[Kenneth_Moore]

The Florida Highway Patrol has just finished a weeklong crackdown in South Florida on "Agressive Driving." Over 600 tickets were issued, and there were 30 arrests. "Agressive Driving," according to the local newspaper, is changing lanes frequently, following too close, and similar bad driving habits done in combination with each other.

Frankly, I think this is just an excuse for the cops to pull people over. I don't think they're going to be happy until they can pull over any driver, at any time, for any reason, or no reason at all. Years ago they made seat belts mandatory. At the time, the Legislature said "this will never be a primary infraction, it will only be ticketed when another infraction has caused the stop." Guess what, it's primary now, and they patrol for it.

Socially, I'm a bleeding heart liberal Democrat. However, this police state mentality has me wishing we had public transportation that worked. What are the conditions in your area? Do you feel like you're under constant scrutiny every time you drive?

 

[sarnali2]

Not really, Cops here usually go easy on motorcyclists. Case in point, the cop that told me to "remember to ride the speed limit as I was 30 over back there" or the WSP that pointed to his radar gun and did the eyes on you thing when I blasted past at 80+ on I-5 last week. I don't feel too singled out but then I'm not a squid or pirate wannabe......

 

[mugwump58]

A bagged out bike and a rider with safety gear on gets no attention at all, almost, regardless of speed.

 

[SmokeU]

A bagged out bike and a rider with safety gear on gets no attention at all, almost, regardless of speed.

That happens to me all the time. I've blown by cops going 10 or 20 over and they wave. Maybe it's just the Concours....

 

[pplassm]

10 over is usually OK here in VA. More than that and you WILL get a ticket, no matter what you drive/ride. Warnings are rare, and, now, we have onerous "civil penalties" assessed for many offenses.

I live in rural central VA. I am sure things are different in NOVA.

 

[sachiwilson]

I've been ok here in CA, but there's been a crackdown up in Washington too, at least in the Seattle/King County area. There have been at least two highly publicized arrests (with teevee coverage!) of bikers who are supposedly acting squidly on the freeways.

One of them is an acquaintance of mine. He's fighting the charges. I haven't seen the video taken of his "performance" so I can't comment on whether his arrest was justified at all. The other guy was pretty clearly going overboard (speeds over 100, and apparently had previously been passing on the shoulders).

 

[Kenneth_Moore]

Don't get me wrong, I think anybody who's doing stupid or dangerous stuff on the roads needs to be disciplined. Hey, I'm out there riding with my 8 year old son! However, something as subjective as "Agressive Driving" worries me. Because I don't have an inherent trust in the cops, I want them to have to be pretty damn specific about exactly what I did that was illegal. Recently on a trip to NC, I was pulled over for going 97 in a 65 in a rental car. Ok, fine, I was speeding, and I'll take my medicine for that. But, the cop added in "Wanton and Reckless Disregard for the Public Safety blah blah blah." I was the only car for miles on an empty 4 lane highway!

 

[60894]

Cops in Ga

It is very strict in Ga to drive with the city cops, county sherrifs, and the good ole' Ga state patrol they will pull you over for any and everything. Even the dept of transportation has their own law enforcment division patrolling the highways. The state patrol here is well know for setting up road blocks on know motorcycle roads(god help you if you don't have your class "M" license)

 

[seruzawa]

A West Jordan, Utah cop.....

Don't get me wrong, I think anybody who's doing stupid or dangerous stuff on the roads needs to be disciplined. Hey, I'm out there riding with my 8 year old son! However, something as subjective as "Agressive Driving" worries me. Because I don't have an inherent trust in the cops, I want them to have to be pretty damn specific about exactly what I did that was illegal. Recently on a trip to NC, I was pulled over for going 97 in a 65 in a rental car. Ok, fine, I was speeding, and I'll take my medicine for that. But, the cop added in "Wanton and Reckless Disregard for the Public Safety blah blah blah." I was the only car for miles on an empty 4 lane highway!

..at traffic school told us that the traffic codes are so complex that an officer can already stop anyone anytime and search the car or wrote a ticket. It is virtually impossible to drive one block without committing some sort of infraction.

It's pretty obvious that the definition of "aggressive driving" has been diluted to a point of meaninglessness. The slow incompetent drivers are a worse danger IMHO. When you look closely at accident reports you can see that most fatalities involve the elderly or the drunks.

This concentration on nebulous concepts like "aggressive driving" is a smaller form of tyranny carried out for revenue generation. It sounds so wicked but no one can define it. Sort of like "racism".

