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Kilbane83 · 09-26-2007, 03:17 PM

So I got a ticket today.. long story I guess. I was merging onto a main interstate (I35 if you care to know) with a 65mph speed limit.. flow of traffic is generally around 75mph. The on ramp comes from below the interstate so you can't see oncomming traffic.. and I have to merge from right turn at a stop stop sign with minimal acceleration lane (it's really common in texas) So generally I see a good sized hole in traffic and get up to around 85mph to merge then adjust speed to the flow of traffic so as not to get smashed from behind or cut off by someone exiting from 2 lanes over (again common in texas)

Anyway same thing as anyother day. I'm cruising along and a Unmarked cop car pulls beside me with his lights on so I look for a place to pull over, I'm in the middle lane.. there is no right shoulder so I pull over to the left.. which I didn't know was illegal I just figured cop wants me to pull over so I did. He gets out and I take my helmet and gloves off and earplugs out and he says "I've been following you for awhile with my siren on didn't you see me?" I look at him and say no sorry I really can't see anything behind me.. then he says "Well I thought you were trying to run, we get alot of bikes that run, but after I followed you for awhile and your speed didn't change I decided to pull up next to you. You should have heard me those things are going to get you killed ( he meant my earplugs) I ignore the comment thinking it's pretty damn obvious this guy has never ridden a bike in 70+mph interstate traffic you can't hear shit anyway. Not to mention if I was running there is no way in hell I'd be going ~75mph in traffic.

So it goes on, I'm still not sure why he pulled me over to be honest he gets my lisence and reg figured maybe it's just a routine stop cause I'm on a sportbike. no biggy comes back and gives me a ticket for going 92 in a 65 and for driving to fast for conditions. At this point I'm honestly surprised I said to him there is no way I was going 92 unless the guy in front of me was going 92 as well.. and the one in front of him.. and the semi next to him. And as far as "unsafe speed for the conditions" It was 94degrees, hasn't rained in over 2 weeks, and was 12:30pm... not exactly bad conditions.

Cop says "I saw you when you got on and gunned it I had to accelerate really hard to catch up and I verified it with radar."

I said I was simply merging with traffic, I don't want to get hit from behind.. I can see in front of me not behind me. And you said youself my speed wasn't changing I was going with the flow of traffic once I merged.

Cop says "You have to go faster to merge with traffic?"

I say "I can't see traffic behind me on that onramp, I can only see whats in front and to the side I saw a hole in traffic went for it and merged into traffic and adjusted speed.. isn't that what merging is?"

Cop says "No you merge going slower than traffic then match the speed"

At this point I'm really amazed, I ask the cop if he's ever ridden a bike before and he says.... "Yes, I ride all of the time, I rode this morning" I'm trying hard at this point not to call the cop a liar to his face. I'm thinking he was surprised I couldn't see behind me.. I don't know many sport bikes that you can see behind you without actually turning around to look.. and was surprised that I was wearing earplugs and couldn't hear him. So I try to remain calm and say "So you're saying I should go slower than traffic on a hard to see vehicle in ideal conditions and hope for the best as I try to get over and not get forced off into a ditch by the idiot to my left and the guy comming up on my ass doing 75+.."

Cop says "Well if they where going 75 they'd be speeding too."

I'm thinking wtf you followed me through a flow of traffic doing 75mph or faster. So I'm getting a bit pissed at this point. I told the cop "I wasn't doing 92mph, maybe around 85 according to my speedo which is historically generous for speed, for less than 3 seconds to merge with traffic, in which time you where able to clock me doing supposidly 92mph. I then adjusted speed for traffic and you followed me for about a mile doing the same speed as everone else, and the whole time I didn't even know you where back there.. and you're giving me a ticket for driving unsafe speed for the conditions?"

Cop says "yeah, but I won't give you a ticket for pulling over to the left, just don't do it again it's illegal."

At this point I give up cause the cop already wrote the ticket he's not changing his mind I just say Well that I didn't know, thanks.. but I don't agree with you and don't believe you've ever ridden a motorcycle in traffic, even though you don't care and aren't really paying attention.

Cop says "Oh I do care you're going to get yourself killed driving like that."

I said Driving like what? Alert and paying attention to traffic ahead of me and to right/left not behind me? interesting idea I"ll try riding my bike backwards sometime but not today. See ya at the courthouse.

Got my gear on and took off again merging doing about 75mph just shaking my head.

So what do you guys think the ticket is for $474 which is insane. Am I doing things wrong? I see people get hit merging in vehicles all the damn time, I'd wager it's probably 90% of the causes of crashes around here.. people trying to merge going 35mph onto a 70mph road. My thoughts is it's people going to slow that cause accidents, not people going a few miles over the limit. I think I can get the unsafe speed thing dropped which is $222. But really I mean was I wrong?

Oh and just my 2cp I don't think cops that have never ridden a motorcycle and don't have a CM lisence should be allowed to pull over motorcycles for what they think are normal violations.

