So I got ANOTHER speeding ticket last weekend and will likely lose my license again as a result for exceding maximum points. I finally decided I’m going to bite the bullet and get a CB Radio with low profile antenna on my car for long hauls. Anyone with input?
Wow, people still use CBs? I’d thought that cell phones make them obsolete (except in low-coverage areas, I guess).
Truckers all use them, a few friends of mine had them in their cars in college for fun and also because every time a trucker passes a policeman, they call out fuzz at marker X or whatever. CB’s with a low profile antenna generally get a 5-20 mile range, so you’re basically constantly getting updates on traffic, weather and police from the truckers. Plus I do a lot of whitewater kayaking & back country skiing and it would be cool to have it to communicate with the other cars on our rural weekend trips.
Why don’t you get a radar detector? The best ones are: Valentine One and Escort.
Radar detectors are largely useless based on available research, particularly if the officer is sitting behind an obstruction with a radar pointed perpendicular to the road as you pass (worst type). They’re either telling you “hey, you just got a ticket” or they’re beeping their heads off saying “hey look, electronic billboard 3 miles away!”. Not to mention, radar detectors are even illegal in many states. Plus, many police use trigger guns where they pull the trigger to activate the radar. In these cases your detector will likely not go off until you’re already being clocked. With a CB, I have a device that costs less, and takes up the same amount of space, can be used in an emergency or breakdown (or when cell has no service), gives me weather advisory channels for my back country expeditions, allows me to communicate with friends, has traffic info from truckers, and will reliably tell me when an officer is sitting somewhere up to 20 miles away.
Have you heard of the app: WAZE. For Android and IOS. It’s a community based traffic and navigation app. What I like is that it has a feature where you update where police cars are. It’s real time from the other users of WAZE. Check it out: www.waze.com
I just read a couple articles on it and most of the after testing have confirmed that the new trigger radar guns and laser systems outperform the detectors in every case.
CDM, I’ve heard of WAZE, but I’ve never heard of people that reliably take the time to enter in police locations, so data is hit or miss to begin with, and possibly stale if the police are moving between positions. Plus I don’t want to have to watch my phone, I’d rather just tune in to the CB which I’ve witnessed in action and it works pretty much foolproof.
Normally, cops don’t have laser systems. They cant afford it :DD
Most departments are currently going over to them.
I have extensive experience with speeding and owned a few laser/radar detectors. Basically what it boils down to is this: Cops these days use 3 bands: K Ka and Laser Any good detector will work great with K and Ka, it will generally alert you in advance and you’ll have time to slow down. These are typically used in more local driving and off highway roads with the cops sitting there in a car and pointing the Ka gun in some direction. The problem is Laser, which is used heavily on highways. And even the best detectors in the world can’t really save you here, because once the laser hits you, you’re done. The detector companies try to spin it saying: Oh well you may be able to catch laser scatter from the car in front of you being targeted. BS. Radar/Laser detectors are not illegal (except in Virginia and DC I believe), but laser jammers ARE Illegal. Jammers are the only thing that can “save” you by jamming the laser gun to read “JTG” instead of your actual speed. And cops these days are starting to user laser detector detectors XD Which actually detects cars that have detectors in them The best way to avoid tickets is to be smart with a good detector. Know where cops usually camp, always be alert, don’t always stay in the fast lane, be wary on highways where the roads curve up and down since cops like hiding in those spots. speeding ticket free for 2 years!
^ Agreed, my problem is I’m always hauling across the state from Pittsburgh to parents (3.5 hours), Pittsburgh to Philly (5 hours) and Pittsburgh to NJ or NYC (6 hours - I fly to NYC unless I’m hitting Jersey first, because then getting to the final destination is a PITA) plus kayaking and skiing trips take me all over the region. So I’m always on unfamiliar highways trying to make good time and getting nailed. On local roads I typically don’t have the issue with the speeding, it’s the highway miles when you’re not always paying attention where I tend to get nailed. I’m really excited for the CB, just ordered it! Will keep you posted.
True story: Once on Route 95 about 11pm, a random porsche and I started to play tag. Nothing exceedingly dangerous, speeds from 90-105 but we were weaving through other cars, taking turns leading etc… In the 3 lane highway, there were two cars about 1000 feet ahead, one in fast lane, one in the middle. So, naturally we are set to pass them in the slow lane. The porsche takes the lead and I follow traveling about 105 at the time. Right as we are speeding past those 2 cars, he puts his brakes on fast, and I quickly put on mine almost rear-ending him. I start to curse and go “WTF man” and then I saw it. It was a totally dark police car in the emergency lane, no lights, no nothing. So, as we both fly past the dark cop car going at least 95 mph, I’m thinking to myself “please be empty, please be empty…” and to my horror, the cop car turned on its headlamps and drove on to the road. Now I’m thinking “oh sh*t we’re fucked”. By this time we’ve both slowed to 60 mph, but there’s no mistaking we flew past him just seconds before. So, the cop car gets closer, and I’ve already given up more or less, but then a thought just hit me. My detector never once went off, no laser detection, no radar. So, how the F could he prove we were speeding. “they looked fast” will never hold up in court. As these thoughts float in my mind, he suddenly swerves into the middle lane and passes me. Now I’m thinking “damn, he’s going after the porsche? I thought my car was nicer” But then he passes the porsche. Now i’m thinking, “wtf, did he just suddenly wake up and decide to go somewhere?!” Right as I finished that thought, my detector starts blaring, and about 15 seconds later, I see him pull over some 3rd guy in an SUV on the fast lane. This is my confession, sorry dude whoever that was. It was totally our fault. our bad.
Haha, wow. What were you driving?
GranTurismo
Boooo
Lasers are much more common now. My friend’s grandfather actually helped design the laser gun, such a prick move. My buddy got pulled over one time and a few days after the incident he ran into a friend’s dad who was an attorney specializing in DUIs, Speeding Tickets, Reckless Driving, etc… Friend: So I got a speeding ticket the other day. Any chance I would be able to get out of it? Lawyer: What was the grade of the road? Friend: Flat as hell Lawyer: Did the cop use a radar or laser gun? Friend: Laser Lawyer: *Laughs*. Oh…we’ll you’re f@#$ed then. Those things don’t miss.
LMAO @ CB radio. You can call yourself “Washing Machine Charlie” or some other dumb names truckers use. Better solution. How about you slow down? Doesn’t seem like you are very good at speeding which actually is a skill. I must have driven at least ten round trips from Boston to Blacksburg, VA in a Land Rover with a MA plate going down Route 81 in PA and VA (which is highly patrolled) and never got pulled over once.
Wow, ten times! Congratulations, you seem very proud of yourself…
You could just not speed…