BIG Speeding Ticket in VA

enough of this crap wrote:

Flagpole wrote:

Don't mean to be an ass,

We know you don't. But you need to stop fighting it. It is who you are.

You've now emotionally scarred me for life.

So, you want to bring up the real man thing again? Ok.

Criteria for being a real man:

1) Military service

2) Primary caretaker for elderly or disabled person that's NOT your vocation -- so like a parent or other family member.

3) Worker in some way in a war zone -- construction, journalist, whatever.

4) Married, active father to 2-4 children. You must live in the same house with those children and the mother, and you must take care of them financially and emotionally. You can't be a BAD father and be a man. You also do not have to procreate. You could be a father to them by adoption or marriage (wife had kids from previous marriage for example). Need at least 2 to fully feel what it's like to be a father, and more than 4 just allows the kids to take care of themselves too much, so 2-4 kids is the range. Now, if you had 4 and then one moves out and you had a 5th, then I'd accept that.

Those are the main ways to be a man. I would consider others if you want to provide them.

A single guy though who never has children and works to support himself and his lifestyle and doesn't fall into any of the other criteria I spelled out isn't a real man in my opinion. To be a real man requires serious responsibility, and that isn't fully realized for most people unless they are a GOOD father to 2-4 children.

Buy a mason jar full of lube. That should keep at least for the 7 days or so you will spend in jail.

I got a speeding ticket in Central VA on I-81 last Spring. I got 2 unsolicited letters from local lawyers who wanted to plead my case. It wasn't that bad, so I just paid the fine.

I suspect you'll get a letter or 2 from local lawyers.

Wow. I got a ticket for 90 in a 65 in probably the exact same spot under the exact same conditions in May of 2000. Also charged with wreckess driving. I was in college at Ga Tech at the time, driving home to PA at the end of the semester and had a summer internship in Cincinnati, so there was no way in hell I was going back to Hillsville, VA for the court date. I called a couple local attorneys and found one who pretty much guaranteed that he'd plead it down to 74 in a 65 with a $330 fine. His fee was $385 so it was $715 altogether and the proceedings went off exactly like he said.

So don't sweat it, they just want your money. Just make a few calls and find an attorney who sounds competent in these matters.

The big fines came in about three years ago as a way to make money to pay for more road construction in Virginia. Basically if you are caught doing more than 80 mph you are going to be charged with reckless driving here. Do the math to see if it is worth it to pay and attorney and a stiff speeding fine.

Buy a good speed detector for 500 bucks. You can go 140 then and wont need to worry about pigs! UK sell em!

I have had 2-3 speeding tickets driving intown last couple yrs, like 52 in a 35 45 in a 30 or what have you and the cops always tell me, you were such and such mph away from reckless charges which means technically I can impound your vehicle etc etc. I nver checked the legalities on this but yeh it seems to exist here in VA

just be glad you werent rockin it with a radar detector

run with the wom wrote:

Do the math to see if it is worth it to pay and attorney and a stiff speeding fine.

pay an attorney + stiff speeding fine < going to jail

There, I did the math for you.

I was in a similar situation in grad school in Virginia in 1995. I got a ticket for going 80 in a 55. At the time, any time you are more than 20 mph over the speed limit, it was mandatory that reckless driving was added.

Having reckless driving made a court appearance mandatory. When I went to court, this was almost the entire conversation:

Judge (to the cop): Ok, what is the story, was he just speeding?

Cop: Yes, middle of the night, no other cars, no lane changes, just speeding

Judge: How was his demeanor?

Cop: Very respectful, not confrontational at all.

Judge: ok, are you fine with me taking off the reckless and giving him 75 in a 55.

Cop: That is good.

And it was done. I think the mandatory reckless driving is primarily just a way to get you into court, so you have to pay court fees, which dramatically increase the total cost of a speeding ticket (~70% if I recall)

basty nastard wrote:

Buy a good speed detector for 500 bucks. You can go 140 then and wont need to worry about pigs! UK sell em!

They are illegal in VA and the fine if you are caught is pretty big.

Flagpole wrote:

Don't mean to be an ass, but finding a way to weasel out of responsibilities is NOT something that Flagpole is an expert in. Looks like you've got some punishment to pay -- pay that punishment and then don't speed like that again.

I cannot wait until your repressed, sheltered kids get drivers' licenses and enjoy college freedom.

90 proof + flagpole progeny = Daddy in court pleading for lenience.

OMG, you people are a bunch of babies. I guess it's the runner mentality. Wimpy, skinny, nerds.

I've gotten nailed for 94 (not in VA) and I continue to exceed 90-100mph on a daily basis on the East Coast interstates.

It didn't slow me down one bit. Some of you sound like the idiots who sit in the left lane doing 75-80, barely creeping by the folks doing a few mph slower. I don't care if you're doing 10-15mph over the limit, when you see my come flying up on your ass, speed up and move the F*ck over and get out of my way.

My wife thought I'd slow down when we had kids, after 4 kids, guess what? I drive just as fast if not faster than I did when I was a teenager (got a speeding ticket the first day I got my license).

drives fast - good luck with that.

I did once represent a client, an executive of a global enterprise, in a reckless driving case. He got caught in Virginia off I-81.

Serious stuff for this guy and hence engaged local counsel too. A conviction would have inhibited his ability to travel to this country (he was from London).

To the original poster, you need a lawyer. This is serious stuff in Virginia. Call the local bar association and interview a couple of them by phone. Emphasize you are respectful and cooperative and want to do the right thing.

You arrogant piece of crap. Your desire to go fast is not more important than the right of others to safely pass without endangering their lives. If someone is in the left lane and they are actively passing cars in the right, they have no obligation to speed up just so you can go 90+.

People with your sense of entitlement are the reason America is in the condition it is today. I can't wait until the day you tailgate the wrong person, thinking you're all big and bad, and they just happen to be toting a shotgun.

I live in Maryland; I was driving through Virginia and got pulled over doing 79 in a 55, which was reckless driving.

I know the fines and punishments seem steep and scary, but if you've never gotten a speeding ticket before you'll be absolutely fine.

I had a clean record before, and the judge gave me simply a $180 fine (including court fees). Also, I received no points on my license because I lived in MD.

basty nastard wrote:

Buy a good speed detector for 500 bucks. You can go 140 then and wont need to worry about pigs! UK sell em!

radar detectors are illegal in va

So it speeding, pick your poison

Anton Chigurh wrote:

Also charged with wreckess driving.

It is quite safe to drive wrecklessly.