Let's talk radar detectors and their setup

[E Zurcher]

New Mexico is great for avoiding tickets. There are so few cops to take care of the important stuff, you don't have to worry about tickets unless you are very unlucky. Although I keep around the speed limit (because I am mature.....old), I see dozens of vehicles each day on I25 and I40 travelling at 25-25 mph over the speed limit or more and I rarely see anyone pulled over. We have a big construction project going on right now and it's posted at 55 in the zone. If you go less than 60 you become a hazard because everyone is flying by you. If you are away from populated areas there are even less LEOs.

So far I have been unlucky and pulled over twice in 4 years and received warnings both times.

One was in a speed trap outside the base for 10 over. It was in a group of vehicles who were all going 50 in a 40. The LEO told me he was an MSF instructor so I asked him if he felt it was safer for a motorcyclist to drive the speed limit at this time on this road or safer to ride with the flow of traffic. He thought for a moment, then gave me a warning and let me go.

The second time was out in the boonies. We were going 60 in a 50, I thought it was posted at 55. The officer thanked us for stopping, which I thought was funny, and gave us a warning.

 

[RedBusarider]

well, where I work we don't have a no chase policy. in fact, its pretty understood that if u come to where I work and run u will be chased. what percentage? probably 10% if that!.

in the city its much easier to get away. funny thing is the riders with little skill always tend to take their helmet off and discard it lol. I never understood why they did that. I think cause they feel that they can't see as well but I've seen countless helmets bounce on the pavement after chasn them for some time.

we have no cameras in any car in any division. we crash cars so often that they didn't feel it was worth it cause then u gotta take everything out and put in a spare car. crashes usually total out police cars.

we have about 150 police cars. one for each shift. no one shares a car any longer. the guy operating it only shares with the guy opposite of him the following week wen he is off. not even traffic has cameras. 99% of those running either have BS plates or stolen plates so even if a camera did pick it up it wudnt matter anyway.

Did I read that right? You only catch 10% of the guys that run? Hope they don't print that in your newspaper as it might encourage people to run.

When someone is arrested - isn't it the nor nowadays to get a DNA sample? So if they throw away the helmet and you picked it up, that should tell you who it is.
I don't know about you but I usually wear sunglasses along with my helmet so if I flip up my visor I still have something covering my eyes. It would be hard while
riding to remove my glasses and then throw away my helmet and then put the glasses back on while riding at high speed - guess I'm not too talented.
Point being that if someone threw off their helmet then they would have no eye protection and soon would have blurry vision, probably making them slow
down which should make it easier to catch them - but you still only get 10%? ???

Ya in the city, even though it is legal only in CA (in the USA) someone trying to get away could easily snake through traffic and get away.
99% of runners have BS plates? Do they give those out in cereal boxes? Must be pretty easy to get a fake plate, no?

So if you only get 10% at what point do you call off the chase?

 

[RedBusarider]

I think it would be better if we come to you. There is nothing on LI... well, maybe closer to Nic - North Shore. I think he found some pretty good roads. Not by me though (South Shore). Love Upstate NY, Taconic, Rt. 301, and around.


Back to RD's... Walmart allows other sellers on their website, so this offer for $131 is hard to beat, not to mention another $25 off if you open Walmart Credit Card account, and another $10 off (if I buy another unit separately) for the second unit. So, $261 - $35 = $227 - for both front and rear fully equipped RD's... assuming they work satisfactory.

Rocky Mountain Radar MOTORAPTOR Cordless Motorcycle Radar Laser Detector - Walmart.com

And their promot till Dec 31st:

Special Offers - Walmart.com

So have you made a decision?

I would want to know the return policy. If it needs to be in like new condition and unused and resalable to return it, it would
be hard to test them out - especially at this time of the year. Or doesn't NY get snow anymore? Or are you a diehard and snow/cold doesn't effect you?
Are Studded tires made in a size that fits a Busa?

 

[IG.]

