La Conner Not Friendly To Motorcyclists--My Weekend Adventure

[samael6978]

When I do get pulled over I make sure to ask that they legibly print their name and badge number on the ticket/warning early on, never argue, and remain polite admitting to nothing. To date I have never got a lecture from any LEO and the warning/ticket process is usually pretty quick.

And if there were no posted speed limit signs even if they had written you a ticket that's grounds for dismissal since you can't violate a speed limit that isn't posted. It probably wouldn't hurt to have a discrete micro recorder in your pocket for these types of scenarios either. Just "accidentally" but discretely start recording the conversation where you get the LEO to state their name and badge number and let them do the rest. The beauty of the internet is you can really get the message out their with some bad publicity and even a stuck up town council would have to take action in a touristy area. That and it really helps your case when your lawyer plays it back in court.

Have you successfully done this, i. e. present it in court?

As far as I know it is illegal to record someone without their consent. It wouldn't be admissible in court, and it's just asking for additional charges and a lawsuit.

At least some states, Oregon for sure, have basic speed rule, so no signs are necessary.

Edit: sorry for digging out this zombie thread, but it's pretty interesting.

Edited October 20, 2014 by samael6978

[Beck]

Worst encounter I had with a LEO was with my cage some years ago. A van cut me off, barging into my lane just when we passed under an overpass, and of course, there was a CHP cruiser hidden behind the overpass abutment. So he pulled me over and the officer tells me that I was tailgating the van that just cut me off. Tried to explain what happened, but he in turn cuts me off with the stupid question asking me if I was "trying to insult his intelligence". Right there and then I knew I lost all hope of even telling him what really happened. so I just shut up and took the ticket/speeding fine + the $200+ cost of a drivers ed quicky course to take it off my record instantly.

I don't really mind him making the mistake about how I ended up right behind the van's bumper, as he only has what he saw to base his judgement, but it really bugs me up to this day how he took the whole thing so personal with a confrontational statement like that.

Fortunately, knock on wood, I never had any encounters with LEOs on my bikes ever. And Dang!, I have a juicy flaming red bike with big NACA jet intakes on its sides too!

[Veefer800Canuck]

How can you be tailgating someone who is NOT IN your lane?

Wow.

[VFR4Lee]

Crap like this is why I have not ridden Malibu or the Santa Monica Mountains in about 2.5 years.

I realized I had more tickets there than anywhere by a long shot.

Have not had a ticket since, knock wood.

[Beck]

How can you be tailgating someone who is NOT IN your lane?

Wow.

Uhmmmm......the guy did go into my lane from the lane on my left side. I had to brake hard as he almost clipped my bumper moving over...... He either did not see me on his blind side or was just trying to catch the lanes going left towards downtown SF at the last minute which I was on and he was one lane too far to the left that goes to the Sunset district of SF...... I could not slow down quick enough to build some safe distance from his rear end before we were on the other side of the overpass, where the LEO spotted us then still very close to each other and assumed I was tailgating the van for a while......

Edited October 22, 2014 by Beck

[WIN6]

When I do get pulled over I make sure to ask that they legibly print their name and badge number on the ticket/warning early on, never argue, and remain polite admitting to nothing. To date I have never got a lecture from any LEO and the warning/ticket process is usually pretty quick.

And if there were no posted speed limit signs even if they had written you a ticket that's grounds for dismissal since you can't violate a speed limit that isn't posted. It probably wouldn't hurt to have a discrete micro recorder in your pocket for these types of scenarios either. Just "accidentally" but discretely start recording the conversation where you get the LEO to state their name and badge number and let them do the rest. The beauty of the internet is you can really get the message out their with some bad publicity and even a stuck up town council would have to take action in a touristy area. That and it really helps your case when your lawyer plays it back in court.

Have you successfully done this, i. e. present it in court?

As far as I know it is illegal to record someone without their consent. It wouldn't be admissible in court, and it's just asking for additional charges and a lawsuit.

At least some states, Oregon for sure, have basic speed rule, so no signs are necessary.

Edit: sorry for digging out this zombie thread, but it's pretty interesting.

ACLU is a great resource when you're trying to figure out if something is legal (or, considered a violation of civil rights)

https://www.aclu.org/free-speech/know-your-rights-photographers

The audio portion is affected in some states by wiretapping laws, but generally, you can record audio of a police stop if you are the one being stopped in more circumstances than you'd be able to record audio of other conversations.