get your story straight and written down, if you talk to any of the police or the court make them understand you were just trying to pass. Also check the laws because even if you were "speeding" it may not be a factor. That is because in my state, you are allowed 10 mph over the speed limit to pass, and as long as you weren't exceding that you should be ok on that. Also you could tell the court that you feared the man in the preludes' behavior, tell him he was driving eratically and you were trying to get away, the fact he sped up when you attempted to get away from him should speak for itself. If you go about doing it this way make sure your story is the same everytime, act like you were genuinely afraid of how he was driving, and you may have to throw alittle fiction among the truth......like maybe he swerved at you, or he was yelling at you and trying to get you to pull over and fight you.(something like that) Thats what I would do.

305RSlc

I guess I should write my story down just to be sure I have all my facts straight and they don't try to nail me on some little technicality. It just sucks though because I feel like I was profiled and don't seem to be able to do a damn thing about it. I know street racing isn't worth it, and only have my license back for less than 1 1/2 months, I greatly appreciate my driving privelage and wouldn't do anything to screw it up, especially street race in a mostly residential area. Hopefully I can get off on admitting I was speeding, cuz I was doing approximately 9 over the speed limit when I saw the cop and let off. Oh well, wish me luck guys, court date is Jan. 18th.....two weeks after I start college....heh, that's gonna be a stressful month.

stu

Saying that you were trying to just get away doesn't stand a chance in court. The judge would just ask why you didn't slow down and let him get ahead, or pull over until you felt it was safe again.

12secformula

stu that is not correct..... I for one got out of a 35mph over the speed limit ticket by using this. I told the court that I was trying to get away from a tractor trailer, that he was following very close and when there was room to pass, he refused ans got even closer. I told them that i tried to slow down, but he slowed down also, and that when I attempted to pull over that so did he. Then I felt like I was in serious danger and chose to get away the only way I knew how, by speeding! After I told my story they quickly asked why I didn't tell the officer what happened but he refused to hear what I was saying, and gave me a ticket anyhow. I also acted very greatful fo them pulling me over because I felt they may have saved me because i was extremely afraid. It worked, thats all I know, so anyone who says it won't is wrong.

MrDude_1

heh, its 4:59 @ work so i'll make it short.. in the future, when someone revs next to you at a light

nod.

throw it in first

and when the light turns green.... sit there.


lol


right now, get a lawyer

stu

The only problem with that is that the cop was there the whole time and saw the whole thing. I guess he could just lie and say that the Prelude was acting crazy for blocks or something. I've known a guy who really was afraid of a car and was trying to just not stay even with them, and they kept accelerating with him and he got a racing ticket.

pasky

I've only been pulled over once for street racing and it wasn't even in my beast. I was in my Silverado 1500 and was playing around with a mustang on the highway and patrol car gets me. I told him this guy was chasing me and I was just trying to get away. He bought it, hahaha. Mustang got a ticket. I never play around on the highway anymore.

stu

Yep, me either. I just stick to racing in school zones now.

pasky

Hah! There is a nice 4 four lane road here that is dead at 2:00am, Thats where i go for my shinanigans. I just went to the track this sunday and *** damn its so much more fun. Im thinking about not even bothering on the street anymore.

megaracerx

i prolly woulda done the same thing...lol....but of course....i would never street race :nono:

305RSlc

Actually, no he didn't. Like I said, I saw the cop AFTER I went to go and pass the guy, this was like 5 blocks ahead of where we supposedly "street raced". The prelude got pulled over first, then about 3-4 blocks after that is where I got pulled over. That's why I wasn't too concerned at first because I thought I had just been nabbed in a speed trap, and obviously was doing over the posted speed limit. Then the officer said, " any reason I shouldn't take you to jail tonight for street racing" I was like I said I was attempting to pass the guy, and he didn't even acknowledge this comment so from then on out it was just "Yes sir, sorry sir, yes sir" cuz I really didn't feel like going to jail and from my experience, arguing with an officer is the quickest way to do that. Talking to a lawyer tomorrow, let ya'll know how it goes.

freestylzz

Ya, try the ones with the speed humps in 'em. Could make things pretty interesting.

(btw, hopefully nobody will think we're actually serious about this )

stu

Seriously though, when I was 16 I discovered that the faster you hit speed bumps (as long as they are not serious monsters) the less you feel them. Once you are going about 40, your suspension absorbs them pretty well.

megaracerx

that was a good one

305RSlc

Welp, talked to the lawyer today....who I must say is EXTREMELY attractive for a middle age woman....damn hormones.

Anywho, after explaining what happened and reviewing the laws and ticket information, she is more than likely going to get it dismissed on the grounds of misinterpretation of the law on the officers part. Apparently, racing in Escambia county is defined as the action of one or more cars to outpace each other as in distance or endurance. Well, since I wasn't attempting to cut him off (which is what the law is basically saying) there was no grounds for being charged with "street racing." She's supposed to call me tomorrow with all the info from the police report, if there even was one, and let me know from there. But, it's looking up for me at this point in time. Lessoned learned: DON'T MOVE when someone is trying to racing you at a light, and don't try and pass that person later down the road, especially when exceeding the speed limit. And as always, know the laws in your areas so you can CYA.

12secformula

I'm happy to hear that, and hope everything works out for you. Let us know what happans. Good luck man.

305RSlc

Thanks for the support guys! I'll let ya'll know how it goes down.