Guerneville/Monte Rio heads up

Got hit major today on the way to the coast.. **Speed trap shortly after Monte Rio on River road where speed limit signs transition between 35/55mph**.

Wasn't driving anything excessive but they were there pulling cars over quite a bit it seemed. I respect LEO's but got shafted hard by what came off to me as a major *%$!@. Officer Jimerson? Left a bad taste in my mouth. You prick.

Also heard that there's a jazz festival goin on for this weekend... so just a rant and heads up. Any traffic attorneys out there?  

that's not cool... espeicaly when u could of gotten some fishing gear for the ching u will spend...good luck... what's that saying "next" sometimes we get caught up in the little crap and it ruins a perfectly good day, or week...thank god u go fishing and can vent it out...

  you would think they would be happy with the meth heads and foreigners with no paper work and leave hard working, properly documtented drivers to go on their way!   I got caught on a similar speed trap on petrified forest/calistoga road, downhill into santa rosa where it suddenly goes to 35 in front of some houses, they set up right on the brink so that every single car looked like is was speeding.  I asked the guy if he tought a brand new Mercedes S550  doing 50 was equivilant to the lousy unisured older under maintained meth head cars coming from Lake county in terms of a safety issue, and he said he had to treat everybody equally.  I asked if he thought the many safety features on the car made any differance as far as handling and braking distance and he said yet, but tough luck.  I truly thought he was jealous of the ride and thought he would teach me a lesson!   

That sucks. I am sure there is a grace period (length) you are given to slow down--a 20 mph transition takes a bit of time--but I'll bet it is hard to prove they didn't give you time enough. That's quasi-ethical.

Wife's car was in the shop yesterday, keeping me from fishing as I played taxi driver. I saw Santa Clara motorcycle police out 3 strong nailing car pool lane violators--add in fees and costs and that is nearly a grand. They were catching them two at a time.

We are probably going to be seeing a lot more of this as local and the state government struggle with revenue shortfalls and budget deficits. Traffic fines are not only hefty but the added "fees" and "costs" nearly double some of them--a tempting source of revenue for strained cities looking for cash.

Another trick is shortening the yellow light duration and a number of cities have been caught doing that including Union City CA:
http://www.motorists.org/blog/6-cities-that-were-caught-shortening-yellow-light-times-for-profit/

That entire road is a bad speed trap. River Road was never engineered to be the major throughfare it has become. Too many driveways, pedestrians, bikes, dogs, deer, tourists, ... was it a radar ticket? Request a traffic enginneers study, you want safe speed and current averages. I used to live in Bennett Valley and Cooks Beach area of Forestville, and very familar with all the speed traps over there. Check this out:  
http://trafficschoolonline.com/news/santa-rosa-speed-trap.html?aid=7912&lcode=&ts=1252229070&siteID=136&orderTypeID=1

http://trafficschoolonline.com/resources/press/speed-trap-pr.html?aid=0000&lcode=&ts=1248055193&siteID=136&orderTypeID=1

http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20081004/NEWS/810040354/-1/NEWS08?Title=Ticket_fighting_teen_calls_site_speed_trap


I used to drive from Windsor to Eureka a lot, and after getting busted in speed trap on 101 JNO Laytonville, I used to premake 20"x30"  blaze orange "CHP SPEED TRAP AHEAD" signs and keep them in the trunk, when I would see one of those guys hiding in the bushes, I would drive down a mile or so and staple gun it to the trees, highway signposts, whatever I could and RUIN their hidy-hole!     Paybacks are a &#@%^!


found on Santa Rosa city website:

All states base their speed regulations on the Basic Speed Law: “No person shall drive a vehicle at a speed greater than is reasonable or prudent and in no event at a speed which endangers the safety of persons or property” (CVC 22350).

California state law also establishes maximum speed limits. For example the maximum speed on an undivided two-lane roadway is 55 MPH (CVC 22349b). All other speed limits are called prima facie limits, which are considered by law to be safe and prudent under normal conditions. Certain prima facie limits are established by California law and include the 25 MPH speed limit in business and residential districts and the 25 MPH limit in school zones when children are present.

