Sierra Blanca, Texas Speed Traps

I regularly travel from Florida to California on a regular basis due to my occupation and I have yet to make it through Sierra Blanca without being cited for speeding in the last four years approx. 6 times a year. I think they keep track of routine out of state travelers and pick on them! BEWARE they use pickup trucks and un-marked family cars, as well as the dreaded Highway Patrol!

Another OUT-of-STATE Driver Speed Trap!!!! Divided highway with rolling hills. Overcast with lightening and no artificial lighting either street or buildings. Two 12′ lanes plus 8′ center emergency lane E/B and W/B separated by a 80’+ brush and rock median. Traffic about 12 to 18 vehicles per mile. I am W/B-2 on I-10 with the cruise control at 67MPH on rising terrain. Coming E/B over the hill is a trooper who was silouhetted by the headlights from the truck behind him. I look at the speedometer. Great, 67MPH. In my mirror, I see the overheads go on when the tropper is 45 degrees off my left-rear and disappears over the hill. Next thing I know, he pulls me over stating I was clocked at 77MPH with his radar. NO WAY POSSIBLE. 1) If in fact he did clock someone at 77MPH on my side of the road, it was not me. You could not (and I tried several times after leaving the scene) identify any vehicle due to distance and darkness. 2) If I was clocked at 77MPH and the angle between the radar was 30 degree to the side, I would have been doing 96MPH; If it was a 45 degree angle I would have been doing 107MPH. NOTE: I tried to explain this to the trooper but he did not understand what the angle had to do with it. When I brought up the Pathagorean formula and saw his eyes glass over I knew it was useless. The lights were on but nobody was home. 3) If I was doing 96MPH, how did he ever catch me? The time it took for him to find a turnaround (minimum minute) our combined speeds would have put him 2+ miles behind me. Then he would have had to do 110MPH for 8 minutes to close a two mile distance. I DON’T THINK SO!