09-26-2007, 03:17 PM	#1 (permalink)
Kilbane83 Superbike Champion Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: San Antonio Posts: 312 Casino Cash: $27418 Sportbike: 2006 Yamaha FZ-6	Ticket fun.. So I got a ticket today.. long story I guess. I was merging onto a main interstate (I35 if you care to know) with a 65mph speed limit.. flow of traffic is generally around 75mph. The on ramp comes from below the interstate so you can't see oncomming traffic.. and I have to merge from right turn at a stop stop sign with minimal acceleration lane (it's really common in texas) So generally I see a good sized hole in traffic and get up to around 85mph to merge then adjust speed to the flow of traffic so as not to get smashed from behind or cut off by someone exiting from 2 lanes over (again common in texas) Anyway same thing as anyother day. I'm cruising along and a Unmarked cop car pulls beside me with his lights on so I look for a place to pull over, I'm in the middle lane.. there is no right shoulder so I pull over to the left.. which I didn't know was illegal I just figured cop wants me to pull over so I did. He gets out and I take my helmet and gloves off and earplugs out and he says "I've been following you for awhile with my siren on didn't you see me?" I look at him and say no sorry I really can't see anything behind me.. then he says "Well I thought you were trying to run, we get alot of bikes that run, but after I followed you for awhile and your speed didn't change I decided to pull up next to you. You should have heard me those things are going to get you killed ( he meant my earplugs) I ignore the comment thinking it's pretty damn obvious this guy has never ridden a bike in 70+mph interstate traffic you can't hear shit anyway. Not to mention if I was running there is no way in hell I'd be going ~75mph in traffic. So it goes on, I'm still not sure why he pulled me over to be honest he gets my lisence and reg figured maybe it's just a routine stop cause I'm on a sportbike. no biggy comes back and gives me a ticket for going 92 in a 65 and for driving to fast for conditions. At this point I'm honestly surprised I said to him there is no way I was going 92 unless the guy in front of me was going 92 as well.. and the one in front of him.. and the semi next to him. And as far as "unsafe speed for the conditions" It was 94degrees, hasn't rained in over 2 weeks, and was 12:30pm... not exactly bad conditions. Cop says "I saw you when you got on and gunned it I had to accelerate really hard to catch up and I verified it with radar." I said I was simply merging with traffic, I don't want to get hit from behind.. I can see in front of me not behind me. And you said youself my speed wasn't changing I was going with the flow of traffic once I merged. Cop says "You have to go faster to merge with traffic?" I say "I can't see traffic behind me on that onramp, I can only see whats in front and to the side I saw a hole in traffic went for it and merged into traffic and adjusted speed.. isn't that what merging is?" Cop says "No you merge going slower than traffic then match the speed" At this point I'm really amazed, I ask the cop if he's ever ridden a bike before and he says.... "Yes, I ride all of the time, I rode this morning" I'm trying hard at this point not to call the cop a liar to his face. I'm thinking he was surprised I couldn't see behind me.. I don't know many sport bikes that you can see behind you without actually turning around to look.. and was surprised that I was wearing earplugs and couldn't hear him. So I try to remain calm and say "So you're saying I should go slower than traffic on a hard to see vehicle in ideal conditions and hope for the best as I try to get over and not get forced off into a ditch by the idiot to my left and the guy comming up on my ass doing 75+.." Cop says "Well if they where going 75 they'd be speeding too." I'm thinking wtf you followed me through a flow of traffic doing 75mph or faster. So I'm getting a bit pissed at this point. I told the cop "I wasn't doing 92mph, maybe around 85 according to my speedo which is historically generous for speed, for less than 3 seconds to merge with traffic, in which time you where able to clock me doing supposidly 92mph. I then adjusted speed for traffic and you followed me for about a mile doing the same speed as everone else, and the whole time I didn't even know you where back there.. and you're giving me a ticket for driving unsafe speed for the conditions?" Cop says "yeah, but I won't give you a ticket for pulling over to the left, just don't do it again it's illegal." At this point I give up cause the cop already wrote the ticket he's not changing his mind I just say Well that I didn't know, thanks.. but I don't agree with you and don't believe you've ever ridden a motorcycle in traffic, even though you don't care and aren't really paying attention. Cop says "Oh I do care you're going to get yourself killed driving like that." I said Driving like what? Alert and paying attention to traffic ahead of me and to right/left not behind me? interesting idea I"ll try riding my bike backwards sometime but not today. See ya at the courthouse. Got my gear on and took off again merging doing about 75mph just shaking my head. So what do you guys think the ticket is for $474 which is insane. Am I doing things wrong? I see people get hit merging in vehicles all the damn time, I'd wager it's probably 90% of the causes of crashes around here.. people trying to merge going 35mph onto a 70mph road. My thoughts is it's people going to slow that cause accidents, not people going a few miles over the limit. I think I can get the unsafe speed thing dropped which is $222. But really I mean was I wrong? Oh and just my 2cp I don't think cops that have never ridden a motorcycle and don't have a CM lisence should be allowed to pull over motorcycles for what they think are normal violations.