June 29, 2007
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Ticket Scam
Larry Lemay has received four tickets for speeding.
So he is doing what any other American in his shoes would do. He is suing the state of New Hampshire Department of Transportation. He wants a judge to order the state to pay for the legal fees he has received for the four speeding tickets.
Larry Lemay believes “many speed limits are set intentionally low so the state can cash in on drivers.”
I am inclined to agree. Here is the link: Link
Do you think speed limits are intentionally set low so the state or county can raise money?
Comments (104)
HA. i never would have thought about that.
I would never have thought that either. Here and I thought it was for our safety. DUH.
Yes.
Anytime that the speed limit goes from 65 to 30 immedately, or in the middle of nowhere drops 10MPH…its a trap.
I once saw a documentary by some college kids who lined up 4 cars on the freeway across all lanes, set their cruise at 65, and just drove. Since no one drives the speed limit on the freeway, they created a traffic jam. People behind them were so pissed that they were driving on the shoulder just to get around them.
Also, there are some streets on my campus that are 10 MPH and are watched like a hawk by the cops. I don’t know about you, but I can leave my foot off the gas and my car will go faster than 10 mph on it’s own.
I definately agree.
Yes.
No, they’re set the way they are to try and protect people. Just by driving 10 miles faster you have a significantly higher chance of killing whomever you hit.
Anyway, if you want to go somewhere where they don’t have speed limits then go to the Isle of Man(n?)… or is it wight….? Damn… why can’t I spell anything now?
I think 70 on major highways is fast enough.
People speed through my neighborhood all the time. It’s 25mph people. That’s why my child will always play in the BACK yard.
Why is everyone in such a hurry???
absolutely. Thats the way it has always been
However, in some places they do have places too heavily guarded and those are so that the state makes more money.
This all said, I’m all for speeding. When I have a car I plan on doing it often… and having my brakes looked at weekly…
I think interstate mph should be 75-80 actually.
OH MY GOD! That sounds completely right! My town entered into a financial crisis a few months ago, and just on time, cops were all over the place pulling people over…It makes me think!!
No.
In my state, the local jurisdictions are supposed to have traffic studies to back up their speed limits. So there’s usually a reason why it is what it is around here.
no you know if the speed limit was set at 80 people would go 90…its just one of those things…. you wanna break the law
what i want to know is why they dont punish people for obstructing traffic, sitting at green lights, driving 15 in a 35, and 35 in a 65-75. when im on the highway i do anywhere from 80-95. im not a joy rider, i use my car for one thing and one thing only… transportation. that means i am in one place and want to be in another and i dont care to stay in a transitional period any longer than i physicaly have to. while i cant really get mad at people doing the speed limit it really pisses me off when i hit a log-jam where the fastest idiot on the road is doing 10 under. seriously people if you dont have anywhere better to be, park your car and walk.
hahahah.
i can’t wait to start drivers ed.
next month!
anyways.
oh and also….. did you know you can go the speed limit in the “fast” lane and get a ticket for impeding the flow of traffic?
No, I don’t.
Absolutely! Oh wait, I live in Texas. The speed limit is 70 almost everywhere.
I think Larry is a speed demon and should just shaddup!
Some of them. I recently just got my first speeding ticket. The speed limit is 35, and it’s a main road by the beach. I was going 38.
they have taxed us to death, so tickets have to make up the budget deficits.
This is the dumbest thing I’ve seen yet here. You have GOT to be joking.
We have 25 MPH Speed Limit signs all over our township on long country roads where there is no one around.The cops hid behind barns and pull people over all the time. I think that it insane to have to go 25 MPH on a country road ,what other purpose could there be?
yea
maybe…
I think in some places it is lower,. but over all i would say its for safety.. a 65 or 70 mph wreck i not nearly as bad as a 80-90 mph wreck.
I agree with the old guy in THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION – “everyone went and got themselves in a da** hurry.” Many times we do nto plan well anymore, so we either have to speed or have to be late.
Daniel (doubledb)
Yes, I do…but it is still against the law to speed. You can’t break the law because you don’t agree with it and then expect that to be a good enough excuse.
LMAO so when he wraps his car around a telephone pole from speeding, is he going to sue for that too? For someone not telling him to slow down because it’s dangerous? LMAO Oh boy, the world has lost it
Sometimes but I think it has to do with the flow of traffic on the road and population (except rural country roads). You’d think after 3 tickets, that fool with SLOW THE EFF DOWN!!!!
lol.
