From: mariond@facts.com   
      
   AJL wrote:   
   > The semi thing is true. Also if there were 2 cars in the radar field, one   
   >  behind the other, the guns I used usually picked the faster no matter their   
   >  position so I didn't know which car I was reading. And yes I needed to be   
   >  at the edge of the road for a straight shot. Officers took several hours of   
   >  radar training before being radar qualified and all that was taken into   
   >  consideration. In a good spot (we called them fishing holes) I didn't need   
   >  to mess with the close or questionable ones anyway. In fishing holes I   
   >  often gave 20 or 25 over the posted limit before giving a citation. I never   
   >  messed with the close or questionable ones. First while I was writing one,   
   >  much better catches would be whizzing by. And second I hated going to court   
   >  and many close ones thought they wern't guilty and went to court. But the   
   >  way way over the limit ones knew they were guilty and just paid the   
   >  ticket...   
      
   Thank you AJL for your insight (maybe we should add alt.law.enforcement :)   
      
   Back East, where speed traps are a revenue machine (the town gets the   
   money, not the state, whereas, I'm told out here, the state gets the money   
   so the town has no special incentive), the radar detector was de rigueur.   
      
   I always wondered though what would happen in court if I had contested a   
   ticket, but the radar detector must've worked well enough as I did drive   
   faster in those heady days of my youth (now I drive like an old lady).   
      
   I always wondered, for example, if the cop was reading a different vehicle,   
   which perhaps was more reflective in terms of signal strength - but how   
   would I prove it? It'd be impossible in those days of no dash cams.   
      
   Also, we were told to ALWAYS force the cop to produce his calibration   
   certificate, which was just a hurdle that he might not be able to show the   
   judge and then the judge would throw it out of court.   
      
   Also, we were told, that we should dispute every ticket, given sometimes   
   the cop doesn't show - but I doubt that would work as they'd just schedule   
   another case and only college kids have enough time to waste for that game.   
      
   In my experience, nobody ticketed me ever for just ten miles, but one copy   
   said he'd "give me a break" for dropping it below 30 over the limit.   
      
   Again, that's not bragging. I drive like a little old lady now.   
   But then... I was young... and invincible...   
   --   
   What's nice about Usenet is that there are people around the world who know   
   more than you do who are just as purposefully helpful and good hearted.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)