Costa Mesa, California Speed Traps

Two motorcycle officers working in tandem will generally wait in one of several side streets, in order to catch northbound motorists on Placentia Ave. After passing a city park and driving down a moderate hill (which causes your vehicle to speed up), the speed limit drops to 35 mph. Upon rounding a curve to the right, you may find yourself in the sights of a RADAR detector. It’s too late to slow down. They’ve got you!

The intersection at Baker & Fairview is always chaos and 3 lanes wide each way. Cars in Fairview’s northbound left lanes have to race to get to the right lane to enter 405 Southbound onramp because morning rush hour drivers won’t give way. Motorcycle cop sits in last right side street before onramp with radar to get everyone that has a 32 valve V8 capable of winning the race (my opinion). Infrequent appearance. Problem of getting into onramp lane is so bad there are constant instances of people cutting into line at last minute – especially trucks and SUV’s. Solution is to get in right lane BEFORE Baker and wait out all the traffic merging onto or from Baker or merging from car wash or gas station at corner, then put up with all the guys cutting in at last minute. Cops are never there to get the guys forcing their way into the freeway onramp line.

At Intersection before entering 55 Freeway, see many police officers (mostly motorbike) hiding at 76 gas station on right, and in front of the "Java T’ Go". Appears to be radar, not positive. Have seen perhaps three during PM rush hour, and a few at oddball times that I have been fueling up. Entrance to freeway is a place of acceleration, but they look for anyone pulling ahead by two carlengths or more. I have lived in the area for a year, and have seen no less than eight speeding tickets located at entrance or directly after entrance on the shoulder of the freeway.