New Orleans, Louisiana Speed Traps

two cops in roof-lightless car, hide behind parked police unit, step out and wave you over.

Once a month NOPD’s finest set up their trap by hiding behind some cars on this residential street which happens to also be the main road to get to Gen. DeGualle. They especially enjoy hitting the mothers picking up their kids from school. The speed limit is 35 mph. But also be careful of added bonuses to your ticket. I was only 9 miles over the speed limit, which would not have been a large enough fine, so the officer added a cracked windshield to the ticket which raised the fine substantially.

Motorcycle police; no way to talk your way out; speed limit set so ridiculous that you will get passed and could get hit in rear if follow (35 mph). Usually between Filmore Avenue and Veterans Blvd. Embarrassed to say they got me twice, both times going 45.

Two cops hide behind a building and step out to pull you over, though I’m not sure how they know you’re speeding because they didn’t use radar. This is a deserted street that runs between abandoned warehouses and the speed limit is 25. Adjacent residential streets are 30mph. They pulled over a steady stream of cars and the cop I got was rude and fast, definitely there for high-volume business.

There is only one speed limit sign that is obstructed by trees, and I was floored to discover that the speed limit is 20 MPH–it’s 35 on every other street in New Orleans. I work on Morrison and was pulled over about two blocks from my office, and the officer was already writing out the ticket before I came to a complete stop. He was very polite and helpful, however. He clocked me at 30 MPH but the ticket does not state the fine, which means that you have to take a day off from work to go to court to pay the fine. I believe the fine was $175 (it was about 6 months ago), which is excessive when you factor in the lost time at work for going to the courthouse.