LOL. Money is really tight now, and Moto-Raptor seems like a reasonable choice. 30 days return policy, and yes in like new condition. Didn't make the final decision, but seriously considering. I could get one unit (with $25 off as described above) and test it in my car just to see that it operates reasonably. If it checks out, I will get another one (with $10 discount). Test it again in the car. If it seems to operate as expected, then and only then, I will install it on the bike.

If all works out, I will look like an alien - headsets, one on each side of the helmet, snake eyes with blue LEDs, and chirping in both ears. And, oh year, I shouldn't forget to charge my helmet with two chargers at the same time, LOL. Even MotoGP guys don't have that kind of technology.

"What's that on your helmet?"

"That's the latest in satellite communication, Officer. Beams the signal straight to satellite and I can talk to anyone in the world, and listen to any music I want".

"Tell me how to get one, and I will let you go with a warning".

"Well, Sir... Hmm, ahhhh... "

BTW, speaking of MotoGP, I noticed that some riders (maybe all of them) have blinking LED's on their race suites. I saw a few LED's on someone's arm, and another rider had it on his chest. What's that for? Can I have one? LOL

Oh, yeah, I ride year around, unless it's snow/ice. Pack up like an astronaut, and mostly short rides. Sometimes, you get a break in weather, and it's so nice to get out. Maybe one day I will get heated gear, then even longer rides would be no problem. I could ride 30 min at 30 degrees, and 15-20 min at 25 degrees. Even rode at 20 degrees once or twice, but only for 15 min or so. Otherwise, your extremities get numb. Throat gets cold, too, but you get used to that. Neck warmer helps, too.

 

[RedBusarider]

Oh, yeah, I ride year around, unless it's snow/ice. Pack up like an astronaut, and mostly short rides. Sometimes, you get a break in weather, and it's so nice to get out. Maybe one day I will get heated gear, then even longer rides would be no problem. I could ride 30 min at 30 degrees, and 15-20 min at 25 degrees. Even rode at 20 degrees once or twice, but only for 15 min or so. Otherwise, your extremities get numb. Throat gets cold, too, but you get used to that. Neck warmer helps, too.

I guess things are different in your neck of the woods.
Once we get snow we usually have it till April or longer.
Most of the winter is below freezing so snow and ice are around all winter.
Today's high is 22° and all the schools are closed etc. because 10" of new snow is falling, with 25-30 mph winds. Lake effect.
The roads are covered with salt because they continually spread it most of the winter.
Riding too early in the spring, there is a pretty good bet that the wheels/forks etc. will be covered with salt and that is not good.

I'm going to guess you are younger then me or just a true diehard rider.
I would rather mow than snowblow any day of the week. Once I move 1000 miles or more south of my current location
I may become a diehard rider too, just no desire to do it here. Especially outside of summertime.

I agree that you should only buy one and try it out. Many times electronic items are not returnable if used.
Because there are very few reviews, it's hard to know if it will work to your satisfaction. If money is tight
I would hate to loose any on a china made piece of junk.
Unless you speed constantly, is there any chance you could hold off till spring. Never know, a new product might come out. ???
If you do speed all the time and can't afford any more tickets or a new RD can you look for a used Escort to get you through the winter?
Just a thought.

 

[GNBRETT]

10% wud be on the high side. most all get away if have even a lick of driving skills. bikes can split lanes. we hav to wait for idiots to get out of our way and half go left and half go right smh. wen I get on the highway I jus shut my front strobes off cause the morons in front of me end up gettn in my way while the guy fleeing just weaves in and out of traffic.

DNA samples are only taken if they go to prison. they are not takn on routine arrests or even serious arrests. u must be sent to corrections.

and we would not do a DNA test for running from the police unless it was a robbery or somthn but even then its unlikely. takes forever to do and is only done on certain high profile cases. very expensive to perform.

at wat point do we call off chases? when we can see em any longer lol

Did I read that right? You only catch 10% of the guys that run? Hope they don't print that in your newspaper as it might encourage people to run.

