i am confused, too, officer

[lou76]

so i got pulled over by a motocop on the SR51 today... i got on in a 55mph zone, was keeping it on or just over an indicated 60mph... two exits later the speed limit changes to 65, so i give it all i can, but i dont stress because right after it changes, i get into an exit lane to take my exit... this is about when officer mudd (i did not make up that name) catches up to me and motions to the side... what followed was a conversation of mutual confusion... we systematically established that i legally have the right to use the freeway (according to ofc. mudd, it is a horsepower restriction that limits freeway access in arizona)... the officer said that i was going 50 in a 55, and that traffic was having to move left to get around me, but then he admitted that he was not able to pace me because his speedo had broken the day before... BUT... he added that "noone goes the speed limit... they are all doing at least 65..."... in the end he gave me a warning for not having my lisence with me (left it at gfriend's on accident) and "impeding the flow of traffic"... officer p. f. mudd was primarily concerned for my safety, which i appreciate, but in the end he gave me a warning for NOT SPEEDING???????? it was altogether a pleasant encounter, and when we were done, ofc. mudd said "i guess if you are going further north, you can get back on the freeway...."

[rajron]

I bet officer Mudd just wanted to check out the machinery it can’t be everyday they see a scoot taking on the challenges of the freeways where everyone goes 10 mph over the limit.

[vitaminC]

Sounds like he may have been confused to to low blood sugar, perhaps it had been too long since his last donut??
(no offense intended to any officers reading this)

Seriously, that does sound like a rather strange traffic stop Definitely a good idea to keep your license with you, though....

[ericalm]

Hm, freeway-legalilty based on horsepower? I guess (for the Buddy) that's better than using engine size.

Though John Law was pretty befuddled, there is some danger in going too slow. As is, I frequently have cars trying to pull around me at 50MPH on surace roads simply because they perceive I am going much slower than they are. Some have even done this on 1-lane roads or have crossed double sollid lines to get around me.

[DO3]

Legal or not, riding a Buddy on the freeway seems like a bad idea, especially when normal traffic is 10 over. I'd agree the officer wasn't trying to find a ticket to write you but was honestly concerned with your personal safety. People are way too distracted when driving down the freeway and may not see the small in size 2 wheeler in time to slow down or go around. A short stretch at a very low traffic time of day probably isn't too bad if there isn't another way to get where you are going (no other bridge, etc), but for the most part I think anything that isn't capable of moving with traffic should probably find another route.

Just my .02

[ScooterMonkey]

He gives you a warning for not speeding, then says you can get back on the freeway . Yup that sounds like an Arizona DPS officer.
Seriously those guys(although nice) usually don't have a clue. They are notorious in the EMS community for not knowing where they are. If they report an accident at a certain exit, going in a certain direction, we know for sure that's the one place that accident isn't at!

[lou76]

...i think that my take on the whole situation was that ofc. mudd's (i dont think i will get over that name) perception of the situation was possibly different than it actually was, similar to the problem of perception that ericalm made mention of... mudd said that several people had to switch lanes to go around me, but, as a vigilant mirror-checker, i think that this was a little bit inflated in his eyes... again, i am certainly appreciative for the concern on his part, lord knows that there are alot of clueless people in cages AND on two wheels out there.... and i do not make a regular habit out of freeway riding, but when i do venture out there, i do so with open eyes and full knowledge of the dangers that i face... and i would travel within 5mph over the speed limit whether i am on the B125 or in a car... anywho, i definitely dug the overall hilarity of the situation... 15 years of driving without a moving violation, and i get a warning for not speeding...

[Keys]

Sheesh, Isaac, Jes' Jim and I rode on the Loop 101 from Bell Road in the west valley to, um, I think Raintree in the east end. I seem to recall keeping up with all traffic in the slow lane. Of course, I was in the famous tuck position...

--Keys

[lou76]

yeah, i wore that tuck position out on the way to prescott and back... but i should point out that you were riding with jim, and even cops are scared of jim...

