Arcade, Georgia Speed Traps

I was traveling from Gainesville to Athens via SR 129. Be very careful on this stretch of highway. County and small town cops patrol this hwy regularly. I travel it probably 10-15 times a year and this time, I wasn’t paying attention and got caught speeding when the limit drops to 45 from 55 all of a sudden entering the little town of Arcade. 55 to 45 wouldn’t sound like much if the flow of traffic wasn’t 65. BE CAREFUL! The little towns of Pendergrass and Arcade love writing tickets.

This small liquor store town use to rely on speeding tickets until Ga passed a new law last year. If a officer has a car puled over you must get in the other lane, or receive a ticket up to $500. Guess how much the ticket is? Yup $500 exactly. The problem is there is a scam where on the 4 lane hwy a officer will pull over someone to the right and another officer will come in from the median, with his car in the left lane, so that you don’t know which lane to get in. If you straddle the line you get ticketed by the cop in the median, because the officer on the right side of the road is the emergency vehicle not the trap car coming in from the median and the judge will ring you up every time for 500 smackers.

I was traveling from Dahlonega back to Savannah on 144. All I know is the speed limit was 65mph, then apparently 45mph. Once I saw the sign, I apparently didn’t & couldn’t slow down rapidly enough. I’m not familiar with the area and once I saw the lights, I wasn’t sure if he was after me or one of the other 3 cars I was in the midst of. I pull over, I explain my situation, he writes me a ticket 69 in a 45. Here’s the unbelievable part….mind you, I have a clean record and this was just for speeding….I am being fined $365.00! Three-Hundred Sixty-Five Dollars! Is that excessive or what??! After reading some of the other posts, I’ve yet to see anything that gets that close. I mean for crying out loud! 69 in a 65 that suddenly drops to 45 AARRGH!

In reference to the white mustang occassionally driven by the chief and other officers. It is not used as a traffic enforcement vehicle. There are many non traffic related reasons for stopping a vehicle. Also though it is not an uncommon occurance to recieve a traffic citation in Arcade it is uncommon to have an accident. Especially one involving serious injuries or fatalities. p.s Did you see those super sized 45 m.p.h. signs the state placed as you enter the speed zone while traveling south bound?

On 129, as you get near the "town" of Arcade, GA the speed limit suddenly drops from 55 to 45 with no change in the road condition, and minimal markings. The Arcade police sit less than a quarter mile from the speed change, usually near the court house with their lights completely off in the median at a dip in the road. They get you in either direction coming over a blind rise using instant-on K band radar.