Audio By Carbonatix
By John Dickerson
Avoid the enforcer by visiting speedtraps.org.
I was driving behind an important story source (who shall remain anonymous) when a Department of Public Safety patrol car pulled alongside me (not behind me) with flashing lights ablaze. I slowed down, thinking the patrolman was on his way to an emergency. Wrong.
I slowed to almost 40 miles per hour because I figured the DPS officer wanted to get by. Wrong again. He swooped behind me, turned his lights off and tailed me.
When news happens, Phoenix New Times is there —
Your support strengthens our coverage.
We’re aiming to raise $30,000 by December 31, so we can continue covering what matters most to you. If New Times matters to you, please take action and contribute today, so when news happens, our reporters can be there.
About a minute later he turned the lights back on and pulled me over. Why? “Because you were only going 40 back there.” Only going 40 m.p.h.? What? But you know cops… I quickly cell-phoned my source and told him to go ahead without me. Then, I started nervously digging through my glove box.
I got off without a ticket (probably because I wasn’t speeding–for once), but the story explains why a certain Web site’s caught my eye: Speedtrap.org. It’s a handy, national registry of known speed traps–sorted by state and city. Glory! Speedtrap.org lists a number of hidden radar haunts in Phoenix and neighboring Valley cities. And yes, the site tracks known photo-enforcement locations, too.
We can’t control when cops pull us over for no reason, but we can at least know their favorite dugouts.