ticket....

[BellaMaria]

Ok so since I have gotten my Mini in May I have gotten one ticket in Yuma coming from from San Diego going 85 in a 65. THat was knocked down to 75.

THEN this past weekend, going to Rocky Point i get a ticket for 83 in a 55.... HELP ME!

I am FLYING to Austin this weekend, and not renting a car when I get there... so hopefully (?) I will be ok! lol.

My questions...
What radar detector would you recommend (cost effective)?
Does anyone know how many "points" that equates to?
How scared should I have two tickets in less than 2 months?

No... I can't take DD school. I already did that last year

HELP!

(PS) Going away for the next couple days, so I will look forward to your suggestions when I return on Tues 

THANKS!

[duality]

Good thing you got the ticket on this side of the Mexican border or you would be eating roaches off a mexican jail floor!

I wouldn't get any radar detectors, and here is why:

1. They can be ineffective to some types of police enforcement.

2. A cop is less likely to be nice to you if he sees a radar detector. Remember that 85 that got knocked down? might not have happened if he had the impression you were trying to evade him with a detector.

3. It clutters the inside of your car. Who needs a bunch of boxes and wires everywhere? If you wanted to pay the bucks to flush-mount it in the dash and hardwire it then maybe... with all that clutter though? I'll pass.

4. the best defense for getting a ticket would be to drive slower.

Points? sorry, cant help with that. The only ticket I can remember was a criminal and that was 3 I think.

And you should be VERY scared! jk are you elegible for traffic school? I'd use that on one of them. As far as renting a vehicle, the tickets shouldn't be on your record that quickly.

[UKSUV]

VALENTINE 1 radar detector is the BEST hands down...and if anybody disagrees with me...are stupid. Plain and simple. As far as points go...your $h*t outta luck. Learn how to drive woman!.... With all my shananigans I have been pulled over for street racing, drifting, pulled out of the car, drawn down at gun point and pulled over more than 35 times in the past 5 1/2 years. You know what has happened to me? ONE TICKET..... And I dont even have bewbies and a vajayjay.

[phxsteele]

This is my first post so Hi everyone. I should have my MINI in about a week. I have been on the boards over at NAM. Back to the topic on hand. I just ordered a Valentine one. My brother has one and swears by it. There is a good write up on NAM about hardwiring it in. That is the route I am going. I have havent had a speeding ticket in about 10 years, knock on wood.

[danjmcs]

VALENTINE 1 radar detector is the BEST hands down...and if anybody disagrees with me...are stupid.

hehe, quit beating around the bush Justin, will ya?

I loved my V1, but had two of them puke in less than 6 months, will never buy another one after back to back lemons, though Valentine did refund my money after the second warranty failure.

I've had an Escort 8500 X50 for awhile now and am real happy with it and got a smokin deal on it. The 9500 is the latest and greatest of the Escort models, GPS markers and such, nice box, but spendy. Bought the direct-wire kit and it'll be mounted outta the way shortly.

While I agree that slowing down is the best course of action, with all of the mobile photo-radar units around the valley, and only growing, its already saved my butt twice with those. Typically I probably drive 8-10 over the limit in town, which frankly is the flow of most of the traffic, if not faster in many hours.

Out on the open freeway, with all of the instant-on guns, the detectors just aren't as effective if your not in with other traffic, so I don't know that in either of your cases above having one would have done you any good.

[deemotored]

I'm just trying to drive slower. I'll see how I do on the next run.

[notmini]

A Radar detector will not do you any good if you are not paying attention to whats going on around you. If you insist on going that fast on a regular basis the right equipment and knowing how to use it should lessen your chances of tickets. Unfortunatly two tickets in that short of time will cost you big time. Heres a link to a good detector site. http://www.radarbusters.com/

[Hovard]

I have the Escort 8500 x50 and I hardwired it/mounted it to the driver's side sun visor post. Since the MINI is so low and the detector is mounted closer to the headliner, the police officer does not see the radar detector as he approaches my vehicle. I know it has saved me a few times, but being polite and agreeable has gotten me out of the others. I have only had one ticket in the 2 years I've had the MINI.
My 2 cents.....

[duality]

I have the Escort 8500 x50 and I hardwired it/mounted it to the driver's side sun visor post.

YAY! any piece of electronics should be hidden.

[azminiman]

VALENTINE 1 radar detector is the BEST hands down...and if anybody disagrees with me...are stupid.

OK, Im stupid Valentine 1 was at one time the best available on the market,, 10 yrs ago,, I have the Escort 9500 that is rated at the top along with Valentine. Im not going to say one is hands down better then the other, Im not a radar expert. I got the Escort for its features. Cost doesnt matter to me on stuff like this. Advantage for Valentine is that when you get tagged, it will tell you in most cases what direction it is coming from. Advantage for Escort is that it is GPS enabled. It will remember locations. You can tag false alarm locations, speed traps, cameras and it will remind you of those locations if you go back there. If you get alarms from stores, hospitals ects, you mark them and it will no longer go off when you go by there next time, but if a new signal is introduced at that same location, it will go off.

Further, it is also capable of lazer jamming if you get the option. Also, it is upgradable via internet, and you can down load speed trap locations into it..

When I got pulled over last month I was doing 73 in 65 ( would expect ticket for that anyway ) cop didnt say anything about the big huge mostrosity of a thing on my windshield as some would call it... he said he could give ticket for speed but didnt,, just didnt like my window tint.. HHmmm maybe he never saw my mess on the dash through my tint

And as for you Justin, , you learn to respect your elders young man

[Pipsqueak]

You know what has happened to me? ONE TICKET..... And I dont even have bewbies and a vajayjay.

Come on Justin.......who are you kiddin! You do too have bewbies!!! And possibly a vajayjay!!!

[66Cooper]

The Valentine has been great for us..early warning, and counts the number of sources and where they are at. It is great for catching the instant on radar as long as you have somebody running faster than you a little ahead of you.

Being aware of what is going on around you is very important and yeah, I have slowed down a little bit especially when running by myself. I think many of the club members who don't have radar detectors would swear by the Valentine as they keep telling me to take the lead when we are together. I try to get another car to take the lead and will tell them via radio when they get hit by radar.

[GOTCURVES]

I have a Bell Vector 650 and has saved my butt numerous times but I do get alot of false alarms. As for your other question by what you've said you should have 4 points on your license 2 points for each speed (non-criminal...less than 15 over) you can put up to 7 points on your license in a 2 year period any more than that and the DMV steps in and makes you take the 2 day safety survival school (16hrs of boring instruction that should be avoided at all costs) and puts your license on probation for 2 years or until the last point falls from record. I know this because I've been there and will never go back again. BTW all my points were accumulated in the first 4 month's of owning my Mini, glad I got justa Cooper I'd be in jail if I had a S. One more thing I have no points on my license and have never been pulled over for speeding since the radar detector.

[duality]

And possibly a vajayjay!!!

[deemotored]

His boobs are more pronounced when he sucks his stomach in, which let's face it, is ALL THE TIME!