ALLAN IS A SPEEDER- Read My Story, judge me

In April I was pulled over on a straight stretch driving my '83 Crew Cab towing my trailer. I had assumed it was because the truck only had lap belts and figured the officer didn't see a shoulder belt and thought I wasn't wearing a seatbelt.

He told me I was going 67mph in a 55. I was a bit shocked, beings that I have driven on this highway for 10+ years and know what 55mph feels like. I also know I'm not perfect and have sped on occasion but that speeding is not a common habit of mine; and at this point in time I had no speedometer and was basing my speed on how fast things were going past, and the sound of the motor and feel of the truck (454 with 4.10 gears and 31" rated tall tires and no overdrive). I had seen the Patrol car driving towards me and maintained my speed, confident I wasn't speeding or at least was real close to 55.

He was nice about it though, and since my speedometer didn't work, I couldn't dispute anything. I was open to the fact I could have made an error in speed judgement.

Later that day I took the truck to Portland and borrowed my friend's GPS for a speedometer. At 60mph the motor was fairly well wound out. At 65 the truck has a certain vibration and motor sounds pretty rapped out. At 70 it feels like thats about the max I should push it. 67 mph on the GPS felt and sounded very different than the speed I was cruising at just before I was pulled over.

Well, I had my doubts about going 67 at the time, but hey, no way to disprove it before a court of law. So I went to a mitigated hearing, and had two options: Pay $80 and the ticket is a permanent stain on a clean driving record (I have never before in over 10 years been cited or warned for speeding). Or pay the full $122 and if I receive no moving violations in 1 year, the ticket is dropped and my record stays clean.

No problem, as long as I drive the same way I normally have the last 10 years, and if I drive a rig with no speedometer make sure I feel like I'm going 5 or 10 under and just let people behind me get pissed and pass me for holding them up (what usually happens anyway when I drive).

Today June 4th, 2007, I went and looked at an '82 Chevy 1-ton 4x4 with a 292 6-cylinder, 4spd manual and 4.56 gears. I figured it would be a slow truck with stock size tires and 4.56's and the owner said the fastest he had it was 60mph, and that was pushing it on a straight stretch on the highway.

I bought the truck and was headed out of Springdale, Wa. at a 25mph corner. At about mid corner I shifted from 3rd to 4th gear to start accelerating at the 55mph sign right after the corner. Just after I shifted I saw a police car that was following another truck pull over on the opposing shoulder then come right behind us (myself in the 6-cyl truck and a friend driving behind me following me home). I assumed he had some reason to turn around there and head back to the main highway. He followed for a while as we proceeded up a hill right after th 55mph sign and the truck struggled to maintain 45 up the grade.

His lights came on and we both pulled over.

He came up to me and said "You were going over 65 mph back there".

At this point, me being a patient person, I had to hold my tongue from being rude, and ask him again, "I was going 65 in this truck??"

He wrote both of us tickets and said he was doing us a favor by writing us a 60 in a 55 zone. But he said he could have written us a $240+ ticket for going 65 around the corner in a 25.

I told him I had just shifted the truck at the corner from 3rd to 4th and the truck had 4.56 gears. His response was "Yeah, this think screams" as he looked at the truck. In a dazed, confused and slightly angered state of mind, I said nothing, and he left as I stayed behind.

I talked to Dave and told him to verify my speed as I shift from 3rd to 4th. So we went to the top of the hill and I drove exactly to the best of my ability as I did as I went around the corner when I shifted. The speedometer checked out at 35 mph and then he followed me the rest of the way to the main highway and I drove the fastest I had since I pulled the truck out of the guy's driveway 25 minutes earlier. Top speed was just under 50.

I went onto the main highway, accelerated as fast as the truck could, and the fastest speed at any point in time on the return trip counting going downhill in gear, was not over 55 (53 on fastest average).

Now, am I just desperate to clear my record by making up stories and excuses? Or is something wrong here. Frankly, I am pissed, and for me to get angry like this only comes once in a while when I feel and know I've been wronged.

When I do things wrong and improper, I admit to it. I'm not perfect, I make mistakes, I screw up. But I will not admit to doing 65 or even 60 in this case. There's just no way. I guess I just can't drive anywhere anymore, cause when cops see me coming, appearantly I'm a speeder, though most people who know me tend to make fun of me for driving too slowly or like a grandma.

Maybe I'm wrong? Should I just accept I was speeding this 2nd time as well, as I have in the past accepted blame for things I have not done. But this time my record is on the line. If this ticket goes on my record, I'll have two blemishes where since 1996-April 2007 I had no moving violations and no warnings. Yet every time I drive I always have people fly by me and they always get away with it. I know life's not fair, but come on. I can't just sit around this 2nd time I take blame for something that didn't occur.

Other points of Irony:

I am always the one getting passed by people, even those who know me.

At Mud Races I have slow vehicles

On the road I have slow vehicles

Most of my trucks have a hard time achieveing the speed limit

I have driven on instinct most times I drive, with or without a speedometer, and in the past 10+ years every time I have passed cops, I have not sped nor been clocked as speeding until April 2007.

I always complain to myself and sometimes my passengers about people who drive too fast

People sometimes complain to me about driving too slow

My dad taught me to drive cautious and obey the laws- he never got a ticket in his life- I was determined to keep a record like his, but how can I when stuff like this happens?? Hope you understand and know the truth up where you are Dad!

Again, I have nothing but respect for the State Patrol, Police Department, and other law enforcement agencies and individuals who protect our rights and laws. Anything I have written here is not to bash the system. Sometimes mistakes are made; and I hate to sound overly self confident cause I'm usually not, but in this case I can't admit to a mistake I didn't make.

AS OF 11pm THE NIGHT OF THIS TICKET- I WILL BE DRIVING TO IONE AND AM WORRIED-

Plan A:
Drive 20mph under the speed limit and take forever to get there

Plan B:
Drive the speed limit as I typically do and get pulled over for speeding again

Plan C??
Actually speed like most people who normally pass me and maybe I won't get pulled over since no one else who speeds does?

I'm opting for plan B, so wish me luck, the way it's been, I'll need it.

RESOLUTION: I subpoena'd the officer to appear at my hearing. I received notice that the officer would not be able to appear, so the court issued a second court date for me. Dave subpoena'd the officer for his hearing 2 weeks later. We both appeared and the Judge stated ahead of time we could both take care of our tickets at the same time as they were from the same officer at the same time. (Rather than me having to come up again in another 3 weeks). Then we were informed that the officer failed to appear at this hearing as well, so the Judge made the decision to drop the two tickets.

In a way I wish the officer had shown up. We both had the ticket dropped on the technicality of the officer not showing, and the Judge's last words to us were "Just slow down out there". I really wanted to prove that neither of us was speeding, and in fact, we were going below the speed limit. But in a way, it was simpler just having it dismissed, and I didnt have to sit down and show all my evidence. However, it does make me wonder why after being subpoena'd two times, two different days and times, why the officer did not appear either date when sufficient advance warning was given??