a rant and a question

Got pulled by a KS trooper last week. Going 68 in a 65. No amount of polite speak or respect to the Trooper doing a dangerous crap job (THAT I RESPECT THEM ALL FOR SINCERELY) could avoid me getting a ticket. OK, I understand, all states are broke, the nation is broke, I am broke what the heck ever. They need to start shaking us down for bucks. I am going to just mail my fine in and plead no contest. My GPS said I was going 68 just like the good mans radar. I was breaking the law.

Now the question. Today I was caught in a traffic stop/check. When I handed the KS trooper my DL, the first thing he asked me was "do you live at this address on your liscense?". I remembered immediately the trooper from last week asked me the same question immediately. Do they assume everyone is not living at the address on their DL?? I am just wondering why that is their immediate assumption that you are NOT living where your ID says you live. If I moved, I would change my DL/ID like anyone with any responsibility would.

I really just dont get it.

Failure to change address to current is an AUTOMATIC addition to a fine in Minnesota.$60 last I heard.

They"re just trying to milk all they can from ya.Been doing it here for years.

I've been pulled over 5 times in the 15 years I've been driving and that is the same question they asked me everytime.

With the amount of jobs moving, it is safe to assume that some people move with that job. In most states, you have 60 days to update your info at the BMV. Those who fail would receive a second citation. The BMV sends suspension notices to the address on the license. So for that reason, you would have no excuse not to receive said notice if sent for some reason.
Some people also provide a false address to avoid being located for warrants.

All these towns that use the interstates and highways to help fill their pockets should be made to do the upkeep on that stretch of road they are running radar on.

Don't be surprised when they start giving tickets for driving a couple of miles an hour UNDER the speed limit, after all, it is your word against theirs, and times are tough, so desparate measures are called for, if Barney wants to be welcome at the donut shop.

Huh they ask me if I have been drinking

most jobs that move from here now are going to china or mex which would make that point a non issue. If your job moved to mex and you went there to work you wouldnt be encountering KS troopers. just an observation.....

And they wouldn"t be messing with you for 68 in a 65 zone. Our state cops travel in pickups and full combat gear with an armed marine escort. They have much bigger problems than speeders. Now if you"re out on a highway, the federal highway police will ticket you if you are way over the speed limit. At least in this part of Mexico.

Yep, KS law requires that you update you license address with the DOR. But you can do it online or by calling them and your license itself will not be issued with the new address. If you were out of address compliance he could technically write you up for it although I haven't heard of them doing that.

In actuality, they may be doing you a favor. They want to get your correct address on the ticket. If you forget to go to court or pay the fine by the due date and the court sends out a notice to the old address (forwardings only last 30 days now), you won't get it. Then your license gets suspended and if you miss court a bench warrant is issued for your arrest. Either way, you can can end up being arrested, printed, or put in jail until you bond out for missing court or for driving while suspended. A DWS is a major hit on your record that could get you a major fine with mandatory jail time and further loss of your license for 3 months to 3 years depending upon your prior record.

Of course, he had already run the tag of your vehicle before he walked up to you and also received the driving history of the listed owners. If you have any prior DUIs and other violations on your record, he will know about it before he talks to you. If you are driving someone else's vehicle, dispatch will advise him of your address and driving record when he calls it in. Dispatchers will report things like numerous violations, prior 46's (10-46 the code for dui). I believe signal 30 is a negative response. If the trooper has information you have a prior dui or if you hear him tell dispatch something like a possible 46 or check for 46, then you can expect to be given the once over for a dui evaluation.

They ask questions like is this your address, and where are you going, and where are you coming from to see if they can detect a whiff of alcohol, blood shot eyes, slurred speech, and any confusion about where you are traveling. They ask for your DL and insurance and then watch to see if you fumble through your billfold and glove box looking for them. (all signs of possible intoxication) One slip up and you will be at the back of your vehicle walking the line unless you refuse to do it which is advisable since most sober people can't do the walk the line and 1 leg stand tests.

Troopers are looking for any reason to pull someone over on the interstate including changing lanes without a signal even though there are no cars close to you. Cracked windshields and broken mirrors are common stops. It gives the trooper a chance to give someone the once over for a dui. They find a lot of stolen vehicles that way as well. Drunks, druggers, and car thieves don't do much car maintenance. When they arrest you, they can search your vehicle which many times results in some big drug busts with all the trafficing going on on the interstates. There are plenty of kids that seem to have a little pot, roach, or some meth found in their vehicle that also gets them arrested. (Bonus promotion points when they can make a felony arrest) A lot of drug traffickers are high and appear nervous. When they run into one of those, they usually delay until a drug sniffing dog can arrive. Often times they ask to search the vehicle and the idiot driver lets them because he is too afraid to say no. (prisons are full of those guys). I've heard of them letting someone go and then getting pulled over in the next county where the nearest drug dog is.

