May 1st was Law Day in Arizona, and I was on my way to hear a judge deliver a speech on the county courthouse steps. It was a blue-sky day, and light traffic, just one car oncoming over the crest of the next hill.
Unfortunately, that one car was an unmarked unit of the Arizona State Police, and he popped his radar just 200 yards or so from me. I had only one or two seconds for defense before he went by. V1 alerted, but I knew I was dead.
Mr. Law immediately pulled a U-Turn and came up behind me with his You’re-In-A-Heap-‘O-Trouble Lights flashing. When he asked where I was going in such a hurry, I truthfully replied “Law Day.” Guess he saw the irony in that–he let me off with a warning for 74 in a 65 zone.
The lesson here is that no detector–and I love my V1 to death–is foolproof against clever enforcement tactics, so you’d better mind your speed when you can’t see far enough down the road to spot a possible enforcer before he hits the instant on button.
Michael Boardman
Sierra Vista, AZ