Quote:
Originally Posted by xQx
While I love the off-topic diversion to prancercise; because who doesn't love prancercise?
I agree with everything except the "admit to what you've done" bit. I've got off a number of fines by following the #1 rule taught to me as a teenager: Never admit guilt.
There are tactics I use to be respectful:
Q: "Do you know what speed you were doing?"
A: "No, I was focusing on the road ahead and the traffic beside me. But I'd trust your judgement ..."
Q: "C'mon mate, you and I both know you were doing well in excess of the speed limit"
A: "Well, honestly, I was focused on the road ahead and behind. I check my speedo regularly, but I was really engaged in the pleasure of the drive. Last time I checked it I was under the limit, but if your radar says I was going over, then that's probably the speed I was doing."
".. I've really got no reason to doubt your judgement..."
... but (here at least) admitting to speeding is the best way to ensure you get a ticket. If you say "oh, I was doing about 130kph" the officer isn't going to write you a ticket for doing 112kph.
Police have seen it 100 times before, they know what you're doing - and what you're doing is keeping your lawyers options open to fight the ticket in court. And what police officer wants to waste a morning in court defending a minor speeding ticket.
... the other thing I love to do is grab my license as soon as I'm pulled over, then get out of the car and walk towards the police car with my license in hand.
It gets one of two reactions (and in the USA, I'd expect it'd get the first reaction only - so I wouldn't recommend that) - either you get told to get back in the car, or the officer walks up to you, in which case, I shake their hand, give them my license with the other, and suggest we stand off the road.
In the latter situation, I find a much greater chance of getting a fine knocked down or turned into a warning. You tend to have a much more relaxed conversation with the officer because you're on equal footing and his arse isn't in danger of being taken out by a passing truck.
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How about this. Do you know how fast you were going? "I have no idea, I was focused on the road"......in Ontario that's called Careless Driving, driving without due care and attention. It's a huge fine and 6 demerit points. When I suggested admitting to what you were doing what my suggestion was "I was probably speeding". or "I was a bit over the limit", or if you want to be coy, "was I speeding officer?" or the officer will often say I stopped you for doing 100KPH in an 80 zone, you could reply, "sorry I didn't realize I was going that fast", I'm not suggesting that when you admit to what you were doing your answer is "I killed Jimmy Hoffa".