You can respect them sincerely but someone driving for a while with stove up legs in a car, tired from a long drive from taking a trip, or whatever, and especially late at night after driving home for work or a ballgame will make it near impossible to pass field sobriety test.

Never admit to drinking even one or two beers. That is automatic grounds to get you jerked out of the car for field sobriety tests. They are too liability conscious now. If they let you go after you told them you had something to drink, they will be sued and lose their job if you go out and kill someone later. There are no more free passes.

Troopers won't admit to profiling but you can better believe they do it.

Three miles over. That trooper would be in the unemployment line if he issued many more like that in California. I have a posted speed of 40 by my house. I called the sheriff several times. He told me he will not issue tickets because when the drivers go to court they prove by city records most cars go over 50. I think it is called (mene) speed or something like that. The ticket gets thrown out. I would go to court on your ticket. The judge may reduce the fine. Stan

Last two times Ive been stopped, Ive never even gotten a warning ticket, but a few days later I would start getting calls from "Troopers Association". Both times it was a guy in uniform, driving some outdated car. If this happens again. Im asking him to follow me to the local sheriffs dept for verification before I give him my license.

NEVER give money to any group that implies they belong to a "trooper"s association" or anything like that. Only about 1/10 of 1 percent actually goes to the actual troopers anyway. The group calling you actually pockets all this money.
Don"t believe me?
When they call, ask them two questions:
1. "Are you yourself a trooper?" (They are not and will tell you so)
2. "What percentage of the money I send you actually goes to the troopers?" (They will give you all kinds of answers, including they give "millions" of dollars to this and that, but they will not tell you the exact percentage of what they actually give the troopers)
Two other thoughts: The troopers get enough of a salary. Why give them more? The stupid little sticker they send you to put on your bumper will not save you from a ticket.
Before I get a rant about my post, I actually have a niece who is a state trooper. She advises not to give to these crooks.

You can be ticketed for not updating your address on your license, so you were being questioned for another ticket.

the ticket for 3 over is beatable in almost any traffic court, never just mail in your fine for something like that, only if its something uncontestable, [ you were clocked at 95 in a 55] as one district judge told me " your not guilty, unless i decide your guilty, and to what degree, by the way if i decide your guilty, there will be court costs on top of that" i beat 2 bum tickets that way both were for somthing that should have been a verbal warning, the second is standard procedure, with the economy tanked, there are a huge amount of folks on the move trying to find work, so they can eat, there is no way the cop at the traffic stop would know another cop asked you the same question last week, wouldnt suprise me if the people drifting around looking for work surpassed the 1930's hobo's riding the freight trains, now they just use cars, hard to even find a train with a boxcar in it these days

Yes if your address is wrong they can fine you, and they will find out very quickly. Because they check what address your truck registration was mailed to. Here in Pa. a state troper will not pull you over unless you are going more than 15 miles over the speed limit

Cops in Kansas are a little worse than other places.You arent going to talk your way out of a ticket.You can beat a 3 MPH over ticket like others have said.One way is to call a lawyer in that town that deals with traffic tickets.

I don't know what state you are in, Kruse, but I have a son who is a state trooper, with a college degree and 11 years on the force. He earns 41 K per year. I'll agree thats not starving but with the hours he works with wife and two kids, mortgage and bills like we all have, it doesn't seem like he earns "enough salary" to me. He's only had to pull his gun twice, once facing another handgun, but never shooting it. I wouldn't take 41 million for that kind of job!
I agree with your comments on NOT donating and the questions you raise.

Here, speeding is prepayable. You can just mail in your check if you want to and avoid a court date. Failure to update your address is a mandatory court appearance. To make it even better, you've only got 2 weeks to update it.

I was a cop for 12 years in another life. I was a city cop, though; traffic enforcement was only a small part of my job.

The prosecutor in the jurisdiction I worked flat out told us to not send his office any speeding tickets that weren't at least 10 mph over. A vehicle had to be doing at least 8 mph over before it would even catch my attention.