When someone is arrested - isn't it the nor nowadays to get a DNA sample? So if they throw away the helmet and you picked it up, that should tell you who it is.
I don't know about you but I usually wear sunglasses along with my helmet so if I flip up my visor I still have something covering my eyes. It would be hard while
riding to remove my glasses and then throw away my helmet and then put the glasses back on while riding at high speed - guess I'm not too talented.
Point being that if someone threw off their helmet then they would have no eye protection and soon would have blurry vision, probably making them slow
down which should make it easier to catch them - but you still only get 10%? ???

Ya in the city, even though it is legal only in CA (in the USA) someone trying to get away could easily snake through traffic and get away.
99% of runners have BS plates? Do they give those out in cereal boxes? Must be pretty easy to get a fake plate, no?

So if you only get 10% at what point do you call off the chase?

 

[fallenarch]

GNBRETT that's fascinating stuff! I could read it all night.

When we were kids we had a cop that worked the school and rounded up kids skipping school. He would also chase us on our dirt bikes which spent more time on the street than the dirt! He was basically a pretty cool guy and we were very friendly with him. One day he caught us going to the school to ride the baseball fields. He started chasing about 4 of us and we headed out across a field to try and make the woods where he would break off the chase. Even though we had all done this a million times I guess he forgot about a ditch in the field and we jumped it and he stood that squad cap right up on its noise in the ditch. We turned around to be sure he was ok and he wasn't - he was busted up pretty bad. We stayed with him until the other cops and the ambulance came and we went to see him in the hospital. He got it all back together but he was out for a month or so. He didn't even right us up but it didn't matter because I would rather have dealt with the cops than my parents! That's how I lost that first Suzuki! To this day I still feel guilty about crashing him.

 

[GNBRETT]

thats a gd story. yea I had my share of run ins with po-po wen I was young on my CR250. he cud never catch me lol but he sure tired every chance he got. I lived in the woods with only 4000 ppl in the whole town and it was a BIG town. yea I was more afraid of my father then any cop thats for sure lol

GNBRETT that's fascinating stuff! I could read it all night.

When we were kids we had a cop that worked the school and rounded up kids skipping school. He would also chase us on our dirt bikes which spent more time on the street than the dirt! He was basically a pretty cool guy and we were very friendly with him. One day he caught us going to the school to ride the baseball fields. He started chasing about 4 of us and we headed out across a field to try and make the woods where he would break off the chase. Even though we had all done this a million times I guess he forgot about a ditch in the field and we jumped it and he stood that squad cap right up on its noise in the ditch. We turned around to be sure he was ok and he wasn't - he was busted up pretty bad. We stayed with him until the other cops and the ambulance came and we went to see him in the hospital. He got it all back together but he was out for a month or so. He didn't even right us up but it didn't matter because I would rather have dealt with the cops than my parents! That's how I lost that first Suzuki! To this day I still feel guilty about crashing him.

 

[1busa]

Hey IG. those blinking lights on those moto GP suits are some kind of data loggers. I remember watching a race a few weeks back and 1 of the announcers were talking about them. The suits are wired with sensors throughout and in the event of a crash I think based on the area under stress the suit inflates and records the impact and such. Real high tech NASA space chit

 

[IG.]

RedBusarider,

It can get pretty cold here on Long Island, NY with snow, and salt, too. But then the roads get cleaned, and if there is no snow for a while, it gets to a point that roads become rideable. Or, it could be a warm day. High today was around 35. Right now is about 25. If I don't ride for longer than a week, I am getting restless and just gotta ride. Any ride.

I am 50+, but ride like... well, let's just say cruising around is not my thing. I only started riding at 40+. If someone told me at 40 that I would be riding, I would laugh at them and said there were nuts. Well, that's another story.

I am not in a rush to buy a RD, but this problem has to be addressed. If I can't ride the way I ride, there is no point going riding at all. Thanks for your suggestions. I will research a bit more, mostly trying to find more reviews. I have a feeling I would try the Raptor, one step at a time. Anything new that comes out will be expensive. Have a good feeling about it, but we will see. Escort, or other non-bike designated RD just doesn't feel right sitting right there in full view. For the car, this might be an option.

