DISQUS

louisgray.com: louisgray.com: Well, There Goes My 'Perfect' Driving Record!

  • Hutch Carpenter · 11 months ago
    Bummer - which highway were you on?
  • Alan Le · 11 months ago
    Same thing happen to me a month ago on a downhill stretch of 101 in Marin. I paid the ticket and now have to do traffic school.
  • Louis Gray · 11 months ago
    @Hutch: 80 West from Sacramento. Got nailed before Fairfield.
  • Rod Bauer · 11 months ago
    Just finished Improv Comedy driving school for speeding ticket I got in Weed, CA.
  • Eddy Cole · 11 months ago
    in 23 years with a drivers license, i've had 2 violations - June 3 2003 I had a speeding ticket and 2 days later someone ran a red light while I was making a left hand turn. of course i was found to be at fault for that one, even though they ran the red. thank god no one was hurt.
  • Andy DeSoto · 11 months ago
    Sorry Louis! It's okay, most folks can't boast twenty spotless years anyway, so you're still on top of the good driving rolemodel list as far as I'm concerned!
  • Louis Gray · 11 months ago
    Andy, good to know you've got my back. It's tempting to argue with law
    enforcement that due to my previous 'perfect' record and spotless,
    accident-free, history should enable me to drive more quickly than
    those with less perfect records. Egotistically, I'd claim that I
    should be permitted to drive 15-20 miles an hour over the limit (which
    still wouldn't help me in this case). :-)
  • Andy DeSoto · 11 months ago
    Hmm, that's an interesting thought! When I think of my own record (clean but more like 5 years instead of 15!), the reason I've had an accident-free history is BECAUSE I drive slower rather than faster. I think if my record increased my own personal speed limit cap, I'd find myself in just as many mishaps as everyone else!

    That's funny, we should institute "good driver" fast lanes! Woohoo!
  • Louis Gray · 11 months ago
    Good driver fast lanes would be awesome, and more challenging too! Get
    bumped, and you're relegated to the "B" lane. License plates and
    licenses would be color coded to show your ability to access said
    "premium" lanes. And a black market would evolve in buying the lanes
    at a higher bracket. It could get ugly fast. :-)
  • Jesse Stay · 11 months ago
    I was wondering why I wasn't seeing much of you last night. It's never fun to get caught - it's only happened in person once for me as well (the other was a stupid traffic camera in D.C.). Of course that's if you don't include my 2 accidents (only one which I got written up for, accidentally ran a red light).
  • Cesare · 11 months ago
    There is always a first time Louis :) Don't worry. Now you are less "pure", but more "real" :) Happy new year!
  • NickLeung · 11 months ago
    Sorry to hear that Louis. I found this post about knowing your rights when pulled over awhile ago.
    http://www.ridelust.com/protect-your-rights-how...
  • Michael Fidler · 11 months ago
    What speed did he right you up for? If it was within 15 MPH of the limit, and the highway is rated at a higher speed, which they always are, you could use the basic speed law in court.As long as condition where safe and you don't exceed what the road is rated at, you will usually win. I'm 3 for 3 with it:-) (All three on surface streets)
  • Louis Gray · 11 months ago
    @Michael, he wrote me up at 89, which is not within 15 of the posted limit of 65. I had claimed 80, which is exactly 15 off.
  • Jeff Douglass · 11 months ago
    get a traffic lawyer. I got out of a 17mph over for $200. ticket dismissed
  • SnakeDoc · 11 months ago
    Louis - if your car has a GPS unit - you could try to extract the raw data... check out this precedent - http://tinyurl.com/68lgs3
  • Allen Stern · 11 months ago
    amazing right - i feel for louis - but he did break the law and 89 is a freaking massive speed - and everyone here is trying to help him get out of it :)
  • Sally Church · 11 months ago
    Louis, agree with Jeff - get a traffic attorney and plea bargain it to a non moving traffic violation and zero points. Ummm, I've had to do that several times :-(
  • Louis Gray · 11 months ago
    Allen is right. What's with you guys! :-) And if you think 89 was my peak speed last night, you're wrong. Comes with it being late, open roads, and familiar territory. My biggest mistake was having a conversation with my wife and not seeing the CHP in time...
  • Trish Haley · 11 months ago
    *gasp!* it's never a mistake to be having a conversation with your wife! quick! edit!
  • Dominic/IRWebReport · 11 months ago
    @Trish :)
  • Duncan Riley · 11 months ago
    lol, I always thought speed limits were optional on freeways there, after all no one seems to follow them. Sitting on the speed limit on the 101 for example is actually risky vs going with the flow of traffic.
  • Louis Gray · 11 months ago
    Typically, going the speed limit on California freeways is much more
    dangerous than exceeding them. It's often said that the freeway number
    is the true speed limit: 101 for 101, 80 for 80, etc. Unfortunately, I
    was doing 89 in 80, so I was violating even the informal rule!
  • Kaari · 11 months ago
    Haha sucka! Still no tickets for me...I hope this doesn't somehow trigger a karmic reaction on my end.
  • Louis Gray · 11 months ago
    Kaari, I look forward to reading your near-term post on how you and
    Lance get pulled over. You might have a better chance getting out of a
    ticket than I do, however.