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

[JBird]

Are you fucking serious?

I don't believe that it's entrapment, but my boyfriend was annoyed by all of these questions and thought that the cop shouldn't be asking them. I happen to think that it's a good thing that cops ask questions like this, to read how you respond and get a feel for ya'. I don't know exactly what entrapment is defined as, so I had to ask... who knows!

And I don't mean entrapment in how he pulled me over for speeding, I mean entrapment for DUI or something...

Edit: thanks for the answer ak-

[ak-]

So, when the cop came up to the window, he first asked how fast I was going, I said "between 70 - 75", he said he clocked me at 76. Then he proceeded to ask us if my boyfriend and I had been drinking, because "he could smell it". My boyfriend and I were coming back from a friends house after checking out his new 3D printer. We both shared one mixed drink with ice that we both slowly sipped on over the course of about 1.5 - 2 hours. So, it seems like there would be hardly any way that he could "smell alcohol" especially after 30 minutes of driving home. We both believe that the cop was lying when he said that he could smell alcohol.

He then proceeded to ask more questions, "Where are you coming from?", "Why are you coming from there?", "Where are you heading?" But I'm sure a lot of cops ask these exact questions and whether you have been drinking to try to read people and catch them or something.

Is that some sort of entrapment?

lol, the act of speeding is already done, which is why he pulled you over. That's not entrapment.
If he believes you have alky in your blood from just talking to you, he can use it against you and pull you out of the car.
It's not entrapment because the crime of having alky in you is already done. He's just being suspicious from probable cause = you smelling.

Again, entrapment is when they try and persuade you to do something illegal when you wouldn't of done the illegal act on your own without influence in the first place. It's hard to prove in court to begin with.

[M-technik-3]

I am sorry that your perception is of me "complaining". I am not trying to make this into an ranting or complaining thread as I believe that I do deserve the ticket that I got.

I say "technically" because the law is that if you speed, you get a ticket but I am taking into consideration the circumstances in which I was speeding. So that is why I say "technically I should receive the ticket according to the law, but.."

When I say income, I don't mean that it's going straight to the police department, I'm talking about it going to the state in general. And I also agree with you, that cops are just doing their job. I'm not complaining or saying that it was wrong for the cop to be parked the way he was and that it was wrong to pull my over. Cops can do anything that they want to do, legal or not. I was just asking whether it is indeed legal or not to park that way on the highway.

And, by your logic, just because you say "in most cases the cops out on the highway and the ones in the city aren't even from the same department" doesn't mean that my point is invalid. There are many possibilities, and "most cases" doesn't make it 100% True. You are missing my point here anyways.

I don't see you complaining you said you were speeding and owned up to it. Never once said you were sicking Mom and Dad after them with family lawyer. You could always make a call to the state police and ask for some clarification.

[Wh33lhop]

So, when the cop came up to the window, he first asked how fast I was going, I said "between 70 - 75", he said he clocked me at 76. Then he proceeded to ask us if my boyfriend and I had been drinking, because "he could smell it". My boyfriend and I were coming back from a friends house after checking out his new 3D printer. We both shared one mixed drink with ice that we both slowly sipped on over the course of about 1.5 - 2 hours. So, it seems like there would be hardly any way that he could "smell alcohol" especially after 30 minutes of driving home. We both believe that the cop was lying when he said that he could smell alcohol.

He then proceeded to ask more questions, "Where are you coming from?", "Why are you coming from there?", "Where are you heading?" But I'm sure a lot of cops ask these exact questions and whether you have been drinking to try to read people and catch them or something.

Is that some sort of entrapment?

Are you fucking serious?

[CrusherCurtis]

Cops can do whatever the fuck they want.....seriously!

[JBird]

People get confused on entrapment and try to blame it on everything. I used to sort of think this.

Entrapment is when the police officer persuades you to commit the crime that you would of not done on your own. Sitting there doing nothing with the lights off doesn't make you say "hey look his car is off, lets speed." But if it did, it's not grounds for entrapment.

So, when the cop came up to the window, he first asked how fast I was going, I said "between 70 - 75", he said he clocked me at 76. Then he proceeded to ask us if my boyfriend and I had been drinking, because "he could smell it". My boyfriend and I were coming back from a friends house after checking out his new 3D printer. We both shared one mixed drink with ice that we both slowly sipped on over the course of about 1.5 - 2 hours. So, it seems like there would be hardly any way that he could "smell alcohol" especially after 30 minutes of driving home. We both believe that the cop was lying when he said that he could smell alcohol.

He then proceeded to ask more questions, "Where are you coming from?", "Why are you coming from there?", "Where are you heading?" But I'm sure a lot of cops ask these exact questions and whether you have been drinking to try to read people and catch them or something.

Is that some sort of entrapment?