1busa, thanks for clarification. I thought this would be some comm equipment. But sensors, data loggers - dang!

 

[ZRXMAX]

I am still a believer in the Valentine One detector which has saved me dozens of times in my car since 2003.

I have seen an interface system that works on different detectors for notification when riding motorcycles that cost about $150. That system was offered at the Long Beach

motorcycle show about 10 years ago. As I recall it had a sound amplification system as well as a red led that was very bright.

I don't know what is availible now but I will keep looking around. Then their is the weatherproof challenge with a V1.

I could build a plastic case from polycarbonite or lexan to enclose it. That box could also make mounting the unit a bit easier to accomplish. Perhaps a steering stem mount.

Its not like were driving a Gold Wing or other touring bike with room for XM, cup holder, and all the other amenities that make driving a motorcycle more like driving a car.

Thier is also the stealth factor also. I don't want a cop to see my detector at a traffic stop or when he happens to be next to me in traffic.

The sight of a detector is just one more point for the cop to make a decision about how he is going to approach me in the event that he stops me.

It has been said the higher the RD the better it is for avoiding the "money orders in the name of safety speeding tickets" we all want to avoid.

My search continues...

 

[RedBusarider]

Thier is also the stealth factor also. I don't want a cop to see my detector at a traffic stop or when he happens to be next to me in traffic.

I guess I don't understand this thinking.

If a cop is in the area are you really going to be speeding or doing something crazy?
Lets say you where at a stop light and a cop pulled up along side you. First is can he even see a RD and is he even looking for one?
Then when the light turns green are you going to take off like there was no cop there? I would take off slower than normal
and probably ride 10mph below the speed limit while he was still in sight.

In traffic (if he has Radar) your detector should have been going off so it's not like he is going to sneak up on you,
you do have mirrors, right?

Isn't the whole idea to not get stopped for speeding if you have a detector? Yup it is pretty hard to escape laser.

I guess if you are that worried about them seeing it, you need to design some way to remove it ASAP and put it in your jacket
if you do get stopped without them seeing you do it as much as possible as you don't want them thinking you are reaching for a gun.
Or could you some how cover it before he walked up to you and asked for your papers etc. ?


I've said it before that there is a time and a place for everything. If you speed all the time your going to get caught sooner or later.

Then you have to decide if you are going to ride it like you stole it - as GNBARETT thinks there is a 90% chance you will get away.

 

[ZRXMAX]

If a cop is in the area I am on my best driving behaivior. However, if he pulls up next to me at a traffic light and "sees" what he believes is a RD... then it only stands to reason he thinks I have a RD for the purpose of evading RD and LASER tickets ( assuming I have a well equipped RD ) I think the less they know about your equipment to escape detection the better off you will be if you come under close scrutiny. Its my opinion cops don't like RDs... what is your opinion on that point ?

I previously mentioned having a case for a RD to ride inside of... that case could serve double duty as a cover for something else if you were to get creative. Put a couple of Alpine stickers on it perhaps.

 

[RedBusarider]

If a cop is in the area I am on my best driving behaivior. However, if he pulls up next to me at a traffic light and "sees" what he believes is a RD... then it only stands to reason he thinks I have a RD for the purpose of evading RD and LASER tickets ( assuming I have a well equipped RD ) I think the less they know about your equipment to escape detection the better off you will be if you come under close scrutiny. Its my opinion cops don't like RDs... what is your opinion on that point ?

I previously mentioned having a case for a RD to ride inside of... that case could serve double duty as a cover for something else if you were to get creative. Put a couple of Alpine stickers on it perhaps.

Since I'm not a cop I can't say for sure - but my opinion is if they have radar we should be able to have detectors.
They are legal in all but 2 States so the lawmakers must think so too.
Do you remember the days when neither one existed? So now it's basically a game.

Many of the newer cell phones are so big that they would easily cover a RD so a little piece of Velcro
between the two with the cell phone on top should do the trick. Most newer cell phones also can be used as a GPS.
So that could be the truth and very believable to a police officer.

How often do you have a police car come up along side of you?