The law is the law. It is what it is……..
NO! A big NO! Lot of time the speed limit is base on complaints of neighbors and accidents or worse….death.
Of course, buts its one of the few ways small towns have of pulling money in from tourist/outsides, and not having to raise taxes. I just deal with it.
I always thought speed limit was made for safety reason. Then again, I notice police in New York are giving out tickets like crazy. I guess they must meet their quotas.
There are places where speed limits are intentionally set low to catch speeders. However, those are not all that common and from my understanding the areas where those are in place usually is on roads where the limit is set by the city or county not the state.
I have seen a few places where you come up a hill with a speed limit of 65 0r 70 and immediately after cresting the hill it drops to 30 or 35. That has to be set to artificially provide speeders. Those are however on county roads.
what’s worse are the counties that purposely lower their speed limit lower than surrounding counties so that their county becomes a speed trap. they make so much money from this scam
It’s a major income source for the city in Toronto. And parking in the wrong place is a way to collect a fine in about 10 minutes flat. Every so often a “crack-down” day is announced, and afterwards how much the city raised in traffic fines is reported.
Meanwhile the city is awash in drugs and gun violence.
I think its very possible this is true. If it were not true, why would they set speed traps? (where the cops hide so you cant see them until your almost past them). Now I know no matter what you should follow the speed limits, but sometimes a rule road will change from 70mph to 50mph when you hit a so called “town” (one traffic light for a town of 500 people). The speed limit changes too fast for you to slow down before a cop hiding behind a tree comes out and pulls you over.
This happend to my husband and I yesterday.
I’m gonna have to agree
I’m gonna have to agree
I agree. There is a street near my house that is down hill the entire way and the speed limit is 35. It’s impossible to go that speed, and they sit there and wait on you.
i got a ticket for going 60 in a forty, only problem is I wasn’t, the two stoplights are about two houses away from each other, there is no way i got to sixty and was able to stop at the other stoplight. I hate their quotas.
no, speed limits are for safety.
silly government, to expect people to go at a safe speed. did you know that it’s not even required in the state of nh to have auto insurance? seriously. they have to try to protect the drivers somehow.
Maybe, but I’ve been in and known people in too many accidents to personally speed.
I agree, I drive 5-10 over the speed limit unless it’s a residential zone anyway.
Driving slower then 45 miles on a street just seems to sluggish to me.
That’s what wheel tax and registration/licensing fees are for, doyyyyy!!
i think that they put the speed limits about ten mph or so lower then they usually would, they know people are going to speed over the limit so people would just be going the speed police want them too.
The proverbial speed trap. Yup, I think so, too!!
I’ve never thought about it. I mean, there are roads in a town I used to live in that have a speed limit of 25mph and that is just silly. They are main roads and should be at least 35mph. Maybe Larry is right. Or maybe Larry is a lead foot.
Yes. Of course.
What the state says in their own defense is this:
They agree some of the speed limits are too low, but if they were to raise them to a proper level, people would still exceed them just as much and go at unsafe speeds.
What I would like to say to that:
Studies have proven that when the speed limit was raised 10mph people did not raise their actual driving speed more than 2 mph, on average.
Of course.
When I lived in Texas, there was a small town north of San Antonio whose entire city budget was supported by speeding tickets from the Interstate. The speed limit through Selma was 55 (it was 70 most other places along I-35), and if you went 57, you got a ticket. The 55 speed limit on that stretch of Interstate was very deliberately created to generate revenue, not for “safety.” Let’s face it, a town of 200 does NOT create enough “urban congestion” to warrant a 15mph drop in speed limits.
Actually, yes… I agree. I know in The Colony (my hometown) the speed limits are RIDICULOUSLY slow in the most ridiculous places. And the cops have nothing better to do than pull people over for going even 1 mile over. It’s crazy.
However… I don’t think a law suit is the answer…
I had never thought about it…but it makes sense.
Although, I don’t think I would go crazy with MPH limits otherwise…there are some saftey concerns, even if they do mask true intentions.
