Speeding ticket: Cops allowed to park on shoulder facing opposite direction on hwy?

[JBird]

Are cops allowed to face the opposite way on the highway while sitting on the shoulder with no lights on doing laser at 12:30am?
My cop was and gave me a ticket. Absolutely no one else on the road except me going 70 - 76 mph in a 55.

While speeding does technically warrant a ticket, I believe the context of the situation should be taken into consideration. I was going close to the speed limit (between 58 - 65) all along HWY 26 going west from HWY 217, until after Shute Road in Hillsboro, OR. After Shute Road, it's all country side and no city. So I decided to push it up 5 - 10 more mph just because there were no other cars ahead of me and behind me and I was so tired and wanted to get home to bed. Right after Shute Road, I remember seeing some tiny little yellow lights that I couldn't make out, and as I came over the slight hill, I realized that it was the construction work sign trailer warning that there would be construction ahead. Then I also realize that there was an SUV sitting on the shoulder facing towards me in the opposite direction with no lights on. Right as I approach the SUV, he turns his parking lights on and I realize that it's a cop. He then turns his lights on while he does a U-turn in the middle of the highway to come after me.

Technically I should receive a ticket for speeding, and I'm not trying to get out of it and say that I shouldn't have gotten one. But I do believe that speeding on a limited-access highway where there are no driveways, intersections, pedestrians, traffic lights, stop signs, cross walks, or bike lanes, and where everyone is travelling the same exact way at relatively the same speed should be a secondary traffic offense. However, I am all for cops setting speed traps and pulling people over in town where it is indeed much more dangerous to speed.

Points of discussion:
1. Are cops or anyone else allowed to face the opposite way on the highway while sitting on the shoulder with no lights on?
2. Should speeding on a limited-access highway where there are no driveways, intersections, pedestrians, traffic lights, stop signs, cross walks, or bike lanes, and where everyone is travelling the same exact way at relatively the same speed be a secondary traffic offense?

[InuFaye]

Pay your fines and slow down.

[slammin.e28]

70-76 in a 55? 75+ and that's reckless driving, at least in Va.

SRSLY, what if a Bigfoot was chasing a badger across the highway and you hit him?

[InuFaye]

another wrecked e30 post.

Someone wanting to buy parts, and insurance not paying enough for your 25 year old bmw.

[Schnitzer318is]

Pay your fines and slow down.

x2... you will get home less than 5 minutes earlier by adding the extra speed unless you live like >100 miles away.

[Earendil]

Yeah, pay the fine, but show up to court if at all possible.

I was pulled over in a similar situation and time. The difference was that I was passing an out of towner in the only passing zone up a long country hill. They were doing 20mph in a 35, and I didn't want to sit behind them for 15 minutes and I'm sure they didn't want me to either. So I passed them. In doing so I went 5mph over the speed limit. Naturally as I was passing the person they started going more than 20mph, and I felt it was safe. At the end of the straight away, after I'm already back in my lane, a car turns it's headlights on (and high beams) facing me. I'm blinded going into the 90 degree corner but through his lights I can make out the flashing blue and red as well. I finish the turn and pull over.

See, the road I grew up on, and the only passing spot in particular, had been double lined in the past 48 hours. Passing was no longer legal on this straight 3/4 mile stretch. The cop was only out there to make money, as I did not get a warning. He also gave me a ticket for doing 8 over (when I was doing 4 maybe 5). When I asked him if it was "legal to speed within reason to make a safe pass" he told me it was not.

When I showed up in front of the judge and told my story, the judge looked flabbergasted. He threw one ticket out and deferred the other one. I said nothing negative about the cop, and admitted that I had done 4 to 5 over to pass safely. Was a guilty? 100%. Did the almost $400 fine fit the crime? The judge didn't think so.

Some cops are nice, some are mean, but at the end of the day it's not their job to decide technicalities of the law or punishment. They report what they see and it's for a judge to decide.

[JBird]

another wrecked e30 post.

Someone wanting to buy parts, and insurance not paying enough for your 25 year old bmw.

I was in an e60 550.

[InuFaye]

I was in an e60 550.

I meant to quote slammin on that reply.

I was also being facetious.

[Roysneon]

Seriously? You were speeding. There was a limit posted, you we're aware of it and you chose to ignore it. By driving on Pu lic roads you agree to abide by certain laws. If you don't, there are consequences, as you have found out. Short of The Punisher chasing you down, there are few excuses that will get you out if a ticket you earned, which is exactly what you are trying to do.

[JBird]

Seriously? You were speeding. There was a limit posted, you we're aware of it and you chose to ignore it. By driving on Pu lic roads you agree to abide by certain laws. If you don't, there are consequences, as you have found out. Short of The Punisher chasing you down, there are few excuses that will get you out if a ticket you earned, which is exactly what you are trying to do.

As I originally said, technically I should receive a ticket for speeding, and I'm not trying to get out of it and say that I shouldn't have gotten one. But I do believe that speeding on a limited-access highway where there are no driveways, intersections, pedestrians, traffic lights, stop signs, cross walks, or bike lanes, and where everyone is travelling the same exact way at relatively the same speed should be a secondary traffic offense.

[InuFaye]

The problem with making it a secondary offense is that no one would obey the speed limit.

[JBird]

How do you know that? There would probably be about the same exact amount of car crashes with it being a secondary offense as it being a primary offense.

Another problem with making it a secondary traffic offense is that it would probably never happen as speed traps on highways are probably a primary source of income and that's probably the only reason that cops pull people over out there. It's disappointing to see so many people running red lights in town, driving in the bike lane to pass on the right and speeding in 25 - 35 mph zones but never get pulled over for it because the cops are all out on the highway.

[slammin.e28]

Speeding is speeding, it doesn't matter where. They're going to sit where they think they can catch speeders. Times are tough, they gotta pay the bills.

[M-technik-3]

Cops honestly don't have restrictions to what type of tactics they use to enforce traffic it seems these days.

Surprised they issued a citation for that, around here they don't even bother cite 15 over in town never mind the highway.

[craiggroves91]

Pay your fines and slow down.

x2... you will get home less than 5 minutes earlier by adding the extra speed unless you live like >100 miles away.

Don't listen to these guys. Fight your ticket.

It's easy to win. Do a trial by written declaration and fight it by mail.
Speed limits are not posted for our safety, they are posted for our state's revenue.