My First Time

[The Pirate]

I did a 300 mile jaunt last night, and made good time.  I saw a few coppers, but nobody chased me.

[dazzleman]

I did a 300 mile jaunt last night, and made good time.  I saw a few coppers, but nobody chased me.

What was your top speed? 

[Rupert]

Radar detectors used to be illegal in Connecticut, but the law was repealed a while back.

When they were still illegal, I was riding with my buddy up to Boston.  He used a radar detector, and of course sped incessantly.  He got nailed by instant-on radar barely 10 miles into Connecticut.  Luckily, he was able to stash his radar detector under the seat before the cop caught up with him, so he only got a ticket for speeding.

You could use a radar detector if you were careful about it.

Good thing the copper didn't have a radar detector detector. Or did your friend have a radar detector detector detector?

[dazzleman]

Good thing the copper didn't have a radar detector detector. Or did your friend have a radar detector detector detector?

I think he did.....

Actually, he was lucky the cops were using the 'tag team' method to stop speeders.  A cop stood on the side of the road and pointed to him to pull over, and the cop who was going to actually write the ticket didn't arrive until a couple of minutes later in a car.  That gave my buddy a chance to stash the radar detector without a cop directly behind him, and saved him from an additional costly ticket.

After that, he almost got nailed two more times, but was saved by the radar detector.  That would have been one hell of a trip if he'd gotten 3 tickets between New York and Boston....

[Soup DeVille]

Good thing the copper didn't have a radar detector detector. Or did your friend have a radar detector detector detector?

Most good radar detectors are invisible to the most common radar detector-detectors.

[The Pirate]

What was your top speed? 

I nudged it up to 90 mph a few times, on stretches of road that I know well.  Otherwise, I'll generally stay in the 74 mph range for night driving.  I don't use a radar detector, so it's tough to watch for cops, but most NY Troopers aren't going to touch you for 9 over.  Plus, you have to watch for deer and other critters.

My time was foiled at the end.  The last 40 miles of 88 E was bad; slick roads and poor visibility.  My pace dropped substantially.

[Raghavan]

your first time?  Didn't hurt too much, did it?

[dazzleman]

I nudged it up to 90 mph a few times, on stretches of road that I know well.  Otherwise, I'll generally stay in the 74 mph range for night driving.  I don't use a radar detector, so it's tough to watch for cops, but most NY Troopers aren't going to touch you for 9 over.  Plus, you have to watch for deer and other critters.

My time was foiled at the end.  The last 40 miles of 88 E was bad; slick roads and poor visibility.  My pace dropped substantially.

Sorry to hear your pace dropped.  That's annoying when you think you're making good time.

90 mph is pretty fun.  I hit 95 mph last week.  I'm hoping to hit triple digits again soon....

[Soup DeVille]

Sorry to hear your pace dropped.  That's annoying when you think you're making good time.

90 mph is pretty fun.  I hit 95 mph last week.  I'm hoping to hit triple digits again soon....

Yesterday, today...

[dazzleman]

Yesterday, today...

Stop making me jealous, man.....

[Soup DeVille]

Stop making me jealous, man.....

One of the very few benefits of having a long commute and odd hours...

[The Pirate]

One of the very few benefits of having a long commute and odd hours...

How long is your commute?

[Soup DeVille]

How long is your commute?

43 miles each way.

[dazzleman]

43 miles each way.

not horrible.....especially at those speeds....what are your hours?

[Soup DeVille]

not horrible.....especially at those speeds....what are your hours?

I need to be here to get reports from both day and night shifts, so 5 PM to 2 AM.

The 5 PM run is sort of trafficky, but opposite the prevaling flow at that time. The 2 AM trip (sometimes done at 3 or 4) I'll see maybe two dozen other cars on a quiet night.

[dazzleman]

I need to be here to get reports from both day and night shifts, so 5 PM to 2 AM.

The 5 PM run is sort of trafficky, but opposite the prevaling flow at that time. The 2 AM trip (sometimes done at 3 or 4) I'll see maybe two dozen other cars on a quiet night.

What type of work do you do, man?

[The Pirate]

I need to be here to get reports from both day and night shifts, so 5 PM to 2 AM.

The 5 PM run is sort of trafficky, but opposite the prevaling flow at that time. The 2 AM trip (sometimes done at 3 or 4) I'll see maybe two dozen other cars on a quiet night.

Yeah, I take back any bitching I've ever done about having to work crappy shifts.

[dazzleman]

Yeah, I take back any bitching I've ever done about having to work crappy shifts.

...but think of the speeding opportunities at 2AM.....it's enough to make me salivate...

[TheIntrepid]

What type of work do you do, man?

He commutes to the Red Light District in his Deville.

[The Pirate]

...but think of the speeding opportunities at 2AM.....it's enough to make me salivate...

Very true.  I couple of years back, I worked summers in the shipping department of a local cutlery manufacturer (they hired college students for summer help), and I was on 3rd shift.  We were regularly scheduled from 10 pm to 6 am, but sometimes there wouldn't be a ton of orders to fill, and some of us would get sent home early.  There isn't much going on at 4 am, and I'd have a blast ripping down back roads and highways before I went home.

[Soup DeVille]

What type of work do you do, man?

I program machinery, among other tasks.

[Soup DeVille]

Yeah, I take back any bitching I've ever done about having to work crappy shifts.

Part of that was my decision because of child care arrangements. Not to say the management wasn't ecstctic to get a night tech, but anyways...

