Are you serious?

[Orgoner]

Not defending Aaronson but...

I've driven over a million miles in the US Midwest the last 20 years. I'm not aware of any speed cameras and we sure don't have any kind of notification system that a camera is coming up. We do have waze (app) which will notify you on traffic hazards and police but that's relatively new and it's dependent on users inputting the information. Not infallible but better than nothing.

The other tough nut to crack is that many people are driving way above the speed limit. Even tooling along in the right lane (the slow lane here) if you are doing the speed limit they are coming up to you like you are standing still. Human nature is to run with the flow of traffic or pack of cars. Sometimes it's your turn to get picked out and ticketed. Just the nature of the game. Certain vehicles "attract tickets" and he likely has one of those. Numbers, stripes, flaming red, loud or high performance cars are much more likely to get your pulled over. A white 4 door sedan...not so much. Not near as bad post covid because most police dept's are grossly understaffed and traffic control is not a priority for many of them due to other more pressing issues. It is hard for me to comprehend that someone had nothing better to do that stopping and writing a ticket for 7 over.

The reality is that cars are much, much safer and comfortable than they were even 10 years ago. Speed limits are rather arbitrary and distances are huge. I can't comprehend the distances in a country like England. I've logged in quite a few 800-1000 mile days in the last 20 years. The cops set speed traps and enforcement tends to focus on generating quick revenue for a town, county or state. Drive enough miles and you'll get a ticket regardless of how good you are. Tickets range from 3-4 points speeding. 8 points reckless driving (25 and over), Turn signal and unsafe lane movement (4-5), stop light or stop sign violations (4 or 5). Sit at a light at 1AM in Chicago, Detroit, St Louis, Cincinnatti, or any other big city in the wrong area and you'll take the ticket over losing your car or your life.

Not saying that this is likely in the case of Aaronson but it is different over here vs The UK. He may have racked up the points over here. Think he played for Philly and if he was driving home after matches that is one scary festering crime ridden war zone in a lot of areas. I wouldn't be stopping an any red lights for long at 11pm in that place.

it would be fascinating to see what driving in the UK is like vs the US. I suspect it's a world of difference.

Not sure why he wouldn't have taken the safety class or paid the lawyer to buy off the ticket. Does point strongly to the fact he's likely a tool.

You were unlucky to be pulled over for changing lanes without indicating in the US as I’m pretty sure that most drivers don’t even know that their vehicles come fitted with “directionals” (indicators, for the UK readers) based on my experience driving here.

Keeping with the smug smartarse Brit observations, there seems to be absolutely no concept of lane discipline here either and virtually no-one ever drives in the slow lane, whereas most in the UK only tend to venture outside of the same if they are actively overtaking. As it bloody well should be.

That said, the one thing I do like here is that you can turn right at most red traffic lights as long as you effectively treat them as a stop sign. It took a few impatient honks from behind before I realised this was considered normal and allowed (at least here in the northeast.

Don’t get me started on roundabouts.

[hopelesslyoptimistic]

What about magic roundabouts?

[Orgoner]

What about magic roundabouts?

Given the amount of weed I routinely smell emanating out of passing cars here, those would blow what little is left of the average New Hampshire driver’s brain!

[WTF11]

You were unlucky to be pulled over for changing lanes without indicating in the US as I’m pretty sure that most drivers don’t even know that their vehicles come fitted with “directionals” (indicators, for the UK readers) based on my experience driving here.

Keeping with the smug smartarse Brit observations, there seems to be absolutely no concept of lane discipline here either and virtually no-one ever drives in the slow lane, whereas most in the UK only tend to venture outside of the same if they are actively overtaking. As it bloody well should be.

That said, the one thing I do like here is that you can turn right at most red traffic lights as long as you effectively treat them as a stop sign. It took a few impatient honks from behind before I realised this was considered normal and allowed (at least here in the northeast.

Don’t get me started on roundabouts.

The driving experience in the UK is VASTLY different to that in the US. You can't travel 1000 miles in one direction here, the
whole of the UK fits into Florida with plenty to spare. Traffic cops are very rare, static speed cameras not so much, especially automatic cameras tied to variable speed indicators (and you WILL get clicked if you exceed the limits they indicate) in what in the US would be freeways. Fact is Aaronson has no defence, 12+ points in the time he spent here is just plain stupid (driven here over 40 years, covered on average 100,000 per annum, never had 12 points (they expire after 5 years)).