Ctkog wrote:
Anyone ever been fingered by an airplane pacer and then ticketed on the ground? I hear they don't really do them much any more. The CHP used to rely heavily on this system of helicopters and small airplanes to monitor traffic, but these days aircraft enforcement has gone out of style. Budget cuts have reduced the number of CHP aircraft and total flying time etc. Also both the air and ground officers have to appear in court if you take the issue to court and it's harder for them to prove they have the right vehicle.
Interesting that you bring this up.
The LAST TICKET that I got was while traveling back into California after I'd moved to Oregon around ten years ago. I was pulling my trailer behind my pickup truck. In California ALL TRAILERS have to be pulled at 55 MPH on the freeways, despite posted 70 MPH speeds. Mine was empty, I was heading down to move stuff from my warehouse.
In the mountains I was running around the posted 70 MPH speed limit while keeping my eyes open. Once I got down onto the flats I slowed to 60 MPH or less, knowing that it was a more heavily enforced area. I saw a CHP pass on the other side of the freeway, far across a treed medium. I kept my eyes in my mirrors.
Sure enough, there came a trooper coming up behind me. My speed was 60 MPH. To my surprise he pulled me over.
He told me he was pulling me over for doing 72 MPH. I looked at him with SHOCK and he obviously knew that I knew that in no way had he clocked me that fast. He then pointed up in the air and said a plane had clocked me 12-15 miles back up the road, which would have been accurate.
I asked him who was flying that day, whether it was John up in the plane. He stuttered and stated that he wasn't sure. What he didn't know was that two of my closest friends were in air ops, one a plane
pilot and the other a helicopter pilot who also headed the division.
My truck sent up a flag because California hadn't sent me my title yet despite the fact that it had been nearly a year since I bought the truck (it WAS insured). At that time California was virtually bankrupt so they were writing tickets for everything they could muster up. So I was ticketed for that, the speeding, tinted windows, and missing a front license plate. I couldn't change my plate without a title and tinted windows were legal in Oregon. He didn't believe I lived in Oregon because I hadn't switched my driver's license over yet LOL.
On the ticket he wrote RADAR. I told him that he didn't get me on radar, that it was by plane. I'd had law enforcement in college and knew that was BS. He had no response and just asked me to sign the ticket. He was obviously trying to avoid having to drag both of them into court if I contested the ticket. To this day I wish I'd have crossed out the word RADAR on the ticket. Today I would have. One more reason that you should ALWAYS pull out your phone and video your encounters with law enforcement.
My air ops buddy said there was no such thing as radar in a plane. The ticket was $475 or more, I can't recall now. I had the plate and tinted windows signed off in Oregon and that reduced the fine to about $275 if I recall correctly. I also wrote a letter to the judge (an option offered in Cali) because I sure as hell wasn't going to drive to California to go to court. My appeal was denied without explanation other than the fees being reduced for the plate and tint. Apparently the CHP officer lied about getting me on radar and that truly pissed me off. I'm certain that the pilot never weighed in.
I'd called my friend after I'd gotten home the next day and he said it was too late to pull the citation or he would have spoken to his guys to see who was flying that day but also that the motor guys weren't part of his division.
After being ticketed, though I'd planned on keeping my warehouse down there ad-infinitum, I immediately closed it down and got the hell out of California forever. I refused to give California any more of my business and hate even driving through today. I literally hate that state, other than the beauty and natural resources. The business climate, politics, regulations, and enforcement are despicable. I'd NEVER go back to live there again, and I always lived in the rural areas, nearly 20 years in all.
Did I deserve that ticket? Yes, for speeding in the mountains, but only because of the trailer. I was 2 MPH over the posted speed limit other than the EMPTY utility trailer. That 55 MPH trailer law is one of the most pathetic in the nation. It's a massive revenue generator for California.
The air ops division up north where I lived had a lot of political clout and I'd be shocked if they were no longer in traffic enforcement. They also did a lot of rescue and emergency victim transport so they were multi use.
Did I mention that I HATE California? I do. Well deserved, and especially with what they've done to violate citizen's gun rights. When I have to head down there it's such a relief to see that sign, 'Welcome to Nevada', on the way back home again.
End of rant...