Local jurisdictions have authority to establish reduced speed limits on the basis of engineering and traffic surveys (CVC 22358). Such surveys must include an analysis of roadway conditions, accident records and a sampling of the prevailing speed of traffic, (CVC 627). Other factors may be considered, but an unreasonable speed limit, which is called a speed trap, may not be established, (CVC 40802).

The Legislature has declared a strong public policy against the use of speed traps, to the extent that citations issued where a speed trap is found to exist are likely to be dismissed, particularly if radar enforcement methods are used (CVC 40803 – 40805).

A provision of the vehicle code that California Courts have generally considered very important reads, “It is the intent of the Legislature that physical conditions such as width, curvature, grade and surface conditions, or any other condition not readily apparent to a driver, in the absence of other factors, would not require special downward speed zoning, as the basic rule of section 22350 is sufficient regulation as to such conditions” (CVC 22358.5). The words, It is the intent of the Legislature, are intended to get the attention of traffic engineers and local jurisdictions in setting and maintaining local speed limits. Such speed limits must be set carefully, as justified by appropriate factors, to avoid making such limits unenforceable.

In practice, speed limits are normally set at the first five-mile per hour increment below the 85 percentile speed, defined as that speed at or below which 85 percent of the traffic is moving. Any further reduction must be documented by and clearly justified by an Engineering and Traffic Survey.

  Troutnut, that's f-in awesome! Genius! 

Sorry to hear you got a ticket, it certainly can ruin a day. I thought I was going to read a fishing report.....General Talk category might be a better fit for this

yeah i drive that road alot, its my main way to the coast, and surfing marmot there are no grace periods any where there it goes from a 55 to a 25 to a 45 in two-three hundered yard area going west into rio nido, i have seen alot of traps out there, they are usually just as you are coming into guenrville park going west in a blind curve with big trees, the chp will be there with the radar gun and the sherriffs will be running after the culprits, i just make sure i am always right at or just under the limit when coming into the populated ares, cameron

  you would think they would be happy with the meth heads and foreigners with no paper work and leave hard working, properly documtented drivers to go on their way!   I got caught on a similar speed trap on petrified forest/calistoga road, downhill into santa rosa where it suddenly goes to 35 in front of some houses, they set up right on the brink so that every single car looked like is was speeding.  I asked the guy if he tought a brand new Mercedes S550  doing 50 was equivilant to the lousy unisured older under maintained meth head cars coming from Lake county in terms of a safety issue, and he said he had to treat everybody equally.  I asked if he thought the many safety features on the car made any differance as far as handling and braking distance and he said yet, but tough luck.  I truly thought he was jealous of the ride and thought he would teach me a lesson!   

I'm not in the habit of jumping on someone but you sound like an elitist that doesn't think the laws apply equally to someone who drives a new MBZ. You were breaking the law and it matters little what the mode of transportation was; bicycle or Rolls Royce are all the same in that regard.

I'm not in the habit of jumping on someone but you sound like an elitist that doesn't think the laws apply equally to someone who drives a new MBZ. You were breaking the law and it matters little what the mode of transportation was; bicycle or Rolls Royce are all the same in that regard.

I spent much of the summer of my 17th year trying to get a speeding ticket on my bicycle.  I failed.

You were breaking the law and it matters little what the mode of transportation was; bicycle or Rolls Royce are all the same in that regard.

One of the reasons I always drive at speed limit everywhere these days. Sure lot's of people blast around me, but I see them pulled over later every once in a while and I got to smirk at their arrogant foolishness costing them points and maybe higher premiums. Even better when they were driving a fancy Maserati or Porsche or similar. Their money cannot buy them everything.

I'd also add that if there was any demonstrable bias noticed, the expense of the lawsuit and settlement could well break a small town or country and bankrupt it. Just ask Half Moon Bay about lawsuit settlements and their impact--that town is in serious financial difficulties. The officer was correct--he cannot show any bias--he'd risk his job and a big lawsuit.

OK I realize this is going off the original post topic now but mods can mod if appropriate. Thanks for the feedback guys... I appreciate the info and kind words.

I believe that bias does factor into decisions. There was a car following behind me at the time I got pulled over. The officer told me that I was the fastest so I got pulled over. My car is a sporty type BMW. If safety is the primary concern, it makes sense that a big rig semi truck is inherently more dangerous given the similar conditions.

