Michigan speed trap advisory

Hey just seen this on one of the MGeezer sites

Look out for MI-DOT trucks parked along the road or suddenly appearing behind you pacing you - it could be a Trooper driving the truck. Called 'Operation Yellow Jacket', each Michigan State Police District has a truck cleaned up and ready to go! These trucks have specially modified engines that can virtually catapult the truck from snow-plow speed to intercept speed in seconds. And when the engine boost kicks in, the warning lights automatically change from flashing yellow to the dreaded red and blue!

Starting March 1, 2009, Michigan will launch a 31 day speeding ticket frenzy. The state estimates that $9 million dollars will be generated in speeding tickets, with an additional $3.5 million in revenue for failure to wear a seatbelt. $1 million will go to pay state troopers overtime. There will be 47 state troopers on duty at all times patrolling the main intersections and highways with the highest rates of speeding.

They are the following:

I-75, especially from the Ohio line north to Woodhaven, and again from Auburn Hills to Flint I-96 east and west in its entirety I-275 north and south I-675 north and south I-94 east and west from Battle Creek to Jackson I-696 east and west in its entirety I-196 east and west US-131 north and south I-69 east and west from Lansing to Flint and again from Flint eastward to Port Huron. I-69 north and south from I-94 to Lansing M-14 east and west from I-94 to I-275 M-39 from I-94 to I-96 M-59, especially from! Pontiac to Utica, and from Utica east US-10 from Midland to Bay City US-23 from I-96 to Flint US-27 from Lansing to Mt. Pleasant

Quotas: 5 mph above the limit can justify a ticket and every state trooper is supposed to pull a car over and write a ticket every 10 to 20 minutes. They have issued 30 brand new unmarked Dodge Charger Police cruisers and canceled all vacation time. In addition, they are bringing in all of their part timers on full time for the month. This nonsense will conclude on April 1. Driving Ticket fine increase in MI: Starting on January 15th, the price of a ticket for violation of MI Law 39:3-29 (failure to show your driver's license, registration, or proof of insurance card at the time you are stopped) went from $44.00 to $173.00. Please make sure your vehicles have the proper documents in them. If you jump in the car to run to the store and forget your wallet with your license in it and you are stopped.... Oh well... you just spent $173. And the fine for not having all three documents is $519!!!

And thats for the ENTIRE state of Michigan? And I thought we had some nasties in little podunk towns in FLA. I wonder how many will say this is the last straw, I'm outta here.

ah E36 M3....

isn't that entrapment?

Sounds like a jazzed up version of reginal emails that surface from time to time that turn out to be bogus.

Not saying that I have any proof saying its bogus, but the form fits, just add in boosted plow trucks for effect.

Ouch.

I remember the state line to AA being pretty open as far as speed was concerned....everyone would hit the brakes going into Ohio.

If you ask me (and you didn't), the last thing Michigan needs is another reason for people not to come.

There should be a two year hiatus on stuff like speeding tickets, drugs, gambling, prostitution, etc. Maybe that'll stem the exodus!

From '98 through '03 my job had me running from Toledo to Southfield, MI heading north via US23, or I-75 & I-275. Back then it was a virtual race track. My '95 Civic that I had at the time just loved to cruise between 75-90mph. I was once pulled over in Taylor, MI fro 89 mph in my Miata with out of state plates (Ohio) and got a warning!

The part of the story which does not make sense is this:
These trucks have specially modified engines that can virtually catapult the truck from snow-plow speed to intercept speed in seconds.
This sounds really vauge and would likely be really expensive.

The modified engines part is the part that sounds fishy.

The wording on that reads like a fake - and it is.

http://www.snopes.com/politics/traffic/speeding.asp

Here's what Michigan has to say about it:

Michigan said: The Michigan State Police (MSP) wants citizens to know that a widely distributed e-mail message about a "31-day speeding ticket frenzy" in Michigan titled "Operation Yellow Jacket" is completely false. There is no such effort underway at this time, or any time in the future, to generate revenue through the issuance of traffic citations. Citizens should regard the "Operation Yellow Jacket" warning as nothing more than an urban legend. As a reminder, MSP traffic enforcement initiatives always involve a uniformed officer in a marked patrol vehicle.

With the incidence of fake cops pulling over "speeders" to rob them or other less desirable reasons that happens from time to time in the state of Georgia alone I long ago decided I wouldnt pull over nor stop for any vehicle that didnt have lights ON TOP of the vehicle. If I see something with lights in the grille I will move over to let them by. If they dont go by and appear to want me I would call 911 and inform them that if it is indeed a legitimate officer that they get a car with lights ON TOP! I will take my chances in court if it comes to it.

porksboy wrote: With the incidence of fake cops pulling over "speeders" to rob them or other less desirable reasons that happens from time to time in the state of Georgia alone I long ago decided I wouldnt pull over nor stop for any vehicle that didnt have lights ON TOP of the vehicle. If I see something with lights in the grille I will move over to let them by. If they dont go by and appear to want me I would call 911 and inform them that if it is indeed a legitimate officer that they get a car with lights ON TOP! I will take my chances in court if it comes to it.

I would also follow that logic....but I just saw a non-marked Mustang GT pull over a car on I5 just north of Salem Oregon, last week. It had lights on the inside, front and back.

Yep, on my trip last fall to Destin, Fla, we drove through Tennessee and Alabama. They (Meaning I cant remember now if it was Bama or Tenn) had grey Chargers with the lights inside the front and rear windshields...they were mounted at the tops of the windows, but were definitely not on top of the car. It was VERY effective, as I remember multiple times looking in the rear view or over my shoulder, and one of those troopers would materialize out of thin air. The only markings on the car that identified it as an authority was a badge on the doors. Thats all...no different colored body panels or nothing, just the badges. We pulled up beside one in a rest area, and the lights were hidden behind ~6" of very dark tint at the tops of both the front and rear windows. Very sneaky, and probably fightable in court, but I didnt take any chances. That was a long drive!!!

Just came back from Michigan... did not see one patrol out there.

Only saw four on the Ohio turnpike, too.

noisycricket wrote: Just came back from Michigan... did not see one patrol out there. Only saw four on the Ohio turnpike, too.

But did you see any snow plows or big Hwy trucks?

Karl La Follette wrote: each Michigan State Police District has a truck cleaned up and ready to go! These trucks have specially modified engines that can virtually catapult the truck from snow-plow speed to intercept speed in seconds. And when the engine boost kicks in, the warning lights automatically change from flashing yellow to the dreaded red and blue!

Sounds like a scene from "Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry."

My top end is un-limited!