Very rarely for me.

Think about it - when you are in a 4 wheel vehicle and come up on a bike - do you really look to see if they have a RD?

I just thought of something - All we need is an app for a cell phone that detects radar. Then all you would need is your phone.

 

[ZRXMAX]

Since I'm not a cop I can't say for sure - but my opinion is if they have radar we should be able to have detectors.
They are legal in all but 2 States so the lawmakers must think so too.
Do you remember the days when neither one existed? So now it's basically a game.

Many of the newer cell phones are so big that they would easily cover a RD so a little piece of Velcro
between the two with the cell phone on top should do the trick. Most newer cell phones also can be used as a GPS.
So that could be the truth and very believable to a police officer.

How often do you have a police car come up along side of you?

Very rarely for me.

Think about it - when you are in a 4 wheel vehicle and come up on a bike - do you really look to see if they have a RD?

I just thought of something - All we need is an app for a cell phone that detects radar. Then all you would need is your phone.

Oh man...Believe me when I say most cops do not approve of radar detectors... your just gonna have to take my word on it. Or, you could go over the the Police One website and see if it is possible to take a poll.

The right to use a radar detector has to do with having a radio that recieves signals from wherever. The 2 states that have outlawed them tells me how far down the road to tyranny they have gone. When I drive

around DC in Virginia and I read the signs about radar detectors I believe I am in the mist of a police state. Fortunately, I rarely get that far east.

As far as the mention of it being a game... it is... the name of the game is "money orders in the name of safety". The biggest reason in my opinion that speed limits haven't gone up much in the last 40+ years is due to

the lack of awareness and driving skills of the average driver. We have many people who drive that are not qualified and don't follow basic traffic laws that endanger others through their own ignorance. These people

are mostly untrainable because they consider themselves good drivers in their own mind. Just think for a moment... if everybody drove the way you thought they should drive what would happen? The first thing you

would notice ( in my opinion ) is that slower traffic would stay to the right. 2nd, here in California we have a split speed limit... trucks, cars and trucks with trailers are limited to 55 mph. No need to explain why that

causes problems. Anyway... I am way off the topic... Cops don't approve of Radar detectors... it impairs their ability to follow orders from above and write more tickets, collect more revenue, and keep their position

within the PD, Sheriffs, or highway patrol in good standing. As a retired CHP told me... if you don't write enough tickets they get rid of you.

 

[IG.]

ZRXMAX, you bring up a painful subject, and I'd like to chime in...

Radars - a military technology - is utilized to enforce arbitrary set speed limits, while absolutely no technology is used to adjust speed limits based on lighting, weather, traffic, time of day, and maybe some other factors. A divided highway during the day time with light traffic having a speed limit of 55 mph is laughable. It should be 80. And it's the limit, not a suggested speed of travel. The biggest problem on the road is often not speeders, but slow moving vehicles in the left lane, clogging our highways, causing accidents because faster traffic tries to go around slow one in the left lane. Of course, there is absolutely no effort to educate/enforce proper lane positioning because it's hard, and it brings little revenue.

Ultimate solution is to disallow municipalities to pocket revenue from tickets, and here is why. In current situation, this simply creates a conflict of interest which would not be acceptable in the private sector, yet allowed for local governments. It is only human to abuse it, and they do.

What I would force them to do is to allow a portion of ticket revenue to only cover necessary expenses, but the rest must be randomly paid through a lottery back to drivers without violations, which would create a healthy desire to have a clean driving record.

Of course, none of us individually or collectively is able to force such rule on local governments, and this is the root cause of all these troubles - inability to control your governments. Without it, we all are beggars. We come to their offices to beg. They send us letters with directives to pay fines, etc. and you better comply, or else...

This is just one small consequence of the same fundamental issue which is Killing America Slowly.

 

[ZRXMAX]

ZRXMAX, you bring up a painful subject, and I'd like to chime in...

