Comments on: Excuses for Speeding

By: Amanda

Amanda — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 03:23:25 +0000

When the cop asked for my license and registration, i grabbed my registration card and my insurance card (which are the same size piece of paper), looked reeeeeealll hard at them for about 3 seconds, and then asked in a very innocent tone, “Which one of these did you need??” I have used this twice and only received a warning. The first time i really didn’t know which one he wanted but it worked so well that i thought i would use it again.

By: Litlamy

Litlamy — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 19:03:25 +0000

Situation: Driving to drop off a dinner for some friends who just had a baby…late! 5 month old baby in back seat screaming at top of her lungs b/c I had to cut her nap short.
My Actual Quote: i am so sorry I was trying to calm my daughter down…still screaming in background…and I didn't notice I was 8 over the speed limit.
Body Language: Sad Sad Sad and frustrated with baby screaming for the past 10 minutes straight.
Officer's Response: Ma'am you shouldn't be speeding with your baby in the car anyways. Slow down.
Result: $120 ticket, bill for 8 hour Driving School.
My Response: TEARS!

By: kevin

kevin — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:15:53 +0000

SITUATION: Driving home from some high school event
MY ACTUAL QUOTE: My dad said that the speed limit was in effect when the speed limit sign was visible.
BODY LANGUAGE: Can't remember, but probably making sure I keep my hands visible (paranoid from too many police shows)
OFFICER'S RESPONSE: Oh, is your dad a judge or something?
MY RESPONSE: No, he's just my dad.
RESULT: Warning — and he let me shoot his gun a few times.

By: Jonald

Jonald — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 01:59:13 +0000

not really a speeding story, but it happened yesterday and seemed fitting to share.

By: Jonald

Jonald — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 01:56:30 +0000

Situation: Driving around with 3 guys during a thanksgiving scavenger hunt for a food pantry. Listening to "free credit report" theme song, turned it up to listen and sing along.

My Actual Quote: I didn't realize…I just moved out here and am doing a thanksgiving scavenger hunt…I am the new youth pastor at the church down the road….I just didn't…."

Body Language: Frantically looking for insurance info, shaky voice…a deer in headlights.

Result: Warning (apparently they don't usually pull people over for Noise ordinance…but I'm pretty sure they thought I was joyriding or something)

By: Mom

Mom — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 22:46:56 +0000

Only you can get stopped when you're not even driving (i.e. the Highlands)

By: Officer Dan

Officer Dan — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 22:41:42 +0000

code word: luscious

By: Alex

Alex — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 22:00:33 +0000

Situation: Driving to a wedding rehearsal dinner
My Actual Quote: "This guy in the passenger seat is marrying your sheriff's daughter tomorrow night."
Body Language: Half-cocky, as to say, "Ticket me, I dare you."
Result: A really dirty look from the cop towards my body language, but got off the hook with a warning. He called in to verify my excuse. We ended up twenty minutes late. I caught grief for it the rest of the night.

side note – my window was broken at the time and wouldn't roll back up if i rolled it down. It was December 26th. I wasn't rolling down the window. I tried opening the door slow and explained the situation loudly as I did so, but still got yelled at by the cop and I had a pistol in my face. Good times…

By: Sarah Beth

Sarah Beth — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:54:17 +0000

I think the lip quiver works a whole lot better if you're female. And if you can work in tears, an "I'm really sorry, Officer", or even just laugh at their jokes, it usually goes pretty well. However, if said cop is also a female, all bets are off.

By: EdwardLife

EdwardLife — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:18:58 +0000

Really the honesty approach is used so infrequently that it is refreshing when I hear it. Allof the others- including every one you've mentioned, have been used time and again. Not impressed. Even the ones with a medical emergency where youre trying to get there in a hurry, and I offer to have an ambulance or a police car sent home to check on your profusely bleeding relative (that gets a "no thats okay" in response to my offer) are unoriginal.

Your best chance of a skip on a ticket comes from just being honest. 'I'm sorry I was talking with my wife on the phone arguing about who's taking our daughter to practice' or 'X99 started playing that Mandatory Metallica rock block and I sped up listening to Master Of Puppets' is more likely to get you a hey just slow down.

The other thing I look at is driving history. If you're speeding and have active points for two other speedings in the last 5 years, expect a third.

In summary:
- Be Honest about your situation
- Have a clean driving record
- Have your paperwork- lic/reg/ins so I don't have to jump thru hoops to find the info myself
- Be polite
- Dont sound cocky
- Have a Reasonable Speed.. Don't be going 30 over.
-