Apparently locals are wise to the Turbeville scam. “Oh yeah, I know to go thirty-five in Turbeville,” said a lifelong South Carolinian with whom I shared my tale of woe. “That’s a town of 700 people, and that’s how they pay for their police force.” (It has 720 people and a three-person police force, whereas its fire fighters and emergency rescue team are volunteers.) The influx of out-of-state journalists was certainly a bonanza.
Other journalists have their own stories of primary state speed traps. One reporter from a political web site got pulled over in LeMars, Iowa on Highway 752. The speed limit goes from seventy to fifty-five to thirty-five in a short space, stops at a stoplight, and then goes up to seventy again. Near Ames, Iowa several reporters were caught in a speed trap on I-35 when the speed limit drops and there’s a cop hanging out just past where it changes.
A frequent question among reporters who get speeding tickets while racing from one event to the next is whether they can expense them. After all, they were incurred in the line of duty, trying to satisfy the dueling masters of going to campaign stops, filing stories, and not getting lost in a foreign land. In general, though, the consensus is that you can’t.
Campaign reporting involves other unexpected costs that are ultimately passed on to the publications, such as the extortionate price charged by rental car companies for returning to a different city than you departed from, and the various penalties one incurs when making and changing travel plans on the fly.
But it’s good business for the early primary states. The South Carolina Republican Party boasts that the event brought an estimated $20 million of spending from visitors to the state. They did not respond to an inquiry as to whether this includes speeding tickets.
You can drive?!
(Nice piece. Hope you survived.)
#1 Posted by Graham Webster, CJR on Tue 24 Jan 2012 at 03:49 PM
Dude, nobody that actually lives in South Carolina takes 378 unless they absolutely, positively have to. You'd have been a lot better off going out to Florence and hopping on 95 South, and then take 26 West. Sure, it's a little around your ass to get to your elbow - but you avoid a lot of speed traps and unsightly redneckish countryside.
#2 Posted by South Carolinian, CJR on Thu 26 Jan 2012 at 04:12 PM
I'm from South Carolina also, Myrtle Beach to be exact, and yes, No One who lives here takes 378 to Columbia. My husband and I did it years ago just for "old times sake," it used to be the main way to get to Columbia, and vowed to never do it again. Follow the directions South Carolinian gave you above. It's a much better drive that way. But you still have to watch out for Aynor. They'll get you there if you're speeding for sure! Hope you'll come back to visit, maybe fly in?
#3 Posted by Cyndi, CJR on Thu 26 Jan 2012 at 04:23 PM
Cyndi and South Carolinian: Thanks for the advice, I will definitely take it next time. I enjoyed the "unsightly redneckish countryside," which I thought was fascinating and scenic in its own way. But I definitely want to avoid those tickets. I was relying on my GPS device, which doesn't account for these things. The fact that natives know to avoid the speed traps on 378 I think goes directly to my point: Turbeville takes advantage of visitors, like reporters, who don't know any better.
#4 Posted by Ben Adler, CJR on Thu 26 Jan 2012 at 04:27 PM
Im pretty sure Turbeville was the inspiration for Nothing But trouble.
#5 Posted by Jason, CJR on Thu 2 Feb 2012 at 03:21 AM
4/21/2012 I was stopped outside the town of Turbeville,Sc. I was doing 35 mpg through town and going around the last curve in town I saw the 45mph sign and hit resume on my cruise control. Officers said if I showed up he would tell the judge how close I was to to sign and help me get a reduction. I just called and talked to the Clerk of Court and she told me that the judge will allow them to reduce from $388 to $288. I asked if she could send/email me something in writing that indicates to pay $288 and she said no. Hope I dont' get screwed.
#6 Posted by Jeremy, CJR on Fri 4 May 2012 at 10:27 AM
Had the same experience on 6/9/12 in this tiny town going west on 378 from Myrtle Beach with 2 other vehicles in our party and 1 other that was not. The officer corralled us into the church parking lot right on the east side of town across from an old gas station. No one saw a sign reducing speed to 45 from 55 but the officer clocked every last one of us doing 61 mph (yet did not produce a radar reading) as I was being passed in the by a vehicle in the right lane as if I was standing still. (*Please note that the 55 mph speed limit is not confirmed as of yet. The speed limit on the other side of town is posted at 60 mph.) He also cited us all with local ordinance #94, $388.00 fine and the promise from the officer to ask judge for forgiveness on the fine if we appear. He further told us that he is not going to charge us with the State Statute and no points will be assessed to our drivers license if we choose to mail in the full amount. I freakin live in Ohio! What we also witnessed a man come across 378 from that old gas station that I mentioned earlier and give the officer what appeared to be an envelope... what does that tell you? I know what it means to me. My fond memories of South Carolina from 22 years ago (while serving this country in the USMC) have been completely shattered with visions of Roscoe P. Coltrain and his Hazzard County speed traps despirately trying to catch the seeming law abiding Duke Boys only this time in an unmarked white Dodge Charger with blue stripes. I will be contacting the State Attorney General and State Police over this matter and if necessary all of the National News Media. I will go public online in any way that I can. This is CORRUPTION and the OFFICIALS of TURBEVILLE, SC are commiting crimes against their COMMUNITY, COUNTY, STATE AND NATION! Who says that organized crime doesnt exsist, it is alive and well, at least in Turbeville South Carolina
#7 Posted by Vincent Bryant, CJR on Tue 12 Jun 2012 at 01:58 PM
I got a speeding ticket of $288 in the same town of Turbeville, SC on Hwy 378. I want to fight back since the officer pulled me over when I was 50 feet away from 55 mph.
#8 Posted by sanjeev, CJR on Sun 23 Sep 2012 at 11:31 AM