The problem with most of us is that we’ve been told the speed LIMIT is merely a suggestion. I almost always drive 5 mph over, unless I’m making a conscious effort to save gas [driving 100 miles a day at 75-80mph really sucks it down compared to 65-70]. Here’s the thing, people: Limit means absolute maximum; end. If your credit limit is $2,500 then you are allowed to spend up to $2,500.00. If you exceed that limit, then what? You pay a FINE! Same goes with the speed LIMIT. If you get pulled over for 57 in a 55 [the necessity of which can be argued] you’ve still exceeded the posted LIMIT and you will need to pay a FINE. Until you can agree with that you will always be angry with law enforcement officials. Think about this: if nobody ever exceeded the speed limit then the police force would be greatly reduced OR the current staff could better serve the community by going after the REAL criminals [you know, the ones with the expired tags] and by helping out at local road races & triathlons.
I’m not from NY (as it says on myspace), I’m from NH and as a driver I must agree with him. I’m 17 and I drive slow, trust me. How did I get a ticket? He should do it!
I don’t mean so slow that I would get a ticket for that. I follow the speed limit.
OH. So THAT’S what those big signs with numbers are for…
hehehe.
no, they just arbitrarily choose those numbers, based on nothing at all.
pshyeah
I noticed that the speed limits are more enforced when there’s some sort of financial problem in the state or the area. It’s quite funny.
I can’t wait to start driving! It should be a warning
u know that guys an idiot right? but heck im sittin here thinkin lead the charge man… seriously tho… ever see a sign hat says 25 mph? ever drive 25 mph? i feel like i could get out an run faster… all the little speed gage shows is how much fun ur haveing anyway… the higher it gets the better.
nah, I think they’re pretty reasonable for the most part.
i think it is not truth.
“I noticed that the speed limits are more enforced when there’s some sort of financial problem in the state or the area. It’s quite funny.” – AnGeLpiNaY1190
i wouldn’t be surprised if that ^ was true
i think that Vancouver, WA has speed limits that are quite high
this city is doing fairly well
in my part of town alone they raised the speed limits of three roads by 5 mph because no one was going the posted speed
YES
i think it is not truth.
only if you are on the receiving end of those speeding tickets. im sure my daughter would agree…me, in all my 24 years, i have never gotten a speeding ticket.
No. Because if it were set to 80, people would be driving 90.
It’s not difficult to NOT speed.
i don’t think they are here…the speed limit on the freeways is 65 and on most of the major streets it’s either 45 or 50. that doesn’t seem that low to me.
European peeps make fun of me online because of ‘my’ low speed limits
(Me = america)
I had to pay over $300 for a speeding ticket once for going 38 in a school zone. (first of all, it was by the middle school, they all take the bus, and they never go outside, and the school was at least half a block back from the street, and I was late for high school) I didn’t have a job to pay for it at the time, (told the court that too, and that my parents wouldn’t help me) so they jacked up the price, “suspended” my license and had warrants for my arrest. I went to pay it some time later, and they almost arrested me right there. So to answer your question, YES, for the most part.
I’m sure there are cases where they abuse it. Of course, they can’t if you obey the law.
I had to pay over $300 for a speeding ticket once for going 38 in a school zone. (first of all, it was by the middle school, they all take the bus, and they never go outside, and the school was at least half a block back from the street, and I was late for high school) I didn’t have a job to pay for it at the time, (told the court that too, and that my parents wouldn’t help me) so they jacked up the price, “suspended” my license and had warrants for my arrest. I went to pay it some time later, and they almost arrested me right there. So to answer your question, YES, for the most part.
I am SO GLAD your parents weren’t willing to help out with that. Doesn’t look like you learned your lesson, but at least they were willing to love you enough to try. Tell them they’re good parents next time you see them!
when the speed limit changes from 45 to 25 within a few feet, it’s def. a trap. there’s always a cop a waitin’…
bastards.
either way, he is subject to state laws. sucks for him.
No, they’re lower in high density traffic areas than wide open spaces ’round these parts.
Maybe, but if you get caught breaking the law that’s your problem.
I believe any town/city has their certain areas where it goes from 55 down to 30 in a matter of one quarter of a mile. I think if they wanted people to obey the law better then it should break down to 40 and then 30. We have one in our town that goes down to 30 right after you come down a hill. More than likely you will find the city police waiting late night in one of the parking lots.
Yes, definitely, in some places. I agree with he will sue also when he wraps himself around a pole.
yep. my mom got a ticket less than a street away from our house because they said she was going like 15-20 over the speed limit. and theres NO WAY she accelerated that much from our house to not even the next street. it’s just not possible. i was driving up to new york for a vacation and it dropped about 20 MPH with a 10 second warning. it’s the dumbest thing i ever saw.
