In Lakeway, a crusade against speed traps

[The Straight Story]

In Lakeway, a crusade against speed traps
Resident who displays warnings gets publicity, jail time - and vindication


Three years ago, when Lakeway resident Lance Mitchell launched his website, SpeedTrap-Ahead.org , he didn't hide his intentions.

"Not a lot of people flash their lights to warn others nowadays," he wrote. "But, I DO! And when I see a speed trap, I go back up the road a bit, and stand on the sidewalk, wearing my SpeedTrapAhead T-shirt."

The site was soon hosting discussions on topics useful to a certain type of driver: Was crossing over a white line technically illegal or merely not recommended ? Does state law require that you produce a driver's license if detained?

Mitchell also started chronicling his own occasional acts of civil disruption, often accompanied by self-produced video.

"I saw a cop pull up in the parking lot of the old Lake Travis Elementary," he wrote in March 2008. "About 1,000 feet up the road, there was a perfect spot for me to set up. So, there I stood, holding my 2 x 2 hand held sign, waving my other hand and pointing at the sign."

....

"I discovered while it was illegal to warn people of an enforcement action, that didn't apply to the traffic code," Mitchell said. "So I thought, 'Great! Now I can hold a sign!'\u2009"

(A researcher at the Texas District and County Attorneys Association confirmed his reading of state law.)

http://www.statesman.com/news/local/in-lakeway-a-crusade-against-speed-traps-1146294.html?viewAsSinglePage=true

[cleanhippie]

1. So, is this guy PRO-speeding?

Maybe I am missing what he is protesting against, but how is a cop stopping drivers going faster than the posted speed limit a problem?

What is the angle I am not seeing?

[RC]

2. The angle you are not seeing is 'Going with the flow'.

Roads and streets have a 'natural' speed limit that most people go. The posted speed limit is usually based on this or at least normally should be.

Quite often speed limits are set to low just to catch speeders. No other effort is made to slow traffic.

This was by a elementary school. Were there any announcements made to slow down the traffic in this area because it was a school zone? Was it advertised, or was it just a speed trap designed to make money.?

[Vincardog]

3. 'Speed trap' might give you a hint

[cleanhippie]

4. But if there are signs posted showing the speed limit....

Sure, maybe the "natural" speed limit is say, 40mph, but the posted limit is 25. If a driver does 25, they don't get a ticket.

If the argument is against arbitrary or unfair speed limits, then the city council is the place to fight, no? If one does not like the law, have the law changed.

I am still not seeing the problem here.

[hobbit709]

5. They set it up to be a speed trap.

the limit changes about every three blocks-usually without warning. Once Lakeway expanded from a little upper income community to taking over practically all of 620 south of the dam, then they had to get greedy in terms of revenue raising.

[Luminous Animal]

6. Yep. There is a road that I travel a few times a year that, within one mile, the limit changes

7 or 8 times. Most definitely a speed trap.