[Soup DeVille]

He commutes to the Red Light District in his Deville.

I don't commute in the Deville. duh!

Besides, it has no paint on it right now.

[dazzleman]

Very true.  I couple of years back, I worked summers in the shipping department of a local cutlery manufacturer (they hired college students for summer help), and I was on 3rd shift.  We were regularly scheduled from 10 pm to 6 am, but sometimes there wouldn't be a ton of orders to fill, and some of us would get sent home early.  There isn't much going on at 4 am, and I'd have a blast ripping down back roads and highways before I went home.

Speed is my drug, man.  I have always loved to speed, and relished the opportunity to do it on the rare occasions when I can drive on a road with little to no traffic.

One time that really sticks out is when I was coming back from Myrtle Beach, SC and stopped overnight in Rockville, MD on a Saturday evening.  My brother was with me and needed to be home early on Sunday afternoon, so we left Rockville before 7AM. 

Man, was that drive a f$*king blast.  The presence of cops ticketing other drivers only made it even more fun.  A few times, I saw cops, but they were either on the other side of the road, or already ticketing somebody.  In southern New Jersey, there was a major sting with about 10 cars pulled over on the other side of the road.  I blew right past all of it, laughing my ass off.  Even if I'd been guaranteed a ticket, I wouldn't have slowed down a bit.  It would have been well worth it.  Great drive, one of my favorites ever...

[bing_oh]

To answer the questions about radar and laser...

All (modern) radars will clock vehicles on the move in the opposite direction. The radar actually has two readings, one for the target and one for the crusier. They don't have to be connected to the vehicle speedometer in any way to do this...the internal computer somehow differentiates between the speed of the car and the speed of the tracked vehicle (don't ask me how...that's a tech thing and not something that I was ever taught or have to know when operating the radar).  Some of the new high-end radars will clock same-direction vehicles as well, though my experience with them is rather limited (as I said, they're the high-end units and I've always worked for departments that believe in "low bid" when it comes to equipment). The few times that I have used them, I thought they seemed overly prone to cosine errors.

As for laser, unlike radar where an extreme angle will have an effect on the speed measurement (in favor of the targeted vehicle, just FYI), the laser doesn't seem to be effected by the angle at which a target is clocked. Maybe it's because too extreme of an angle will return with an error as opposed to a speed reading. I assume that the internal computer calculates the amount of laser light being returned and an extreme angle will cause too much of the beam to reflect in another direction to meet the minimum return criteria for the laser to give a speed reading.

[dazzleman]

To answer the questions about radar and laser...

All (modern) radars will clock vehicles on the move in the opposite direction. The radar actually has two readings, one for the target and one for the crusier. They don't have to be connected to the vehicle speedometer in any way to do this...the internal computer somehow differentiates between the speed of the car and the speed of the tracked vehicle (don't ask me how...that's a tech thing and not something that I was ever taught or have to know when operating the radar).  Some of the new high-end radars will clock same-direction vehicles as well, though my experience with them is rather limited (as I said, they're the high-end units and I've always worked for departments that believe in "low bid" when it comes to equipment). The few times that I have used them, I thought they seemed overly prone to cosine errors.

As for laser, unlike radar where an extreme angle will have an effect on the speed measurement (in favor of the targeted vehicle, just FYI), the laser doesn't seem to be effected by the angle at which a target is clocked. Maybe it's because too extreme of an angle will return with an error as opposed to a speed reading. I assume that the internal computer calculates the amount of laser light being returned and an extreme angle will cause too much of the beam to reflect in another direction to meet the minimum return criteria for the laser to give a speed reading.

No congratulations to Trep on his first real run-in with the boys in blue? 

[CALL_911]

So while we're on the topic of this thread, I would like to share a wonderful card my father has received from one of his patients, known as a Policemans Benevolent Association card. Because one of his patients was a cop, and he helped her get rid of cancer.

Basically he took the BMW out on the LIE heading east, and was doing like 85-90 in a 55. The roads were completely empty, so he thought it was okay. He did get stopped, but got away free because of that card. There's another great incentive to be a doctor.

[dazzleman]

So while we're on the topic of this thread, I would like to share a wonderful card my father has received from one of his patients, known as a Policemans Benevolent Association card. Because one of his patients was a cop, and he helped her get rid of cancer.

Basically he took the BMW out on the LIE heading east, and was doing like 85-90 in a 55. The roads were completely empty, so he thought it was okay. He did get stopped, but got away free because of that card. There's another great incentive to be a doctor.

Well, that was a nice benefit.  The LIE is a great road to speed on at off hours.  I've done some good speeding on the LIE, but I haven't driven it much in recent years.

[CALL_911]

Well, that was a nice benefit.  The LIE is a great road to speed on at off hours.  I've done some good speeding on the LIE, but I haven't driven it much in recent years.

Funny you say that, because I know for a fact that my dad has had his fair number of triple-digit speeds done on the LIE. In fact, his little bro took out our A4 for a meeting somewhere out east, and told my dad he took it to 120. My dad just laughed. Then there's my mother who I've never seen drive over 60 mph. Women drivers. 

[dazzleman]

Funny you say that, because I know for a fact that my dad has had his fair number of triple-digit speeds done on the LIE. In fact, his little bro took out our A4 for a meeting somewhere out east, and told my dad he took it to 120. My dad just laughed. Then there's my mother who I've never seen drive over 60 mph. Women drivers.