[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Radar Detectors - Now With Poll (Page 1 of 3)
Posted: 1/18/2011 8:00:23 AM EDT
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I've been pondering these devices and I can't decide between the two arguments.
Radar Detectors: 1. Have legitimate uses for non law enforcement. Besides that, it's an issue of personal freedom. 2. Have no legitimate uses for non law enforcement. They are the tool of repeat offenders. Thoughts? Edit: Title. Herp Derp.   
Edit 2: Poll |
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I don't even see the legitimate use for law enforcement...
RADAR detectors are there to help people speed and get away with it. The authoritarian side of me says, "ban them". The freedom loving civilian in me says "I'm glad we are free to own them". However, the authoritarian side of me also says many nasty things which I will not repeat here for fear of being flamed...so I'll just stick with the freedom loving civilian discussion for now. |
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I have been pulled over for speeding 3 times in my adult life. all 3 invovled a radar detector.
~73 in a 55. Ticket. Talked to DA, and negotiated $200 and written as 5 over. Radar on, never went off. I still swear cop made up the number, because I was actually going faster. 75 in a 65. Ticket. In ND, so the fine was $20. I was armed to the teeth, Sherriff didn't care. Nice guy, I took the lump. Radar on, came up over a hill as he did, instant on. 63 in a 55. No ticket. Had radar on, sound pot was dirty, so no audible alert was given. I saw the cop, looked at the radar, knew I was toast. Pulled over, while he spun around. Told him the truth..just lost track of my speed. Told me to slow down, no ticket. I did have veteran plates for this stop. Didn't for the others. YMMV....But in all this time, there are exponentially more instances where the radar saved my bacon. After spending 5 years in ND where the speed is 65/75, coming to WI where it's 55/65, I still have the old speeds on the brain. I'm looking at replacing my radar, need to sell a few things first. Valentine 1 when I can afford it. |
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I consider them a "stupid tax" Sort of like pre-paying the fine BEFORE you get caught.
Gotten enough tickets over the years to wallpaper the living room. (curse you BMW)
I've found that just being pleasant and honest with the officer gives me a pretty good chance at at a warning, and I don't have to drop $300 on some glorified garage door opener. |
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Quoted: Radar detectors just help me find the local walmart, so I don't bother with them anymore.I've been pondering these devices and I can't decide between the two arguments. Radar Detectors: 1. Have legitimate uses for non law enforcement. Besides that, it's an issue of personal freedom. 2. Have no legitimate uses for non law enforcement. They are the tool of repeat offenders. Thoughts? Edit: Title. Herp Derp. |
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Radar detectors just help me find the local walmart, so I don't bother with them anymore.
I've been pondering these devices and I can't decide between the two arguments. Radar Detectors: 1. Have legitimate uses for non law enforcement. Besides that, it's an issue of personal freedom. 2. Have no legitimate uses for non law enforcement. They are the tool of repeat offenders. Thoughts? Edit: Title. Herp Derp. I think you tend to get a lot of false signals if you don't get a high end device. |
The only times I have ever gotten a ticket I did not have one with me. 
It was things like 55 in a 45 because I didnt' see the lower sign. I do not have a radar detector but I do have a radar locator...Valentine 1. 
It alerts me when there is an wreck being attended by DPS/LEO, an ambulance or fire truck ahead so I can slow way down and move over without waiting until the last second. BigDozer66 |
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I have been pulled over for speeding 3 times in my adult life. all 3 invovled a radar detector. ~73 in a 55. Ticket. Talked to DA, and negotiated $200 and written as 5 over. Radar on, never went off. I still swear cop made up the number, because I was actually going faster. 75 in a 65. Ticket. In ND, so the fine was $20. I was armed to the teeth, Sherriff didn't care. Nice guy, I took the lump. Radar on, came up over a hill as he did, instant on. 63 in a 55. No ticket. Had radar on, sound pot was dirty, so no audible alert was given. I saw the cop, looked at the radar, knew I was toast. Pulled over, while he spun around. Told him the truth..just lost track of my speed. Told me to slow down, no ticket. I did have veteran plates for this stop. Didn't for the others. YMMV....But in all this time, there are exponentially more instances where the radar saved my bacon. After spending 5 years in ND where the speed is 65/75, coming to WI where it's 55/65, I still have the old speeds on the brain. I'm looking at replacing my radar, need to sell a few things first. Valentine 1 when I can afford it. First and only time I got a speeding ticket was with a radar detector. Cop wrote the fact I had a radar detector on his copy of the ticket. Dumped the radar detector. My brother is a cop and even he could not do anything to get me out of the ticket. I dumped the radar and slowed down. Problems solved |
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Other drivers do f'd up thing when they see a cop. If I have a detector running, I know in advance that I am about to hit an area where the vehicles around me may behave erratically.
