Welcome To Speed Trap, Oklahoma
A Bubbaworld Editorial Opinion
To understand how these little speed trap towns operate one needs only look at the Bubbaworld report titled Watts, Oklahoma - The Rise and Fall of a Speed Trap Town. In that old report we detailed a six year reign of corruption in the hellhole that was Watts, Oklahoma. Most Oklahoma speed trap towns operate in a similar manner and are just as corrupt as was Watts.
A typical Oklahoma speed trap town can rake in between $25,000 to $30,000 per-month with a police force consisting of less than a half-dozen 'warm bodies' that know how to drive and write and who are willing to work for between $1,000 and $1,500 per-month. Toss in a municipal judge for a few hundred dollars a week and any town can set itself up as a speed trap. Especially now that Rep. Roan has opened the flood gates for them.
So what can you do to protect yourself when passing through Speed Trap, Oklahoma?
First and foremost AVOID known speed trap towns such as Big Cabin, Caney, Moffett, Shamrock, and Stringtown as much as possible. If you have to travel through these known speed traps, you probably will be safer doing so after dark as the majority of speed traps operate during daylight hours only.
Second, when approaching a known speed trap town slow down to at least 5 mph below the speed limit. Remember "Billy Bob", the speed trap cop, is trying to make his quota and therefore his living. Even if he is honest, he may will not allow any tolerance at all. We have heard of drivers getting ticked at 2 mph over the speed limit in some speed traps, although most speed trap operators "claim" they allow 5 or even 10 mph over the speed limit before ticketing, don't bet on it.
If you are unfortunate enough to get ticketed in a speed trap town, pay your fine and go on your way and in the future avoid the town if possible. If you can not avoid the town in the future make sure you never spend a dime in that town for anything, ever again, and if the town has a Chamber of Commerce, call them and tell they you are boycotting their town and why.
If you are an Oklahoma resident contact your state representative and senator and tell them you want the anti-speed trap law reinstated. Tell them you know what Representative Roan pulled and you wanted it fixed during the next legislative session, in February, 2008.
We at Bubbaworld will be setting up a special section on speed traps in Oklahoma. Watch for it under the 'Special Interests' section on the Main Menu. If you would like to report an Oklahoma speed trap, just let us know via e-mail to The Webmaster
For those interested in seeing the hatchet job that Representative Roan did on Oklahoma's anti-speed trap law you can read it for yourself at HB 1616 on-line via the Oklahoma Legislature web site.
