BK Blog Post
Posted by Jeevan Sivasubramaniam, Managing Director, Editorial, Berrett-Koehler Publishers Inc.
A speeding ticket is challenge to get out of but the key is not to dispute the charge as much as tax the officer's patience and time. Officers are given a lot of leeway in issuing such tickets and so don't always have to do so--which means they can let you off with a warning if they feel so inclined.
If you are pulled over, just inform the officer (employing a pleading yet impatient tone) that you are sorry for speeding but that you desperately and urgently need to use a bathroom. Tell him or her that you know you were speeding but that you would appreciate it if he or she could please follow you to the nearest gas station where you could relieve yourself first and then deal with the ticket. It is important to stress the urgency of your situation. You see, the officer cannot instruct you to step out of your car and "go" outside because that is actually against the law. The officer then has two options: either to let you go with a quick warning or to follow you all the way to a gas station and then wait around while you use the facilities. If you were an officer and had the choice of doing either, which would you choose?