It amazes me what some people will go to court and sue over. He was in the wrong, so naturally it was someone else’s fault. Well, I’m suing New Hampshire for allowing this guy to have a case, thereby causing me horrible suffering and emotional anguish when I have to wonder what the future holds for my children.
What an idiot.
Are speed limits set to meet certain quotas? I don’t doubt that they are in some places, but if you’re out on the road not paying attention to the world around you (ie ~ speed limit signs) then you deserve what you get.
End rant.
No, I don’t.
Yes.
Nope. Our school “debate” club thinks thats what Iraq is for.
of course it is.
Are you f’ing kidding me?
Drive the speed limit. Or get a radar detector.
SharingIsCaring91 writes
i can’t wait to start drivers ed.
next month!
I bet after you get your license you think you are a good driver. I got news for you it takes 10 years to know if you are a good or bad driver
Well of course it’s there to raise money. However, it’s also there for the safety of others, and it’s the law! I mean, if he’s stupid enough to break the same law that many times, then he deserves whatever they want to fine him!
If he wants to speed, he should just go to a race track and get his speeding fix there.
Yeah, I know it’s frustrating sometimes, but I think most speed limits are there for a reason other than to annoy drivers and raise funds.
yes. in some places the are set too low. Its intentional for money when everyone knows the place is a regularly patrolled speed trap. I’ve known such locations.
That’s one heck of a stupid excuse. Why doesn’t he sue himself, the speed limit is set for safety on the road. He should take responsibilty for his actions instead for blaming it on the govt.
Having just gotten my first ticket last week from a pissed off state trooper, I am a bit bitter towards the ol’ pigs.
There’s a two-lane road that’s 55 for forty miles, then suddenly it hits 45 and within two-hundred feet of the 45 sign is a 35 sign. Oddly enough, in the two years I’ve lived here, there has been an actual cop hiding out there ONCE. What the heck is the point of a speed trap if there’s no-one there to TRAP you??
…umm…wow. Ok then. I guess it’s possible but…no.
By Hilts blatant refusal to “believe” that is what the state is doing must automatically mean that it couldn’t possibly be occuring. BS!! I agree with Lamay. It happens very regularly on both state highways and in very small towns. There are even some small communities in my area (central Louisiana) where speeding tickets are pretty much the only revenue, other than small gas stations, coming into the city. And they mainly feed off college kids heading home and truckers. It’s pathetic.
I live in Central New Jersey, and i can honestly say I dont see that at all in our area… then again, everyone ignores the speeds limits for the most part, even the cops =P… there is one road in a neighboring town thats insane and illogically low but, i’ve never seen a cop even remotely close to it… but, yeah, if it says 55… if you go 55 in this area… you are passed by at least 9/10 drivers… 65 mph (the speed limit) on interstate 287, for example, is dangerous… especially when you have people passing you steadily at 75 or 80… anyway, figured i’d share..
I live in Central New Jersey, and i can honestly say I dont see that at all in our area… then again, everyone ignores the speeds limits for the most part, even the cops =P… there is one road in a neighboring town thats insane and illogically low but, i’ve never seen a cop even remotely close to it… but, yeah, if it says 55… if you go 55 in this area… you are passed by at least 9/10 drivers… 65 mph (the speed limit) on interstate 287, for example, is dangerous… especially when you have people passing you steadily at 75 or 80… anyway, figured i’d share..
err… that posted twice for some reason…
Yes! I have a friend who’s a police officer and he’s gotten in trouble numerous times for not setting up speed traps and such. Makes me ill….I just got pulled over for the first time in my life a couple of months ago. I had to pay $167 for going 37 in a 25 mile zone (on a Sunday morning). Do you know how hard it is to go 25 mph?
No, they’re set low because people always go over them anyway. If the speed limit was upped to 80 miles per hour on every road, people would go 120 or 150, and there’d be carnage.
Mr. “Leadfoot” Lemay is just a whiny baby.
Haven’t heard that before, but yeah it makes sense.
Lets say the policeman wants you to go 40 – he sets the limit at 35 allowing a 5 mph lee-way….but more than that is probably pushing it.
Hahaha!
Thats the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard!
No, I disagree with you on this one.