Sad part is, while the troop was writing you your worthless ticket, there were probably several vehicles that passed by that had been speeding enough to actually present a hazard. But hey, it's all just a numbers game to them.

Admittedly, the yearly salary isn't fantastic and quite often the hours aren't great. Yea, it is a dangerous job. (Almost as dangerous as farming!!!)
But add up ALL the benefits, including the ones that they get after they retire and the on-the-job perks and there are far worse paying jobs out there.
My previous post sounded like they are basking on money and that was not the intention, just don't give to the "trooper" telemarketers.

driving a couple of miles an hour UNDER the speed limit--- Got pulled over once for that in Dane County, Wi. Also driving straight on crooked road, stopping too long at stop sign. Asked one time when officer came up if he was trolling for drunks- I didn"t have drivers license with me so told him the numbers, officer had me repeat and then did a check, said no drunk test needed since I gave him right number and records had note from previous stops that I was night worker going home around bar closing time, don"t waste time checking me for little reason. RN

Kruser, you nailed it, I met a guy going through a divorce the same time I was that made those calls from Des Moines Iowa. He said your post word for word after we became friends, in Iowa 2% has to go to the cause. His office did it for a lot of different --good causes. His exact words were don't give a freaking cent to those calls, and they were very well trained in how to answer any questions you may have.

I have friends who brag that they were doing 95, but the cop wrote the ticket for 75. The cop should loose his job.

My ex-wife undid the top two buttons on her top a couple of times and just got warned. We thought it was funny and clever. The third time she got pulled over by the same cop, she knew she wasn't speeding, and the buttons didn't get undone. There should be sting operations for the cops as well.

It will probably cost more than the ticket is worth to fight it and no guarantee that you'll beat it. I've also heard people say you won't get a ticket if your going with the flow of traffic, even if you're speeding. I think a lot of it depends on the cop. Some are a lot more reasonable than others. Still for 3 mph over, a speedometer could be off by that much. Slighty taller tires could make that much difference too. Dave

Hey, Kip in MX
A guy I knew years ago said that in Mexico pedestrians do not have the right of way. Is that true? I've been wanting to ask that for almost twenty years....

Christopher

Well, there are pedestrian crossings that have a fines for drivers not yielding (fine is usually X times the federal minimum wage), but that doesn't keep folks from being hit. Here in town to keep things safer, they raise the walkway like a giant speed bump so cars do have to slow down.

All of that said, there is no way I would walk across the road here with car traffic unless I can see the drivers are actually stopping beforehand.

On busy roads it's like that old movie "Death Race 2000" where the drivers score points by running over people. You don't walk across, you run.

I know of a guy that was cruising on Woodward Ave in Detroit, well known in the past as a street racing site/hangout, that was driving his '61 Starliner with a SOHC 427 Ford in it, that got the ticket of the century- for "Excessive Horsepower", while idling at a stoplight- yeah, it rumbles pretty good

I donated to the trooper telemarketers for years until I found out it was a scam. Took several years of turning them down before they quit calling.

Nancy, I know you are a lady, but when they call me I tell them I hate cops, they put almost all of my kin folk in jail, and I will get even some day. Seems to get the message across after thee or four go rounds.

The do not call registry has helped, but not fool proof.

Way back when the speed limits changed from 70 to 55 (1974 maybe - that is how old I am) I was traveling in Nebraska, on a two-lane state highway and passed a tropper coming at me. I glanced down and I was doing 56. I swear to God I saw him whip a U-turn, put on his light and pulled me over. He gave me a warning ticket for going 1 mph over the speed limit. We keep a scrap book on our vacations and this is still in there prominently displayed!

They ask that so that if an arrest is needed for non-payment they know where to find you.

It isn't necessarily about moving either. The address on my license is my mailing address but I have never lived there, and yes it is a street address and not a PO Box.

Don't you mean that the law enforcement officers are better rather than worse since they are doing their jobs?

In 1996 my wife was pulled over by a State trooper in Nebraska for going 2 MPH over the speed limit - they had just raised the limit back to 65 and the troopers had their nnalert in a wad over it.

Apparently two of them had driven side by side from Lincoln to Grand Island at 55 MPH and traffic had backed up for miles behind them. They got suspended and the rest of the troopers were POed about the deal.

My guess is he didn't write a ticket for 2 MPH over the speed limit because they were catching flack right and left for being aholes. The guy spent 20 minutes flapping his gums at her for being a dangerous driver.