[jperkins]

I live in Tulsa Oklahoma and ride on the freeway all the time the speed limit is 65mph and I have no trouble in the traffic. I feel much more unsafe in high winds than I do in heavy traffic. On our freeways the law is that you cannot go under the minnimum speed of 35Mph. Other than that the cars on the road can just get over it if they have to go around.

[Elm Creek Smith]

I commute from Owasso, and I'm not getting on US 169 with my scoot. No way, no how! I'm not all that happy getting on that highway with my PT Cruiser!

I go across on 76th St N to Mingo Rd and south to Pine past the airport, then over to Garnett to stay away from the traffic circle at Admiral. I go down Garnett to get to work.

[jperkins]

US 169 is not that bad of a drive at all. I ride from Downtown Tulsa to 71st and 169 all the time. The only spot in the city that scares me is around the sheridan exit on the Broken Arrow expressway. This area is a banked highway that takes a 45 degree turn with nothing to block the wind. I slow down for this.

I will say that you should not drive in anything you are not comfortable in though.

[Elm Creek Smith]

US 169 is not that bad of a drive at all. I ride from Downtown Tulsa to 71st and 169 all the time. The only spot in the city that scares me is around the sheridan exit on the Broken Arrow expressway. This area is a banked highway that takes a 45 degree turn with nothing to block the wind. I slow down for this.

I will say that you should not drive in anything you are not comfortable in though.

That misses the raceway from Owasso to I-244. If you're driving 75 in the left lane, you're going to cause a wreck. If you're driving 65 in the right lane, same thing. I don't care if it's legal to get out there and drive 50; it's not safe.

I've driven the Autobahnen in Germany at 200 kmph with less stress. The problem is the lack of courtesy and those folks who don't think the speed limit applies to them. Those are the same folks who don't know what turn signals are supposed to do.

The Broken Arrow Expressway isn't much better.

If I had my old BMW or the old '56 Harley Hydraglide it might be different, but I've got a 225 pound scooter. I'm staying on the streets and country roads.

ECS

[RunRun]

Sounds like he may have been confused to to low blood sugar, perhaps it had been too long since his last donut??
(no offense intended to any officers reading this)

Seriously, that does sound like a rather strange traffic stop Definitely a good idea to keep your license with you, though....

VitamicC,

That's funny he needed a sugar fix...HAHA

Don

[ebcspace]

note to self : carry supply of yum yum donuts giftcards for officers who let you off with a warning.

lately, i've been enjoying (my wife's) new buddy, breaking it in for her, while she gets comfortable with riding herself (i've been taking (posessing/borrowing, sticking with the "gets better mileage to help our budget" story), yet i must confess that the buddy is more fun to ride!

the vespa is more civilized, stable, but after riding buddy, is not as nimble.

i can, and sometimes to shave off some commute time, take my vespa et-4 (150) on the freeway to work, where it achieves 75mph with the sito-plus exhaust on the freeway. the drafting effect helps (from cars blocking wind), and most of the freeway area that i ride has soundwalls that also help to make it a reduced wind environment. i can feel eyeballs from all around sometimes as people notice the scoot on the freeway, and think, "dude, he's hauling a#@s on that scooter!"

outside of the freeway, the vespa usually tops out about 65mph.

i tested the buddy on the freeway, but would not recommend it. (illegal, not as stable with windage of high speed freeway riding) got up to 65mph on buddy (with fair rider load). the buddy tops out at 65 for me on the street, and also topped out at 65 on the freeway, where i felt much more apprehensive about the wind trying to toss me around...

i agree with jperkins on the point.

I live in Tulsa Oklahoma and ride on the freeway all the time the speed limit is 65mph and I have no trouble in the traffic. I feel much more unsafe in high winds than I do in heavy traffic.

[toga28]

I live in Yukon, OK (just west of OKC) and drive Route 66 into town and back everyday, no problem. Posted speed limit averages 50-60mph, with most traffic doing at least 10mph over that, and my Buddy handles it just fine. The road kinda slopes to the middle a bit on both ends, so I like to view it as a speed tunnel where I get progressively more "tucked" and see how fast I can get it. Current record stands at 71mph.