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Be careful in Newbury, NH

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skiboutins Profile \| Galleries Rank: Member Since: Sep 22, 2004 Posts: 54 Location:Home of the 3 Time Superbowl Champion Patriots	Posted: Dec 20, 2004 - 7:59 PM GMT or any other small ski town. I was cruising to Sunapee last Saturday from MASS...made it to within 2 miles of the mountain....just as you enter Newbury, NH...the speed limit drops from 50 mph to 30 mph..... with a nice Town of Newbury police officer there to greet you. Although the officer seemed like a nice guy and tolerated my 'married guy without the wife and kids using a $10 coupon wanting to get a few runs' excuse, he still issued me and many others a nice $72 dollar fine. What a nice 'Welcome to Newbury and Happy Holidays' greeting. He stated that while he was sorry, they were instructed to 'slow down' the traffic. Hey, how about installing new speed limit signs that are actually larger than a cereal box? If there really is a public safety issue, I WANT to slow down....no problem....especially when the speed limit drops 20 mph is 20 feet. But as we all know, the real issue is generating income for the town from us 'out of towners'. Don't they realize that if it was not for us road trippers, Newbury, NH would be even a smaller and nameless dot on the map? So when traveling to your favorite resort, whether it is Sunapee or some other local mountain, watch out for the speed limit signs, no matter how small.... Shame on the Town of Newbury, NH......bah humbuggers. __________ "Life is what happens between dumpings"

bondman Profile \| Galleries Rank: Member Since: Nov 19, 2003 Posts: 739 Location:bondville vt.	Posted: Dec 20, 2004 - 8:12 PM GMT The insurance companies love it too. They can now justify charging you more premium. __________ God Bless Hannes Schneider

skirick Profile \| Galleries Rank: Member Since: Oct 16, 2004 Posts: 468 Location:Westchester Cnty, NY	Posted: Dec 20, 2004 - 9:03 PM GMT The same thing happened to me in '96 coming back from k-mart. The next town south of Rutland, speed limit goes from 55 to like 30 going down hill within about 100 yards. PD was sitting at a donut shop (no joke) and got about four of us to the tune of $90 each. Handed me a ticket with powdered sugar on it. (that's a joke) __________ Young enough to ski hard but old enough to know when.

nattyjoedredking Profile \| Galleries Rank: Member Since: Feb 12, 2004 Posts: 164 Location:Hudson, NC	Posted: Dec 20, 2004 - 10:09 PM GMT Edited: Dec 20, 2004 - 10:09 PM GMT Here in the south, if the speed limit is gonna change, they either put a sign that says, REDUCE SPEED AHEAD or if its gonna go up, it says, RESUME SAFE SPEED. Those are a life saver

intrepidhiker Profile \| Galleries Rank: Member Since: May 06, 2004 Posts: 224 Location:Bennington, VT	Posted: Dec 20, 2004 - 10:34 PM GMT In regards to Skirick's comment - that town is Wallingford, VT although the same "sheriff" there patrols Mendon as well. This guy is a class-A cowboy boot-wearing joker, powdered sugar on the ticket actually wouldn't surprise me. I've heard literally hours of stories about him from friends who live in the town. So, again, just watch out when heading toward K-mart from the south.

bjtuna Profile \| Galleries Rank: Member Since: Nov 25, 2002 Posts: 275 Location:Boise, ID	Posted: Dec 20, 2004 - 10:39 PM GMT Always be careful in Wilmington, VT as you're approaching The Light on Rt. 100 from the Mount Snow side. After you pass the bike shop on your left, the speed limit drops to 25mph and they love to nail out-of-staters __________ Intercarve Networks - proud web host for SnowJournal, NELSAP, and Crotched Mountain

riverc0il Profile \| Galleries Rank: Member Since: Jan 05, 2002 Posts: 3185 Location:Ashland, NH	Posted: Dec 21, 2004 - 12:08 AM GMT while i have very unfriendly views towards speed traps and towns, cities, and states using law enforcement personal to create revenue for the town instead of doing solid community police work, it's the system that is in place, especially in small town new england so get used to it and learn the system. when ever you're on a route number and you are approaching a downtown or thickly settled area, there is a sign saying REDUCE SPEED AHEAD. at that point, take your foot off the gas and cruise to at the least within 5MPH of the limit and look for cruisers. then when you pass through the town or thinkly settled area, it's go time! tons of towns station speed traps at the town entrance. woodstock, VT is about the worst i can think of. it's a 25 MPH limit through the entire town, even parts that should be legitimently higher. be aware and react accordingly. i've never gotten a ticket despite generally being an above the limit driver and not having a fuzz detector, ya gotta anticipate and know when to slow it down, especially when signs tell you to. __________ TheSnowWay.com

sledhaulingmedic Profile \| Galleries Rank: Member Since: Dec 20, 2002 Posts: 2872 Location:	Posted: Dec 21, 2004 - 12:28 AM GMT Tht was SOP in Francestown 35 years ago, just as it was in damn near every other small town near a resort. No surprise it hasn't changed. Best advice is to know the roads you travel and watch yourself when you come into a village. Yes, it egregious revenue grubbing, but it's also a New England tradition __________ "Don't piss off the locals, Don't make work for the patrol"