Also, I view radar as covert surveillance, and want to know if I am being watched. |
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They serve one purpose only to avoid speeding tickets. Sure do! Love mine. It has saved my bacon many times from the revenue collectors who pretend to give a rats ass about safety. I don't speed in town, but out in the country its another story. I tend to run with the pack so I usually pick them up when they are clocking the folks in front of me. |
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They serve one purpose only to avoid speeding tickets. Sure do! Love mine. It has saved my bacon many times from the revenue collectors who pretend to give a rats ass about safety. I don't speed in town, but out in the country its another story. I tend to run with the pack so I usually pick them up when they are clocking the folks in front of me. My average subdivision speeding ticket is 18+ over. Yeah, I don't think that's revenue, it's about slowing people down so they don't run over the walkers and kids. |
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They serve one purpose only to avoid speeding tickets. Sure do! Love mine. It has saved my bacon many times from the revenue collectors who pretend to give a rats ass about safety. I don't speed in town, but out in the country its another story. I tend to run with the pack so I usually pick them up when they are clocking the folks in front of me. My average subdivision speeding ticket is 18+ over. Yeah, I don't think that's revenue, it's about slowing people down so they don't run over the walkers and kids. I will give you that. Around here they sit in the middle of no where bothering folks not doing anything wrong. |
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They serve one purpose only to avoid speeding tickets. ....in your opinion. Ok, I give up. What else are they used for? Many now have weather alerts, traffic conditions, emergency vehicle notification, etc. I suppose people only own guns so they can kill people, right? 
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Other drivers do f'd up thing when they see a cop. If I have a detector running, I know in advance that I am about to hit an area where the vehicles around me may behave erratically. Also, I view radar as covert surveillance, and want to know if I am being watched. ETA: I really don't even speed. |
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They serve one purpose only to avoid speeding tickets. ....in your opinion. Ok, I give up. What else are they used for? Many now have weather alerts, traffic conditions, emergency vehicle notification, etc. I suppose people only own guns so they can kill people, right? 
Wow, you actually try to equate people using a radar detector to avoid speeding tickets to firearms ownership. Wow. |
Wow, you actually try to equate people using a radar detector to avoid speeding tickets to firearms ownership.
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My STi Driver has paid for itself many times over. It serves as a friendly reminder to be vigilant. LE wants to be lazy and leave their radar on, no ticket for me. Really useful driving cross country where you are not familiar with the sudden drops in the speed limit. ETA: Add a GPS with speed limits built in, and you are ready to roll cross country.
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Two words about radar detector benefit:
"situational awareness" (BTW, in some states such as MA and VT they put radar-band transmitters on highway construction signs to help slow down traffic approaching highway work zones) ETA: It's post 666 - the devil made me do it. |
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My STi Driver has paid for itself many times over. It serves as a friendly reminder to be vigilant. LE wants to be lazy and leave their radar on, no ticket for me. Really useful driving cross country where you are not familiar with the sudden drops in the speed limit. ETA: Add a GPS with speed limits built in, and you are ready to roll cross country. The speed limits in the GPS units can be wrong. Speed limits change and I believe they quit making the units that give the limits. |
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I don't care if people have them.
Seems people that have them think they're invisible to radar so they go fast everywhere....that just keeps the cops busy so i can ride on through. I say give them to everybody...the people that i know that get the most tickets are the ones that run the detectors. |