[ak-]

Highway speeds are set way too low in my opinion. Look at the autobahn and other European countries with less speed regulations. People who drive there are better drivers in general because of it too. That and probably also because there's less automatics. (So I've heard)

EDIT: I thought they can't pull you over if they were sitting without lights on... isn't that considered entrapment?

People get confused on entrapment and try to blame it on everything. I used to sort of think this.

Entrapment is when the police officer persuades you to commit the crime that you would of not done on your own. Sitting there doing nothing with the lights off doesn't make you say "hey look his car is off, lets speed." But if it did, it's not grounds for entrapment.

[JBird]

You just be a good girl and submit to the system, while I don't lose more money to a state that already takes more than enough from it's residents.

Thank god, there are other people in the world who question, wonder, and discuss authority and the system.

[craiggroves91]

There is a reason they give you an option to fight tickets.

There are no fees to fight w/ trial by written declaration. You just pay the fine and if you win the send it right back. I have done this and so have MANY others, when speeding was evident (10-15+ mph over)

Speed limits are purposely set WAY too low so people can be caught speeding and so revenue can be made.

You broke the law, what makes you think your entitled to get around the law?

You just be a good girl and submit to the system, while I don't lose more money to a state that already takes more than enough from it's residents.

[JBird]

I don't know where you live but in most cases the cops out on the highway and the ones in the city aren't even from the same department so your point is invalid.

You sped and you got caught. Stop complaining or saying "technically." It's not like it was some technicality. You were doing 20+ over the speed limit. Where or how the cop was parked doesn't have anything to do with that.

You can say it's for "income" all you want as well but that also isn't likely true. At least in MD all citations/tickets go to the general fund, not to some police fund. They aren't getting anything out of it other than doing their job. Stop speeding. Stop complaining.

I am sorry that your perception is of me "complaining". I am not trying to make this into an ranting or complaining thread as I believe that I do deserve the ticket that I got.

I say "technically" because the law is that if you speed, you get a ticket but I am taking into consideration the circumstances in which I was speeding. So that is why I say "technically I should receive the ticket according to the law, but.."

When I say income, I don't mean that it's going straight to the police department, I'm talking about it going to the state in general. And I also agree with you, that cops are just doing their job. I'm not complaining or saying that it was wrong for the cop to be parked the way he was and that it was wrong to pull my over. Cops can do anything that they want to do, legal or not. I was just asking whether it is indeed legal or not to park that way on the highway.

And, by your logic, just because you say "in most cases the cops out on the highway and the ones in the city aren't even from the same department" doesn't mean that my point is invalid. There are many possibilities, and "most cases" doesn't make it 100% True. You are missing my point here anyways.

[SlamedIAm]

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.

I don't know where you live but in most cases the cops out on the highway and the ones in the city aren't even from the same department so your point is invalid.

You sped and you got caught. Stop complaining or saying "technically." It's not like it was some technicality. You were doing 20+ over the speed limit. Where or how the cop was parked doesn't have anything to do with that.

You can say it's for "income" all you want as well but that also isn't likely true. At least in MD all citations/tickets go to the general fund, not to some police fund. They aren't getting anything out of it other than doing their job. Stop speeding. Stop complaining.

[AntiScope]

Highway speeds are set way too low in my opinion. Look at the autobahn and other European countries with less speed regulations. People who drive there are better drivers in general because of it too. That and probably also because there's less automatics. (So I've heard)

EDIT: I thought they can't pull you over if they were sitting without lights on... isn't that considered entrapment?

[slammin.e28]

I can't figure out who you're replying to, since no one has said that yet?
We're discussing the severity of breaking the law in different circumstances and just punishment. No one is saying the law wasn't broken.

Basically what's been said is that under different circumstances it's okay to speed.

False.

The law is very black and white on this. Speeding is speeding. Done. The judgement call isn't yours to make, it's the arresting officer's and the judge's.

[Roysneon]

So you believe that going 15 over in a 25mph zone is the same as going 15 over on a 55mph limited-access highway? I would never even dream of speeding in town where there are many, many different things happening around me.

Morally, no, not the same. Legally, yes.

[JBird]

So it's okay to speed if you feel it is safe and you don't get caught, basically.

Yes. But of course that doesn't make me or anyone else a perfect judge of where it is and isn't safe to speed.

I can't figure out who you're replying to, since no one has said that yet?
We're discussing the severity of breaking the law in different circumstances and just punishment. No one is saying the law wasn't broken.

And this. Yes, I speed when there are no other cars around me and I am on a wide open highway. I don't speed in town where there are many other cars, pedestrians, and things going on around me.
Like, Earendil said, I am simply discussing the severity of the ticket and the principle of giving speeding tickets in different circumstances. I am also asking whether it's legal to park on the shoulder of a highway with no lights on, facing the opposite direction of traffic.

Also, I think it's just fun to discuss traffic politics. :)