Radars - a military technology - is utilized to enforce arbitrary set speed limits, while absolutely no technology is used to adjust speed limits based on lighting, weather, traffic, time of day, and maybe some other factors. A divided highway during the day time with light traffic having a speed limit of 55 mph is laughable. It should be 80. And it's the limit, not a suggested speed of travel. The biggest problem on the road is often not speeders, but slow moving vehicles in the left lane, clogging our highways, causing accidents because faster traffic tries to go around slow one in the left lane. Of course, there is absolutely no effort to educate/enforce proper lane positioning because it's hard, and it brings little revenue.

Ultimate solution is to disallow municipalities to pocket revenue from tickets, and here is why. In current situation, this simply creates a conflict of interest which would not be acceptable in the private sector, yet allowed for local governments. It is only human to abuse it, and they do.

What I would force them to do is to allow a portion of ticket revenue to only cover necessary expenses, but the rest must be randomly paid through a lottery back to drivers without violations, which would create a healthy desire to have a clean driving record.

Of course, none of us individually or collectively is able to force such rule on local governments, and this is the root cause of all these troubles - inability to control your governments. Without it, we all are beggars. We come to their offices to beg. They send us letters with directives to pay fines, etc. and you better comply, or else...

This is just one small consequence of the same fundamental issue which is Killing America Slowly.

I checked CAP out briefly. Great Idea ! Is their a thread already started to address and discuss the objectives and feasibility of CAP?

Speeding... sometimes I want to put up signs that say... LEAD, FOLLOW, OR GET OVER THE THE RIGHT LANE.


About Radar and legality. Its a radio reciever... radio recievers... ie... radar detectors are legal except in 2 states and for truckers nationwide.

You know tickets are about the money when a trucker recieves a ticket for 56 or 57 mph in a 55 zone.

 

[IG.]

Yes, there is a thread:

https://www.hayabusa.org/forum/random-thoughts/185604-taking-whole-new-level.html


I know, so frustrating. I follow and encourage others to follow a simple rule: If there is a car behind you, but plenty of room in front of you - MOVE TO THE RIGHT!

 

[RedBusarider]

Oh man...Believe me when I say most cops do not approve of radar detectors... your just gonna have to take my word on it. Or, you could go over the the Police One website and see if it is possible to take a poll.

The right to use a radar detector has to do with having a radio that recieves signals from wherever. The 2 states that have outlawed them tells me how far down the road to tyranny they have gone. When I drive

around DC in Virginia and I read the signs about radar detectors I believe I am in the mist of a police state. Fortunately, I rarely get that far east.

As far as the mention of it being a game... it is... the name of the game is "money orders in the name of safety". The biggest reason in my opinion that speed limits haven't gone up much in the last 40+ years is due to

the lack of awareness and driving skills of the average driver. We have many people who drive that are not qualified and don't follow basic traffic laws that endanger others through their own ignorance. These people

are mostly untrainable because they consider themselves good drivers in their own mind. Just think for a moment... if everybody drove the way you thought they should drive what would happen? The first thing you

would notice ( in my opinion ) is that slower traffic would stay to the right. 2nd, here in California we have a split speed limit... trucks, cars and trucks with trailers are limited to 55 mph. No need to explain why that

causes problems. Anyway... I am way off the topic... Cops don't approve of Radar detectors... it impairs their ability to follow orders from above and write more tickets, collect more revenue, and keep their position

within the PD, Sheriffs, or highway patrol in good standing. As a retired CHP told me... if you don't write enough tickets they get rid of you.

I agree with you for the most part.

In no particular order:

Cops Don't approve of RD's - well if you took a poll of the general population, I'll bet given a choice most would say they don't
approve of the police having radar.

people who drive that are not qualified and don't follow basic traffic laws that endanger others through their own ignorance. Couldn't agree more.
Two days ago near me, there were 3 people in a vehicle. They came up upon a railroad track with flashing lights and the gates down.
The 21 YO driver drove around two cars that were waiting thinking he could beat the train. The 3 people in the vehicle (a mini van) all died after
being dragged ½ mile down the tracks. So the idiot killed two of his friends along with himself because he broke a common sense law.

