My First Speeding Ticket

On the bike that is. I've never gotten a ticket on my bike before. Lord knows I have certainly deserved them, but this one really pissed me off. Let me first of state that I absolutely deserved a ticket because I was speeding, but here is how it went down.

Grasshopper and I are coming out of downtown Fort Worth and are coming through all of the ON RAMPS to get onto the highway. I see officer friendly sitting all blacked out in his patrol car (against the law - cops must be visible from a distance and if it's at night they must have their running lights on). As I pass him I think "He either got me or he didn't" so I didn't get on the brakes much or anything. In fact, as I passed him I also passed a sign that read 55mph.

So he starts his car up and pulls out onto....get this...the highway! And I immediately start slowing down and signaling to get over. Could I have ran? Oh you bet. For those that aren't familiar with this area it's about four or five on-ramps all coming together to get out of downtown Fort Worth and just ahead was not one, not two, but THREE freeway exits. I'm on a bike. All I had to do was gas it and I'd have been gone before he could get his engine started.....but that's a felony so I pulled over.

This prick walks up to me and doesn't say hello, hi, good evening, nothing. Just "License and insurance." So I get off the bike and pull it all out and give it to him. He then asks if my D/L is accurate and I said "yes." Finally, he said "I'm giving you a ticket for 69 in a 40." WHAT? I said, "Ummm....I thought this is an on-ramp for the highway?" He said "it is, but it's posted 40." Now, I've already pointed out that I passed a sign that said 55mph before he could even get his car started and I'm practically parked under one that says 60. Again, yes I was speeding, but there are major differences in penalties and infractions for say 15mph over the speed limit vs. 29 mph over the speed limit. He doesn't say jack shit, writes my ticket and brings it back to me. In the meantime Grasshopper rode by waving at me. Thanks.

Again, nothing. Not a word. Hands me my ticket and the pen to sign it. Then he tears it off and says "have a nice day." Fucking dick.

Later on I am checking out the ticket. He marked it:

• posted - this is B.S. It's a FREAKING ON RAMP
• sign - don't know what the difference is between this and the previous one.
• night - duh!
• urban - Ummm...do you see any freaking houses on the highway? Are there any kiddies with their bikes riding up and down the gutters? Are you out of your freaking mind? It's a merger of four different highways. Nobody is watering their patch of grass along the on-ramp to I-35.

Because of all of this, and the mph thing, I can't take a MSF or defensive driving to wipe the ticket. I'm going to go see a lawyer and try to get deferred adjudication. That's basicaly probation and if you don't get any tickets over the next 90 days they expunge it. You still have to pay the fine, though, and this one is definitely going to sting. So much for buying that iPod.

I'd much rather get a ticket for something like 100mph in a 70. It's much cooler and it least you can have some pride in it. This makes it sound like i was speeding through a residential neighborhood (which I never do). My only saving grace? Office dickhead didn't notice my inspection was out.