Somewhat/not related:
I got pulled over for speeding the other day in Louisville; I was evidently doing 41 in a 35, but I got caught by the last 10 minutes of "school zone" so the speed limit was 25mph.
Damnit. I was talking to my father on my phone and though I knew the school was there, I thought surely 4:20pm was well past let-out time...but I guess not. My bad, I was distracted and screwed up.
Officer was polite and cordial but told me that Kentucky had a "no talking on cell phones" law. I live about 8 miles across the river in Indiana, smack in the Louisville media market, and had not heard this. I apologized to the officer and told him I did not know that Kentucky had a cell phone law, he said it was new and banned "handheld electronic communication devices" and he was only warning people until it had been effective for at least 6 months. I got my $168 citation, wished him a good afternoon and went on my way.
When I got where I was going I immediately jumped on the computer and checked the Kentucky Revised Statues and Google - NOTHING. Kentucky has a newish texting while driving law, and drivers under 18 are forbidden to talk on a phone while driving, but there is no prohibition on drivers using a cell phone if they are over 18 which I very clearly am.
The officer either lied to me in an attempt to 'scare' me into not talking on a phone while driving (which is legal, if not smart) and used the 'warning' line as if he was doing me a favor...or was completely ignorant about the law he is sworn to enforce.
While I earned the speeding ticket and the transaction was very polite and professional, I was kinda pissed about a LEO spreading incorrect information about the law.
I got pulled over for speeding the other day in Louisville; I was evidently doing 41 in a 35, but I got caught by the last 10 minutes of "school zone" so the speed limit was 25mph.
Damnit. I was talking to my father on my phone and though I knew the school was there, I thought surely 4:20pm was well past let-out time...but I guess not. My bad, I was distracted and screwed up.
Officer was polite and cordial but told me that Kentucky had a "no talking on cell phones" law. I live about 8 miles across the river in Indiana, smack in the Louisville media market, and had not heard this. I apologized to the officer and told him I did not know that Kentucky had a cell phone law, he said it was new and banned "handheld electronic communication devices" and he was only warning people until it had been effective for at least 6 months. I got my $168 citation, wished him a good afternoon and went on my way.
When I got where I was going I immediately jumped on the computer and checked the Kentucky Revised Statues and Google - NOTHING. Kentucky has a newish texting while driving law, and drivers under 18 are forbidden to talk on a phone while driving, but there is no prohibition on drivers using a cell phone if they are over 18 which I very clearly am.
The officer either lied to me in an attempt to 'scare' me into not talking on a phone while driving (which is legal, if not smart) and used the 'warning' line as if he was doing me a favor...or was completely ignorant about the law he is sworn to enforce.
While I earned the speeding ticket and the transaction was very polite and professional, I was kinda pissed about a LEO spreading incorrect information about the law.