Older people can be a danger too. But nobody wants to lose the freedom that comes from driving (you and I won't either someday) however there
are some people that don't have the reflexes or eyesight they once had and may not be able to avoid an accident that most people could.
Dementia is becoming very common and because it comes on fairly slowly for many people it is hard to tell if it (maybe an accident)
was just a fluke or a problem that will only get worse.

The 2 states that have outlawed them tells me how far down the road to tyranny they have gone. When I drive
around DC in Virginia and I read the signs about radar detectors I believe I am in the mist of a police state.
Agreed - however you live in a mixed state for sure. Why is CA the only state that allows lane-splitting yet they will not
let anyone that does not live there carry a handgun? So Don't you live in a police state too?

I also think the average police officer will not admit to having a quota - but if they don't write enough tickets then what are they doing all day -
provided of course they weren't at a major accident all day or in court most of the day. Probably makes them look better the more they write.
A feather in their cap, kinda.

 

[ZRXMAX]

I agree with you for the most part.

In no particular order:

Cops Don't approve of RD's - well if you took a poll of the general population, I'll bet given a choice most would say they don't
approve of the police having radar.

people who drive that are not qualified and don't follow basic traffic laws that endanger others through their own ignorance. Couldn't agree more.
Two days ago near me, there were 3 people in a vehicle. They came up upon a railroad track with flashing lights and the gates down.
The 21 YO driver drove around two cars that were waiting thinking he could beat the train. The 3 people in the vehicle (a mini van) all died after
being dragged ½ mile down the tracks. So the idiot killed two of his friends along with himself because he broke a common sense law.

Older people can be a danger too. But nobody wants to lose the freedom that comes from driving (you and I won't either someday) however there
are some people that don't have the reflexes or eyesight they once had and may not be able to avoid an accident that most people could.
Dementia is becoming very common and because it comes on fairly slowly for many people it is hard to tell if it (maybe an accident)
was just a fluke or a problem that will only get worse.

The 2 states that have outlawed them tells me how far down the road to tyranny they have gone. When I drive
around DC in Virginia and I read the signs about radar detectors I believe I am in the mist of a police state.
Agreed - however you live in a mixed state for sure. Why is CA the only state that allows lane-splitting yet they will not
let anyone that does not live there carry a handgun? So Don't you live in a police state too?

I also think the average police officer will not admit to having a quota - but if they don't write enough tickets then what are they doing all day -
provided of course they weren't at a major accident all day or in court most of the day. Probably makes them look better the more they write.
A feather in their cap, kinda.

1st point... 2 separate issues diametrically opposed. It stands to reason people don't approve of police using radar and laser... because most people are speeding at some point in time even if its simply to match the speed of the traffic around them. Then, when they get stopped and issued a ticket they complain to the LEO. The LEO replies, yes, other drivers were speeding so I had to pick somebody.

2nd point. Sad day on the railroad tracks... Darwin Award Winner takes 2 other with him.
I believe with few exceptions every accident where somebody rearends another car is rooted in driver error. Tailgating = stupidity. I once had a license plate frame that said "tailgators crash from terminal stupidity". When I sold the car the new owner wanted the frame so I let it go.

3rd point... Age sucks... however, their are several things you can do to keep your mind sharper than the average person of the same age. Learn to play a musical instrument, play ping pong, workout, eat right, get enough sleep. Except for the music and ping pong part... plain old common sence.

4th point. Quotas... unwritten rule... no tickets eventually means no job.

Yes... I live in the Nanny State... when ever I log onto a California state website ( example the DMV ) I use a special version of the words nanny state as my login. Easy to remember.

The state is getting very heavy handed out here... they like to raid banks accounts on a regular basis, send phoney tax bills, and practice racism.

California is the "beta test" state for the rest of the country to see how much blowback they will get when they implement new laws the encroach on the average citizen's rights.

One factoid to consider... when people leave California ( not including the 252 corporations that have left in the last decade or so ) the 4th ranked place people move to is Virginia. I think AZ, TX, and

Oregon are the 1st 3 places people end up moving to.

What were we talking about ? Radar Detectors?