 

[60894]

Don't get me wrong, I think anybody who's doing stupid or dangerous stuff on the roads needs to be disciplined. Hey, I'm out there riding with my 8 year old son! However, something as subjective as "Agressive Driving" worries me. Because I don't have an inherent trust in the cops, I want them to have to be pretty damn specific about exactly what I did that was illegal. Recently on a trip to NC, I was pulled over for going 97 in a 65 in a rental car. Ok, fine, I was speeding, and I'll take my medicine for that. But, the cop added in "Wanton and Reckless Disregard for the Public Safety blah blah blah." I was the only car for miles on an empty 4 lane highway!

Ya I hear you I got pulled over for 88 in 65 and the cop added a Minor wreckless driving ticket saying something like I was risking my children's lives by driving that fast while everybody is blowing past us at 80+ I call it "selective taxation" you just got to wait your turn

 

[54937]

Sometimes aggression is the only route to survival.

Changing lanes frequently and following too close are both survival tactics down on Route 128 (the Staties call it the "Banzai Pipeline") on the outskirts of Boston. Traffic cruises at 30mph+ over the posted limit. Those who can't keep up are pulled down and ripped apart by the pack.

I can see that the intent of "aggression ticketing" is to weed out the habitual Oh!Fender!s. These are also known colloquially as "a-holes" or when we are really uncharitable "Yankee Fans". In fact, if someone behaves in an unacceptable manner the first instinct is to see if NEW YORK is printed on their license plates. Savages!

Fortunately Boston is revered for its' citizens strict adherence to any and all traffic laws. Further, Bostonians are famous for their courtesy, charity, and general lighthearted natures. Nary a day passes when I don't see many selfless acts perpetuated by these paragons of driving virtue.

 

[Kenneth_Moore]

"This concentration on nebulous concepts like "aggressive driving" is a smaller form of tyranny carried out for revenue generation. It sounds so wicked but no one can define it. Sort of like "racism".

As much as I hate to go down the evil conspiracy road, I have to agree. And I suspect the motives are worse than simple greed. If the entire population is constantly "breaking the law" then it's pretty easy to repress said population.

 

[The_AirHawk]

Sometimes aggression is the only route to survival.

Fortunately Boston is revered for its' citizens strict adherence to any and all traffic laws. Further, Bostonians are famous for their courtesy, charity, and general lighthearted natures. Nary a day passes when I don't see many selfless acts perpetuated by these paragons of driving virtue.

Ah, yes. They don't call 'em "Massholes" for nothin'..........

 

[Kenneth_Moore]

"Fortunately Boston is revered for its' citizens strict adherence to any and all traffic laws. Further, Bostonians are famous for their courtesy, charity, and general lighthearted natures. Nary a day passes when I don't see many selfless acts perpetuated by these paragons of driving virtue."

I had no idea Boston had such a large Latino population.
(That joke might only be funny in South Florida)

 

[pplassm]

Recently on a trip to NC, I was pulled over for going 97 in a 65 in a rental car.

Do I need to say it?

Ahem. Son you'd be in jail for that down he-ah!

 

[Kenneth_Moore]

You know, it was damn close, for a while there I thought he was going to take me in! That trooper was furious, you'd have thought I was drunk and running over babies. In truth, it was an empty 4 lane on a perfect weather day. To add insult to injury, I've had to hire an attorney to represent me due to the "Wanton Drunken Baby Killing" charge...I can't just plead and pay! Fckers!

 

[58876]

I just finished the aggressive driving course after getting a reckless charge for a 15 mph wheelie, and my attorney got me off with negligent driving 2 which in WA is a traffic offense instead of criminal, which reckless is. I had to pay 200 bucks. I also had to pay 100 bucks to take the National Traffic Safety Institute course, and of course I had to pay my attorney.

Luckily now I'm educated about reckless driving though. It's all about attitude. I also learned a lot about road rage. It was truly a fantastic class, and well worth the 100 dollars. It sure is smart of the state to send people to it because I know that all those 23 year old guys that are in there on racing and reckless charges are going to take that finger-wagging to heart (the whole class was early 20's men, except me, one young woman and a 45 year old guy with a porsche).

 

[The_AirHawk]

I had no idea Boston had such a large Latino population.
(That joke might only be funny in South Florida)

No, it's amusing in Northwest Arkansas/Soutwest Missouri, too........;-)

 

[62055]

kscale for driving agressiveness

I totally agree with you. Austin Texas, Salt Lake and Portland, Seattle drivers and cops are pretty cool..Worse places than that are Miami, LA, Dallas, Chicago, Denver, NJ and NY. Boston, SF, St.Louis and Atlanta in my opinion were in the middle of coolness scale.

 

[BrowningBAR]

What did the attorney cost you?