Bill29 Profile \| Galleries Rank: Member Since: Dec 19, 2002 Posts: 2414 Location:	Posted: Dec 21, 2004 - 2:07 PM GMT I'm not sure skiboutins' experience was quite the New England tradition. He was stopped on the way to Sunapee. I thought the New England tradition (at least the way it used to be near Sugarloaf in Maine) was to let you get to the mountain and spend your money, then get you on the way home.

Brian Profile \| Galleries Rank: Member Since: Dec 28, 2001 Posts: 2789 Location:CENTRAL MASS.	Posted: Dec 21, 2004 - 2:12 PM GMT heading thru townshend mass i got a ticket where theres a curve and a school-you dont see the sign warning of the speed limit till you see the cop! we were heading to pats pk at the time.......... so watch out for that section on rt 13. brian o __________ "riders on the storm" JM

blankout Profile \| Galleries Rank: Member Since: Dec 08, 2004 Posts: 15 Location:Lincoln, NH	Posted: Dec 21, 2004 - 3:32 PM GMT There's always a speed trap in Lincoln, NH (on the way to Loon). NEVER go over 30mph when you're in town! To give you an idea of what's going on, you can check out the town's annual police report here: police report It shows that they gave out 2500 tickets in 2001. That's 7 tickets a day for a town that is little more than a 3 mile stretch to Loon! Also consider that most of these tickets are issued on the weekends (when the skiiers arrive) --so the number per day is actually much higher. If you do get pulled over, you can try saying you own property in town. It worked for a friend of mine. Perhaps they go a little easier on you if they think they've pulled over a "local". __________ Loon Mountain Condo Rentals

HClone Profile \| Galleries Rank: Member Since: Feb 19, 2003 Posts: 360 Location:Northern NJ	Posted: Dec 21, 2004 - 3:51 PM GMT I got a ticket in White Hall NY (between Northway and Rutland Vt) a few years ago on a Friday evening. The "special" patrolman, not a regular town cop, was hired to work only on Friday nights and Sunday evenings. He worked only during the leaf season and the ski season. It was a money- making operation for the town

photogf128 Profile \| Galleries Rank: Member Since: Apr 10, 2004 Posts: 2603 Location:MRV Vermont	Posted: Dec 21, 2004 - 4:31 PM GMT Wow...some of the comments in this thread are....well....pretty amazing. You speed thru town, you get a ticket. What an evil place....I say we go back and burn the town down. After all we know that the speed limits are for locals, not out of towners driving thru....right? __________ facebook.com/profile.php?id=1454198707#!/pages/American-Photoart-Gallery/90884206988

z1000307470 Profile \| Galleries Rank: Member Since: May 07, 2004 Posts: 504 Location:Bergen County, NJ	Posted: Dec 21, 2004 - 7:08 PM GMT Photagf128, If the real concern was safety while driving through a village, patrol cars would be visible at a point before the new lower speed limit. They would not be hidden 20 ft beyond the sign that indicates the new lower speed. Signs would not be obscured, slow down distances and speed limits would follow current mandated state requirements, speed limits would not change around curves, and officers would not be hiding in the bushes with radar/laser. It is only about the money. Many times these speed traps are supported by insurance companies. The insurance cos. supply eqipment to poor towns under the guise of safety. However, 1 ticket and insurance rates go up, sometimes for 3 years. The town makes money and can crow about how safe the town is from speeders. Insurance cos. make money and produce bs data that says people who speed are dangerous drivers. Police officers meet their quotas and get promoted and make more money, which requires more tickets, and so on. Nobody fights the tickets because we all live hours away. I don't know too many people who speed by visible patrol cars, usually they slow down. Ultimately this is the goal of speed limits. But visible patrol cars don't make money, hence the speed trap. It is only about the money. Z

bondman Profile \| Galleries Rank: Member Since: Nov 19, 2003 Posts: 739 Location:bondville vt.	Posted: Dec 21, 2004 - 7:21 PM GMT You will rarely get convicted if you fight the ticket. They will plea bargain down to a non-moving violation. Possibly a similar fine, but no points. The municipalities only want the money and you get to keep a clean liscence. __________ God Bless Hannes Schneider

z1000307470 Profile \| Galleries Rank: Member Since: May 07, 2004 Posts: 504 Location:Bergen County, NJ	Posted: Dec 21, 2004 - 7:36 PM GMT You are 100%correct. They only want the money. However, trying to fight a ticket that is 2-4 hours away and taking time off work makes it difficult.

