SuperCarrera

Maybe its because I just got my red Carrera that this "surprised" me but....

I was on my way back from my first PCA DE event at Sebring today (BTW -- really great local group here and a very positive initial experience!) -- this drive involves about an hour and 15 minutes of 2-lane country roads through the total "boonies" of Florida (no offense to the small communities along this route which will remain "nameless"!).

It had been real foggy on the drive over so I took it easy and didn't try to "make time" and was in the same mode on the way back; cruise control engaged as a "safety precaution" at about 68 MPH in the 60 MPH zone (in Florida, 10 MPH is pretty much an absolutely safe margin). I caught up to a couple of trucks and disengaged the cruise and brought it down to about 63-65 and followed with no intention of passing as I was with a friend and we were busy discussing his current car options (he's currently looking to buy his first Porsche).

After a little while, we passed a State Trooper who had a vehicle pulled over. We both noticed the Trooper really "eyeing" us but thought nothing of it other than maybe he probably "wished" he was not occupied so he could have had the opportunity to "zap" the Porsche instead of the "normal" vehicle he was involved with.

We get another few miles down the road to the first small community and I back down in anticipation of the reduced speed limit. Well, before I even get to the speed zone, I see a local Police Officer on the side of the road ahead pull onto the road, come by me, turn around and get behind me and turn his lights on.

My friend and I look at each other like -- what's up with this? He comes up to the window and after checking my license, registration, etc., informs me that I'm being pulled over because a State Trooper just saw me pass him doing over 100 MPH!!! After the "shock" dissipated, I "informed" him that it wasn't me and didn't he know there was a Porsche event at the track (i.e -- LOTS of red Porsches!), etc. His reply, which was "accented" by a simple, country grin, was "but you're the only red Porsche to come by here so it must be you..."! When I explained that the "guilty" car could easily have turned off somewhere in the several miles since I saw the Trooper he simply said there were few, if any places to do that (all the while we're pulled over on a side road that has at least one connecting road in front of us that runs parallel to the main highway!)

Luckily, although he didn't believe me, he was "respectful" in his disagreement (kept giving that country grin every time he said I "must" be the one that did it!) and I said I would wait for the State Trooper to come up and "I.D." me.

Well, the Trooper arrives shortly thereafter and comes hauling up behind me and stops his car in a diagonal "blocking" position behind mine -- he jumps out and hurries over to my window and says "going a little fast today, are we?..."

I give him my (honest) response and ask if he saw me following those two trucks as I passed him (at a very normal speed). He then says "well, you "looked" like you were coming down from high speed and we had a "report" of a red Porsche doing over 100 MPH.." (translation -- nobody actually saw anything!)

Well, he also was actually very nice about it as he just gave me the "required" lecture on keeping my speed down and told me he had already gotten two Porsches from that track event today.

Here's the "killer" -- we get no more than a mile down the road and turn onto the next main highway and there, parked over to the right in a little wooded parking lot (maybe "hiding"?) is a red Porsche 930!!! I was really shocked that these Police Officers were pulling me over just because a reported "phantom" speeding red Porsche just had to be me when there were obviously many others in the area today.

So...mystery red Porsche driver out there -- I almost paid your dues today!!! (I'm also posting this to the 911 and 911 Turbo boards to see if that Bradenton, Florida 930 was "the one" -- it pulled back onto the road and followed us all the way to I-75 and then continued on into Bradenton...)

Anyway, sorry for the long post but this was a new one for this Porsche "newbie"...

Bill L Seifert

With Fla being my favorite vacation state, I spend a lot of time there, and drive a 91 911 Cab, also red, so I know the problem. I really don't think that they can convict you unless they have some evidence, radar, following, etc. With you living in Fla, if you ever get a ticket, I would sure fight it hard.

A year or so ago, I got a ticket on the turnpike between Fla City and Miami, and because I live in Tenn, I wasn't going to fight it, but I got three letters from lawyers in south Fla, wanting to fight the ticket. I guess they found out through records from the police. Anyway, I had already paid it, but next time I am fighting it, cause the lawyers said all I had to do was pay them $100 (I think), if they won, I obviously owed nothing else, if they lost, all I had to pay was the ticket, and them nothing. Good deal I thought.

Fight em.

Bill

lear60man

Porsche = Target. I had my old 911SC for about 6 hours before my first ticket 'Driving with the brights on.' The light bulb behind the dash had fallen out so I didn't know the brights were on. I was 27 with a good looking girl driving home to our house in Malibu. Talk about having the odds stacked against you. The Sherif deputy who looked like Fester, didn't want hear anything that sounded like an excuse. I fought the ticket. The judge heard about 10 cases before mine involving DUI's, excessive speed ETC. She heard my case and dismissed the case "In the interest of justice."

I can understand that some Police Officers cannot afford a Porsche. But that's no reason to give us a hard time. Most of us are very responsible law abiding citizens. Just because I have a car that will go 150MPH doesn't mean I drive it like a holligan.

Sorry for the Bandwith, struck a nerve. BTW My dad was a Sheriff and I have respect for the law enforcement community. But with every given group of people there are good and bad apples.

Stephen Smith

As a lawyer your stories really make me laugh. I know exactly how you feel. I have this image of a police officer full of all his law enforcement equipment with handcuffs, gun, torch, multitools, spray etc. etc. (and ticket book) whose probably just finished his 3 Big Macs at McDonalds and needs a target someone to satisfy his own self righteous respect for the law. He's probably already got the urge for some donuts and coffee.
A lot of times, police don't know that you were speeding but they say, "What's your reason for doing 100kph?" If you say, "Well I know I was going fast but not 100" Bang! You've made an admission and that can be used against you. Always, stand up for your rights, ask to see the speed detection device and never admit to speeding, there's no onus on you to furnish the police with evidence against yourself. And maybe, even if you could think that you were speeding the fact is that maybe in reality you weren't so if a police officer is doing his job properly he will be able to prove his case by having a proper speed measuring device.
I'm not saying break the law, but police do make mistakes and work on hunches and psychology to get evidence.
However, sometimes there is little you can do and a ticket will issue. It is one thing to be firm in your belief, but rudeness and indignation can get you into trouble.
Happy days
Regards
93 964 C2 Tip
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SuperCarrera

A funny thought "developed" as a post-incident "...now that would have been the perfect comeback..." kind of thing (the "too late to use it" timing is either fortunate or unfortunate -- depending on how much "risk" one is willing to take with over-eager small-town law enforcement!).

The police officers had accused me of doing over 100 mph (in a 60 mph zone) -- it turns out that 60 mph is almost exactly 100 KPH. I could have just said "Why, yes, I do believe you are correct that I was doing 100 -- but your observer must have forgotten to convert the figure back to mph!!!..." <img src="graemlins/roflmao.gif" border="0" alt="[hiha]" />