$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ Can you say …. KA-CHING ???? (For the town of Riesel?)

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

OUTRAGEOUS SPEED TRAP in RIESEL, TEXAS … still active in APRIL 2014 !!!!!

Same trap described countless times on this blog. I wish I had read it before I traveled. I had my cruise control set at 72 in 75mph zone northbound on Highway 6 from Marlin – Hearne – Byran – College Station. I made the same trip the day before and in hindsight, remembered the cop was sitting at the very same place. I didn’t make a note of it because I was driving the speed limit and had no plans to try to avoid the law. This is clearly a devious and intentional speed trap and a major income source for Riesel. The speed limit abruptly drops from 75mph to 55 mph. If you miss the sign or don’t slow down quickly enough, the cop is right there to cite you. He sits off the highway on the east side just south of town at the rise of a hill. I had my cruise control set at 72 mph. It was dusk and there was some conversation going on in my car to pass the long empty miles. Same officer noted in other entries.

The cost of my citation? For going 17 mph over the 55 mph limit, the fine was $227. (Fine starts at $117 for up to 6 mph and goes up $10 per additional mph over the limit up to $299 for 25 mph over the limit.) Besides the steep fines for speeding, some of the other fines make it clear this is all about the revenue and nothing more. (Cut across Median – $202) (Littering – $511) (Excessive Acceleration – whatever the officer decides that is! – $297) (Ran Red Light – $297) (Illegal Turn – whatever the officer decides that is! – $297) (Failure to Yield Right-of-Way – $297) (Following too closely – $297) (Equipment violation – anyone ever had a bulb burn out and not know it? – $297) (Expired Registration – $152) (Expired vehicle inspection – $297) (No insurance – 1st offense $397; 2nd offense $1,062) (Expired Drivers’ license – $262) They really get you if you don’t make an appearance in time – $299 additional fine for failure to appear.

As has also been noted, they do **NOT** take personal checks – only money orders or certified checks. And an “appearance” is only by “certified mail, in person or by your attorney.”

Oh — and I live in Texas, so I know *MOST* Texas cities allow a moving violation to not be placed on the driving record by “Deferred Adjudication”. (Where no additional violations are received in a probationary period.) Or, we can use a “Defensive Driving” safety course. In Reisel, there is *****NO***** DEFERRED ADJUDICATION !!!!!! However … they have a note on their court form that says if you do not qualify for Defensive Driving dismissal (took it in the previous year elsewhere) or you have a CDL, contact the court for information on deferred disposition. Hmmmm … so I called. Turns out you can INCREASE your fine up to $299 and take the Defensive Driving course anyway (even if you’ve had it in the past year) and they will dismiss your ticket. So – I have to pay another $72 to the court (plus the minimum $25 fee for the course) to keep this ticket off my driving record!!

Unlike what some other motorists said, I checked my map and there is NOT a “by-pass” to Riesel (unless you count winding around on some circuitous country roads as a by-pass. The only option is to just avoid Highway 6 at all costs. US-77 and Texas 36 also goes in the same direction out of Waco. Well worth the extra miles to avoid this place.