HClone Profile \| Galleries Rank: Member Since: Feb 19, 2003 Posts: 360 Location:Northern NJ	Posted: Dec 21, 2004 - 9:02 PM GMT In my case at White Hall NY, the officer told me that they would not notify anyone about my ticket. They just wanted to money. And I wasn't speeding. I continued thru a traffic light on yellow. Not red.

skiboutins Profile \| Galleries Rank: Member Since: Sep 22, 2004 Posts: 54 Location:Home of the 3 Time Superbowl Champion Patriots	Posted: Dec 21, 2004 - 9:56 PM GMT Here is a crazy idea.... How about SJers tabulate where we have had 'unfortunate' experiences with the small town law.... Next time up north we supplement all miniscule, hidden, obstructed speed limit signs with nice big SJ signs, welcoming all to the region and reminding them to slow down to some indecent speed to avoid that costly ticket. If we 'supplemented' and did not replace, I do not see how anyone could have a beef, besides the small town relying on the revenue. How long do you think these 'safety' signs would last....minutes? I bet my new B1s that there is some law against it.....no doubt. I sent this suggestion to Mt. Sunapee without response....no surprise. Any other ideas out there to help keep our hard-earned bucks in our pocket and not with the local towns? Again, I have no problem slowing down when it warrants.... __________ "Life is what happens between dumpings"

bjtuna Profile \| Galleries Rank: Member Since: Nov 25, 2002 Posts: 275 Location:Boise, ID	Posted: Dec 22, 2004 - 6:12 PM GMT Quote: Photagf128, If the real concern was safety while driving through a village, patrol cars would be visible at a point before the new lower speed limit. They would not be hidden 20 ft beyond the sign that indicates the new lower speed. Signs would not be obscured, slow down distances and speed limits would follow current mandated state requirements, speed limits would not change around curves, and officers would not be hiding in the bushes with radar/laser. It is only about the money. Many times these speed traps are supported by insurance companies. The insurance cos. supply eqipment to poor towns under the guise of safety. However, 1 ticket and insurance rates go up, sometimes for 3 years. The town makes money and can crow about how safe the town is from speeders. Insurance cos. make money and produce bs data that says people who speed are dangerous drivers. Police officers meet their quotas and get promoted and make more money, which requires more tickets, and so on. Nobody fights the tickets because we all live hours away. I don't know too many people who speed by visible patrol cars, usually they slow down. Ultimately this is the goal of speed limits. But visible patrol cars don't make money, hence the speed trap. It is only about the money. Z I've gotten my share of speeding tickets and I'm normally twice as cynical as you on a good day, but here I'm gonna have to partly disagree. Yes, it's definitely a money-making operation. However in my opinion, there is a big difference between speeding through a small town and speeding on the highway: one is unsafe, one isn't. A speed trap on i-80, 50 miles northwest of Bumblef*ck, Ohio, in the middle of the summer, does nothing for safety. It's for money-making only. Assuming there's no traffic, you really should be able to go as fast as you want on the big highways. A speed trap in the middle of a tiny New England town helps prevent people from running down pedestrians, hitting cats and dogs, causing pileups at intersections, etc. __________ Intercarve Networks - proud web host for SnowJournal, NELSAP, and Crotched Mountain

z1000307470 Profile \| Galleries Rank: Member Since: May 07, 2004 Posts: 504 Location:Bergen County, NJ	Posted: Dec 22, 2004 - 9:29 PM GMT bjtuna, I agree, tickets on interstates are just a tax. I am not against village speeding tickets. Nobody wants to hit anything while driving through a village. I am against illegal and outdated signs and hidden patrol cars. I don't want to drive by a 55mph sign then go 100 feet around a bend and see the partially obscured "25mph Village" sign and a patrol car with a radar. At 55mph a car covers about 81 feet per second. In this case there is just not enough time to slow down. Most states have DOT rules that prescribe the correct distances and signs for speed limit changes. The speed traps usually are not in compliance or are just inside compliance with some trees or bushes blocking sightlines. Many years ago while skiing at Gore Mt, I sat on the old gondola with a NY state trooper. He said the only way to get promoted was to write tickets. I do not know if this is still true, but this trooper was patrolling the Northway above Albany. This part of the Northway is 3 lanes plus a left breakdown lane and usually a wooded median. It has perfect sightlines. About every 1-3 miles there is a crossover through the median. This is where the troopers sit with instant on radar, hidden until you are right next to the crossover. The only reason for this is to raise money. When they actually patrol, nobody dares to pass them if they are travelling at the speed limit (which they rarely do). But if you are patrolling you are not making money, hence the hiding. Z

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