Cottageville, South Carolina Speed Traps

Heading down Hwy 17 toward Cottageville a week ago Monday during the early morning I was stopped apparently doing 51 in a 35 mph zone. I’m not much on speeding, was really taken back when the Chief of Police stopped me. Got “reduced” tickets, 1 for speeding, the other for apparently crossing a double line ~~~ which I don’t know what he was talking about because there wasn’t anyone else around to pass!!! He told me the tickets were $1000 with 10 points, he was doing me a favor by reducing them to $450.00; no points! Hey, what a guy!!! Definitely a speed trap! The following morning, while driving through that area I was extremely cautious; left later so it was daylight! Yes, I saw what they were doing. Apparently, it goes from 50 to 35 before entering the city. The sign is set far off on the Right side of the road…. you wouldn’t see it unless you were looking for it over there! There is a wire fence on the right with vines growing all over it; the police sit right behind that fence in a parking lot, facing the same direction you are! There is absolutely no way you are going to see them. Funny thing, both coming & going both days, the police had someone pulled over in the very same place (one of those people, of course, was me)! In addition, I have been trying to pay the ticket on-line for now 10 days. That service is not working. Apparently, they have not entered the ticket yet. I have called the town administration; tried contacting the Policy Department and neither answer the phone! Ridiculous!

Yep, it’s a speed trap! And it’s an obvious one and sad that they can get away with it. Gives the cute little town and police a bad name. I was driving home to FL during November. I am careful of the speed limits especially in these little towns. Police pulled me over and said I was doing 50 in a 35. Never saw the radar he mentioned. I maybe had one car length from when I entered the town limits to when I noticed the reduced limit, which I immediately started to reduced to. I was told that if I pay the ticket before the court date it would be $150 and no points on my license or insurance increase. If I go to court he said it would be $250. Kind of smacks of corruption. By the way, I have NEVER had points on my license and my insurance company even said it was a speed trap!

Several days ago I had the police chief stop me and told me he was going to do me a favor by reducing my ticket from speeding to excessive noise. Its going to save me a whopping 20 buck yet I will still be paying 160 for something I didnt do. I have lived in this area for most of my life and know to stay under the speed limit. This is a scam!

The local cops sit in the bushes in driveway, in buisness, parking lots, and beside buildings where they are hard to see or be noticed. Drivers beware.

Members of our family travel this route often. We have a large group and 90% have been ticketed here. When I was – I almost blurted out “everyone knows this is a speed-trap,” but refrained because I wanted them to reduce mine as they had for most in overcrowded little courtroom. We all felt like victims in the grips of overpowered abusers of the law which they use to line the city pockets with money to support their town. Their Christmas lighting could have been paid by my family alone. Sad part is so many will pay higher insurance because they were caught in such an elaborate trap!!!!! I know when I was stopped, the officer got soooo close to my rear with his lights shinning in my rear-view. It kind-of caught me off guard and all I wanted to do is get him off my tail, so I sped up a bit. Then, the blue lights. I felt harassed. Isn’t it against the law to follow too closely? If I am wrong, I don’t mind paying the price of my crime. If I am forced to react to an intimidation, I am a victim.