The actual scenario that happened: I drove nice and mellow enjoying the scenery, smells and sounds etc. I am aware that there are hikers, bikers, kids who walk along the road going home. The location of the radar target zone was out of town, right after a nice curve that opens up into a straightaway with wide dirt shoulders that allow plenty of room for pulling cars over. 35mph zone to 55mph. I will admit it was a nice spot and that at that moment I did pick up the speed a tad more for whatever reason. POPAROO!

It's how things went down and what went down tho, that I need to contend with. Two officers, two separate cars just popping people. Good cop pulls me over, takes my info, then bad cop walks over after releasing his write up and decides to take over, impound my car for 30 days, and basically leave me screwed on the side of the road. A good samaritan pulled over and offered to give me a ride into town, but good cop eventually ended up giving me a ride.

So like I said... any traffic attorneys?   No more negativity please.. I have plenty of that to think about as I try to navigate the train/buses to work today.  

wow dude !! that is f@cked-up. i travel that road alot and have never been pulled over there. probably cause i drive a pick-up with tool-boxes and a lumber rack. there is nothing worse than a cop with a bad additude. why cant they at least be polite while ruining our lives ? 

First, impounding your car? That's pretty extreme--he must have given a good reason as he'll get slapped by the judge without one. I don't think we are getting the whole story. But if you insist it was uncalled for then get an attorney and plead your case--don't let it lie that way if you believe it was unjust. I hope you weren't acting like the guy above who thinks he is exempt from speeding safety laws because of his expensive car.

I believe that bias does factor into decisions.

Of course--all humans are somewhat biased. I should have been more clear--they learn pretty quickly not to exhibit "provable bias" the kind that could sway a judge and jury. the choice of who they pull over might seem arbitrary and I am sure it sometimes is--but your proving it in court is a whole different level of challenge.

Public safety officers are human like the rest of us and everyone has biases. And a few people seek public safety for the respect and power. Good officers usually, in most locales, far outweigh those with a power complex, but you have to remember that sometimes your treatment is their reaction to the kind of treatment they've been getting. If you ever get a chance, do a ride along and you'll be surprised just how nasty many people who are clearly in the wrong are and the insults they hurl at officers--I am surprised they don't whack more people on the head or spray them. That one cop might have pulled over a lot of smart mouthed smart asses in BMWs already--he shouldn't let that get to him but some folks are stronger than others.

I know this next bit is preachy--but I have to say it. The best thing to do is drive the speed limit, don't run lights or try to beat yellow, stop all the way at stop signs. Always--not just to avoid tickets--it saves lives. Public roads are no place to speed no matter how good you think you and your car are. You never know when you might have to swerve, debris in the road might make your tires lose traction, or you'll have to stop suddenly--the faster you are going, the less your chances of coming out clean. A lot of people selfishly never think about this until they end up injuring themselves or someone else. It takes more skill and brain power to drive safely than drive fast. A monkey can be taught to have a lead foot--doing it safely is a whole other level of game they cannot do.

I like taking the train into SF and Muni--Bay Area freeways are wild and out of control. Most people drive far too fast for conditions, beyond their ability, and too close together--as a result people get hurt every day many seriously and some die or are disabled for life. All because of selfish unaware driving. Basically, when I see someone speeding they are showing that they believe their time is more precious than my and my family's safety--and that's always wrong. Period.

   No doubt the best thing to do is obey all laws.  That being said justice can be served on a case by case basis.  For somebody that has a good driving record, treats the officer with respect, and is driving a state of the art car with every safety feature available.  You might think that those might be given a little bit of a break, versus the idiots that don't have insurance, have suspended or have never had a license, are driving ill equipped and maintained vehicles and perhaps aren't even here legally.  Not much of a break, but maybe a little break?  I have many friends in law enforcement and used to go on ride alongs all of the time, so I know what they face out there.  I go out of my way whenever I have been pulled over to keep my hands where they can see them and co-operate in every way.  I am a member of the 11-99 foundations, and donate money to them to help the widows and children of fallen CHP officers, and do not expect special treatment for that (although I have experienced it at least once).