You can also be ticketed for not changing your license to the correct address within 30 days of moving. Most of the time they just give you a warning but someone has to pay the 400 million the state can't find.

"the ticket for 3 over is beatable in almost any traffic court,"



Obviously you've never dealt with the Kansas court system. Tickets are prosecuted as written and how do you prove you weren't speeding? Even if you had a camera taping your speedometer they will say your equipment is in error and give you a second ticket for an equipment violation (inoperable speedometer) using your video as evidence.

Can't answer your question but as far as your rant, I'd like to offer what I've learned.
For years I was in the same position as yourself. No matter how trivial the offense, or how nice I was to the officer, I got a ticket when others got warnings. Not until my later years have I been able to behave myself behind the wheel. I tend to have a lead foot when in a hurry. Not until I kept my record clean for three years did I start getting warnings. Our troopers always take your lisence and go back to their car and call it in. If anything shows up on your record in the past three years, you get another ticket. If not, you may just get a warning if its a minor offense. Took me a lot of years before I figured out the system. It makes sense to me because it shows your making an effort to behave if nothing shows up and you may get by with another warning. If it shows you've had two tickets a year for the past three years, then you deserve the next one too because you obviously haven't changed your habits. It really has nothing to do with who has a fast car, looks, clevage, or any other excuse people use to say why they did or did not get a warning.

I was being polite.I think they are Barney Fife stupid.Maybe worse than Barney Fife.Also they have speed traps.They will work an area for a while,move somewhere else,and its all for money.They will write you a ticket for anything they can in one of those speed traps.I guess thats their job,but I doubt any judge told them to write tickets for 3 MPH over.As far as other states go there are way worse Troopers and way better ones.I have seen Troopers change tires for an old lady in Illinois and Missouri,Mississippi and other places.I have not seen this in Kansas.Actually there is not a lot about Kansas that I like.Road crews seem like they dont know what they are doing and most stuff appears to be contracted out.Like a State road crew in Kansas is about like a county one everywhere else.I did see a Kansas State Trooper one time make a road crew come out on Interstate 35 and fix a big mess they made and just left a big pile of asphalt on the highway when they quit at 3 or 4 pm and went home!He was standing right there while they were shoveling that asphalt where they left a big pile of it and it was past midnight and they had just the lights of their truck and the Troopers headlights to work by.This trooper was not one of the ones you see with the speed traps,he was actually doing a good job.A speed trap cop must be either being punished,or they make them do it because they dont like them or something.It can be like that anywhere in a speed trap,but some places are worse than others.Mostly nice people in Kansas,but there is a lot of flat boring driving across there and not much when you do get somewhere out west unless you are going to Dodge City which is alright.
So I doubt writing a ticket for 3 over is anything much but harassing the public.A cop that does this is giving all of them a bad name.So why is Kansas special when most every where will give you 5,and lots of places 10 over?A cop that writes a ticket for 3 over is doing a job,but nobody is liking it,and is probably headed for the unemployment line because he is either dumb,or has a bad attitude,or is a screw up gung ho dingbat.So any more questions?

(reply to post at 03:52:00 04/23/10)

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In Penna. the local police have to allow you 10 miles over speed limit. That is because they are not allowed to use radar but other equipment that is not as accurate.

State police in most cases will allow you 5 miles over. I have gone through radar at at 15 miles over many times and not gotten a ticket. Maybe just lucky!

Never have, and never will give out any info on the phone.

No more questions.

Since the 1960s most of us in Kansas know that most officers within the state will give no more than 3 mph allowance when it comes to disobeying the law. The 3 mph allows some consideration for inaccurate speedometers.

I know that people don't like it but that is life for a lot of things.

Kansas actually has a lot of hidden treasures that most folk are unaware of as they too, just want to get across the state as quickly as possible. We would welcome you for a visit and hopefully our troopers would leave you alone.

Hutchinson has the only salt mine museum in the western hemisphere where you actually go down into the mine. Hutch also has the Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Discovery Museum. Among the many space artifacts it has the famed Apollo 13 space capsule as well as the Liberty Bell that set on the ocean floor before being recovered and refurbished. One Russian space object is the only one known since Russia misplaced/lost theirs.

Wichita has some wonderful museums as well, and Hays has a great fossil museum, i.e. Sternberg Museum.

Each June there is a Bike Across Kansas event with about 300 bicyclists riding across the state. Ask them if KS is actually flat? Much of it is while there are nice rolling hills over much of it as well. The Flint Hills and Tall Grass Prairie are really quite pretty.