Ticket

[cabbynum]

So just now I got home and I got pulled over for my first time. It's 12:00 am here right now, I was doing 60mph in a 45mph zone. I honestly didn't notice I was going so fast until after the cop had already clocked me. I was very polite and he took my license, came back and just told me not to speed and to be careful out there on the roads this late at night, I apologized profusely. He didn't say anything about a ticket or anything like that. He just said to be careful. Does that mean I got off easy?

[thalbergmad]

Sounds like you got off easy. Cops in England tend to be a lot harder with younger drivers, as statistically, they have/cause more accidents.

Being polite no doubt helped you and so did the time as well. If roads are clear, speeding is not deemed as dangerous.

Thal

[iansinclair]

Been there, done that... as Thal says, you got off sort of easy -- but the real secret to "getting off easy" is that you were polite and calm.  In many places, the constabulary really doesn't want to sock you with a fine (there are exceptions... some small towns in the southern USA or upstate New York get half their income that way!) -- they just want to remind you to stay safe.

I could tell you a funny story about getting out of a reckless driving ticket more or less that way -- but it would take too long.

[oxy60]

Be careful, though when driving in Spain. The traffic enforcement has been given over to the Guardia Civil. You will remember them for their tactics during the civil war and you will remember your encounter for a long time.

Even though your fellow drivers are flying by you, ignoring the speed limit signs, don't do the same.

[iansinclair]

Be careful, though when driving in Spain. The traffic enforcement has been given over to the Guardia Civil. You will remember them for their tactics during the civil war and you will remember your encounter for a long time.

Even though your fellow drivers are flying by you, ignoring the speed limit signs, don't do the same.

Yeah -- it does vary from place to place.  Same thing is true about speeding in Quebec, Canada.  The locals drive like maniacs -- but the police will pull you over every time, if you have out of Province (never mind US) plates.